We were introduced to the different types of sound during class. As I have no musical background whatsoever, all of these concepts were quite new and interesting to me. Usually, I would only notice soundtracks when I watch movies and videos. But through this sound-walking exercise, I discovered that there were sounds all around us that intriguing and can be used in creative ways to influence audiences.

I walked around with my partner, Zoey, near Can 2. The sound clip that I find most interesting was recorded in the Giant supermarket, specifically near the self-checkout counter. 

I like this recording especially, because of the different layers within the sound that all help to create a scene or give the listener some context.

• First, there’s a voice speaking in Mandarin, talking about numbers (although, if you were a listener who is unfamiliar with Chinese, this would probably sound quite foreign). The accent here is likely from Mainland China.
• Then, there is a beep from the scanner and an automatic, recorded voice “… scan your item”, which is a clear indication that this is a shop. 
• The last layer is of a conversation between two ladies in Mandarin, but their accent and tone immediately makes me think of the typical Singaporean aunty, rather than someone from Mainland China. 

The layers of sound help to provide a lot of information, about the people, the language they speak, the accent – which hints to where they’re from, other machine-made noises that sets the scene of a shop. This activity helped me to see that sound can be used in a way similar to visuals – the adding or subtracting of layers that will create different effects on audiences.