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Homesickness

Just a warning. This is not very organized, and a sort of “thinking out loud”.

I wanted to document the problem of homesickness in my audio essay. I feel that this issue is very relevant to me now, as I seem to everyday think of home. I wouldn’t call it a “disease”, but it does seem to be chronic and always seems to grow or lessen in cycles. I’ve read many people’s stories on homesickness, and how even after years of living in a foreign country these still experience a sort of nostalgia periodically.

Globalization has rapidly created a generation of people who move constantly. Professionals move from United States, Europe, and Asia more freely than they have before, but I recently read an article of the negative effects of such movement. It seems that more and more people are missing where they came from, and don’t really have a place to call home. Maybe some are “ok” with this idea of being citizens of the world, but the world is much too different to ever become familiar to a point of comfortabiity. I want to share my story along with others and focus on the emotions and the feelings of nostalgia rather than the actual narrative. I think that emotions are very powerful tools to use in audio, both through voice tone and wording.

Music will be integral to my audio project. It can help set the mood that I want to convey.

Baruch, and New York  as a whole, are perfect places for my topic as both our school and city are considered “global”, whatever that means. I know that I have found the move painful at times, and occasionally you feel out of place or isolated.

In the Macaulay program the focus is on how great New York is, how the culture of New York is absolutely limitless. We are told how lucky we are to be here, and how much opportunity we have at our fingertiips. This was the reason I came, and I felt the opportunity to study in the biggest city in the United States was just “too good” to pass up.

I want my audio project to convey a sense of remorse. I don’t want it to be necessarily depressing as a whole, but it will use some of this emotion to force its listeners to consider that opportunity comes with costs. It’s not a simple switch coming from a small town to a large one, or vice versa.

This proposal has become a “stream of consciousness”… I may want to use different passages or sections as well as personal anecdotes and experience to create a sort of audio collage.

Obviously I still have a lot to think about, but I do have an idea of the central point I want my reader to feel, as well as a general method of conveying this message.

3 responses so far

3 Responses to “Homesickness”

  1. Ben Chathamon Oct 7th 2012 at 11:38 am

    I think this is a really great proposal, particularly because it’s such a relatable topic for all of us at Baruch. A project like this could lend itself very well to interviewing. Not in a “50 People, One Question” way. The interviews here could be used to provide a brief look into how the people at Baruch who come from faraway places feel adjusting to NYC, Baruch, college in general, and much more. By contrast, something that would be unusual would be to compare those who are “homesick” to those who are “sick of home.” Many Baruch students, myself included, still live at home, and to hear the gripes of those who can’t stand living at home could provide a significant difference with those who are dying to go back home. Just an idea.

    It sounds like your project is a little heavier in topic, so I would advise finding musical/audio selections that would lend themselves to a project of this nature. Taking a strong quote from that article you found and setting it at the start of your piece could set a nice tone for the duration of your project. Be sure that you also include a strong conclusion, your topic is a heavy one, and people might get lost in the emotionality of it (or emotions that it may stir in them of homesickness). Make sure your message sticks with them. This is really an idea that can go far, I think. Sorry for writing an essay to you in response. I’m just very intrigued by your idea. I’m looking forward to what you’ll do with it!

  2. Brian Boggioon Oct 10th 2012 at 11:38 am

    I think your topic is thought provoking, and there’s really no better place to pose a question of homesickness than in New York. From what I’m reading, I’m guessing you want to stress the point that people always have some longing for home, no matter how exciting their new “home is,” or how happy they are to be here. I really hope you include responses from people who’re ecstatic to be away from home, because it might provide a contrast to those who do miss home – which will probably be most of them.

    Your challenge is how you’re going to reign in your message. Why are you trying to make your listeners feel some kind of homesickness? Do you want to suggest that the nostalgic feeling is universal? I get that you want to bring out this feeling from all kinds of people, but I’m not sure why you’re doing it.

    If you need help with background music, I’m more than happy to suggest some songs that might help bring out that emotional intent. Good luck!

  3. yc142926on Oct 10th 2012 at 1:26 pm

    This sounds like a great idea! I got the sense that it’s almost a type of warning to your listening audience. It’s good that you thought of how it may be a bit depressing, sharing that kind of story, so to compensate for that you decided to add music. I agree with Ben that the music should be a little lighter, because you don’t want your audience’s emotions to be tugged too far along the spectrum.

    I think it would be great if you took some time in your personal anecdote to share how your feelings should be interpreted just in case what you’re sharing becomes wrongly interpreted. Like throw in disclaimers once in a while.

    Maybe even as an introduction, talk about that globalization thing you shared in your proposal; perhaps that can lead into your story narrative!

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