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The sound evaluation process is a clear system of routines. It is directly related to the listening experience. The routines follow the order:
• Identification of desired perspective, with suitable alteration of the listener's sense of focus
• Definition of the boundaries of the sound event
• Gathering of detailed information on the material and activity
• Observations made from the compiled information
The perception of the individual sound event allows for the identification of the proper perspective and focus of the listener. The listener consciously decides the level of detail at which the sound event will be evaluated: the perspective. The listener consciously decides on the center of his/her attention (on what aspect of the sound event information will be sought) in relation to the set perspective: the focus. The sound event and its component parts can then be identified, isolated from all other aspects of sound and piece of music. The perspective at which the listener has identified the sound event becomes the reference-level of the hierarchy, or framework, for the individual x-y graph of the sound event.
Next, the sound event will be defined by its boundaries of states and activities. It is most often defined by (1) when it exists (its time line), (2) identifying the most significant sound elements that provide the event with its unique characteristics (the states and values of the components of sound that comprise the sound event, both unchanging and transient), (3) the highest and lowest levels (boundaries) within the characteristics (the extremes of levels of activity to be mapped against the time line, or that do not change over time—values of state), and (4) the relationships of how the sound event's characteristics change over time (amount of change and rate of change of values mapped against the time line).
Defining the sound event will include:
1. Determining the time line: beginning and ending
points in time of the event, definition of suitable time increments to allow the activity of the components of sound that characterize the event to be clearly presented;
2. Determining which of the components of sound (within
the established level of perspective) hold the significant information that characterize the sound event; these are the components that supply the information that defines the unique characteristics of the sound event; these are the components that must be thoroughly evaluated to understand the content of the sound event;
3. Determining the boundaries of the components of sound
that characterize the event; these will be maximum and minimum values found in each of the components of sound;
4. Determining the speed at which the fastest change takes
place in the components of sound that comprise the event; this will assist in defining the most suitable smallest time increment of the time line.
The third step is the compilation of detailed information on the material and activity; it will add detail to the above step. A listing of the sources (elements to be analyzed) will draw the listener into the evaluation process quickly and directly, and it should become one of the very first steps in the compilation of detailed information for the evaluation of sound.
The components of sound (that characterize the sound event) will be evaluated to determine: (1) precise states of value (with the smallest increment between values) of the various elements (such as pitch, dynamic levels, etc.), and (2) placement of those states of value against the time line (mapping the activity of the component parts of the sound event). The components of the sound will be closely evaluated, with as much detail as possible, to determine their precise states of value.
Most often the components of the sound event are transitory (change over time), and must have their values related to a time line. This information will be plotted on a two-dimensional graph (below); thus allowing the information to be written to assist in this evaluation process, and to make the information available for future use. This process involves all of the skills of taking music dictation; in fact, this process is a type of music dictation for some new, and some previously ignored aspects of sound.
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