An Off The Cuff Ramble on Sound (#001)

Sound marvelous sound, where did it come from? The answer you see lies in the fabric of material existence: sound is the movement of molecule back and forth at a specific loudness and pitch that humans can hear. If a movement of molecules was outside of our range of hearing then it is still the same occurrence in principal, just that our perception is different. The same movements and patterns occur through out the material existence so if you were to change the range of parameters, similar things happen just on a different scale. If you zoom in and the focus is no longer on molecules but particles of molecule, then the movements and vibrations become smaller sized too meaning a higher pitch (frequency). Names for these 'sounds' are x-rays and gamma rays, which are given the distinction of being part of the electromagnetic spectrum (simply meaning that the medium is sub atomic particles that do no operate on the same plane as the molecular spectrum that we are used to). Further still, the particles are made from smaller pigments which are at the cusp of current scientific knowledge. These building blocks are thought to be responsible for the fundamental behavior of matter and energy, which at this plane of existence are often considered to be interchangeable. Even though this plane of existence seems very theoretical the rules and laws that govern it are almost no different to music, obeying resonances and harmonies that dictate the fate of interaction between these building blocks that will in turn govern atomic configuration and rotation, which in turn causes chemical reaction such as photosynthesis and breathing. Zoom out and the circadian rhythms of life, orbiting planets and swirling galaxies exist on a massive scale but with comparable orbits to the moon, the birds and the electrons. I think many people are tuned into this universal order, but some fail to recognise its omnipotence. Celebrate it, in whatever form you can, and realise that music can be perceived in every facet of our existence.

Apologies for any scientific simplifications, oversights or romanticisms. Please help to inform me rather than keeping your wisdom to yourself!

Who Is Joe Bell?

Hello anyone who ends up reading this, I'm Joe Bell, someone who tends to be obsessed by sound. Many people tell me I've got a way with words and that I should start blogging, and today I'm at home poorly so what better thing to do than start a blog. To be honest just as many people tell me what I say is utter bollocks, but to preserve my inflated sense of self worth I'll ignore them for now and get blogging!

Sound is something that seems quite mystical to me, mystical in the way that physics and astronomy are. Religion and science sometimes seem to be against each other, but actually a lot of the time religion preempts science and shows that our instinct generally points us in the right direction. For example, Buddhism tell us that 'the world is sound' which although might seem very philosophical and scientifically wooly on one hand, on the other hand currently the majority of theoretical physicists are telling us that matter can be explained by 'string theory' which has definite parallels to sound.

So I find sound mystical. I also find it uplifting depending on the sound. I don't think anyone could disagree that music has the potential to stir emotion. Have you ever wondered why that is? Music is fairly quantifiable and certainly repeatable, so imagine the possibility that emotion can be triggered by a rational set of scientific theories based on waveform interaction! Exciting, huh? Of course, emotion is more complicated than a chart of numbers, but I still find it amazing how the sound of music can cause such fast emotional responses. Mood might effect our perception of music, but by the same token perceiving music can affect mood too. The Hindu notion of Om is a good historical example of sound being recognised as important to health and spirituality. I think its important to accept sound as something that is very important to our being, and not to take it for granted (or put a premium on it!).

Finally I find sound fascinating. I'm very interested in how to make and break sounds, and how our perceptions are related to the physical world. I suppose my work is about trying to understand the world I inhabit. I want to understand and manipulate perception. I believe that by altering and exploring perception people can understand themselves a bit better, and also empathise with other peoples thoughts and states of mind better, which is a good thing. Induvindualism is good, but if our impact on this planet is to be improved then we need to get to grips with the fact that we are in it together. Ghandi said "we must become the change we want to see" and a great friend of mine said "dont shit in the bath". Take from that what you will and discard the chaff.