Re: [microsound] Re: grabbing people by the balls (dumbtype et al)

[Jason Cunliffe <jason.cunliffe@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> And also, I live in Boston and it's always amazed me how incredibly high
> the noise level gets inside the subway trains here. Loud enough to
> interfere with my discman at full volume (using headphones). It's
> absolute noise pollution, but I guess the people in charge of such things
> prefer to overlook this instance. Probably cause it would be very
> expensive to fix the problem.

This is exactly one of the scenarios mentioned to me by the French Minister
of Environment for noise [see my previous post]. It is often, but not always
prohibitively expensive to make design changes after the fact.

But at design time it can be done by using new skills, new analysis new
awareness. This was a major reason why they wanted to prepare rigorous
guidelines, sonic maps, and later laws based on them.

Not to abuse people's private musical listening rights, but to oblige
planners, architects, engineers, builders, contruction material producers to
include sonic thinking as a natural and essential part of their job. Human
nature [greed/ignorance] being what it is, they reckonded this kind of big
cultural change would never happen without well designed  govt guidelines
forcing people to think design and document the sonic attriubutes of their
work. The beauty of modern sound software is that for the first time we have
incredible tools to help define the porblem and hopefully some solutions.
Live montoring of sound levels is perhaps the first step. Clearly how wher
adn when you monitor is erally importnat, else worthless. Fortunately, it is
getting cheaper and cheaper to do this in terms of people and equipment.

As part of this research they have been finding a dangerous inverse to
public noise pollution. After boomboxes came personal walkmans and next
generation earphones. It seems that chronic high volume use of in-the-ear
devices can also cause serious damage, even though it does often not seem to
be 'too loud' to the listener. ie, just becuse your ears are not ringing
does not mean you are not damaging them.

I heard the French were so convinced of this danger, that they were thinking
to restrict import of excessively loud phones/walkmans. Not because they
thought they could stop people, but simply a way to get the message out..
People have a right to deafen themselvse, but surely not others. We all have
a right to be made aware of the risks in public and private, or should..

What about people working in supermarkets, stores/offices where
music/radio/pa is blasting all day. Everywhere the ambient level is rising.
And of course as it does so everything else must to be heard above the
cacaphony, walkmans, pa, conversation.. How many restaurants do you have now
virtually shout at the person right next to you?

Since noise is cumulative, the need/responsibility to take smart action
across the board is evident.

Another aspect of deep concern in France is related to this. Studies of
babies, and young children at home and in schools, show that kids with
constant exposure to loud noise have much harder time concentating and
learning/studying. At first the symptoms were all assumed to be complex
class/cultural/literacy effects. But once thay started looking at noisy
environments, a much clearer consistent pattern emerged.

This basic developmental problem is not about kids having poor concentration
just when they are in noisy siturations, it is about the effect of chronic
lack of silence on development and learning. In other words babies and kids
growing up where they never get any sonic peace really do not develop in
healthy way. Surprised?

Ever wonder about families where all they EVER DO IS SHOUT AT EACH OTHER? A
pretty common sight in NYC...

../Jason