From a sound to the spectrum.

I've always been a fan of IDM (Intelligent Dance Music, yes, it's a label,) and my interest in the genre can be wholly attributed to artist Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin.



Ah yes, the southing sounds of clicks, blips, crashes and screeches- I've got no idea why it's so appealing, but the 'music' just sounds good. I've been listening to James for a little over 3 years now, and have amassed quite a large bit of his discography. Recently, however, whilst in my Physics class (yes, it's a broad jump, bear with me,) I was introduced to the concept of spectrum analysis and RTA (Real-Time Analyzer) software. The notion of 'viewing' sound through the color spectrum intrigued me, and I did a bit of at-home research. I then realized (an image I had seen all too often browsing forums,) that Aphex Twin, the aforesaid artist, had also experimented with spectrum analysis, and had incorporated an image of himself into his song "Equation" (The process of spectrum analysis works both ways- sound can be attributed to the color spectrum, and images can be 'converted' into a sound that is represented through a tool called a spectrogram.) This got me even more interested in sound, and I've been dabbling in my own image-to-sound conversions, which has been quite a challenge, I must say. Additionally, the sounds produced from images all sound like nails on a chalkboard, so it's impressive Aphex Twin, despite his hardcore nature, was able to flawlessly incorporate it into the song.

Man, technology is going to eat us all one day.

-LJ

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Well, today marks the last day of the state mandated aptitude testing for my school. And as the title may imply, these tests were AWFUL. It seems the only prerequisite for passing these tests is a conversational grasp of the English language. But who am I kidding- the board of education always has to play to the lowest common denominator. Students are required to pass each test, and cannot graduate until all the tests have been passed.I talked to a few teachers today about the simplicity of the tests (of which there were four- Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies,) and they all laughed- apparently it's no secret that the south has the worst educational system in the United States. One teacher in particular gave me the reason- The southern states saw other, smarter states making standardized testing after the implication of the No Child Left Behind policy, and, to both save face and improve the number of graduates. Though, despite the remedial difficulty of the tests and their content, students spread rumors of individuals taking the tests 3, 4, sometimes even 5 times before passing. Welcome to public education.

-LJ

A bit about this blog's deity.

Well, here's my story.

I'm a student, and school is school. Nothing more, nothing less. I get out about as much as I put in (from a purely educational standpoint,) and that's acceptable.

I'm quite happy with the way 'things' have been going- both in life and love, and wouldn't change much, given the opportunity.

I'm in a committed relationship with the most amazing girl I could ever ask for, and plan on maintaining our perfect relationship for many, many years to come. I can credit her for showing me what the meaning of happiness is, and for that, I am beholden to her.

I'm a connoisseur in all manners anime- it's a stain on my character, I'm sure, but it's a great release. In all connotations.

Technology is also a big playground of mine, and is the unfortunate direction this blog may turn toward. Yes, I am a Macfag (not by choice, but by convenience.)

All kidding aside, I'm really excited about this whole blogging proposition- it's certainly never too late to jump on the bandwagon, and why not conform now? (You'll rue the day you connect me in any manner to a beat, visionary, or, as I like to refer to them as, 'angsty teens'.)

Well, there was official post #1. I'm no longer a greenhorn.

~LJ

Hello world!

Well, here goes nothing. The first big step into the technological methamphetamine that is BLOGGING. Hopefully this isn't being read, because as of current, I have no idea where this blog will be headed.

I'll keep you posted, world. Probably.