Drift Assessment

1. Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)

The area that I chose did not have a variety of sounds. I was pissed that they were all traffic and construction related. I was happy when I first started hearing construction, but then it just kept happening over and over.
My other problem was the wind. I didn't think the wind was going to be as bad as it was, but man, it was terrible. It was all over the place!


2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.

I don't think I have two. My only ease came when I was away from UWM. This completely surprised me because I am horrified of Milwaukee. I was expecting some gangster guy to beat me up, but instead I felt really at peace being away from people talking. I got some of my worse footage then, but it was still being somewhere away from school. I was still doing school work, but it just felt like I was exploring, not "working".

3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)

Again, the wind noise. I was surprised that it turned out to be as bad as it did.
I was also surprised at the recordings that turned out "good" compared to the ones that did not. Some of them that sounded good while recording ended up being terrible.
I think I also gained a deeper understanding for how hard it is to be a sound recordist with original content. Everything sounds the same or are really close to the same.


4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.

My favorite part of the drift was actually a recording that ended up being heavily damaged by the wind, but the recording of the piece was very fun. I saw a group of Asian students sitting at a bench talking and so I decided to sit at the bench next to them and record their conversation. I know, it sounds so wrong, but it was some of the most fun I ever had. They were talking about school and what it means to be Asian and how one of them was going to be mad if he became less Asian. It was extremely funny, because it was all serious. The guy actually meant it.