Hi there!
It's a cold and gloomy January morning and I'm sitting alone in my office in the quiet. Only the gentle drone of the refrigerator in the kitchen, and the soothing blow of the heater coming from above. Why is this so calming?
Running a recording studio, it only makes sense that I listen to music all day long. Whether it be creating it, editing it, or simply admiring it, I'm constantly bombarding myself with a steady stream of noise. In the background while I'm checking my email, in the car on the way home - it's everywhere. Lately, I've been seeking more 'peaceful' music to surround myself with when i'm not working. Things like tradtional Chinese instrumental pieces and Portuguese Fado. While I've discovered some hidden treasures in Earth's musical history there, it hasn't fulfilled my need to hear something genuinely tranquil. There are times where I'll take an entire 30 minute trip home and not listen to more than 10 seconds of any song. You'd think that with an iPod full of every type of music you can think of, I'd be able to find something to listen to! What do I do when I find myself in this position? Turn it off.
Have you ever wonrdered what the universe sounds like? What does the Sun sound like? Does it make noise at all? We consider the universe as a grab bag of whirling dirvishes of sizes beyond our comprehension, pulsing to a cosmic rhythm. If we were to stand in front of a collapsing star, what would it sound like? Would it be deafening? Or eerily noiseless. I've always heard that sound doesn't travel in space. Since sound is a mechanical energy, it needs a medium to travel. And since space is a vacuum, imagine how quiet it is. We have become accustomed to the low frequncy buzz of computers and cars, passing trains and low flying planes. We attempt to counteract this by investing in water features, wind chimes and zen-centric soundtracks; only to add to the unnecessary decibel blitz.
Silence can be more powerful and cleansing than any form of music. It's a wonderful "reboot" for the parts of our brain devoted to auditory processing. It's certainly something my soul has been longing for. To turn off the noise, to stop and just exist in complete silence. It's amazing what you'll hear.
Me
Producer Alan Lett at Houston-based Lettead Productions
2 comments:
I wish I could have it that quiet when I stop everything else. I hear typing, a printer running other people on the phone or talking with each other, papers sliding all over, cars moving, the A/C System pushing air around and doors opening and closing. That is just the start of the noise, I need music to take away the other noises, now I just need to find my headphones to cover it up.
Rob Bell's "Noise" video (from Nooma) addresses this issue in a creative way you might enjoy.
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