Sounds and Hearing Them

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         There were two quotes that really resonated with me from Ackerman's section of sound and hearing. Both of them were about how children and mothers are connected by sound. The first being "Mother and child are connected by an umbilical cord of sound." This really resonated with me because when I was growing  I would really like a song my parents played. They would attribute it to the fact that they played the song for me through headphones while my mother was pregnant. Not only were my first experiences of this world defined by my mothers quiet swish of her blood circulating and the steady drum of her heart; but also included musical selections from Incubus, pink Floyd, Dave Mathews band and the like.
I obviously don't remember what being in the womb sounded like but I often think about what it must have been like. I imagine it to sound like an ocean tide crashing against the shore in strong rhythmic beats.
           The second quote I really connected with was "Mothers sing lullabies that rock and soothe, not just cradle songs but cradles of song." When I had a scary dream I would demand that my mother sang to me until I drifted off to sleep. Regardless of weather a mother has a pitch perfect voice of is straight tone deaf a child will find comfort in her voice and song.  Singing itself has been a huge part of  human culture since we were able to string syllables together. We have a song for every special ceremony or ritual and  hundreds of thousands of songs created just to listen to. Hymns are sung to appease the gods and to make sure the gods feel as though they are being noticed.

           One of my best friends once told me that the greatest musicians are the one that can make you their puppet simply through chords; when they want you to laugh, you laugh. When they want you to cry you will cry, or at least feel a deep ache in your chest.  I feel it is important to mention my favorite artist and sounds in this blog post. Before that I would like to give notice to the phenomenon that sounds can exist both as a wave and as a particle. these particle that move through the air have the ability to connect people on such a deep level. Connect with each other, musicians or nature. I am going to include a link to the song/ artist I am listening to while writing this. It is Florance and the Machine, her voice and music moves me on such a high level Its hard for me not to listen to her everyday. My three favorite sounds in the world are mentioned in Ackerman's book, the sounds of ocean waves, the sound of Om and the sound of the wind rustling over a field of wheat. I will also include a video of the sound of Om.


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