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Since I made and passed Assignment 1, it's been a crazy and eventful period. I've put my voice to use in many ways, from interviewing new applicants for my organization to, naturally, participating in the timeless Filipino birthday tradition of karaoke.
Well, my birthday was yesterday, and I wanted to celebrate in a way that would be fun. For old times' sake, we decided to do karaoke. I'm not a singer and have no vocal training, so it ended up straining my voice. Should I mention that we were actually getting revenge on our new neighbors for not respecting the neighborhood? This is a bit of a rant, but they often blast music from morning until almost midnight every day. You heard that right, MIDNIGHT, like until 2 am. It's also the same family with uncontrolled children who keep making noise. I was worried that when it was time to record, they would be blasting their music again and that they wouldn't stop if we asked them. So, as a little petty revenge, we pointed our speakers directly at their house and sang our hearts out. I wish it worked since they seems to be silent since then. We stopped the Karaoke by 10 pm because of the barangay rule, which obviously, those neighbors did not respect.
It was unfortunate, yes, but I took it as an opportunity to see if I could fit into another character for the radio drama I'm developing, since having scratched vocal cords gives you a different tone. I didn't find it satisfying, however, so once I finish the script, I will find someone else to play the part.
I also interviewed students for three days straight, which really used my vocal cords. I took this as practice for this subject, since I tend to lose my voice if I strain it too much in a single day. By speaking almost every day, I can train it. As a full-time online student, speaking isn't a usual thing for me. For now, I'm going to heal my voice.
Image 1. The illustration made by my Boyfriend from the events of my birthday yesterday
Just like with MMS 173 - Photography in Multimedia, I have an initial idea about this subject. I also asked the same people as before, and they gave me advice. Somehow, I still can't grasp it well, as I'm facing a dilemma with my lack of audio talent. This subject also makes me wonder if my experience with video editing—which includes some sound direction—is relevant, or if this is a completely separate video production skill. Nonetheless, I am doing my best to understand and cope with everything.
Regarding the course content, I completely understand some of the lessons in Unit 1, especially the "Health and Safety Considerations Regarding Exposure to Sound" subpart. Putting aside my earlier rants, I tend to be uncomfortable without white noise and am particularly bothered by speakers with loud bass.
Political campaigns, for example, were a form of torture for me since every vehicle had those loud, large speakers. Our barangay hall wasn't a help either, as they tend to be loud. Even though we are 172 meters away, the horns and speakers can be faintly heard inside the house—and imagine being outside! Having loud neighbors takes a huge toll on my neighborhood. What about the students or workers who need to wake up early but can't sleep because of the noise? I don't think reporting a noise complaint would even work, since officials wouldn't take action on anything that doesn't affect them. Anyone who reports such issues is often called a "killjoy," or KJ. When I talk with my classmates or friends from UPOU who live in an urban place like ours, they also have the same complaint.
Since it's been a crazy week, I scheduled all events and tasks ahead of time with a one-day allowance before the deadline. I just happened to cram this midpoint blog because of my prior commitments. I also spoke with a few people about this subject, and to be honest, we are all quite stressed out in our own ways. I saw Prof. Al at the BAMS colloquium and joined the conversation to ask about the MMS 172 tasks, but I left when the topic changed.
I am currently finalizing the script for my project. Also, I am happy to find some of inspirations from multiple drama ( even those Chinese or English Short Form Reels often show up on Facebook ). As I mentioned earlier, I will find another voice once I am finished with this task. Some of my friends in this course will be doing something similar to my work—an audio drama. Others will be doing audiobooks, and those with musical talents will, of course, be singing or playing their instruments. Reading their Assignment 1, especially for students who don't have musical talent like me, is quite relatable. If I could give them a pat on the back right now, I would. If any of these people can help and be a part of my project, I'm completely open to collaborations!
This has indeed been a challenging time. With a new noisy neighbor and all my pending tasks, I hope things will ease up soon. I'm happy that I'm getting the hang of it. It's a small step, but it's still progress. I am hoping that everything will go according to my plans.
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