Typing to Myself

Tag: #introSound

  • Intro Sound Summary

    What Did I Learn?

    This week taught me how the audio aspect of storytelling can make a listener feel something real, even if there’s nothing to see. I used to think sound was just background. Like filler to make videos or games less empty. But listening to the Ira Glass’s advice and War of the Worlds broadcast and The Moth, I started to realize that sound itself is the story sometimes. It carries emotion and builds suspense. For example, in War of the Worlds, they didn’t need alien visuals to scare people. The newscast format and the compelling voices and background noises made people believe it was really happening right outside their homes. Ira Glass said that everything you record is “trying to be crap” unless you’re intentional with it, and I think War of the Worlds showed that by how intentional they were with each sound and pacing choice. I’ve learned that simplicity is not a weakness in auditory storytelling. When I listened to Mahmoud Banki’s story on The Moth, there were no fancy background tracks or heavy edits, none of that. Just his voice and pauses carried the story. The silent moments spoke louder than any dramatic music could have. I’ve seen all these bright and loud edits on YouTube, but this is different from that. It makes me think of how I’d want to  approach sound in my own work. Sometimes it’s not about layering as many effects as possible. It’s about choosing the right sound techniques that can hold meaning and “breathe”.

    About my rainy walk to class? That morning felt different. I woke up to the quiet tapping of rain on my window and didn’t really want to get up, but I had class at eight. As I walked outside, I noticed how empty and calm the campus felt. The rain made everything smell fresh and the only sounds were my footsteps, the slight rain, and the water fountain I walked past. Recreating that with layered rain, fountain noises, footsteps, and the faint car felt satisfying because it captured that calm and tired but peaceful feeling. The Totoro Nature Whistle was another piece that surprised me. I thought stacking four natural sounds together would sound messy, but it turned out peaceful. I layered the acorn drops first, then rain pattering leaves, a gentle forest stream, and finally wind brushing through cedar branches. When I listened back, I imagined Totoro standing under the trees. This audio didn’t need editing because they already carry the quiet beauty by themselves.

    What was harder than I thought?

    Finding the right sounds was harder than I imagined. I thought it would be easy. Like search “rain” on freesound.org, download it, done. But not every rain sound feels the same. Some were too harsh and others too muffled. When working on Totoro’s Nature Whistle, I spent almost an hour sampling different rain and forest water streams and wind sounds until I found ones that felt calm and natural enough to fit Totoro’s world. Also, getting the timing and volumes to blend in Audacity took a lot of trial and error. Especially for the sleeping panic story, The Rough Morning. If the footsteps or blanket rustling came in even half a second too late, the whole illusion broke.

    What was Easier?

    I think the easiest part was listening to the audio stories and analyzing them. Whether it was Ira Glass’s talks,War of the Worlds, or the story from The Moth, I didn’t struggle to pick out what techniques were used or why they were effective. I guess it’s because I naturally pay attention to details in how people tell stories, their pacing, and certain sounds used to shape the atmosphere. It felt straightforward to write down my thoughts on them. Also, writing the reflections for each audio creation came easier than I thought it would. I assumed I’d have nothing to say about simple sounds like rain or rustling fabric, but words just came to me. Listening carefully made it easier to find meaning or memories behind the sounds. All I had to do was describe how I felt.

    What Drove Me Crazy?

    Honestly, Audacity itself drove me a bit crazy. Every time I imported a clip, the tracks would rearrange and I’d lose track of where my selections were. Adjusting volume levels felt endless. I’d fix the rain only to find out the acorn drop was suddenly too loud, then lower that and realize the wind was gone. It felt like trying to juggle four balls. Also, Freesound’s catalog didn’t have too many options for Creative Common 0 pieces which made finding the right clip take longer than expected. I think I spent more time searching for sounds than actually editing them.

    What Did I Enjoy?

    I think the part I enjoyed the most was just listening. Like, really listening. Not just hearing something in the background while I do homework. I sat down with my headphones on and paid attention to every small detail in the sounds I was working with. For example, when I was making Totoro’s Nature Whistle, I spent a while listening to each layer by itself. The rain falling on leaves, the water stream running through rocks, the faint rustling of trees, and the sound of acorns hitting the ground. I initially imported them on top of each other at the same time, and you could maybe hear all four of them, but that might’ve been too difficult. The nature one reminded me of early mornings as a kid when I’d sit outside after it rained and just take in what it was like outside. Back then, I didn’t think much about it, but now I see how those moments like these can be really great to have. I also liked that I didn’t need visuals to tell these stories. It felt like some work was lifted in a way. Like with photos or videos, you’d usually worry about lighting or if something looks “good enough.” But with audio, listeners just hear what you choose to share and their imagination builds the rest. I think that’s why audiobooks are pretty popular on their own, and this same principle applies with Book vs. Film. Here, people aren’t being shown a place. They’re invited to imagine it themselves. And it’s interesting because when you think about it, everyone’s version of the sounds you create is going to be slightly different in their heads. I think that’s kind of beautiful. Another thing I enjoyed was writing the reflections after making each audio. I thought I’d struggle to describe simple sounds, but each time, it felt like writing about small memories. Like with my rainy walk to class, as I wrote about it, I started remembering the way the fountain sounded mixed with the rain, or how quiet campus felt at 7:40 in the morning. I often ignore the world around me when I’m rushing to class or going about my day. I think society in general is like that too. We’re so busy looking at screens and notifications that we don’t really listen anymore. Doing these assignments reminded me that there’s actually a lot to hear if I just pay attention. Overall, I enjoyed this introduction to sound as seeing how sounds alone can make you feel something.

    Links

    Part I
    My Thoughts on Audio Storytelling

    Part III
    What Mahmoud’s Story Taught Me About Audio

    Part IV
    A Rainy Walk to My Morning Class
    A Rough Morning
    Calling Totoro

  • Calling Totoro

    I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to stand in the middle of the forest on a misty morning and see Totoro appear from between the trees. There’s something peaceful about him. Something that makes you feel like everything is okay, even when it isn’t.

    Sometimes, I would sit outside, thinking he’d come by. That he’d stand there with his big leaf umbrella, looking as calm as ever. I thought, maybe he was just hiding because I didn’t know the right way to call him. I thought if I could just make the right sound… not a human voice, but something natural and beautiful… He might just peek out from behind the trees, curious. Sometimes I’d sit on my porch during light rain, listening to the drops tapping the roof and the ground, imagining Totoro sitting next to me with his little leaf hat, blinking slowly, just existing there. No words needed. Then he does this.

    Movie: My Neighbor Totoro. He loves the sound of rain when they land on his umbrella.

    For this audio challenge, Character Bird Calls, the task was to create a “call” for a character using only sounds. No words, no voices. At first, I thought about using wind chimes or temple bells, but the more I thought about Totoro’s world, the more I realized he wouldn’t come to artificial sounds. Totoro feels like the kind of spirit who listens to the unique parts of nature. He likes the sounds of things that are alive and not man made.

    So I created what I call the Totoro’s Nature “Whistle”.

    I started by making each sound play on its own. First, I added the quiet, irregular sounds of two acorns dropping onto the forest floor. Then came the soft patter of rain falling on leaves because Totoro always appears when it rains. After that, I brought in the gentle forest water stream. Finally, I added the sound of wind brushing through the forest, rustling bushes and branches. It’s background noise if you don’t pay attention to it. Once I had each sound placed separately, I began layering them together. I stacked the acorn drops, the rain, the stream, and the wind so that all four played at the same time. To my surprise, even without heavy edits, they blended beautifully. It felt so peaceful and natural like I was sitting in Totoro’s forest and listening to the world breathe around me. I believe Totoro would respond to this call not because it doesn’t feel demanding. It blends with what he loves, which is nature’s hidden music. He’s curious about anything that feels alive and real. Maybe he would appear holding his umbrella above his head, blinking those big eyes at me in that slow calm way. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything. He would just stand there for a while. And that would be enough.

  • A Rough Morning

    I don’t usually oversleep. But last Thursday was different.

    The night before, I stayed up almost until 3 AM reviewing slides for my upcoming cybersecurity quiz. My annoying eyelids wouldn’t just stay up for some reason as I scrolled through my notes under the blanket. I thought I could read just one more page before sleeping.

    When I woke up the next morning, it wasn’t gentle. At first, I was breathing in my sleep, stuck in some dream I’m not going to remember anyways. An alarm started blaring next to me, shaking me awake. Did you know? I’m sensitive to loud noises while I sleep. You know what they say, “My heart rate jumped so fast I thought it would burst through my chest.” I tried to strike the alarm with all my might, but I moved too quickly. I ended up rolling off my bed, hitting the floor with a thud. Half my body landed on my guitar case. It kind of hurts.

    Bedroom alarm clock
    https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/bedroom-alarm-clock_3218178.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=2&uuid=8dbe04f0-6f25-4699-9f08-79970ec5081b&query=alarm+clock+bed

    My brain was still foggy, but that’s okay. Adrenaline took over. I scrambled to my feet, stumbled toward the closet, and pulled the sliding door open. I started rummaging through shirts and hoodies, yanking hangers left and right. Everything felt rough and cold under my fingers. I grabbed the first hoodie that didn’t look completely wrinkled and threw it on.

    Then I spotted my backpack on the floor. I rushed over, unzipped it, and checked the contents. I shoved it back inside before zipping the bag up. I hurriedly slipped on my shoes by the door, tying the laces as fast as my shaky hands would allow.

    Finally, I swung open the door. The cold morning air hit my face, shocking me fully awake. I started running. My footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway, fading out as I rushed toward the exit, hoping I wouldn’t be late for class again.

    For this audio assignment, Sound Effects Story, the challenge was to tell a story using only sound effects with no words. I started with light sleeping breathing, followed by the loud alarm to signal panic. Then I added the rustle of blankets, a thud to show falling out of bed, slamming the alarm, footsteps running to the closet, the sliding closet door, frantic cloth rustling, closing the closet, putting on the clothes, heading to the backpack, the zipper, and shoes slipping on. Finally, the door opening and running footsteps fading out ended the audio with urgency and movement. Even something as simple as suddenly waking up can feel like a journey when you listen to the little moments layered like this together.

  • A Rainy Walk to My Morning Class

    I woke up this morning to the quiet tapping of rain against my window. At first, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling and listening to it. It’s peaceful. But also a little sad. Why? Part of me wanted to stay under my blanket all day, but I had an early class at eight.

    I slowly got up, changed into some warm clothes, and put on my gray rain jacket that I hadn’t worn since last semester. When I stepped outside, I started feeling more awake as the cold air made contact with me. I could hear the rain hitting the sidewalk and dripping off the bushes lined up next to the dorm entrance. It wasn’t pouring hard enough to feel miserable. It was enough to soak the ground and make the earthy soil smell strong and fresh. I pulled my hood over my head and started walking to class.

    At that time, around 7:40 in the morning, the campus was still half asleep. There weren’t many people outside yet. It’s one of the nice parts of waking up early, I guess. I could hear the soft sounds of tree leaves swaying in the wind and the only footsteps I heard were my own. I was careful of splashing through the small puddles that were already starting to form. I dislike wet socks.

    As I walked further, I walked by the small stone fountain. Even though the rain was falling, the fountain still made its own quiet sound. The combination of the rain and the fountain water felt kind of comforting. It was noise to help me focus on just existing in that moment. I found myself standing still for a second before proceeding. Then a thought crossed my mind. Did you know? Walking on a clear day feels different than walking in the rain. That’s because you won’t get wet.

    The sound of cars driving by in the distance seemed more… noticeable. Even though I was still feeling a little tired, something about that morning walk early in the day made me feel… good, I guess.

    For this audio assignment, Create a Place, I wanted to recreate the feeling of that morning walk to class. I started with a base layer of gentle rainfall to represent the steady rain that morning. Then, I added the sound of footsteps on wet pavement, making sure they were paced calmly to match how I was walking slowly, just taking in the moment. I layered in the quiet bubbling of a small fountain. Finally, I added a distant sound of a car driving by to give it that sense of early morning quietness with a reminder that the world was still waking up. I wanted these sounds to create a place that felt calm, just like how I felt during that walk. It’s easy to think of rainy days as gloomy, but sometimes they remind me to slow down and just be present with myself.

  • What Mahmoud’s Story Taught Me About Audio

    From Princeton to Prison – Audio Storytelling Reflection

    Listening to Mahmoud Reza Banki’s story on The Moth, I felt some sort of heaviness settle in me. From Princeton to Prison was about how his life flipped upside down after being wrongfully arrested for receiving his mother’s divorce settlement money from Iran. What stood out immediately was how he started sharing with us his childhood in Iran. He said, “Looking back now, the red alert sirens in the middle of the night, Iraqi missiles and fighter jet assaults, getting into bunkers as a child, all seemed routine and normal.” Hearing him say that so calmly made me pause, and stating that it was seemingly “routine and normal”… I thought about how experiences shape people so differently.

    The way he told his story didn’t rely on sound effects or music, but his voice alone carried it and the humming of the recorder. His pacing was steady. He took appropriate pauses to gather his thoughts, making it seem like he’s not reciting a story–he’s telling a story. You could hear when his voice wavered or paused, especially when he described being dragged out of his apartment at dawn by SWAT officers. When he said, “They slam me against the wall and handcuff me,” it felt conflicting, because his voice was soft but the words themselves hit hard. There wasn’t any dramatic music to push you into feeling this pressure and urgency. Instead, his soft voice left in it–the room for the listener to feel it themselves. I noticed the lack of background music in The Moth’s production style actually made the story more powerful. It’s another one of those audio techniques, that sometimes intentionally leaving out certain sounds can be just as effective as layering it in. Of course, the silence between his sentences added weight. When he described his first days in prison, he said, “I laid down on my metal bunk and quietly, I cried. Not because I was scared, cold, or hungry. I cried because I could not be heard.” Hearing that in silence just made it feel even more real. His words came out slower. His words came out weaker.

    Banki ended his story by explaining that even after getting out of prison, the punishment never stopped. “I am not equal. Prison, at some point, ends. The punishment never does.” I sat there for a while after it ended. It reminded me how important the choice of narration style is in audio storytelling. In this episode, The Moth producers didn’t add music or layered effects or anything. Instead, they let Mahmoud’s voice carry everything. The voice that couldn’t be heard during that tough time was given a chance to be heard, with no distractions. His pauses, his slightly shaky breathing. Those were enough to build the atmosphere. I think this style works for stories like his. When a story is already filled with injustice and heartbreak, adding dramatic music or heavy effects would almost take away from it. This episode showed me that audio doesn’t always need to create an atmosphere. Sometimes, it needs to just give space for the speaker’s reality to ‘breathe’ and come to life. That’s what I want to remember in my future audio projects.

  • My Thoughts on Audio Storytelling

    This week, I watched a couple of videos where Ira Glass talks about what makes good audio storytelling. One thing he said that really stood out to me was that finding a good story is often harder and takes longer than actually producing it. I understand that this is true because for example, finding the actual algorithms to solve the Rubix cube would be harder than actually executing them. Ira Glass said that for his team at This American Life, they spend more than half their week just looking for stories worth telling. He said you have to be okay with killing a story if it isn’t working, even if you’ve already spent time recording it. That’s something I think I’d struggle with. If I spent all day interviewing someone, I’d feel bad about just deleting it. But he made me realize it’s not about disrespecting the person or wasting time. It’s about respecting the final story enough to make sure only the best parts stay. The same principle applies with pruning a bonsai tree where you’d cut off the small weak branches so the stronger ones can grow better. He also talked about how everything you record is “trying to be crap.” That made me laugh a bit, but I understood what he meant. Most raw recordings are messy and unstructured and not very interesting on their own. It’s up to us to shape them into something that actually reaches people’s hearts. He said you have to be “ruthless” about cutting out the boring parts. I think a lot of beginners including myself probably try to keep everything they recorded because it feels precious. But now I see that storytelling isn’t about collecting everything. It’s about finding only what matters.

    Listening to the War of the Worlds broadcast by Orson Welles helped me see what Ira Glass was talking about. That broadcast wasn’t just people reading lines in a studio. I think that’s why people believed it was real back in 1938. They used the structure and pacing of normal radio to their advantage. Ira Glass said that the best stories have a sense of drama and characters interacting with each other. Even though War of the Worlds was fake, it sure did sound like the reporters were witnessing everything first-hand, describing alien tripods stomping across New Jersey farmlands with tentacles and poisonous gas and are currently heading towards New York! I didn’t need visuals to imagine it. The calm way they described terrifying things made it feel even scarier. 

    Another thing Ira Glass said was that beginners often try to talk like “people on TV” instead of just being themselves. I think I do that too sometimes, like trying to sound more formal or “professional” instead of just… me! He said people connect better with someone who talks like a normal human being. When I think about War of the Worlds again (even though it was dramatic), it still sounded like real people reporting news instead of actors reading lines. Maybe that’s why it was so powerful. Overall, what I learned from Ira Glass this week is that good audio storytelling takes patience, being honest, and being willing to fail many times before finding something special! And listening to War of the Worlds just showed the real effects of powerful storytelling when done right.