Our Changing World of Sounds

Close your eyes and simply listen. Listen deeply. After several minutes, begin to take an
inventory of all the discrete sounds that you hear. A watch ticking, a bird calling, the
high-pitched whir of a fluorescent light, the drone of running water… What do these
sounds tell us about a specific time and place? Of the sounds that you hear, which are
unintended byproducts of our modern world? Which sounds have been a part of the
collective sonic backdrop for less than 50 years? Are there sounds that pre-date us? What
are the elements of the sonic landscape that change from generation to generation, and
what elements are permanent? Do sounds go extinct? To what extent do we pay attention
to ambient sound?



What if we look at the “sonic history” of a specific place? Perhaps a point along the
Huron River would serve well. Through historical research, I aim to construct a sonic
“core sample” for this place. When was the first train whistle heard along the river?
When did the first airplane streak across the sky? How has the noise from the
surrounding highways changed over the years?



This project would require minds from diverse areas. The team’s skill set would have to
include, among other things, sound design, historical research, and informatics. The team
would have to collaborate intensively to investigate these questions and present them in a
creative, interactive multimedia presentation.