This week’s reading was about humans and the soundscape we have created for ourselves. Instead of environmental pollution, this piece discussed noise pollution. Man has created a very new and different sound environment then the one before it. The author states that we have filled the soundscape with harsh noises that may eventually lead to universal deafness. All these new sounds are encompassed by what the author introduces as the modern definition of music.
In one paragraph he gives us an interesting idea that Herman Hesse repeats in his own writing. It states that there is a solid relationship between music and the state. Such that “…the music of a well-ordered age is calm and cheerful, and so is its government. The music of a restive age is excited and fierce, and its government is perverted. The music of a decaying state is sentimental and sad, and its government is imperiled.” To say that this relationship exists seems kinda farfetched to me. I understand music can and does reflect the attitude of the artist and those around him but I don’t know if I can agree with this theory.
I’ve definitely heard of the term noise pollution but I can’t say I understood the concept entirely. Part of the reason is that we rarely hear people talking about this issue. It raises the question of whether this is really a big issue we need to address right now. After reading this piece and also looking up some things on noise pollution currently, I would have to say that it is. It is responsible for numerous health concerns including high blood pressure, stress, and, maybe most obviously, hearing loss. There are more than just those though and still, the issue seems to have taken a back seat. We must pay attention to it and not mindlessly add to the “music” that currently surrounds us.