MUSIC The soundscape--a term coined by the author--is our sonic environment, the ever-present array of noises with which we all live. Beginning with the primordial sounds of nature, we have experienced an ever-increasing complexity of our sonic surroundings. As civilization develops, new noises rise up around us: from the creaking wheel, the clang of the blacksmith's hammer, and the distant chugging of steam trains to the "sound imperialism" of airports, city streets, and factories. The author contends that we now suffer from an overabundance of acoustic information and a proportionate diminishing of our ability to hear the nuances and subtleties of sound. Our task, he maintains, is to listen, analyze, and make distinctions. As a society we have become more aware of the toxic wastes that can enter our bodies through the air we breathe and the water we drink. In fact, the pollution of our sonic environment is no less real. Schafer emphasizes the importance of discerning the sounds that enrich and feed us and using them to create healthier environments. To this end, he explains how to classify sounds, appreciating their beauty or ugliness, and provides exercises and "soundwalks" to help us become more discriminating and sensitive to the sounds around us. This book is a pioneering exploration of our acoustic environment, past and present, and an attempt to imagine what it might become in the future. A well-known Canadian composer, R. MURRAY SCHAFER is the author of several books, including The Music of the Environment.
R. Murray Schafer
Bird song:one of the most beautiful miracles in all litrature... Do birds sing or converse?
History of effective bird immitation in music extends from Clement janequin 1560 to Oliver Messiaen 1908
not exactly Messiaen
A photograph of birds perched on telephone wires has inspired a Brazilian musician to create a composition.
Jarbas Agnelli noticed that the wires resembled a stave and the birds looked like notes. Curious to hear the tune they were making, he simply notated their exact positions to create a score, which he then arranged for xylophone, bassoon, oboe and clarinet.
The result, unsurprisingly, sounds nothing like Messiaen's bird song-derived work.
Birds on the Wires - the finished work:
many fish have no sound producing and no ears but many produce unique sounds
and some are very loud. some make sound by expelling gas or grinding their teeth or vibrating gas bladder. some make noise by gulping air bubbles
The song of Whales are popular nowadays and some recordings of humpback whales were produced in 1970s.
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