Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
see symmetrical Chladni patterns following a
demonstration manual “Chladni Plate” provided
by the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA, 2011). A Swiss physician Hans Jenny
(1967/2001) studied the modal phenomena (called
by him cymatics) that could be set into motion
by sound waves. Gyorgy Kepes (1944/1995), the
author of an influential topic “Language of Vi-
sion” created a visual display of thermodynamic
patterns resulting from conversion to heat of other
forms of energy in an acoustically vibrated sheet
of metal; he displayed small holes heated by the
burning gas.
Communication by vibrations was a theme of
an artistic research and audiovisual installation
about the social organization in ants. Ants com-
municate mainly by pheromones, but they also
produce the vibratory sounds. The life of the ant
colony have been presented as a soundscape of
scratching effects by constructing a sound-reactive
installation comprising of contact microphones
and video surveillance interfaced with the com-
puter that feeds this bio-data to two turntables
(Auson, 2012).
Figure 3 presents a work “Ecosphere.” We
communicate with our surroundings to receive
information we need but we are feeling free of any
constrains within the boundaries of our ecosphere.
absolute pitch would interfere with language
perception (Bossomaier & Snyder, 2004). Infants
learn to understand what their parents say; they are
focusing on the content - the language perception.
However, the pitch and the timbre (a tone quality of
a sound that helps distinguish it from other sounds
of the same pitch and volume) of the female or
male voices are of no importance and of no use
in this difficult task. Absolute pitch is prevalent
among those who speak tonal languages where
high/low pitch combinations are important (such
as happens in Mandarin or Cantonese languages).
The ability to acquire an accent-free second
language, lessened after puberty, may possibly
result from the loss of absolute pitch and hence
ability to hear the raw sensory data: to accurately
hear the phonemes, distinct units of sound in a
foreign language and thus develop a good accent
(Bossomaier & Snyder, 2004).
Some animal species display ability to learn
songs. Vocal learning is considered a substrate
for human language. This trait has been found
in three groups of mammals (humans, bats, and
cetaceans - dolphins) and three groups of birds
(parrots, hummingbirds, and songbirds). Vocal
learners gain vocalization through imitation, while
auditory learners do that by making associations
(Jarvis, 2004). Perfect pitch perception is present
in many members of animal kingdom.
Figure 4 presents a work “Pitch and Volume.”
We may categorize sounds we receive through
our sense of hearing depending on our actual
mood, finding them interesting, pleasurable, or
ear splitting and noisy.
Pitch
Absolute (perfect) pitch is the ability to recognize
and remember a tone without a reference. It's
a great asset for musicians who just know the
exact tone they hear and name exact notes and
chords by ear. Many musicians have no pitch
recognition - they have relative pitch - an ability
unique to people to identify pitches in relation to
other pitches. At the same time, many researchers
hold that a great deal of non-musicians and also
newborn babies have absolute pitch: they prefer
to respond to absolute rather than relative pitch
differences (Saffran, 2003). This ability may
possibly cease to exist in early maturation when
Let's listen to the city music
Pitch our voices in key with others
Without confusion of languages and meanings
Let's hum a tune and rejoice in laugh
When we stay set in a traffic jam.
