Monday, September 3, 2007

i went home for the weekend and i took advantage of some free time by laying out in my back yard. i started thinking about thursday's assignment and started listening to what was going on around me. normally, because i do live out in the boondocks of doylestown ohio, anyone could walk out into my backyard and not really hear anything. but once i really opened myself up to it, i heard more than a first impression would let on. at first i just heard the music i had playing, but then i noticed the noise of my dad working in the field beyond our yard (he was bailing hay and the tractor was pretty loud-told you it was a small town). then i heard someone down the street mowing their grass, and some neighborhood dog barking-probably egging my own dogs on. then i heard the sound of locusts (i think that's what they were). this was probably the loudest sound out of all of them, but the one i noticed last, and it's funny because i always hear them at night so it's almost like they never stop. i don't know if i'd even notice any of that stuff unless i really took the time to listen.

assignment

For this weeks assignment I decided to choose a situation that occurred this past friday...Some buddies and I had a fairly large camp fire in the woods behind our house and a little later we decided to head over to the graveyard and walk around for a bit (I know, that's weird). But anyways I've always kind of noticed it but this time when we were their I felt very conscious of it, the grave yard was so deathly quiet. It was even as if the noise from cars and other outside forces didn't dare penetrate the gates of the cemetery. But it really wasn't scary like you would imagine it to be, I'd say it was more soothing and peaceful then anything else. The worst part of the whole cemetery experience though was one of the guys with us was talking extremely loud. I felt embarassed and actually a little fearful because it seemed like the place echoed and amplified any verbal communication....But we made it out alive and lived to tell the story

not even a footstep heard

OK so since i listened to the Phi kappa Psi house the last time I decided to take a different approach for this weeks blog. I just decided to listen from my dorm room in Jacobs with my door open and windows open as well to see how loud my dorm can be. The truth is it isn't like a college dorm should be. Every one has their door shut and now and then you can hear one open. The only thing i heard was my fan blowing in my room and the sounds of the quad outside my window as people moved about them. there was nothing going on at all. No sounds of people running in and out of dorm rooms or playing stupid jokes on each other. Either i have the calmest dorm ever or its just my floor you be the judge because honestly i do not know at all.
I had the opportunity this morning to listen to the sounds of the river. Some of my buddies and I went fishing and one of my buddies and I took the canoe out. The fish weren't biting too much so I had plenty of time to just listen. The sound of plopping lures entering the water, trains going by every now and then, and of course, the beautiful sounds of nature and all its creatures. I do remember this one bird that had a very annoying cry. I cannot describe the sound well, but it reminded me of a very pitiful cheer. Something like that.
The river we were on was in the middle of no where basically and there were several families who lived on it. We began fishing at around 7 and there was complete silence. Once 9 o'clock or so rolled around the families woke up and polluted the silence with yelling and bickering. So then i stopped listening.

Listening

Alirght so this weekend I went home to return to my summer job for labor day weekend. I didn't really plan on doing my listening expirenment at work but as I was sitting inside with the door open I started listening to the people outside discussing their golf rounds and the caddies sitting around talking about how much money they made or how made at me they were for not getting to go out on the course and caddy. It was interesting to hear people talk about their golf game esspically when I know for a fact that most of them are lieing about the shots they claimed to have hit. I caddied for 5 years before I got promoted and I know most of the guys golf games well enough to know when someone it lieing about breaking 80 when I would bet money on him not being able to break 100. The caddies are also fun to listen to because three of them were having a conversation about me and my boss and it was kinda cool to hear what they really think of you. One called me some R rated names because I guess I'm on a power trip and forgot where I came from but, that was easily the most fun part of the expirence.

A question

I happen to have a couple of dozen pictures of movie stars when they were in school. Since I noticed I can insert a picture into my comments, would it be okay to play a "guess who this is" game? Would anyone be interested?

Listening is hard

Yep, that's right, listening is hard. The first time I tried it, I woke up an hour later with my head hanging low and slobber drooling from my mouth. I can only imagine the laughs this produced in anyone who saw me.

The second time was in my front yard, I lay on the grass and closed my eyes to listen to the crickets, frogs and other woodsy sounds. This time I was my dog licking my face that awoke me...

Seriously though, being "in tune" with my surroundings has been one of my goals for a very long time. I just had no idea how important it would be in acting. I always thought all you had to do was learn your script and move around on stage. Being a little quick witted was helpful for the times when someone forgot their lines, but basically, that what I thought. No wonder I sucked at it.

We've only had two classes so far, and I have already thrown out the old addage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"...