Thursday, April 17, 2014

Auditory Fatigue

Nearly everywhere, at any time, music is playing, but no one is listening.


Recorded music saturates, but does not fill, atmospheres.  No matter its original intention, narrative, or mood, it is reduced to clutter masking silence, or noise demanding attention.  Whether drowning conversation or acting as a palliative for disquietude, such music is out of place, and at times a sign of general malaise or cultural disorder.

The listener is more than a simple consumer of cultural artifacts and their imitations.  These settings, and the people within them, call for aesthetic sound compositions that enhance cultural environments and personal perspectives.