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Trains

We are two weeks into our 8 week sound project.


Together, we are talking about, and listening to how we talk about trains. Speech sound is collected and catagorised in different ways. Sound groupings involving 1 - 17 participants reveal themselves and are considered.

Some of the places that my colleagues at St Edwards NS would like to go to on a train from Sligo include many locations in the US, UK as well as more familiar places like Manorhamilton and Foxford.

The disused railway lines that once carried passengers between Sligo and Swinford and Sligo and Ennsikillen are being considered in future developmental plans of the local authority. As the villages of Ballymote and Collooney grow in population size, the need for putting these lines back in use increases.

Meanwhile, the existing line from Sligo to Dublin
offers a real life experience of modern train transport.

At this junction of past, future, imaginary and real train routes, the sounds of speaking voices, musical instruments and the environment are experienced and become united in a variety of ways through individual interpretation and experience.

In order that a broad yet meaningful group experience of this subject may take place, some of my class time is given to:

- Talking about and sharing our own experiences

- Researching the historical and geographical nature of our subject

- Thinking about current problems and future possibilities.

NEXT WEEK
From these activities, an ambitious
local train network scheme based on the disused lines is plotted on Google Earth allowing students to step inside simulated journeys passing through familiar and forgotten villages and towns.

A giant steel chime train serves as the drivers carriage and participants move the mallet from center to right or center to left following the direction of each simulated train journey.

Through this fun activity, we perform and record our series of 24 melodic contours for quarter-tone chimes.

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