GLOBALIZATION NOISE
[A short analysis on the relations between globalization and acoustic ecology]
Trying to establish a specific meaning about globalization and acoustic ecology is not an easy task and not in the main interests of this essay. My basic purpose is rather to explore at which points the different expressions of these ideas interact, and when they do, what are the sound artifacts of this interaction. I will then use some of these sounds to create three soundscape compositions, reflecting the relations evolving from within these concepts. There are countless examples, which can provide a musical proof for this interaction, but most of them ignore their relation to our acoustic environment and also to the process of globalization. Through my brief work, I will concentrate to provoke the awareness of the reader or the listener towards these new sound artifacts and in extension to our new soundscape, in the hope to contribute in my small private way to the issues raised by the Acoustic Ecology.
Most people have different approaches in regards of Globalization and Acoustic Ecology, mainly because of their geographical location, their social status, their education or their experience. Many people even realize these two ideas as several different things at the same time. For example, many of us acknowledge the fact that we affected in both a positive and a negative way from the process of Globalization, while others may not agree with that statement. On the other side, Murray Shafer has defined Acoustic ecology in the late ‘60s as the awareness to our sonic environment, but chances are not every one of us to have the same kind of perception towards a certain sound environment. However, and for the shake of this essay it would be important for me to set a social frame window for these ideas according to my beliefs, in order then to be possible to investigate them further.
Therefore, Globalization in this context is an increasingly expanding economic system characterized by its connection to other global economies and countries through mostly the links of free markets, capitalism and communications. An array of economic and political decisions taken within this network can also change in various significant ways the shape of our societies and in extension our environment – sonic or not. Acoustic ecology is easier to perceived, as it is a simpler and clearer idea. It aims to our awareness towards the soundscape, and in extension the understanding, the responsibility and the gain of our respect towards these environments, ideally without affected by the listening point of this experience.
When the ideas of Acoustic Ecology first presented, Globalization as in its present form was not such a big issue. However, in the last 30 years the effects of Globalization have became a primary issue, as they are starting to affect us directly in many ways. Apart from social, political and economical changes, which are quite important, the process of globalization also affects our environment and in extension our soundscape. I refer to these effects as globalization noise as they are sub-products of the process of globalization they are relating to our sonic environment and are undesirable. Someone could argue that most or even all ‘noises’ in our soundscape could be identified as such and he or she would not be necessarily wrong. Nevertheless, and depending on the level that we like to tackle the issue, a division has to made between a sound artifact that is a product of a broader technological innovation and sound artifact (globalization noise) that is a product of the globalization as described above. Isolated car noises for example could not constitute a type of globalization noise, as they are products of a wider technological evolution prior the idea of globalization. Traffic on the other hand, could form a type of globalization sound artifact as the process of globalization might govern its size. Globalization noise has all the properties of common ‘noise’ or of a ‘low-fi’ environment, but the fact that is a product of the globalization process gives it an extra dimension and an additional social weight that we must emphasize.
From my experience, I believe that is important for an individual or for the society in general, to be able to separate these sonic artifacts from its native natural soundscape or even better to prevent them from establishment if that is desirable. Although, this separation comes most of the times naturally and by instinct, many other times fades away quickly to give up to the powers of the globalization process, therefore creating new synthetic sound environments. Other times, globalization noise is more difficult to identify. For example, although the sounds on a noisy summer bar on a small remote village in south Mediterranean can be easily be separated from the natural soundscape by its inhabitants, the sound of a TV in our living rooms can change our private soundscape in less attacking way and thus make it harder to be identified. In any case, by finding and categorizing these sounds as products of the globalization process, it will then be possible to reconsider their place in our soundscape.
Globalization noise has different sonic and political characteristics according to its environment. In addition, it is not a necessarily common to all societies forming the globalization umbrella. It can be a product of globalization but function or rather affects only selected environments. For example, shoes factory installation of a multi-national company in a third-World country, do not affect the Acoustic Ecology of the country that made the investment, rather than the soundscape around the environment that the factory was build. As it happens with the globalization process in general, economical and political reasons govern the frequency, the quality and the acceptance of these sonic artifacts. This works in different levels. Taken the example above, the establishment of such a factory could easily accepted in many parts of the society, as it would provide a standard income to many of the people living around this area. People in this area will compromise their soundscape in exchange of economical prosperities. On a different level, global TV networks contribute to a different kind of globalization noise that may also include a political statement. The quality and the acceptance of this kind of globalization noise many time is dominated by the political significance of these statements, while other times is also tide with strong economical issues. For example, the worldwide expansion of CNN’s broadcasting in the last 15 years, had not only the effect of invading visually in many parts of our environment but also at the same time includes a political message within the sound information it transmits into our soundscape. The frequency of this political sound message can also increased by the expansion of this medium and the importance of the message.
Although identifying globalization noise is not difficult, it would be better if we could identify it by using certain criteria. These criteria will help its identification between other forms of sound artifacts embedded to our soundscape. Therefore, globalization noise should be obliged with all the following:
A] It has to be a direct or non-direct product of the Globalization process, thus have an economic or political property.
B] It has to be an external or newly invented sound, thus not belonging to the original properties of the soundscape.
C] It has to be intergraded into the soundscape of the environment, therefore accepted by society.
Some examples of these artifacts can include, mobile phones, modems, sound error messages in computer Operating systems, MIDI and music sequencers, factories, immigration, building constructions, agricultural machines, global TV networks and more.
Global noise has also different kinds of direct or non-direct effects on our society according to its properties. It is possible to categorize some of these properties according to the importance of the sound information they contain. Nevertheless, globalization noise can have more than one property at the same time.
In one case, the properties of such a sound do not contain any further information besides the properties of the sound itself (i.e. its frequency, intensity and time) and most often its origin. An example of such a sound could be a building construction. The sound information does not contain other information besides the frequency and intensity of the sound wave and maybe the understanding that the sound coming by a building constriction nearby, therefore its origin.
A different less obvious Globalization noise property can perceived in the form of music. Take the majority of electronic music around especially the music played around in clubs. It is clear that much of this music is a product made by the tools pushed into music production by the globalization process; see Apple, Yamaha, Emagic etc. From sequencers with the same sonic characteristics and sounds, to worldwide record labels policies, all together they have managed to formalized most of the music we hear on our (at list public) soundscapes. The quality and significance of the sound information in this context relates not only to the absolute characteristics of the sound, but also can extend to emotional, social and political issues.
Another form of globalization noise has properties associated with a wider political statement. Music could also fit in this category, but there is a type of globalization noise with stronger political meaning. TV in general and in extension global TV networks, has a great role to play in transforming and shape our society. It is one of the ultimate products of globalization as it is also serves as a tool for the greater establishment of the Globalization process. TV channels are filling our soundscapes in a way that seems natural. However, sound information that can sound naïve in order to grab our attention, at the same time can include a strong political message.
A more dare look could also suggests that sometimes the level of importance of such a sound message, could adjust the properties of globalization noise taken as a sound object. A political message in the form of audio at eight O’clock TV news has been through many different filters, both political and in terms of sound engineering in order to reach us in a plain and acceptable way. Music adjusts these properties for aesthetic reasons. I believe that this is more than a suggestion and it points out a kind of relation between the political information and the sonic information of globalization noise.
However and no matter the properties of globalization noise, our soundscape is changing in almost every level. These changes reflect us on a personal level in the form of stress, luck of concentration, misleading information, reduced creativity and others. On a wider social level, our soundscape changes accordingly and in parallel with greater economical decisions and together with that, the soundscape of many other species on this planet. Anti-Globalization movements although they pay great respect to the environment by raising the common environmental issues, they luck to mention about the ideas Acoustic Ecology. It has to make clear that globalization has the same dramatic effect on our soundscape, as it has on our greater environment. Although there have been plans from certain governments to taken certain measures in order to preserve our acoustic ecology, these plans mostly concerns urban soundscapes in cities in where the situation is already more than alarming. Living in a big city like London, which is driven by economical powers and never fails to emphasize its virtues about globalization, I can only guess that in the best case scenario these measures will only reduce the expansion of Global noise in the short-term, but they will not reverse the current situation to a previous more natural state. Of course, cities like London are not fated to live forever along with these new synthetic soundscapes. The future might bring us the social and technological knowledge required to make these soundscapes more harmonized with out natural soundscape. In the same respect, we must also feel responsible for the creations of such soundscapes and work towards the awareness of future generations on these issues using good education and our common sense. In the meantime, we need to preserve soundscapes, which are still free from such artificial globalization noises, remote places around this planet that are almost ready to be digitally processed under the globalization process.
In the music work accompanying this essay, I am trying to explore the interaction between globalization and our soundscape by using only sounds identified previously as global noise. To accomplish this, I am also using music creation tools that made to me available due to the process of globalization; therefore, I am using these specific tools to transform global noise into something more alive and rich in information, music.
TRACKS ON CD:
1] TRANSPORTATION
2] GLOBAL MOVEMENT
3] COMPUTERS
Relative Internet:
http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/wfae/home/
http://www.sfuhs.org/features/globalization/home/
Dimitris Barnias 2004
©sonicspace.org 2005