Chatter Opera (Dropbox)
Taking the point of view of a listener in a crowded room, this mix focuses on background and foreground as a technique to turn white noise into music. The noise and chatter provided a clear background sound. However, to increase repetition and familiarity (and decrease randomness), I cut and looped a short segment and added rhythmic beats and claps (from sounds of water bottles and binders hitting the table).
In the foreground, I modified the pitch of a human voice to add a melody. The high pitch, ringing timbre, and movement up and down added novelty and made the voice stand out. Thus, from a very boring, monotonous din, I was able to isolate and add a short melody.