Art of Noises Response

I really enjoyed this reading; the way in which he differentiates noise and sound is particularly interesting as he introduces the idea of noise as an art form or music. He talks about how machines and other devices have created such a rivalry of noises that pure sound no longer arouses any feeling and thus, music has developed towards the most complex polyphony and variety of successions of chords to create a musical harmony. This is of particular interest to me because I have noticed many times in my daily comings and goings the harmony, or even just intriguing nature, of the way in which noises around us exist and form together to create a narrative or harmony of their own. I’ve noticed it especially while walking alone to class or running outside just because everything else fades out and your surroundings are able to take over the senses. I find that it’s actually a very enjoyable sensation, even the noises that appear to be out of place within the context of the surroundings add a somewhat unexpected surprise that emphasizes the texture of the other noises. In this respect, this follows his statement that each of the individual noises retain their own characteristic tone but the addition of other noises amplify the texture or extension of the noise. I think my favorite part of the reading was the part in which the poet Marinetti describes in words the orchestra of a great battle; even through written words I could imagine the noises and the harmony of such noises as they built, escalated, retreated in vibrancy and repeated the motion again. I feel as though that was a really effective way to show a situation in which an abundance of noises that are not thought of as music are heard almost as a symphony.

As a silly sidenote, this reading made me think of that Taylor Swift song that references “their” song as being the everyday noises in their life.