An Old Lesson

The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus (ca. 55-135) was quoted by his student Arrian as saying: We have two ears and one mouth so we may listen more and talk the less.

The first step towards being a better producer of sound is becoming a better listener.

A Spotlight on Sound

Sound is a passion of mine and always has been. Whether being massaged by the pedal notes of a pipe organ, tuning a brook in the woods or recording on a reel to reel at home, observing sound was an important and fun part of growing up. And it became my career. Since I retired from teaching audio and radio studies, there have only been a few other audiots with whom I've shared random thoughts - until now. Welcome to Sound Notes.

The other day I ran into a former student and her memory of audio class intrigued me. She said she loved it when I turned out the lights to play sound examples. She recalled how the darkness reduced visual distractions, allowing the sounds to engage the imagination. I was pleased to know this was her memory. Telling stories with sound was and still is important. And turning out the lights puts a spotlight on sound.