- “Sound Art and the Sonic Unconscious” article by Christoph Cox
Christoph Cox in his article argues that sound art plays a crucial role in revealing its nature and conception of sound as a continuous, and anonymous process to which human emotions contributes. He also expands on Wilhelm Leibniz’s conception of the perceptual unconscious. Starting with the explanation of the term “sound arts” and bringing the opinions of artists, curators, and critics such as Max Neuhaus who question the nature and viability of the practice. Cox shares some light on Leibniz’s theory by proposing that this sonic flux is composed of two dimensions: a virtual dimension that he terms ‘noise’ and an actual dimension that consists of contractions of this virtual continuum: for example, music and speech. In his opinion noise might be the background of human beings, as it never ceases; it is limitless, continuous, unending, and unchanging. On the other hand, contradicts the common opinion as if noise is something derivative, which disturbs, or interrupts an initial state of calm. “If we accept Leibniz’s argument, we hear each of these sound waves – past and present – but we hear them confusedly. Indeed, like the man who lives near a watermill, this sound remains background to us and constitutes what we call ‘silence’. Only the singularity of a signal – speech or music, for example – stands out against this background, contracts it, and renders sound clear and noticeable.” To sum up, the 20th century was a period in the history of sonic experimentation and the liberation of sound as part of everything that surrounds us like silence, ambiance, and not only in terms of so-called music. Before any theoretical and practical information on sound, I would like to start with research on the existential level. I divide my work into disruptive and undisruptive sounds but what really is “noise” and “silence”? Christoph Cox brings sound as a term beyond the dimension we know and understand. I enjoy that he quotes other researchers on this topic and explores the idea in a precise manner. In addition, Cox develops the study carefully and in sequence, which allows the reader to keep track of what they are reading. My only concern is that this article is not created for people without scientific background or interest in the terms Christoph is bringing, which makes his work quite distant. I would change the way the topic is evolved so it’s more understandable for people outside of the scientific circle.
2. “Psychophysiology and psychoacoustics of music: Perception of complex sound in normal subjects and psychiatric patients” article created by Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry
In everyday life situations, humans receive complex sounds which contribute to the way one perceives reality. Studies show an interconnection between the physics and psychology of hearing. Psychics of simple sounds are divided into frequency, amplitude, and phase. On the other hand, psychoacoustics has its own distinct elements of pitch, intensity, and timbre. In order to understand music perception and the way it influences human beings, different studies have been carried out involving the types of music, the emotional experience, psychosomatic and physiological changes, and psychoacoustical characteristics of music. Studies show increased heart rates as a result of stimulating music and decreased heart rates associated with sedative music. Especially Techno-music seems to produce a significant increase in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and stress-related hormones. 50 normal-hearing people with no special interest in music were studied in order to examine emotional experience due to music exposure. Results show differences in emotional experience between women and men, with women experiencing more tension in music, and between different age groups, with older people being more attracted to music than younger ones. What’s more, studies proved that psychiatric patients experience music in a different way according to their sickness. Schizophrenic and obsessive-compulsive patients are more attracted to music, whereas depressive and anxiety neurotics are less sensitive to sound. For my research, I want to include examples of the physical and mental effects sound has on the human body. The study designed by Annals of General Hospital examines perfectly the way sound influence people on the physical level and provide quite thorough results on blood pressure, heart rate, and stress-related hormones. What’s more, also shows the difference in perception of sound among people with various mental illnesses. In my opinion, this research could be carried out on a bigger number of subjects so the results can be even more accurate and diverse. What’s more, studies included only normal-hearing people and I think it would be an interesting point of view to see how sound affects those who have hearing problems. Would it still affect them in the same way as healthy receivers and if not what would be different?
3. “How does the brain interpret sound?” article on hear-it.org
The tiny hair cells in the inner ear send electrical signals to the auditory nerve which is connected to the auditory center of the brain, which translates impulses from the ear into sounds that we know and understand. However, the brain loses the ability to process sound. Another study carried out by the University of Colorado Boulder found that the brain adjusts to hearing loss, even if the issue is only mild. Researchers used scanners to study the brain of people with hearing issues and discovered that shortly after they began to lose their hearing, their other senses began to play a more prominent role. What’s more, the brain eliminates unnecessary sounds in the background, as well as turns up the volume of our own speech, and plays a significant role in hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source described as ringing in the ears. A research team has been able to eliminate tinnitus in a group of rats by stimulating a nerve in the neck and playing a variety of sound tones over a period of time. In summary, it is the brain that receives impulses and translates them into sounds we know. Therefore plays a crucial role in the way everyday sounds affect us and our body. I want to gather diverse literature to wider my research and try to expand on my chosen theme in the most thorough way possible. I liked how this article expand on how sound is processed in our brains and how the information is received in case of hearing problems or hearing loss. This is the only work that resolves around sound in such a theoretical way and I think that it’s very important to include in my essay various ways of looking at sound in a medical way. Not only results after hearing sound but also the process of transforming it into information our body reads. The biggest problem I find in this essay is the lack of information and insufficient medical information. This was the reason I had to support statistics, included in this article, with details gathered from different works to have a bigger picture and better understanding.
4. Book called “Ocean of Sound: Ambient sound and radical listening in the age of communication” written by David Toop
I have decided to not use this work as a literature example in my essay. The reason is a fact that after a thorough examination, I don’t find this particular book very relevant to the topic of my work as it resolves more around music scene and its progress in the 20th century instead of how sound affects our body and mind.
5. “A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks” article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Spending time in nature is already well established as beneficial to your health, particularly good for mental health issues and general well-being. Recently a new study published in an article by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that the sounds of nature can be just as good for alleviating stress, improving mood, decreasing pain, and nurturing positive emotions. The researchers listened to sound recordings taken from 221 locations in 68 United States (US) national parks, including water noises, bird calls, and wind, with some of the recordings even containing human noise. The research showed different sounds had different benefits – water sounds improved positive emotions and health outcomes, while bird sounds alleviated stress and annoyance. It was explained that the reason for this result is the fact that a natural acoustic environment indicates a sense of safety, or an ordered world without danger, which allows control over mental states. What’s more, it was confirmed by Lead author Rachel Buxton from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, who said “getting the full sensory experience of being in nature, which includes listening to the natural sounds, allows us to mentally recuperate knowing that we’re in a safe environment.” This research was a key inspiration for including in my work the importance of natural sounds as a positive impact of living in a world full of sounds. The significance of the sounds of water, wind, and singing birds in our health on a daily basis. The only criticism I developed for this specific article was related to an unspecified number of people who took part in the research. Therefore it is hard to decide whether a study is accurate enough, as a small number of subjects cannot gather diverse and precise results.
6. “What are the effects of noise pollution?” article published by Medical News Today
Medical News Today’s website published an article about the health effects of noise pollution. Expands on causes and health side effects, often the long term of noise. First of all the reader is explained what “noise pollution” is and it is the spread of unwanted sounds into the environment. Noise is an inseparable part of daily life whether coming from nature or the effect of human activity such as vehicle traffic. Overlooking noise pollution is a common problem. In 2018, the review called “Noise Pollution and Human Health” proved that compared to air, water, and light contamination, noise pollution is an underreported factor. PubMed Central states: “The brain is always monitoring sounds for signs of danger, even during sleep. As a result, frequent or loud noise can trigger anxiety or stress. With continued exposure to noise pollution, a person’s sensitivity to stress increases.” What’s more environmental noise can be the cause of sleep disturbance such as difficulty falling asleep, inability to stay asleep, or waking up too early. Sounds can also reduce the depth and quality of sleep, altering the amount of rapid eye movement sleep. This can impact a person’s mood and ability to concentrate. I chose this article as my main literature background supporting the topic of the negative impact of sound on the human body and mind. I was convinced by the medical approach and the direct state of physical and mental side effects. On top of that, the article was divided meticulously into two separate sections each devoted to different matters such as how to reduce noise, the impact of noise pollution on adults and children, and helpline references. As critically as I am trying to look at this work, I cannot find anything I would change. The whole text is very neat and clean, divided into smaller sections, clearly named, and dedicated to a specific range of information regarding noise pollution. It is providing scientifically well-built text with medical references that is easy to understand for everyone.