Location: Augie’s Coffee

Augie’s Coffee house is a charming coffee spot across the street from the Claremont packing house. I would depict the coffee house as a quaint, transparent, cute, and timeless canvas that is definitely worth taking up some space in anybody’s  photo gallery. Along with being photogenic, the business is also extremely skilled at making delicious coffee.

Recording Setup. The TASCAM DR-40 Linear PCM was placed on one of the counters along the wall to the right side (looking from the front door) facing out towards the middle of the space.

About the Soundscape. The recording was at 6:00 on a Friday evening. This seemed like a busy evening for the coffee house, but as customers received their beverages and decided whether to stay or leave, those who decided to stay did not engage in much conversation. The recording illustrates this anomaly in the beginning. It is not until the crescendo of a musical song led by the playing of guitar that you start to hear inklings of dialogue being exchanged between customers. As I listened to the recording I found this sequence of events most fascinating because we are able to observe how sound, specifically musical sound, prompts one to engage in discussion with another–or at least lighten the mood of people within close proximity of this sound. Moreover, I would say that the keynote of this place that may not have been heard in the recording would be the sounds of customers making orders. Additionally, I believe that the customers’ conversations, typing of laptop keyboards, music , and coffee being made would all contribute to the soundscape of Augie’s Coffee House. Lastly, the archetype of Augie’s Coffee House encompasses the use of various machines to complete the customers’ orders, the constant arranging and occasional dropping of cups by employees in midst of fulfilling orders, and music being played at high volumes over the PA system within the cafe.