The Sound of a Thread Snapping

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Orchestra
Sounds fill our world to an almost deafening degree. Sound is layered in the perception of the world. In a single moment, there can be some many different sounds bombarding our ears. Music is a great example of the layers of sound. A song can have a melody, counter melody and bass line with multiple instruments in each group. The separate rhythms come together to create the song. Harmonies exist from instruments intertwining their notes together to create more than the notes alone. While music does show how sound can be beautiful and harmonize, everyday life is not filled with such wonderous melodies.
Noise-cancelling Headphones
Most background noise is considered annoying. A peaceful summer afternoon does not involve the sounds of cars rushing by or people screaming in the background. A quiet night is not made better by the honking and beeping of construction vehicles outside your room. In Women, theRecited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia, Rasmussen notes how much America despises noise. She cites how “Noise is actually considered a kind of pollution by the US EPA” and that noise control programs are instituted throughout the United States (Rasmussen 59). Noise is so greatly despised that is considered a form of pollution, being to loud is equated with dumping toxic waste. Sound is clearly split between good and bad, with any sort of intrusive or unwanted sound being bad; and that being just cause to endeavor to vanquish from this plane of existence. This hatred of sound is not the case in Indonesia.


Rasmussen explains how sound plays a vital role in religious devotion in Indonesia. She describes how the same continuous chanting in the streets becomes “sonic wallpaper for the public aural/oral environment” as it persists throughout the entire day (52). The noise is not cast aside but rather embraced. Integrating noise into daily life allows religious sounds to flourish as the chanting of prayers continues throughout the day. Sharing the same background noise is a unifying experience. People are brought together by hearing the same chanting, even if you cannot see your fellow worshippers or the divine, you can hear the chanting. Knowing that the sound is out there affirms that you are not alone. The chanting reassures you that you are part of a community while praising the divine the whole time. Sound creates a sense of religious solidarity amongst people.

Comments

  1. Jonathan Brumberg-KrausApril 2, 2020 at 12:35 PM

    "Sharing the same background noise is a unifying experience." What a super-perceptive observation!

    ReplyDelete
  2. William MyungApril 4, 2020 at 8:14 AM

    I always believed that "noise pollution" was just an extraneous way to upmarket houses to buyers. Would you rather live in a noisier part of the city, or in a more secluded, quieter, presumably more expensive part of the city ?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Becca MillerApril 30, 2020 at 2:55 PM

    When I was reading your commentary on noise pollution I was thinking about what I have learned about underwater noise pollution. You did not mention underwater noise pollution (I am not sure if you know about it). Underwater noise pollution comes from drilling, dredging, large boats, sonar, submarines and other things that make noise underwater. What they do is overpower or block how some marine mammals, specifically the Odontocetes (whales and dolphins) who use echolocation to communicate from great distances underwater. I just thought it was a different perspective to share about noise pollution that is not the same as the terrestrial noise pollution.

    I also liked the quote JBK commented above, I never really thought about how unifying it might be to work in a cafe or whatever and be in almost a unified group that enjoys that background noise.

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