Flashback: Sounds of Learning at the Annandale Elementary School

we often assume that the changing face of los angeles affects only those of us who are old enough to understand the economic and societal repercussions of gentrification. engaging with children, and how they learn information, whether it be in school, recess, in the street or at home, is an underrated way of discovering the same repercussions in a subtler and unbiased way. learning, for children in the annandale elementary school, is multifaceted: exciting, odd and maybe even scary. two years ago, in a digital cultures class taught by Prof. Wendy Hsu, we gave sixth grade students zoom portable microphones and allowed them to record any aspects of their life they felt were essential to learning, academic or otherwise. it was a fascinating project where they used technology to explore their own lives. upon re-formatting and re-organizing these sounds, students in the digital cultures class brought these digital stories to life. check out the full CD below, with field recordings, remixes, beats and in-depth insights into the lives of elementary school kids in eagle rock.