MUSI3041 Asgm1 - PuiYan Kam, Jelina

On September 16th, I visited Avenue Of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui at around 9pm. Formerly the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the promenade reopened in 2019 and features modern wooden railings, lots of greenery and soothing programmed music. I chose to walk through the whole promenade from the entrance near the HKMOA, all the way to the exit point where the pavement connects the K11 Musea mall. The sound design of the waterfront consists of three main parts: the first part refers to the multiple entrance areas where people can enter the walkway. There, I started hearing soft, instrumental music that plays and continues throughout the promenade. 

Track1: Wind Song by Tim Janis

Entrance to the promenade (track2)

Although music is integrated throughout the footpath, the sound design of the long walkway can be described as different from that of the entrance. The reason for this is that the music has become louder in dynamic, indicating that its function has switched from 'intro background music' to 'foreground music' . 

(The music gets louder when we walk "into" midway of the pavement) (track3)

With the help of a music app, I realized that the songs played were actually from the same album by Tim Janis from 2011, named Perfect Serenity. It predominantly features western classical instruments, primarily strings with violin playing the main melody, and sometimes with a piano. Walking along the promenade, the music can be emotionally charged and make its presence felt. As such, it succeeds in providing a relaxing and stress-free experience for pedestrians, along with beautiful harbour views and night breezes. 

(Midway of the footpath - track 4: Cranberry Islands by Tim Janis)

The final stage is the exit between the Promenade and the entrance to the K11 Musea Mall. The music played here is a marked change, featuring electronic music rather than the soft instrumental music of the previous section. The music is powerful, the melodies loud, the rhythms heavy, fashionable and sharp, like runway music. This arrangement of musical design not only serves to better transition the architectural space and separate the different environments but also helps to switch the emotions of people leaving the waterfront and entering the shopping mall: From the laid-back, slow-living mood to a vibrant and energetic spirit.

(track 5: the music I heard when I walked from the exit of the avenue to the mall)

Walking down the avenue, every few steps there was a lamppost with an embedded speaker for music. When I stopped under a shelter, I found a music speaker high above my head, which was hidden by the green decorations of the tree. This creates a feeling of immersion in the music, reminiscent of the Dolby Surround effect used when watching films in cinemas. 

(Track 6 shows the hidden music speaker playing another piece of music)

Although the intensity of the music varies slightly between the center and the two ends of the promenade, the music is uniform and plays throughout the street, creating a uniquely relaxed and sometimes almost sensational mood in this particular, special space in the open area. Also, after this assignment, I have not only understood more about how the variety of programmed music can manipulate moods in different places but also learnt about the different multiple functions music can provide even when the songs come from the same musical genre - the dynamics, the lyrical phrases, and the choice of instrumentation varied in different pieces of music can serve a different purpose at the same location.