Acoustic Space

Sound needs a home to live in, and that home changes how it feels. In a big church, sound bounces around and stays for a long time, making it feel holy and large. In a small room with lots of pillows, the sound stops quickly, making it feel private and close. We are always hearing the shape of the room we are in. It reminds us that we are always shaped by our surroundings, and our surroundings are shaped by us.

We are always shaped by our surroundings and our surroundings are shaped by us. The cathedral did not make the hymn holy. The hymn made the cathedral necessary. You do not just enter a room. You become part of its acoustics. Choose your rooms carefully.

Architectural acoustics involves control of reverberation time (RT₆₀) and sound propagation. Spaciousness linked to inter-aural cross-correlation (IACC), which brains use to map spatial position. Connects to phenomenology: the study of structures of consciousness from first-person perspective. Sound defines the boundaries of our perceived reality. The room is not where you hear. The room is part of what you hear.

SOUND: Clapping your hands in a bathroom versus outside: the room is an instrument.

SMELL: The boxed-in smell of an attic versus the open smell of a meadow.

TASTE: Eating in a loud restaurant versus a quiet park: space changes flavor.

TOUCH: Cool stone walls in a cave versus warmth of a carpeted room.

SIGHT: The vastness of the Grand Canyon while hearing your echo: space made audible.

BODY: Feeling small in a giant stadium versus big in a tiny tent: the room reshapes your body.

Music: Closer (feat. Halsey) by The Chainsmokers

Music: Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker

Part of Music & Sound — ART — Education Revelation