My Sound of Recession pt2

Following on from the previous post I just wanted to lay down a few more thoughts on how the recession could be affecting our soundscapes.

Imagine we lose our job. If we no longer need to wake up early we no longer need to be woken by the piercing jolt of the alarm. We may no longer take the bus, train or tram; modes of transport rich in sonic activity, both mechanical and human.

We are no longer visiting the office, factory or shop. Gone is the sound of machinery, air conditioning units, telephones and chatter. There is no traffic noise on the road that we no longer walk along, no "big issue", no chorus of footsteps leaving the station, marching and singing on reverberant floors.

But we don't live in silence when our routines change, our worlds simply open up to a whole new variety of sounds.

The laughter of the children we now look after. The chopping, whizzing and sizzling of food that we have the time to prepare. The warming bustle of the market where we now have time to collect our ingredients, replacing the cold din and haste of the supermarket.

The calming natural sounds of the park and countryside that can be visited for free, the gentle motion of the bicycle whirring rhythmically along, and the sound of the earth as the garden is tended.

There are also the sounds of emptiness though, confined to the hum of the refrigerator, the force of the vacuum and the whir of the computer. The droll of daytime TV blaring amongst empty walls.

If the latter begin to get us down, it is important to try to take the time to step back and experience some of the more beneficial sounds and activities that life has to offer.