https://soundcloud.com/nathanael-king-1/160420-concerned-citizen/s-1TcSz
When presented with this assignment, one of the first people that came to mind was my dad. Since I was about 13 or so, he would take me and my sisters to the local nursing home to visit with what we affectionately called "the old ladies." I was really impressed to see my dad get so excited about visiting them, and see how the visits uplifted him- it made him happy to see that he was able to bring some of these really lonely and abandoned people happiness.
Even though I didn't always appreciate what we were doing, I really do think what my dad is doing reflects both a personal desire to do something good and a wish to see the system in our country change when it comes to how we treat our parents when they become old and broken. It is really sad when you think about how these people who had lives just like ours are reduced to such a low status and live in such loneliness when they're put in homes. Its also scary too, to think that the same fate awaits you too.
I decided to approach this project with Trevor by interviewing my dad over the phone. On his end he recorded himself with really good microphones that also picked up me and Trevor speaking with him over the phone. It was nice to have a partner on this assignment who could approach the topic with a fresh perspective, since I've been privy to see my dad in action and even participate in visits with him. Most of my questions were leading, since I know my dad really well and know what to ask to get a good response. This worked well for the interview since I got the answers I knew we'd need to complete the assignment. But if that was all that happened during the interview, I'm afraid it would have been missing something since my partner, who never met my dad, was able to ask more insightful questions and be able to approach the topic with a certain curiosity that I was incapable of having.
Putting together the final mix in Audition was challenging. We had about 45 minutes of us talking, and I had to choose the most significant snippets and rearrange them in a way that masked the fact that my dads words were being edited and rearranged. Ultimately I was satisfied with the end result- I was able to put some of my dads best insights on display, and we even included Trevor talking about his own perspective on the situation and get really insightful responses from my dad. I think that was beneficial to the piece because it showed that this was a dialogue, not just my dad's perspective. I think it made it clear too that my dad wasn't the only one witnessing old people suffering (this is obvious) but acknowledged that this is an issue that we all must confront. Its inevitable- we grow old and fall apart, and end up relying on others to support us. I think thats really the essence of why my dad makes such an effort to involve himself in the nursing home- he would want the same for himself when he grows old, and wouldn't we all?
When presented with this assignment, one of the first people that came to mind was my dad. Since I was about 13 or so, he would take me and my sisters to the local nursing home to visit with what we affectionately called "the old ladies." I was really impressed to see my dad get so excited about visiting them, and see how the visits uplifted him- it made him happy to see that he was able to bring some of these really lonely and abandoned people happiness.
Even though I didn't always appreciate what we were doing, I really do think what my dad is doing reflects both a personal desire to do something good and a wish to see the system in our country change when it comes to how we treat our parents when they become old and broken. It is really sad when you think about how these people who had lives just like ours are reduced to such a low status and live in such loneliness when they're put in homes. Its also scary too, to think that the same fate awaits you too.
I decided to approach this project with Trevor by interviewing my dad over the phone. On his end he recorded himself with really good microphones that also picked up me and Trevor speaking with him over the phone. It was nice to have a partner on this assignment who could approach the topic with a fresh perspective, since I've been privy to see my dad in action and even participate in visits with him. Most of my questions were leading, since I know my dad really well and know what to ask to get a good response. This worked well for the interview since I got the answers I knew we'd need to complete the assignment. But if that was all that happened during the interview, I'm afraid it would have been missing something since my partner, who never met my dad, was able to ask more insightful questions and be able to approach the topic with a certain curiosity that I was incapable of having.
Putting together the final mix in Audition was challenging. We had about 45 minutes of us talking, and I had to choose the most significant snippets and rearrange them in a way that masked the fact that my dads words were being edited and rearranged. Ultimately I was satisfied with the end result- I was able to put some of my dads best insights on display, and we even included Trevor talking about his own perspective on the situation and get really insightful responses from my dad. I think that was beneficial to the piece because it showed that this was a dialogue, not just my dad's perspective. I think it made it clear too that my dad wasn't the only one witnessing old people suffering (this is obvious) but acknowledged that this is an issue that we all must confront. Its inevitable- we grow old and fall apart, and end up relying on others to support us. I think thats really the essence of why my dad makes such an effort to involve himself in the nursing home- he would want the same for himself when he grows old, and wouldn't we all?
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