PERALTA, Guia Jolina B.

2011-01522

03 March 2014 BC 140 Miss Chryll Martinez The IkoToki Para Tour Experience

IkoToki Para is a project of the College of Music and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Under the supervision of Prof. Maria Christine Muyco, selected students from the College of Music created various compositions using audio recordings of the campus. IkoToki Para is a collaborative project of the Music students and faculty, as well as other colleges such as College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science, and other members of the UP Community like the jeepney drivers and residents. The visual elements of the exhibit were created by students from the College of Fine Arts and featured artist Dansoy Coquilla, an alumnus, resident and employee of UP. During the orientation at the University Avenue entrance, near the College of Fine Arts, the make-shift amplifier was pointed out and explained to us. They used a metal bowl and suspended a single muffin tin with a small speaker inside. The material of the objects used and their shape helped bounce the sound waves thus, making it sound louder. It also created a sound envelope underneath the suspended, make-shift amplifier. From classroom noise, wildlife calls, to the humdrum of the ikot jeep, these seemingly mundane sounds were used to create new auditory experiences for those who took part in the tour. Palindromos was the first piece we heard at the College of Science com plex. It was by Karl San Jose, who used automobile drones and pedestrian recordings. The second stop was at Vinzons Hall. The piece was called Minsan Pa by Jairus Saldajeno. It was an interactive station where the tourists (?) played the piece using instruments like rocks, glass bottles, rain makers, bamboo buzzers etc. It was backed up by animal calls and nature sounds. The animal calls where from wildlife found in and around the campus. The next exhibit was at Romulo hall by Minich Cruz. It was a collection of classroom sounds which we usually ignore, zipping bags, classroom chatter, footsteps, cellphones buzzing etc. What interested me the most about this composition is the artists choice of using louder, more explicit sounds than the more subtle pitter-patter of the university. Area 2ki was the fourth stop, located by the Post Office. The composition was created by Jordan Peralta and Nico Valdez, a composition major and a sound engineer, respectively. It

was composed of recorded sounds around the area that were manipulated to create somewhat, other worldly audio. We walked around Area 2, where the recordings were taken, with speakers playing different parts of the piece. This was my personal favorite because the piece playing from the different speakers interacted with the audio bed of the surroundings. They complemented each other and formed an interweaving dialogue of the natural and the artificial. The last stop was at the Ylanan Road waiting shed where we were asked to ride on a jeepney composed of two long and hollow seats similar to a jeepney. It simulated the sounds commonly found and experienced whilst on a jeepney ride. This was another fascinating exhibit where you could hear the simulated sound as well as actual jeepneys around you which tended to overpower the piece rather than supplement it. Interesting is a recurring word in this paper because the tour was something different, something Ive never experienced before. First of all, it showcased the talents of the composers and the artists. Next, it taught us about sound and audio. Sound is something most of us dont really pay attention to. The IkoToki Tour was a stimulating way to bring attention to the wonderful soundscape in our university. It taught me that there could be wonderful things hidden in plain sight. We just have to stop and listen.