As a required audio assignment for DS106 (AKA: Camp Magic Macguffin) I had to create a story under 90 seconds that contained no verbal communication – just sounds. I started by looking up audio clips and just trying to brainstorm what I wanted to do. If there is one thing I love and can’t wait to do (hopefully soon!) is ride a motorcycle. So I decided to create a little story of someone (idealistically ME) zipping up there leather jacket, walking outside, starting their (MY) bike and going on a ride. As the ride continues city backgrounds are brought into the picture… horns, sirens, a helicopter above, people. I got my sounds from freesound.com an awesome website with a plethora of sounds and edited it all using Audacity. The software was easy to download, and a few questions submitted to Professor Google made using it very easy. I combined different sounds, faded them in and out as I please and finally got a 53 second story. I think for my first try my sounds transitioned and overlapped fairly smoothly (please give me feedback if you listen to it!).

The story fades out… the ride will continue on as the listener chooses. After finishing it, I closed my eyes and heard it. I realized then how personal it was to me. It is a reflection of something I hope to one day do, and my choice of city sounds (as oppose to say a countryside) also is a reflection of me. I was born and raised in the city ( the greatest one in the world by the way: New York), and this story just shows how much comfort and auditorial pleasure I get from the hustle and bustle of city sounds.

Take a listen and join me on my ride…

The following are links to the soundclips I used…

http://www.freesound.org/people/bdhammer/sounds/23083/

http://www.freesound.org/people/dobroide/sounds/30789/

http://www.freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/36734/

http://www.freesound.org/people/Jewels/sounds/39848/

http://www.freesound.org/people/Zoom%20H4/sounds/97167/

http://www.freesound.org/people/jberkuta14/sounds/134900/