I felt that these three readings paired well with our previous discussions on photography. Although sound is a completely separate entity from photos, it still can provide a deeper look into many societies, and reflect on group memories. Sound and language are very interesting concepts, and I appreciated how the authors discussed their importance within cultures and the roles they play especially when it comes to resistance. These pieces also probed me to think more about sound and its’ place within our daily lives.
When ripping sound from a visual, it sometimes can be hard to get a feel for the environment that the sounds are coming from. In the transcript of “un viaje un omnibus” I found it difficult to place myself within the scene that this transcript was being derived. I think here is the fundamental difference between image and sound. In my opinion, images are stuck the way that they were created, whereas sound is something that is always active and moving. Bronfman and Ehrick state that sounds “offer new ways to think about the body, urban space, memory, the production of knowledge, and modes of resistance” (Bronfman and Ehrick 212). This made me think about how sound is constantly changing with us, depending on where you are, who you are or what you are doing. I found this quote to be stimulating because it made me think about the ways in which sound can function in our lives, especially in terms of memory.
I believe that sound has an important relationship with social memory. During these readings I could not help but think of post traumatic stress disorder and how sounds act as triggers for those suffering with that disorder. Then I thought about how I hear sounds every day that bring me back to a different point in time, and back to a particular memory.