"Each object and each set of objects engenders its own unique space by the relations it has among others visually or musically."- Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Marshall McLuhan first describes sound (or more specifically, acoustic) space as the first form of space that we actually understood. Originally we only based our messages and knowledge of the world around us from on the sounds that surrounded us. Unlike other spaces, such as text and visual, sound is boundless and has no direction in the world. However, not all sound is as completely random as it used to be. Compositions can now be created with a specific intent and message that the composer wishes to get across to the audience. This can be specifically done by creating soundscapes. Soundscapes are layered audio recording or performance that attempts to reproduce or represent the sounds that might arise or form in a particular acoustic environment, real or imagined (Barber). This can be most commonly seen in musical compositions such as Rhapsody in Blue
Within the space of sound, we can now hear Gershwin's message of Rhapsody in Blue. While the music is being played we can hear multitudes of instruments being played and the tempo consistently switching from being moderately to extremely fast pace within the entire score. Unlike text, where the written space could only be appreciated by a select few of people, the music can be enjoyed by all. Everyone is able to listen to Gershwin's musical message and what he was trying to convey to the masses.
However, we also must consider the medium that we are listening to the song. In this project, we're listening to the composition through a player on a website. Would our perception of the song change were we to listen to it in a theater with an actual orchestra playing live on stage. The answer would definitely be yes. In this medium, we're analyzing the sound space of Rhapsody in Blue as an educational piece. If we were to listen to the music in an orchestra setting, then we'd be most likely be appreciating the piece as a form of art.