Song sparrows adjust their songs to fit in with urban noise

While at Reed College in Oregon, Yezerinac and student William E. Wood examined the effects of urban noise on the song sparrow songs of Portland. They recorded 28 birds in areas with various levels of background noise, carefully measuring frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume; the amount of energy invested in making a sound).

Birds in the noisiest spots were more likely to cede some of their lower frequencies to background noise, while their songs' higher-frequency notes remained constant.

The Alchemists of Sound

2003 Documentary on the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Ken Nordine

from WBEZ's 848

Longtime Chicagoan Ken Nordine has a voice that can be mistaken for no other. The man behind Word Jazz and commercial voiceover artist turns 90 today. WBEZ’s Steve Edwards recently visited Nordine to talk about his life and career. Nordine told Steve he got the performing bug thanks to his mom’s religion.

The 'Pursuit Of Silence' In A World Full of Noise

From NPR

In his new book, In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise, Prochnik leaves the noisy confines of New York City and goes on a global quest to find those who still value silence. He examines the never-ending series of sounds that pervade his thoughts on a daily basis — the traffic helicopters, the leaky iPods, the neighbors who hold loud parties — and researches the scientific effects of noise on our bodies.