Noise is typically described as "unwanted sound," Rob, particularly
by folks like R. Murray Schafer who wrote the "Noise Handbook." I
describe in my new book, "Wild Soundscapes: Discovering the Voice of
the Natural World," about restaurant architects and interior
designers who purposefully design the interior spaces of their
upscale eateries to be noisy (and therefore stressful) so that owners
can get quick turnover. With hard surfaces, parallel walls, loud and
distorted sound systems, clients don't recognize the trick because
they think that noise equates with "action." But it quickly tires the
unwary clients and, instead of leaving a pricey watering hole or
restaurant refreshed and nourished, clients will leave exhausted,
unsettled, and often angry with no idea why. The owners know. My wife
and I refuse to go where the "action" is these days. And since cinema
theatres are currently cranking the sound to peak levels of around
98dBa, we don't leave home w/o earplugs. At 65 years old, I can still
hear out to 18kHz at last measure (and both my parents wore hearing
aids by this time in their respective lives).
More power to folks like Michael Powers. We also ought to
congratulate folks like Rush Holt, a representative from New Jersey
in the House of Representatives, who recently introduced a bill
(unfortunately defeated in the House by an even vote of 210/210 last
week) to silence snowmobiles in Yellowstone Nat. Park. For those in
this group who support that kind of objective, you might want to
write to him (and your own local congresspersons) with a nod of
support (http://www.house.gov.rholt).
Bernie
>
>>
>>
>>A resident biologist studying environmental impact of noise (how's
>>that for a contradiction in terms?) from the U. S. Army's Aberdeen
>>Proving Ground attended a National Park Service meeting on noise in
>>Washington DC this past spring and was telling us in his report that
>>cannon sounds had little or no effect on elk herds in the wild or
>>birds at the end of runways at military airports. Ergo, by extension,
>>cannon noise has little lasting effect on humans. I reminded him
>>about R. Murray Schafer's (the Canadian composer/artist/author and
>>fellow who estabilshed the word, "soundscape," in the late 70s)
>>comment: "If cannons made no noise, they would never be used in war."
>>Not to be upstaged and reaching deeply into his soul, Bill (the
>>biologist) sputtered, "Well, there's a woman on our base who strongly
>>believes that cannon is the sound of freedom." "Depends on which side
>>of the cannon you're standing," I said.
>>
>>James Watt (Ronald Reagan's Sec. of the Interior until he was fired)
>>on noise: "Noise is power."
>>
>>Bernie
>>--
>>Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
>>P. O. Box 536
>>Glen Ellen, CA 95442
>>707-996-6677 tel
>>707-996-0280 fax
>>http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>
>Hi Bernie--
>
>Great stories. Power for the producer, and subjection for everyone
>else. Complaints and ordinances against annoying sounds like truck
>whining, airports, racetracks are increasing. Even for background
>levels, Michael Powers, an economist from Montana, has written about
>increased quiet being a strong motivation behind a lot of important
>decisions we make in their lives. He argues that the suburban
>movement is a response largely to increased urban sound levels. We
>all observe that people are spending less and less time outside,
>spending more time with headphones, etc.
>
>The facts we encounter in our recordings are having powerful
>influence on us. We can hear some of the missing link between
>perception and appropriate animal response. We are discovering, if
>any one is, examples of unnecessary subjection/stupid sound designs.
>I'll notice an awkward exchange between workers in a bagel/coffee
>shop but I won't hear the situation fully until I listen to the
>recording and discover that the refrigeration sounds measure 95dB and
>the workers were having to yell though standing only four feet apart.
>Far from a relaxing, hip space to hang,..
>
>I'm curious, are you completely happy with using the term, "noise?"
>To me, it implies there are certain sound elements that need to be
>purged rather than pleasures and values that we as animals have the
>power to recall and use if we choose. As recordists, we've learned to
>identify sources and the exact offending qualities because we know
>what's being buried and some of the alternative events that can bring
>more insight, pleasure. I discourage students from using the term
>and it does seem to help them hear better.
>
>Thanks again for your leadership and prerequisite humor on this
>important front Bernie!
>Rob
>
>
> = = = =
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--
Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-6677 tel
707-996-0280 fax
http://www.wildsanctuary.com
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