Soundproofist

Imagine if 160 helicopters flew over your home every day. That's what many residents of New York City experience. And the noise is disrupting their sleep, parks and recreation, and even pedestrian and bicyclist safety.  Soundproofist talked with representatives from Stop the Chop NY/NJ -- an organization that's working to legislate guidelines to manage a growing number of non-essential helicopter flights over the most densely populated metropolitan area in the U.S.  Join us in an informative conversation with Stop the Chop's Melissa Elstein, Andy Rosenthal, and Adrian Benepe. 

Noise disputes often get resolved successfully through the services of a professional noise mediator.  But most people don't know what mediators do, nor how to find one.  In episode 23 of Soundproofist, we talk with two engaging and dynamic mediators from Arc Mediation in Waterford, Ireland: Roisin O'Shea and Shane Dempsey. They share tips on how they work together to solve neighbor noise disputes, one step at at time.

Cities and communities have their own sound markers, as Dr. Kenya Williams points out. Dr. Williams is an urban planner, an acoustic ecologist, and an advisor to Quiet Parks International. He founded his company, "Hush Soundscape Planning & Design," in 2012. 

In  episode 22 of Soundproofist, Dr. Williams shares his journey from making mixtapes and producing music to becoming an urban planner and soundscape expert.  He shares his ideas on how to approach noise mediation in diverse communities so that noise ordinances aren't weaponized by one group against another. And he gives examples on how to put "sound first" in project planning.

Jessie Oliver designs citizen science research projects so that participants feel engaged, make meaningful contributions, and have fun. In this interview, she describes some of the considerations for a citizen science project, and about a challenge she's working on in Australia: to collect data on the endangered Eastern bristlebird. If you're curious about getting involved in citizen science, or you want to know more the tools, organizations, and resources involved in these projects, don't miss this episode!

Everything old is new again -- and that includes noise issues and activism. From the ancient Romans through the industrial revolution, people have tried to solve the issues of urban and workplace noise. In this episode, we talk with Peruvian-based researcher Walter Alfredo Montano about some of the interesting historical artifacts and anecdotes he's uncovered about noise and its impact on human health.

How do professional soundscape artists capture their high-resolution field recordings? In this episode, Soundproofist talks with two audio professionals: Charles Previtire and Mélia Roger. We talk about their preferred microphones and recording gear and some memorable mistakes they've learned from along the way. Finally, we talk about how they share their work -- including sound libraries and film projects.

Tortured by leafblower noise? What can you do about it? Jamie Banks and David Sykes of Quiet Communities join us in this episode to describe how they help cities switch to quieter and cleaner lawn-maintenance equipment. They've been successful in creating training programs, sharing data, and persuading local governments to administer positive change. Learn more about their programs in this episode of Soundproofist. 

A team of audio specialists at Goldsmiths, University of London joined Soundproofist to discuss their fascinating soundscape project. After digitizing some historic 1928 recordings of London street noises, they return to the exact same sites to record the street sounds again. They've made these newer recordings on the same day in September and at the same time of day as the original recordings, starting in 2008. What have they learned about the soundscape of London, then and now? Tune in to find out.

Soundproofist likes to learn about technologies and tools that help to resolve noise issues. In this episode, Thomas Rittenschober of Seven Bel describes their new acoustic camera for professional acoustic and engineering applications. This tool creates visual images of noise and identifies its sources. Seven Bel is based in Austria.

People with cognitive issues also have special needs for their sonic environment. Arezoo Talebzadeh is an architect who designs soundscapes for people with dementia or autism. In this episode of Soundproofist, she describes how personalized soundscapes can improve their quality of life.