Ernie Davis Soundscape

I sat in Ernie Davis dining hall during lunch today and listened to the “soundscape” that was created by all the noises around me.

I was surprised by how many clattering and unsettling loud noises I heard. I heard a lot of plates and cups being stacked and picked up. About every 30 seconds I would hear the clanking of someone trying to pull a cup off from the stacks. I heard workers shoving silverware into their holders. At one point I heard a cup fall to the ground. It made a loud rattling sound as the plastic cup danced across the floor. I was sitting at a table by the windows, but I could faintly here the scraping of metal serving spoons and some one shaking a cup with ice. These sounds were jarring and represent the busy movement of cups, plates, food, and people. Together these intermittent sounds created an atmosphere of chaos and rushed activity.

At one point I heard a loud industrial thud of something happening back in the kitchen. I had no idea what it was and it was unnerving. The people sitting around me made a lot of noise too. I could hear multiple conversations, friends laughing, and people saying “hi” as they greeted each other. The conversations stopped and started in random patterns, but I tend to hear them as one jumbled sound that surrounds me. The large TVs hanging from the ceiling also added to the chattering. It is loud but not irritating. The sound of screeching chairs, however, was very irritating. I discerned about five distinct variations that chairs make when they are being pulled, pushed, and dragged. Sometimes the noise last a good five seconds and other times it was just bumped and made a quick hiccup. The chairs groaned obnoxiously as college kids dragged them around to other tables.

The people in the dining hall made many different noises as they adjusted their stuff, took off their coats, and set their trays down. I heard a soft tap as one guy set down his iPod. I could hear forks moving around on plates and if the person was loud I could even hear them chewing or sipping their drink. I heard the clicking of thumbs quickly texting. I also heard keys moving, shuffling feet, sniffling noses, coughs, and the crumbling of fortune cookie wrappers. These sounds were usually quick and distinct, which made them easily noticeable, but there were also some softer sounds that were harder to identify. For instance, the constant hum of the ice cream machine is barely detectable. The cars outside zoomed by but the sound was muted by the strength of the glass window. The ice cream machine sounds a bit mechanical but nevertheless it is a relaxing sound. The cars are also calming. As a whole though, Ernie Davis is a hub of activity. It has an incredibly dynamic “soundscape.”

Good Copy, Bad Copy

Good Copy, Bad Copy is a documentary that explores the issues of intellectual property that face our culture when it comes to the way we share media. For example, music artists who sample music from others to mix funky new beats cannot legally sell their work according to current copyright laws. Despite the fact that some have a cult-like following of eager fans, these dedicated artists are not able to make any money. In a song that takes from twenty different songs the royalties to pay would be unimaginable.

What really struck me was the copyright protection of older movies and music. Once the artist is deceased, there is no way to obtain his/her permission and the material goes untouched, unused, but also unappreciated. How long is one entitled to the rights of his/her work? Can they still claim something even after they themselves are long gone?

Compare this system to that of the patent system. Utility items, ornamental designs, and even plants can be patented for a period of twenty years. The creator receives the initial credit and has time to market and produce his product. After twenty years, the patent expires and the rights to his idea are no longer his alone. Others have the opportunity to make profit by imitating, altering, or improving the product in some way. In the end, competition yields higher quality.

Unfortunately, due to the availability of downloadable music and movies, and the booming piracy market, a lot of what the artists deserve is lost. It’s easy to see why they would want to ensure their ownership rights for as long as possible.