Julian Treasure - Sound Health

We’ve heard Julian Treasure speak about sound at TED before. This time he talks about sound health and listening. Ironically, the sound of the video is not really good enough to get the examples he plays. What he is saying is - although for a sound professional not new - something we all should be taught at school. It would make the world a much more pleasant sounding, and thus healthier place to live in.

Comments

[filippo]

really nice talk, and thank you for sharing it. there is one thing, though, i do not approve: his love for silence. while i love it as a musicians, as a hearing professional i know how hazardous it can be for your hearing. there is a reason why you can't close your ears, why you don't have "earlids": it's because your hearing needs to be constantly on. your ear works as a muscle: if you don't use it, it weakens. of course, if you use it too much (loud noises all the time) you weaken it also.

by the way, i like your site. keep up the good work...

[admin]

Hi Filippo, thank you for adding your thoughts :)
I'd have to disagree with you though. I think (relative) silence is important. We need to create quiet places in our cities to be able to enjoy sounds and prevent deafness. And in most noisy places it also is important to protect your hearing for the same reasons. I use earplugs whenever I visit a loud concert, café, or even driving long distances. I have those custom-made ones which ensure you will still hear what's important.