Ways of Hearing Podcast Analysis

Time is something that everyone seems to just accept. Let's be honest, it isn't worth fighting against. Although it has become common knowledge at this point that time is not necessarily real, it governs the beat to which the world moves, as it has for centuries.

Within this abstract concept that is time, comes an equally abstract concept—noise.

The first episode of "Ways of Hearing" touches upon the intersection between the two and how the nuance between the two things has evolved over time. The transition from analog to digital has changed how we experience media because after all, there is no time. There is only one experience that exists as a form of being fully present. It was interesting to see how this relates to the concept of live music versus music that is played digitally. Damon, the narrator, described digital music as packaged and editable. Because time thrives off a feeling of being ever-present, the ability to edit, refine, and package sound adds a barrier to the human experience of listening to music. In a live show, music serves a different purpose as it doesn't try to be anything but an experience, shared between the musician and their audience.