‘A Very British Garden’
Composed by Eleanor Anderson
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Instructions for listening:
- Lay in a dark and silent room alone – ensuring no outside noise can bleed into the room
- Try to use the best monitors or headphones you can
- Take into consideration the importance of surrounded sounds and what the world would be without the
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1.(A series of soundscapes from different environments)
Eleanor:
Noise.
It’s everywhere.
As human beings in the modern world, we are constantly surrounded by noise. From the hustle and bustle of a city.
2.(City soundscapes)
To the calm serenity of nature…
3.(Nature sounds)
Our surrounding sounds are naturally inescapable. Kids Frontiers explains that
4.(Voice sound effects)
“No matter how hard we try, we will never find a place that is completely silent. If something moves, it produces a sound—even if humans cannot hear it.
5.(Various selection of sounds linked to the script)
Sounds are everywhere, all around us. The sounds we usually notice are produced by people or by things that people use. Think about road traffic or industries, for instance. Yet, nature can be very loud too!”
I want to research whether with new developments of technology and the changing of society’s habits, this is entirely true, and whether or not we should be appreciating what we have instead of choosing to
6.(Sound effects on voice)
block it all out.
Generally, we don’t value background noise as something “good”, and more often than not we see it as something bad. Humans love to complain about our surroundings and wish to block the noise out. (Beat)
With the new development of
7.(Muffled EQ sound effect on voice)
noise cancellation our society is beginning to choose silence over noise.
8.(Artificial sounds over the voice)
Sonically we are creating an artificial bubble.
I found this fascinating and wondered why we hate the sonic atmospheres around us so much.
9.(Synth sounds)
In reflection to this I chose to interview somebody who has had this choice taken away from them. My grandma. She began losing her hearing in 2016…
10.(Transition noise- General chatter about surroundings and garden noises)
Grandma:
What do I hear? I don’t know! It’s just nice to hear… The trickle of the water running down the waterfall. On the whole quiet but as I pointed out we haven’t got the peaceful surroundings around my home that we used to have…
11.(Back to general garden chatter)
Eleanor:
As time and technology have developed she has been able to afford a hearing aid to help her with general hearing in day-to-day life. However, without this, the world around her would feel something similar to the way we hear when we use
12.(white noise synth sound and voice effects)
noise cancellation.
I asked her a series of questions about how she values the surroundings and what not being able to hear noise means to her.
Grandma:
13.(Garden soundscape sounds)
Familiar sounds are a fundamental part of feeling secure. Sonically we depend on our day-to-day sounds to acknowledge that you’re in mundane, yet safe surroundings; where you want to be, where you feel protected.
14.(Background sounds with reverberation)
When the Cochlea becomes damaged, sounds sent to the brain are lost. It creates frustration and an unsettling feeling to any of its victims. When familiar sounds are taken away it can be anxiety-inducing.
15.(Garden soundscape)
As if you’re picked up and placed somewhere completely new. One relies on surrounding noises and ambience for settlement and insight into regularity. Atmospherics are just as important as conversational sounds. Until they are lost, they are often unheard or missed by the brain.
Eleanor:
It was refreshing to hear someone speak about sounds around us in a positive way.
16.(Crowd noises, and surrounding sounds)
This made me realise people aren’t appreciating noise enough. Our sonic environment builds an atmosphere and tells us more about our surroundings than we realise. Where many people who suffer with hearing loss find this isolating many people who do not suffer from this strive to silence out the world for relaxation.
In Andrew Hugill’s 2022 book ‘Aural Diversity’ he states he did a performance with people who were sonically disadvantaged and explained that….
17.(Voice sound effects)
“Many deafblind people face barriers to participation in mainstream activities… however sound became a conduit for connectivity that allowed participants, staff, and audiences to interact without the pressure of communication barriers”.
18.(Transition sound)
Andrew talks about the connection in sound has upon people’s relationships. He highlights how noise and sound can be connective for humans.
19.(Muffled crowd noises – then it cuts out)
Not only do we silence ourselves through noise cancellation, but we have also begun doing this architecturally. In a recent study by AQSO an interdisciplinary studio dedicated to contemporary architecture, design, urban planning & cultural research. They research soundproof planning and said that…
20.(Voice sound effects)
21.(Sound effects showing sound being absorbed)
“Loud levels of noise pollution can cause sleep disturbances, broken concentration, high stress, anxiety and even hypertension… Sound absorption is used to contain the echoes and reverberations of the sound. This strategy provides adequate indoor comfort conditions and helps also reduce external noise pollution. Materials such as fabrics, porous suspended ceilings, micro-perforated panels or soundboards are efficient ways to soundproof interiors.”
Eleanor:
Even architecturally we are slowly chasing to isolate ourselves sonically. This juxtaposes Andrew Hugill’s research which dictates the possibilities in which sound brings us together. However, studies by Karla Panuszka further this argument and explain that
22.(Voice sound effect)
“Music shows a positive effect on relationships by providing a person’s mental attitude with a happy euphoria.”
23..(water sound effects)
“Natural sounds of waterfalls, streams, and rivers also show an improved mood that enhances relationships in a positive way.”
Despite the positive effects that noise can have we are also aware of the negatives mentally. Is it just about balance? Or is it always something that should be taken into consideration. Despite my grandma’s struggles with hearing loss she still states that she needs silence to get by.
24.(garden soundscape)
Grandma:
“Well I think at certain parts of the day I would like a couple hours of absolute peace and i can get that in the house, double glazed that keeps the noise out. But I wouldn’t want to live in isolation no. But this last year it’s been horrendous we don’t have the peace in the garden that we used to because there’s a big building estate going on the opposite side of the road and we’ve had noise all year!.
Eleanor:
So it is appreciated that noise can be a burden and annoyance. However, despite certain noise being unwanted is noise cancellation still stopping us from appreciating the noise that surrounds us or are we just lucky to have the choice to choose silence. DHRME the study YouTube channel talk about the effects that sound can actually have on our physical health and the benefits of noise cancellation and what it can bring.
Youtube Video:
25.(Transition sound)
1.YouTube Video Interview
“Noise is actually associated with some health issues. Like cardiovascular conditions and even an increase in stress. Right! And noise-cancelling headphones might actually help because you end up listening to music at much lower volumes than you otherwise would.”
26.(Transition sound backwards)
Eleanor:
These are all effects that noise has on us in our day-to-day lives. I wanted to delve deeper and see how people were using noise and sonic environments artistically. Christine Sun Kim is a deaf sound artist who explores everyday sounds across city centres.
Christine Sun Kim:
2. Christine Sun Kim Interview
“Sound is something that I look at as a tool and I use this tool to work the system. But sound has also given me a way to kind of declare my position, my space, my way to a member of society…
27.(Reverb transition)
and I was lucky when MIF (Manchester International Festival) reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do something. I thought well I’m just gonna go for a moonshine. I want to caption the whole city and they said “absolutely, let’s do it!”.
28.(Synth noises edited taken from the YouTube video)
Eleanor:
As my research commenced it came as a realisation to me that people who have had the choice to listen taken away from them are the ones that are generally appreciating sound.
29.(General noise)
Overall to hear noise and sound is a built-in instinct. I personally believe that by slowly blocking this out, we as a society are beginning to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. It is a novelty that the likes of noise cancellation can be turned
30.(Muffled voice effect)
on and off but we must learn to appreciate our surrounding sounds and see them as experiences rather than hindrances.
31.(voice echo)
I will ensure that I go into my future daily life and listen with gratitude.
32.(Synth sounds)
After all, the sound is everywhere and no matter how much technology advances naturally we can’t escape it. Sound is there to be listened to and heard, to tell us how to feel and what to feel. To make us feel safe and at home.
On that note, I want to take you back to listen to my grandmas ‘very British garden’…
33.(Garden soundscape)
THE END
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Listen to Artistic Sound Choices:
1.) (A series of soundscapes from different environments)
2.) (City soundscapes)
3.) (Nature sounds)
4.) (Voice sound effects)
5.) (Various selections of sounds linked to the script)
6.) (Sound effects on voice)
7.) (Muffled EQ sound effect on voice)
8.) (Artificial sounds over the voice)
9.) (Synth sounds)
10.) (Transition noise- General chatter about surroundings and garden noises)
11.) (Back to general garden chatter)
12.) (white noise synth sound and voice effects)
13.) (Garden soundscape sounds)
14.) (Background sounds with reverberation)
15.) (Garden soundscape)
16.) (Crowd noises, and surrounding sounds)
17.) (Voice sound effects)
18.) (Transition sound)
19.) (Muffled crowd noises – then it cuts out)
20.) (Voice sound effects)
21.) (Sound effects showing sound being absorbed)
22.) (Voice sound effect)
23.) (water sound effects)
24.) (garden soundscape)
25.) (Transition sound)
26.) (Transition sound backwards)
27.) (Reverb transition)
28.) (Synth noises edited and taken from the YouTube video)
29.) (General noise)
30.) (Muffled voice effect)
31.) (voice echo)
32.) (Synth sounds)
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Listed Sampled Sounds:
1.) YouTube Video Interview
2.) Christine Sun Kim Interview
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Research Bibliography:
Ucl (2022) Deaf awareness: Working and communicating well with deaf people (online course), UCL Ear Institute. UCL Ear Institute. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/short-courses/search-courses/deaf-awareness-working-and-communicating-well-deaf-people-online-course (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
Authors Mark D. Fletcher et al. (no date) Hear and there: Sounds from everywhere!, Frontiers for Young Minds. Kids Frontiers. Available at: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2018.00063 (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
Panuszka, K. (no date) The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America – Researchgate, Research Gate. Acoustical Society of America. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/The-Journal-of-the-Acoustical-Society-of-America-0001-4966/2 (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
DHRM (2019) Is noise cancelling safe? the dangers of active noise cancelling explained | DHRME #68, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfLs9XZIi2g (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
Aqso, A.U. (2018) Architecture against noise, AQSO. AQSO. Available at: https://aqso.net/office/news/6650/architecture-against-noise (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
International, F. (no date) Captioning the city, MIF t/a Factory International. Available at: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/captioning-the-city/ (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
