Donlan Soundscape

Authors

Christopher Donlan, Bryant UniversityFollow

Abstract

To capture the soundscape, I spent some time on the patio behind my apartment building and was able to identify a number of sounds, both natural and manmade. The location I was at sits right along the Blackstone River however, so the sound of the running water generates lots of white noise. While not changing in rhythm or pitch, the water produced a smooth and subtle tone that slightly masks the other sounds.

The most prominent sound I heard was the chirping from crickets. Their sound has a very fast paced rhythm that occurs in a steady pattern, however the high quantity of crickets in the area causes their patterns to overlap and harmonize. They all produce a sharp, high-pitched sound, but not every single one is at the same pitch. I was able to occasionally focus in on the sound of a single nearby cricket and compare its rhythm and pitch with the others, and sometimes a cricket would slow down and stand out. However, the whole time I was outside, basically all of the crickets maintained their rhythm and produced a constant sound.

Course

LCS 280: Introduction to World Music

First Faculty Advisor

Joan Zaretti, PhD

Recommended Citation

Donlan, Christopher (2021) "Donlan Soundscape," Bryant University Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/isbhs/vol2/iss1/9