What sounds temporarily disappeared from our lives, and whose return is not worth waiting for - a discussion

Once we all go outside again, noise and music will fill the stations, airports and shopping centers. But while self-isolation leaves its mark on the acoustic background of cities.

We decided to talk about sounds that temporarily disappeared from our lives.


^{Photo Suganth / Unsplash}

How we live, work and relax

Airports and train stations have become much quieter than usual. Due to reduced passenger flow, Singapore's national airline joked 96% of its aircraft. Flights are carried out by nine vessels, mainly with residents of the country. The terminal does not have the usual crowing of people and frequent announcements of dispatchers about landings.

But even in such conditions, some things remain unchanged. At Changi Airport , a flipchart is still operating - a visiting card of the terminal. Before the global crisis , tourists from all over the world gathered there only to take pictures on the background of this memorable object. Many say that it is the sound of clicking platesthey associate with travel.

Over the next few days, the sounds of open space have disappeared from our lives - the rumble of air conditioners, phone calls and rustling printers. But perhaps this is even for the best. Office noise can “ drive people crazy .” Various studies have confirmed that it is impossible to maintain focus in open space. Most distracting conversations of colleagues - live and by phone. Remote work from home is an opportunity to relax and reboot.

Changes have affected other areas. I had to forget about going to stadiums and music concerts for a while . This is not so good news as rest from open space. A couple of years ago, specialists from Goldsmith Collegefound that attending live music events once every two weeks can prolong life by nine years. The effect is due to the fact that concerts positively affect a person’s well-being.

It is hoped that live music will soon return to our lives. But for now, streaming services can brighten up your home pastime, including with movies and TV shows. Many of these resources have already taken advantage of the situation to expand their audience. Now cinemas are closed or empty. But if you really want to immerse yourself in that atmosphere, we recommend that you run the thematic ASMR video in the background . By the way, some people may be comfortable working under such ambient from home.

The Red Book of Sounds

The noise of offices, airports, stadiums will undoubtedly return to us when the self-isolation regime ends. And in such a short time, in any case, we will not forget how all these things sound. However, there are sounds that may soon become part of the story. So that they do not disappear at all, they are “saved” by special organizations that record the sound of all kinds of gadgets, rare languages ​​and hidden corners of the planet.

The British Library has one of the world's largest audio collections of "sound prints." Hundreds of materials are collected there with stories, fairy tales and the usual speech of representatives of indigenous peoples of different countries - even recorded on wax cylinders. In turn, the Sound Diaries projectstrives to capture the sounds of everyday life. On the site you can find a record of working vending machines .


^{Photo Free To Use Sounds / Unsplash}

Enthusiasts also strive to preserve the sound of all kinds of gadgets. Remember how the needle printer popped? Or with what sound did your favorite prefix start in childhood? How did the wheel snap on your first iPod? So that these sounds are not erased from memory, they are collected by virtual museums such as Conserve the Sound or Museum of Endangered Sounds . Thanks to these resources, parents in the future will be able to clearly explain to children what “hackneyed record” means. Or why we still say "hang up."

If you have any ideas on what sounds you want to pass on to future generations, feel free to share your thoughts. Perhaps the main conclusion that the current situation is pushing us to is that our lifestyle is rather fragile, so everyone should think about how it can be preserved.

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“Colleagues, breathe quietly”: why office noise drives us crazy

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