The Father of Acoustic Ecology

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

More and more, with the rise of audio technology we are creating and controlling our own soundscapes. Is that a good thing?

People do try to create their own soundscapes. They just aren't doing it very sensitively or intelligently. But sounds in the modern environment increasingly are being owned by someone -- they're made by people who have a copyright over that sound, for purposes of taking control of the soundscape. Some sounds, like the Harley-Davidson motorcycle sound, are being copyrighted.

You're kidding.

No. Harley-Davidson is saying that no other manufacturer will be able to make a sound that is similar. They've sued Honda because Honda was coming close to reproducing a Harley-Davidson motor sound.

What are some of the other major issues regarding sound?

The one that gets the most people angry and the most complaints is traffic noise. Surveys show that the number of people who call the police to complain about sound is much larger than the number of people who call to complain about crime, prostitution, or any other issue.

What does the frontier of noise activism look like?

The European Union has instituted some very stiff noise legislation. Public transportation -- streetcars, trams, buses -- is much quieter in Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, and Scandinavia than in the United States. The limit for European-manufactured cars is 75 decibels, and the limit for North American cars is 85. European legislation is stronger, and they are enforcing it.

But we should not be concerned only about noise. The anti-noise societies tend to be just complaining about noise. What I'm more interested in, and what an organization like the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology is more interested in, is what we might call soundscape design.

How do you design a healthy soundscape?

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print