Task 7: Mode-bending (Mandatory task)

Click Play on the recording below to experience my “What’s In My Bag” task through an auditory experience.

While completing this task, I experimented with several recording approaches before settling on the version you just heard. At first, I thought it would be interesting to record just the sounds of my bag and the items within it, with just a quick introduction and then a summary of the items held within. However, after listening back to it and putting myself into the perspective of someone who doesn’t know me or what the items look like, I felt that this recording was lacking in context and provided little insight into “who I am,” which was the purpose and goal of the original task.

I therefore made a second recording, this time saying the name of the object as I took it out of my bag and then playing with it in front of the microphone for the audience to hear the sounds it made as I touched it or opened the zippers of my bag… “Ziiiip.” This was an interesting experience and came across a bit more like an ASMR video that you can find on YouTube. This process demonstrated the complexities of transmediation, as I shifted from a visual representation to an auditory one. I realized that sound alone lacks the contextual cues that images provide, requiring me to add verbal explanations for clarity.

On the third recording, I decided to speak about the items and how I use them, or why they are in my bag as I took them out and placed them on the table. This felt more natural and provided a deeper level of understanding; however, as I had spoke while taking the items out of the bag at the same time I noticed that the recording was more focused on the information than the auditory experience the earlier versions had provided.

On my fourth and final recording, I decided to record an introduction and speak about each item as I took them out of my bag, providing context, history, and the why for each item and its purpose in my bag and life. However, this time, I made sure to speak, and then stop talking, as I placed the item on the table or out of my bag to ensure that the audience could get both the information and the auditory experience. These are the sounds I hear every day as I use my bag, but pay little to no attention to. This time, however, I made a conscious effort to sit, focus, and really listen as I went through the task. Hearing the recordings as I played them back to myself was a fun experience as it really made me aware of how much I take my hearing for granted and how little attention I pay to the small sounds around me all day. Even now, as I type on my keyboard, my brain is focused on the sounds of the keys being pressed and the silence that exists when I need a moment to think between sentences.

This final recording not only changed the semiotic mode of the original task but provides a different level of understanding to the viewer. They are able to hear the sounds of my items and bag rather than see them. This allows the viewer to make up their own interpretation and creates an even more unique and subjective experience for each person who listens. While I told you that I have AirPods in my bag, do you know which model? Did you know that they are wrapped in a Pikachu-themed case? That information is lacking from the audio recording, and while I could have mentioned it while going through the process, it would not be the same as viewing the objects with your own eyes in a photograph. This task highlighted how often I take auditory information for granted, focusing instead on visual or textual cues. In the context of literacy, this speaks to the dominance of visual modes in everyday communication and the potential of sound to convey information in unique and engaging ways. This experience left me wondering: how might auditory modes be leveraged in educational contexts to foster deeper engagement, especially in an increasingly text-saturated world?

Citations

Peña, E., & James, K. (2024). A framework of transmediation. Convergence, 30(5), 1610-1624. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565231220325