This week we had a guest lecturer, Kyla Brettle. I thought she was really good because she brought some of her material to the lecture which gave us such a good insight into what could be considered ‘real world’ material (mostly because they weren’t uni-set projects).

There was one that was very cool. It was a mixed sound that sounded like everything was underwater. She then went through all of the sounds she had mixed in and I found it really opened my eyes to they way that sounds can merge together (again in a real-life context).

She gave us a huge array of tips, which I think are obvious – but only once you hear them. The tips were mainly just pointing out the different lessons she had learnt along her way (for example; ‘save drafts’ and ‘use more than one sound channel’). However, I think it is lesson’s like these that are extremely good to hear. Learning from other people’s mistakes is an extremely underrated task. I know for myself especially, I have to make a conscious effort to do this, especially when it seems so obvious. It is only when I make the mistake myself that I TRULY learn what I should have avoided…

Secondly, her 000 Ambulance recording is very powerful. It was only the other day that my family and I were walking to the theatre and we saw a homeless man collapse. My Mum is a nurse and she stopped to check him out, and almost immediately told my Dad to call the Ambulance. My mum kept telling my Dad what to say, as he had never had to call one before.

However, in regards to Media, I think what makes it most powerful is the combination of music and silence. In one of Kyla’s tips she points out how hearing music is just as important as not hearing it, and I think that is really highlighted by her recording.