A classroom for the better :)

青木希音 //

By  Container: KIOTO AOKI Year: 2021 URL: https://kiotoaoki.com/

Just yesterday, the entire student body of GCE took a trip to Millenium park for the Sonic Pavillion Festival. This "exhibit" is a compilation of 30 different audial pieces that have been directed by Experimental Sound Studio. This nonprofit, Chicago-based organization is dedicated to the artistic evolution of sound and nurtures its artists to their greatest potential. This mission statement aligns perfectly with the installation that we visited yesterday afternoon. When we arrived, the first artist on the line-up was none other than Kioto Aoki. Her audial installation was drum/bass-based. The product was drum-heavy and spoke directly to the soul. While listening, I couldn't really do much but relax and feel every drum strike in my heart. it was a truly calming experience and changed my opinion about how diverse and versatile a simple sound could really be. Kioto Aoki could be considered one of Chicago's prided artists because of how well versed she is in all types of art forms. She has a website that I visited and I was really impressed with just how much she can do. She is not only a composer but also a photographer and filmmaker, with several installations throughout Chicago. Her background in deriving from an okiya (geisha house) performing arts family in Tokyo, made me really think about how she's integrating that with Chicago's heart and soul.

I, personally, was not really paying attention to the rest of the audial installations after Kioto Aoki's, but they were also very soothing. I will say though, they paired better with the scenery we were in. A nice clear and blue sky, pure and silky clouds, nice breezes coming frequently, and the completely bearable and enjoyable heat from the sun hitting your face. Sitting in the grass and zoning out in thought to the soft and almost therapeutic sounds from the festival. this environment was the ideal one for taking in information and letting it circulate and process in your brain for later interpretation. This is exactly what we had been discussing prior to this Field Experience. What makes a classroom and what makes said classroom a good or bad one? My theory is that yes, the classroom in its tangibility is important; how it looks, feels, the temperature of the room, decorations, and the logistic set of the room itself. But I think that the most important part of a classroom is the impalpability of its environment. Simply put, what matters most is how the dynamic of the environment works. How are concepts learned? How does the interaction with the "teacher" add to the feeling of the student? In what ways are the students motivated to retain information? For a relatable example, I think GCE answers these questions in the best way possible. The set-up of the curriculum is in such a way that allows for a conversation; an exchange of information, rather than a simple "learn this way and this way only", space. These are the ideas that I think make a good classroom and The FE to Millenium park was also a good example of this versatile model.