The Growing Threat of Urbanisation

~Find yourself~ Welcome to Manly Dam, home to the most divine flora and fauna swans. Take a look around and take in the sights and sounds. Perhaps you see a young family having a picnic with the cheekiest of ducks darting in and out trying to grab a snack from one of the laughing children. Or maybe you’ll hear the sounds of birds chirping in the trees, crafting the most harmonious of melodies. Whatever you take in, know it’s the simple joys, so immerse yourself in nature and breathe in… and out… Growing up I’ve always pondered the ideas of the future of humanity, specifically in the realm of the human psyche and our obsession with progress. I’ve had a deep passion for philosophy, which led to often questioning the world and our values. This project further attempts to delve deeper into the psyche of the human mind and begs the question of whether we truly are evolving in the right path… Are we losing our so-called humanity and identity in search of minute pleasure’s? Is the constant demand for society’s approval hindering our originality and desire to be ourselves? These are the questions I ask, as growing up in this modern age creates uniquely significant issues that only Generation Z knows. The pressure to be the best. The desire to be liked. The image you need to portray. All of these ideals are broadcast on a silver screen, and after seeing all these stars shining as bright as the sun, people forget how quickly a fire burns out. Mental health should be focused as a priority in this age, however many youth don’t realise how disconnected from their own minds they truly are. Peaceful but constant mindfulness should help calm their minds. No-one realises how fast they’re truly moving in life until they slow down to reflect. Lying on the grass, lazily watching the sun’s rays reflect off the azure sea like phoenix’s wings, the titters of critters as they forage for food as the scent of petrichor gently wafts through the air… It’s times like this where you find yourself feeling free. Manly Dam is on traditional land of the Indigenous Garigal Clan of the Guringai people. Not only is this reserve a popular spot for picnics and family gathering, but it is also rich with a diverse population of endangered native creatures that have survived on this Earth for thousands of years. This luscious dam deserves to be protected, and knowing this information makes your walk through the wondrous greenery that much more immersive, allowing for contemplation on the beauty of our surroundings. Alan Watt’s speech from ‘The Art of Meditation’ has proved a vital foundational idea for my project, kickstarting my interest in the acts of self-reflection. Specifically all his quotes about the human condition and the concept of ‘overthinking.’ “A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So, he loses touch with reality and lives in a world of illusions. By thoughts I mean specifically “chatter in the skull”... perpetual and compulsive repetition of words... of reckoning and calculating.” Alan Watts is truly an inspiration and a figure of wisdom that those should seek out when drawing in their minds. My project is full of ambience and effects recording all throughout the realm of Manly Dam. Utilising the microphone, I attempted to record the noises of the wildlife from duck’s to crows. While in the middle of this action, it hit me how peaceful nature truly is when your mind is focused on your surroundings. My aim for this project is to give the listener the same sense of nonsensical nostalgia that comes out of staying present. My idea of immersion is reinforced by the use of pans and delicate volume control to make the listener feel like they’re living free. And dear listener, there will also be a *surprise* near the end of the project… This jarring sensation was further brought to light through the use of ProTool’s reverb, delay and stretching tools! I feel like this placed more meaning onto the theme of anxiety. In essence, my goal of this project was to draw awareness to the inner self and how much potential you can discover when you discipline your mind. Calm yourself and orientate yourself in the present. I promise you’ll come away from my walk with a faint smile and a deeper outlook on nature and humanity. Remember you don’t need to prove yourself, you’re good enough as you are. Now go! Tell someone close to you how much they mean to you. Their smile will be worth it all. By Nicholas Pang Berto, R. (2005). Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attentional capacity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25(3), 249–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.07.001 ‌How Modern Life Became Disconnected from Nature. (2017). Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_modern_life_became_disconnected_from_nature Hultgren, J. (2015, May 31). MindFullyAlive. MindFullyAlive. http://www.mindfullyalive.com/blog/2015/5/30/alan-watts-on-the-art-of-meditation#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20person%20who%20thinks%20all,..%20of%20reckoning%20and%20calculating. ‌onsareblog. (2016, November 17). THE IRONY OF LIFE: YOU NEVER KNOW THE VALUE OF A PERSON UNTIL THEY’RE GONE! Onsareblog; onsareblog. https://onsareblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/17/the-irony-of-life-you-never-know-the-value-of-someone-until-theyre-gone/

Welcome to The Road of Northbridge – Sailors Bay Road. This road is host to many of the great aspects that make up the amazing suburb of Northbridge in the Lower area of Sydney’s North Shore. Take the time to walk from the waterside park of Clive Park to the busy shopping district at the corner of Sailors Bay and Strathallan. In this walk you will pass Northbridge’s captivating blend of cultural richness, natural beauty, and community charm. From the enchanting Northbridge Golf Course to the musical richness in the G major guitar studio. Embrace this audible euphoria and connect with the charming suburb of Northbridge. This walk is a representation of local community in this wonderful suburb. This walk takes you inside the cultural hub of Northbridge by showing you the appealing aspects of its splendid natural beauty and cultural richness through the flourishing array of sport, music, community centres and social areas. The walk starts you in Clive Park, the heart of the suburb’s natural beauty with its beach front view of the famous Sydney Harbour and its vast assortment of Australian bush. From Clive Park you will walk past the famous Northbridge golf course. Situated amongst the splendour of Northbridge, The Northbridge Golf Course stands testament to the harmony between nature and sport. This course is home to novices and enthusiasts of the game with an embodiment of panoramic vistas and unwavering commitment to excellence, attesting to the suburbs fostering community spirit and its commitment to sustainability. Next to the illustrious golf course is the Northbridge oval, a synthetic ground hosting leisurely activities as well as many football and cricket matches. Another indication of sustainability in the community, this oval is one of Northbridge’s cultural centres by playing host to teams from all around the city in football and cricket matches as well as training sessions. The multipurpose sporting field is a mantel piece and staple of the many things that create the amazing suburb of Northbridge. Across the road from the Northbridge oval is the G major guitar studio, created by Jimmy Chan in 2012. G major is the hub of musical culture in Northbridge by teaching over 100 students a year and having taught over a thousand students since its opening. From teaching students to putting on concerts, The G major guitar studio is the haven for musical culture and audible euphoria in Northbridge. The studio brings the whole community together and is a staple for cultural richness in the suburb. Up the road from the guitar studio is the shopping district of Northbridge, flourished with café’s, newsagencies, and restaurants. This area is the centre of cultural and social charm in the suburb and is enriched with vibrant tapestry. Northbridge offers an immersive shopping experience that caters to all. This project reflects all the cultural and natural beauty in this wonderful suburb of Northbridge. This walk encapsulates the captivating experience of life in Northbridge, taking you through a vibrant array of sports, music, nature, and shopping. The walk explores the tempestuity of the audible culture in the suburb from beautiful sounds of nature to the loud social environment of the shopping region. In this walk you should take the time to explore each region in which you hear the associated sounds so you can explore more than what you’re hearing and visually explore the amazing suburb of Northbridge. The sounds you are hearing in this walk have been recorded in a variety of places with a variety of lengths. All sounds were recorded from either my mobile phone or my AudioTechnica At2020 condenser microphone. I have mostly used atmospheric sounds to encapsulate the authentic experience of someone walking through this vibrant neighbourhood which makes the walk less fabricated and more acoustically designed. Sounds such as footsteps on gravel has been used to display the change of location and indicates the natural sounds of Northbridge. I’ve also incorporated a decay mod synth to create a sense of euphoria in the walk to elucidate the hauntingly beautiful aspects of this great suburb. This walk truly does encapsulate all the great aspects of Northbridge. On this walk listen out for the natural beauty, cultural richness, and community charm that this great suburb has to offer. Please enjoy your walk down Sailor’s Bay Road – THE Road of Northbridge. Credits Written and composed by: Billy Fennessy Additional Audio Components: Ben Tippett, Ollie Hilliard

A remote collaboration between two artists in Cornwall and rural Aberdeenshire. Initially based around the notions of parenthood, whilst also considering personal, geographical and political space. Composition naturally began to accommodate responses to the pandemic as the album was written during the COVID19 lockdown of 2020. The first five tracks use only the voice and audio production techniques, field recordings, and radio excerpts, whilst the final track contains additional instrumentation.

Sydney harbour bridge a recognizable symbol of Australia , build on the 28th of July 1923, using 1,400 workers . Harbour bridge is an Australian heritage listed steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, The location is harbour bridge , the harbour bridge walk .I aimed to represent an echo journey on how it was build . Aspects and facts about the bridge . How it was build . I reflected my vision about that time during the construction ,as you walking and imagining how it was built ,by listeaning to sound walk I am representing to you today. Aspects of representation I approached is I simulated the amount of steel that was used to build the bridge , which was 53,000 tones of steel , and 1400 Labour built the harbour bridge. I added mainly hammering sounds , Labours and construction background. Music was representing some events happened during the construction of the bridge . Sixteen workers died during construction ,two from falling off the bridge. I represented that with low octave chords as it was a sad event . The music I used in the intro was to give a refelection of space while the represented describing the location of the Sydney harbour bridge. As it was surrounded by darling harbour water . I represented in my work a lot of my recorded collection for the project where it included solid sounds of metal and solid objects , foot steps to represent the bridge climb that allowed more than 3 million people to scale the bridge and enjoy an unforgettable experience. It takes 1,332 steps to reach the top of the Summit.

This journey is very special to me and am very excited to be able to share this with you today. As you embark from Milsons point, all the way over the harbor bridge and to the ending point, i have no doubt your clarity of mind and general thought processes will be clearer. During your journey you experience the contrast between tranquility and energy to provide you the perfect balance of stimulation along your walk. Just like life you must have balance, so whilst you immerse yourself in this walk, bring a book or journal alongside with you to encapsulate your thoughts. There are marvelous sights to be seen which are very much unappreciated by most of society. At any point it is always possible to appreciate the beauty of your surroundings and really be in the present. And i hope alongside this walk you take, you will feel the same.

Sounds around Chatswood train station in Sydney, Australia

While walking through the lower North Shore suburb of Waverton, a feeling of community surrounds the small neighbourhood, with a healthy amount of nature filling most of the landscape. Waverton is home to many small businesses which are heavily supported by locals, which was crucial during the COVID-19 lockdowns throughout 2020 and 2021. The Coal Loader, which is home to a public piano, a den of chickens and an outlook on the water, is a popular spot amongst locals to go for a walk and relax during any desired time of day. There are many places to sit and enjoy the view, while the sounds of lorikeets and the water create a soothing atmosphere as background noise. Further up from the Coal Loader, Larkin street hosts a postcard-worthy view of the Harbour Bridge, which attracts people from far and wide on New Year's Eve. The view of the Harbour Bridge continues across Woolcott street past the train station between Waverton and North Sydney. As a result of Waverton’s breathtaking views of the harbour, the local government is undertaking a project to refurbish some key areas, to become more accessible to the public, and attract more people to the area. Waverton can be accessed via the train station that features on the T1, T9 and CCN train lines, and various bus routes in the surrounding area. The bay of water that surrounds the Coal Loader, stretches around Balls Head Reserve, which has many bush walks available to the public. This soundscape captures the environment of walking through Waverton, with three different sounds. This walk starts with quiet sound of traffic heading through Waverton, when it begins raining. The rain slowly subsides throughout the soundscape, where the sound of water lapping at the headland can be heard quietly in the background. This walk depicts the different identities of Waverton, with contrasting sounds such as traffic, wildlife, and nature to immerse the listener in the suburb.

The aim of this Echoes project is to bring the user on a “tour” style walk around the popular areas of Chatswood. While walking around, the user will encounter the beginnings of Chatswood, the big Westfield shopping center and will depart via the Train Station. The narration of the tour should feel more like a friend over a tour guide as they will guide you around the place and see you off. This tour should allow the user to immerse themselves in the area while also learning about the history of the area. IMAGE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatswood,_New_South_Wales

"The impacts of a hundred-day confinement were felt by billions around the globe. Thoughts about personal health, job security, relationship stability as well as much more were breathed in and exhaled out daily as they infiltrated the mind and home, denying repose. It was the ironic reality of many, many people to be unable to find rest in the one place it belongs." Through my audio program, I wanted to explore the lingering elements of a global pandemic in a world recovering. I tried to channel particularly absurdism (the idea that life is irrational, illogical and incongruous), which had also risen from the aftermath of a global tragedy almost as a means of coping. This was reflected in key story elements, like the idea of an omnipotent being who chooses to run guided relaxation tours of questionable success through the Sydney Botanical Gardens, and enhanced by manipulating the audio to convey more than just the surrounding atmosphere. For example, the sudden use of heavy reverb on his speech, followed by rapid fading into complete silence bar the noise of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. There is also an obvious emphasis on mental health, which was contextually influenced by my experience as a student during the pandemic. During that time, I felt strongly that mental health was underrepresented and under emphasised in the Covid-19 response to students. Rather, emphasis was placed mostly on academics and ensuring that work would proceed and be completed as usual. To emphasise it in my own program, reflecting my own experiences, felt empowering and cathartic. In my case, the location of the echoes soundwalk did not need to be a special or particular one; I simply needed to find a park open or wide enough to hold the whole program as well as provide a convincing backdrop for the surrounding activities, like an entire construction site or animal sanctuary. For this, the Sydney Botanical Gardens were sufficient. All recordings were taken either in or around the house, with the exception of those taken from the shared group pool, and most recordings were done through a Rode dynamic mic into a Zoom H-6. This caused a problem when they were taken at a different sample rate to other audio clips, but they were converted through ProTools. Recording in and around the house proved to be an issue for some recordings, however. For example, as the construction site was also recorded near my house, it bled into the background of the dog barking audio clips. Other challenges included my house not always being the most appropriate acoustic recording environment as well as some quieter noises being harder to capture, such as the noise of the drawer skates or rain ambience. I tried remedying these with smarter mic placement, like underneath the drawer for a louder roll and quieter close or underneath the awnings for a louder rain pitter-patter. Next time I would record with a partner to streamline a lot of the process, more easily avoid handling noises as well and to get better recordings in general. All vocal recordings were done into an Audio Technica AT2035 into Audacity via an audio interface in my bedroom. The voice recording varied a lot in volume in different parts in ways that weren't deliberate and had to be compressed once to solve this, then once again to adjust for correct LUFS. Next time, I would try to maintain a consistent distance and axis to the mic to avoid this, as well as employing a pop filter to avoid loud plosives and lip smacking noises. I would also look towards optimising my vocal recording space.