Sound Museum

Music is an extremely pliable, significant aspect of modern life. Though people have different tastes in music, there are some songs that are known widely, globally, even. The ABC's song, happy birthday song and even Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star are three that I grew up surrounded by. Songs like these seem to be good middle grounds, neither likable or detestable (at least from my perspective). As I've grown, I've come to love and hate many songs, all due to having positive or negative memories reinforcing my perception of them. A song that I hate could be a song that someone else loves. And honestly, I don't find myself "hating" many songs, just some that are unbearable to listen to.

Baby Shark, a song I cannot stand despite its insane catchiness

Though Anne Rasmussen talks more about noise rather than song in Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia, the range of loved to hated noises still applies, since both songs and noise are picked up by our ears. She talks about how sound pollution affects America much like regular pollution, and how there are measures being taken to reduce such ugly noises. An interesting facet of noise I've come across is the concept of ASMR, specifically ASMR of people eating food, often in the form of "mukbangs", a type of video where a person (often solo, but sometimes more than one) sits in front of a camera with a very sensitive microphone, eating crunchy, chewy, soupy foods, or anything with texture that might produce specific sounds. There are videos on YouTube that have millions of views, as people sit and listen to 10 minutes (sometimes longer) chewing sounds, slurping, gnawing, tearing of different foods. 

However, there's no denying that sometimes these sounds and noises can be... disgusting. I am one of those people who actually seek out videos like these, not because I need to remind myself what eating sounds like, but because I find it oddly comforting and interesting to watch other people eat, a habit I may have picked up unknowingly from my grandfather, who liked to watch me eat as a kid. Though certain noises are hated (such as the beeping of a car, alarms and so on), there are plenty of sounds outside the ASMR realm that are soothing (like the sound of the ocean, water running, or crunchy leaves during fall). 

There are other sounds, too, that I find enjoyable. Like the voices of people I love, cats meowing, birds chirping, wind chimes, fire crackling. Sounds that might be irritating to other people, but I find extremely nostalgic. Though Rasmussen discusses sounds in Islam and not necessarily every category of noise, she also talks about voices, specifically women's voices in Islamic religion. Though my experiences with women's voices are not nearly as religious, I have definitely gravitated more towards certain voices and strayed away from others. 

Now, I will leave you with a song, one I have a love-hate relationship with due to the vast amount of memories I associate with it. Happy listening.