Aural Experience and Soundscape Management

“Bringing fresh perspectives to the now well-established field of sensory studies, this book dives into various sounds, voices, musics, and noises that create unique, yet under-researched landscapes of our experience of the world. Although sound seems less fatal than image, it is no less present in our lives. And while it is true that a good four-fifths of human sensory perception comes through the eyes, and only a good tenth through the ears, the proportion of the latter will most definitely increase significantly as the attentive reader makes their way through these fascinating, interconnected, and richly illustrated chapters. This collection is a more than welcome help in understanding what is heard, overheard, and even unheard of today. The book is a kind of scientific microphone, an amplifier, and at the same time a loudspeaker of the recorded soundscapes around us. Everyone who wishes to read sound should listen to this book.” Prof. Dr Mitja Velikonja University of Ljubljana, Slovenia “Amidst the noise we protect ourselves from and the scape we relish—technology, science and arts, environmental protection, and tourism—this book summarizes all the cutting-edge research and practice in the field of auditory environment. Captivating in its variety, it reveals our profound unawareness of the role of sound in the totality of life. It admonishes us that as civilization we gave excessive importance to the visual and suggests ways to protect ourselves from sound discomfort and articulate soundscapes in the interest of our well-being—psychophysical, artistic, and spiritual. The book provides a high-quality overview—for beginners it is a good introduction and for the experts it is a read full of new insights and nuanced contributions. Essential reading for anyone having an interest in a hot topic of soundscape.” Prof. Dinka Pavelić School of Applied Arts and Design in Zagreb, Croatia