My Favourite Sounds

This assignment was much trickier than I thought it was going to be. I had no problem whatsoever coming up with my favourite smells or textures, but my favourite sounds alluded me. Apart from a large number of songs, here is what I was able to come with more specifically.

Bonfires
I love pretty much everything about bonfires: the smell, the sight, the sound, the warmth. There is something about being around a bonfire that is completely relaxing. In the same way that you can stare into a fire and see many different colours, I find that there are many sounds hidden in a bonfire as well. First of all, there's the rippling, low roar of the fire itself, which is interuppted every so often by the pop and snap of branches. There is the snizzle of wet wood and the hiss of sticks that are burning out. These sounds all layer together in a kind of symphony that is both perfect background and foreground noise .

Skateboard
I think that my love of this sound is based on the remains of my an old schoolgirl fantasy. Skateboarders were always so daring and rebellious, and never failed to make my 16-year-old heart flutter. Although there are many wheels in the city, skateboard wheels have the most distinct sound of the lot. I love the raspy, gritty sound of the wheels and how the sound changes slightly from the sidewalk to the road. I really like the way that you can actually hear the shape of city. All the bumps, dips and cracks in the road or the pavement as the wheels roll over them. The sound of a skateboard is always distinguishable through the hum of the city, and it never fails to turn my head...guess I'm not quite over that crush.

Trains
Since I moved to Montreal to go to school, a large part of my life has been spent on trains travelling to and from Toronto. This is lucky since trains have always been my favourite way to travel: none of the stress of traffic and all the comfort of an airplane without the hassle of security. Again, like the bonfire, this is a layered sound. The smooth, quiet hum of the engine is a nice contrast to the syncopated chug-a-chug-a of the wheels on the tracks. The rythm of these sounds is almost hypnotizing when they blend together. The spell is only broken every soo often by the deep, distant "whooooooot whoooooooooooot" of the horn. It's as if someone is brushing the insides of my ears very gently with a paintbrush. I can't wait until Thanksgiving!

Scissors cutting into Construction Paper
I admit this might sound like a bit of an odd choice, but bear with me. I'm talking about the 'crunch/slice' noise that the scissors make as they cut through the paper. To me, that is exactly what a new beginning should sound like. I love the way that a big cut makes a totally different noise than a small snip. There is something so satisyfing about the sound of a cut into a piece of paper; something very clear and sharp. it sends a shiver down my spine.

My Mother's voice
This is probably my favourite one. It is calming, soothing and familiar. It can put me at ease or cheer me up. It is quiet, strong and lilting from her British accent. It immediately transports me to a place of comfort and safety. It sounds like how a cup of tea feels: warm, filling and sweet. I could pick it out of a crowd anywhere. When I hear it, I know everything is going to be alright.