A COLLABORATIVE POST WITH Boom Box Post
Written by Tim Vindigni
A few years ago, in a blog post written by Jacob Cook, our team was challenged to capture a singular sound that provides insight to their everyday life. With recent events, *cough, cough* *immediately washes hands* coronavirus, I thought it’d be fun for our editors to take on this challenge again, but this time quarantine edition!
Taking into account recommendations from health officials, the Boom Box Post team began practicing social distancing a few weeks ago. However, things escalated quickly within the state and now LA is under safer at home orders.This means our entire team is working from home.
Hoping to add some fun to their day, I reached out to a few of our editors and asked them to record a sound that summarized their experience during this time of isolation.
First off, our Assistant Editor/Office Manager Sam:
“Being stuck at home can be lonely and boring. But with my dog Jaxon, he keeps me entertained and is great fluffy company. Without him here, I would probably lose my mind! I’m sure if he could talk, he would tell me to stop talking to him all day.”
Jaxon looking handsome in his fancy bowtie!
Up next, editor Ian:
“I noticed this week that if my bathroom light is on and I turn on the light in the bedroom slowly it makes a sparking sound. Even though it makes a cool sound, I will be letting our landlord know to get that fixed!”
I guess when you’re stuck inside all day, the little things you never noticed before start to stand out.
Now, onto our foley expert Carol:
“Working from such a different environment than I’m accustomed to, I noticed a lot of things with different timbres I was able to record. Despite having a variety of options, I chose to record something that a good chunk of the Los Angeles county felt and experienced this past weekend; the rain. Although it was not my original intention to do so, I felt that it was fitting due to the unfortunate circumstances that we are undergoing. At the time the rainfall felt somber, yet cleansing; and it still does, especially since it does not rain often in Southern California. Regardless of its simplicity, it never hurts to have a rain sound file to layer up your backgrounds or ambiences.”
It’s Peter’s turn:
“My water purifier sometimes makes this fart like sound after dispensing water. It probably has something to do with the hose. It makes a pretty funny sound so I thought it would be interesting to record!”
I appreciate how Peter highlighted a bit of humor with his sound. During times like these, it’s especially important to remember to take a break from the chaos and laugh a little.
Let’s hear what Katie brought to the table:
(Spoiler alert, it’s chili!)
“Working from home and social distancing has changed a lot of the sounds around us, especially living in such a big city. I tried to think of what sounds were new to me during this work from home period. The biggest change was actually the lack of sounds around. I live on a very busy street with lots of traffic, sirens, and pedestrians. When I tried to record that, it just sounded like white noise with an occasional car pass by. I decided to get a little more creative with what social distancing sounds like.”
“For me, social distancing sounds like cooking. In the midst of everything going on in the world I’ve found myself cooking every meal I eat from home now. It’s not as easy to go pick up lunch from the grocery store or even at restaurants. The sound I chose to record was stirring some chili I was making in my crock pot for lunch. Making a delicious home cooked meal is so much smarter than going out around lots of people right now!”
Before she told me it was a pot of chili, I thought she recorded herself vigorously washing her hands—which would have been fitting and a nice reminder to all you readers.
How about Greg?
Another important thing during this time is social distancing. Why not go for a walk by yourself? It can help clear your head and be a nice way to get some fresh air after all those hours stuck inside. Greg knows what I’m talking about. Seems like he is taking full advantage of this time to spend some time alone in nature.
Lastly, there’s the cats:
It’s easy to get caught up in the news at a time like this. I know I’m constantly checking twitter trends to get the latest updates and numbers. Everything online right now is alarming. That’s why I find it really important to remain calm. Try to find some way to relax everyday. Maybe you’re like Greg and decide to go for a walk. Or maybe you’re like Katie and cooking helps distract you during all the stress. For me, my cat has been the most helpful during this time. It seems our dialogue editor Kirsty feels the same way. She sent over an adorable picture and clip of her two cats cuddling. Check it out!
Even dog people (myself included...I know, why did I get a cat?) can agree, there is nothing more soothing than hearing a cat purr. For that reason, here’s another clip of my cat Moona.
