500% agree, but I confess to being a grumpy (and authentically) old woman! I lost the hearing in one ear in my mid teens due to illness but also gained very unwelcome tinnitus, live gigs were never the same after that! Over the decades I've learned to live with both but 10 years ago I was walking in woods at dusk with friends who were delighted to hear tawny owls. I would have been too but instead I was dismayed as I couldn't hear them at all; my 'good' ear's hearing was packing up. A hearing aid has helped with bird song - the generally high pitch picks up well - but in a crowded room of people the lack of smart neurons in my hearing aid can make for a miserable, and curiously anxiety-inducing experience. The Imperial College study suggests their discovery may help create better hearing aids, fingers crossed! But, 'plugged in' I too can hear long-tailed tits before I can see them - small blessings!
Oh for sure and thanks for sharing - I’m aware this post was written from the perspective of someone without hearing issues (apart from some mild tinnitus thanks to a rock show a few years ago) and there are many people who would love to hear the sounds of a busy train full of people let alone birdsong. Great that you can hear the long-tailed tits. Noisy buggers!
Hey Thomas, I hope you didn't think my comment was intended as a criticism? Just another perspective! And, unfortunately my hearing is still good enough to hear those anti-social, full-on-public-audio phone-users on public transport!
I have similar hearing problems too but help is on the way. In a few days I am picking up some new hearing aids with an additional 'chip' that, I am assured, goes a long way to fixing the problem by recognizing background noise (that's the AI part) and reducing its volume while at the same time boosting speech. My audiologist played me samples and if it's half as good as they demonstrated it will be a game changer. These wonder devices are made by a company called Phonak. Fingers crossed they are as good as claimed - should know shortly.
I’m always amazed that I am usually the only one going for a walk that isn’t listening to something on their phone. I grew up on a farm and will always be thankful that my Dad taught me to appreciate nature.
Such a beautiful piece of writing Tomas with a really important message. There is nothing like being out in the countryside far away from civilisation where the only sound is that of nature. It is so good for the soul and something we should all try and experience on a regular basis. It seems to me that we don't do enough listening in todays world.
Omg I hear you so much! There is so much noise. I'm very sensitive to sounds so sometimes the world is just way to noisy. I went back home to Belgium after years of not having been there and the sound of traffic was everywhere, even when you were doing a forest walk.
I'm so lucky I've found a spot in New Zealand far away from any roads or neighbours and all I can hear is birds. And trust me they get noisy too, but it's the best sound I could ever wish for!
Field Recordings podcast is a great recco, thanks! Have you seen the film ‘Pursuit of Silence’? It explores humanities relationship with noise and the impact sound has our lives. Well worth a watch! A recent post of ours was inspired by it
Love this photo, and the writing that goes with it. My mother's ancestors came from Slovenia, as recently as my Grandpa Lukanc who emigrated to the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century. I want to go there some day.
I am currently sitting in a McDonald's eatery (mainly because my legs were sore and I couldn't walk further), scoffing calories and scrolling Substack. What a breath of fresh air your video of birdsong was! Threading through the background of chatter, creaking chairs and musak, birdsong lifted my heart. I adore hearing a blackbird or robin sung out, oblivious to humankind.
It occurs to me that a good way to be subversive is to play a birdsong track wherever you can. It may lift other hearts and remind us of the precious gift we are losing 🥺
I agree completely (the risk of sounding like a grumpy old lady -is a small price to pay). Here in France a very popular chain of supermarkets has installed « a quiet hour »: no music in the store, no announcements on the loudspeakers, dimmed lights…At first it was done to accommodate the needs of their autistic ( and other neurodivergent) customers. But now, 3 years later, the chain has expanded this quiet time to 2 or even 4 hours a day (it was only one hour in the beginning) because quite a few people prefer the quiet…
Well done to that supermarket! (Which one?) I wonder if they (or any organisations or researchers) are looking at the data relating to any increase or decrease in customers at those quiet times, or any difference in comparative customer spending; it would be great find Muzak was a deterrent so they went quiet all the time!
I remember when we moved from the capital to a very small deadly quiet town. The first evening, sitting in the kitchen I wondered what the faint humming noise was. It was the blood in my ears. Other than that, there was silence. We've now moved even deeper into the quiet, the kind of quiet when you stop walking and silence falls, because the only noise was your footsteps.
Oh this is somehow so sad! I totally agree with everything you've written though.
I love listening to the sounds of the seagulls greeting the morning and the waves rolling in on the beach. Just to escape the relentless noise of humans.
At 8am this morning there was loud, incessant drilling from machinery as yet more land from a new part of the quarry is being exposed and disturbed.
"But instead we listen to 3-second snippets of unrelated audio clips, and fill our brains with the white noise of the internet." This is the bane of my existance and the reason why I don't have a TikTok nor an Instagram account. Sadly, it's not the case of my neighbour who, now retired and in his 60s, spends his nights (even after midnight) watching TV *and* TikTok-esque videos forcing me to sleep with earplugs. I'm a grumpy old man more than him.
I totally relate with the frustration of noisy people on public transportation. I also can't stand people with portable speakers listening to music loudly walking around the park. *sighs*
500% agree, but I confess to being a grumpy (and authentically) old woman! I lost the hearing in one ear in my mid teens due to illness but also gained very unwelcome tinnitus, live gigs were never the same after that! Over the decades I've learned to live with both but 10 years ago I was walking in woods at dusk with friends who were delighted to hear tawny owls. I would have been too but instead I was dismayed as I couldn't hear them at all; my 'good' ear's hearing was packing up. A hearing aid has helped with bird song - the generally high pitch picks up well - but in a crowded room of people the lack of smart neurons in my hearing aid can make for a miserable, and curiously anxiety-inducing experience. The Imperial College study suggests their discovery may help create better hearing aids, fingers crossed! But, 'plugged in' I too can hear long-tailed tits before I can see them - small blessings!
Oh for sure and thanks for sharing - I’m aware this post was written from the perspective of someone without hearing issues (apart from some mild tinnitus thanks to a rock show a few years ago) and there are many people who would love to hear the sounds of a busy train full of people let alone birdsong. Great that you can hear the long-tailed tits. Noisy buggers!
Hey Thomas, I hope you didn't think my comment was intended as a criticism? Just another perspective! And, unfortunately my hearing is still good enough to hear those anti-social, full-on-public-audio phone-users on public transport!
I have similar hearing problems too but help is on the way. In a few days I am picking up some new hearing aids with an additional 'chip' that, I am assured, goes a long way to fixing the problem by recognizing background noise (that's the AI part) and reducing its volume while at the same time boosting speech. My audiologist played me samples and if it's half as good as they demonstrated it will be a game changer. These wonder devices are made by a company called Phonak. Fingers crossed they are as good as claimed - should know shortly.
That sounds great and very promising!
I’m always amazed that I am usually the only one going for a walk that isn’t listening to something on their phone. I grew up on a farm and will always be thankful that my Dad taught me to appreciate nature.
Wild isn’t it!
Such a beautiful piece of writing Tomas with a really important message. There is nothing like being out in the countryside far away from civilisation where the only sound is that of nature. It is so good for the soul and something we should all try and experience on a regular basis. It seems to me that we don't do enough listening in todays world.
Thanks Gill, totally with you.
Omg I hear you so much! There is so much noise. I'm very sensitive to sounds so sometimes the world is just way to noisy. I went back home to Belgium after years of not having been there and the sound of traffic was everywhere, even when you were doing a forest walk.
I'm so lucky I've found a spot in New Zealand far away from any roads or neighbours and all I can hear is birds. And trust me they get noisy too, but it's the best sound I could ever wish for!
I’d never complain about noisy birds! Sounds lovely!
Field Recordings podcast is a great recco, thanks! Have you seen the film ‘Pursuit of Silence’? It explores humanities relationship with noise and the impact sound has our lives. Well worth a watch! A recent post of ours was inspired by it
I’m not familiar with that, I’ll check it out! Thanks!
Love this photo, and the writing that goes with it. My mother's ancestors came from Slovenia, as recently as my Grandpa Lukanc who emigrated to the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century. I want to go there some day.
I am currently sitting in a McDonald's eatery (mainly because my legs were sore and I couldn't walk further), scoffing calories and scrolling Substack. What a breath of fresh air your video of birdsong was! Threading through the background of chatter, creaking chairs and musak, birdsong lifted my heart. I adore hearing a blackbird or robin sung out, oblivious to humankind.
It occurs to me that a good way to be subversive is to play a birdsong track wherever you can. It may lift other hearts and remind us of the precious gift we are losing 🥺
I agree completely (the risk of sounding like a grumpy old lady -is a small price to pay). Here in France a very popular chain of supermarkets has installed « a quiet hour »: no music in the store, no announcements on the loudspeakers, dimmed lights…At first it was done to accommodate the needs of their autistic ( and other neurodivergent) customers. But now, 3 years later, the chain has expanded this quiet time to 2 or even 4 hours a day (it was only one hour in the beginning) because quite a few people prefer the quiet…
Well done to that supermarket! (Which one?) I wonder if they (or any organisations or researchers) are looking at the data relating to any increase or decrease in customers at those quiet times, or any difference in comparative customer spending; it would be great find Muzak was a deterrent so they went quiet all the time!
I remember when we moved from the capital to a very small deadly quiet town. The first evening, sitting in the kitchen I wondered what the faint humming noise was. It was the blood in my ears. Other than that, there was silence. We've now moved even deeper into the quiet, the kind of quiet when you stop walking and silence falls, because the only noise was your footsteps.
Oh this is somehow so sad! I totally agree with everything you've written though.
I love listening to the sounds of the seagulls greeting the morning and the waves rolling in on the beach. Just to escape the relentless noise of humans.
At 8am this morning there was loud, incessant drilling from machinery as yet more land from a new part of the quarry is being exposed and disturbed.
Thank you for this! I spend most of my time in nature, and noise pollution, especially abrupt, really loud noises, is a big deal for me.
"But instead we listen to 3-second snippets of unrelated audio clips, and fill our brains with the white noise of the internet." This is the bane of my existance and the reason why I don't have a TikTok nor an Instagram account. Sadly, it's not the case of my neighbour who, now retired and in his 60s, spends his nights (even after midnight) watching TV *and* TikTok-esque videos forcing me to sleep with earplugs. I'm a grumpy old man more than him.
I totally relate with the frustration of noisy people on public transportation. I also can't stand people with portable speakers listening to music loudly walking around the park. *sighs*
Thank you for helping me remember that I’m not the only one who thinks like this 💚