"Healing at the Speed of Sound"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-13/healing-speed-sound
Stop for a minute and take note of what you can hear around you. There is the radio obviously, but you can probably also hear traffic noise, various appliances humming, maybe even someone on the phone. We are surrounded by noise: so much so that it's the second biggest environmental problem affecting our health after air pollution. That’s why author Don Campbell believes getting the right mix of sounds is critical to our well-being. He explains how a healthy sound diet can help us, our families and our workplaces become more productive, relaxed and even smarter.
Guests
Don Campbell
Co-author of "Healing at the Speed of Sound" and author of "The Mozart Effect"
Comments
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Free advertisement for quackery based on misinterpretation of psychology and neuroscience. Campbell has trademarked the expression 'The Mozart Effect', because this is not science, this is business. Science has debunked The Mozart effect long ago, but that does not matter. Campbell is a hit on the lecture circuit!
Wikipedia gives a decent overview of the relevant papers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_effect
Remember that Baby Einstein settlement? Here we go again.
So we have those who wish to copyright and trademark and patent the environment and package it for profit, versus we who wish to maintain and provide a healthy human environment by collective effort. I doubt we can package aural health, but we do need to reject diseased sound.
Aren't we wearing earbuds too much already?
What is the point of altering oneself in a hopeless mileiu?
We need rather to improve our commons by organizing resistance to commercialization. Stress from economic pressure is what is killing Americans, not the absence of classical music. Campbell is a huckster with a MUZAK mentality. I'll go rest my ears from his spiel.
See "Dr. Gabor Mate' " who gives a much more wholistic assessment of what is bugging us.
In addition to the sound, it can be useful to pay attention to the silence. With the shakuhachi, I believe there is the concept of "ma" which is the intervals of silence between notes.
Very interesting program, thank you,
Michael Callahan
North Readiang, Mass.
I have suffered with tinnitus for over 3 years. I also experienced sudden hearing loss on one ear. I have had a BAHA implant (bone anchored hearing abutement). The physical reality for me is high pitched ringing 24 hours a day in an ear that is deaf. Is our speaker aware of any clinical studies ongoing for tinnitus. Most recently I am aware that the sound level in theatres now causes me to have a very increased level of the pitch of my tinnitus (ringing) often times I leave the theatre for the distraction of my neurological ringing does not allow me to enjoy the movie. What can I do on a grass roots level to get theatres to meet reasonable levels of sound.
Sound in my head 24 hours a day - is a world of it's own - one time for 2 minutes two years ago I experienced "silence" as my tinnitus briefly stopped, the result for me was tears flowing down my cheeks for this lovely experience of silence.
My experience with restaraunts is that loud sound sells food - PF Chang and Claddaugh Pubs are so loud now, I can't go there. I see "quiet" restaraunts as a wave of the future - call it the organic sound for peace!
Robin in St. Johns Michigan
I'm sure your guest, Don Campbell, actually has concrete information to impart, but he is a terrible spokesperson for the cause. Mostly, it appears to me as a listener, he is in love with the sound of his own voice. I had to turn the sound down on this one! Get to the point, sir!
Has Mr. Campbell studied the work Bob Monroe, the designer of Hemi-Sync?
I was raised in Manhattan and I believe that the way we hear is somewhat controlled by where we're raised. Many years ago a researcher coined the phrase "alone in a crowd." To this day, I have "selective hearing." If I don't want to hear something, my mind shuts off the sound. Has anymore research been done in this area?
Barney Renton
Mount Dora, FL
I have 3 adult children who are the picture of health. If one gets a cold it lasts only a few days. I also am a folk musician and through each pregnancy I performed regularly and played my guitar against my pregnant abdomen. I often have wondered if this constant exposure to music had an effect on their health. Incidentally, they each also possess a terrific sense of musicality - rhythm, tone, and music sense, and I wonder about the effect on that as well. My daughter, now pregnant, learned to play guitar a few months ago so she could do the same for her child. I am excited to read this book.
To the Guest Host of Ms. Rehm's Show:
Mr. Campbell is unworthy of being on the Diane Rehm Show. This man demonstrates marginal communication skills; his comments fail to display noun and verb agreement, and are almost without exception not responsive to questions which were posed. He actually commented on how mice "felt" when they were exposed to particular music - amazing! In an appalling moment, he caught himself after saying he had done a study, and identified the individual who had, in fact, done the research, before continuing on to "interpret" resputs of that research in a specious manner that led - surprise! - to the importance buying/reading his book.
It is clear to me that Mr. Campbell is on a payroll to sell "white-noise" earphones and preoccupied with selling his latest book. He sounds like a huckster of the worst order; not content to merely push his latest product, he scatters his affiliations to credible institutions/people throughout his remarks.
I am sorry for the negative comments; the Diane Rehm Show is of a very high standard; today's guest was a deplorable outlyer.
I have not finished the book yet, but it is clear to me that those who had such negative things to say about it, clearly have not bothered to read it or even look at the footnotes in the back of the book The authors have extensive citations about research that has been done in the past ten years or is in progress now, music being used in many, many different arenas. If it was the The Mozart Effect that had any bearing on that, isn't that benefit in itself? They also provide many links to wonderful free resources online. I am very much enjoying the two CDs that I bought along with the book, have just had a chance to listen once through but think I will enjoy listening frequently.
What I see so far is two authors who care about noise vs sound, and I for one appreciate someone pointing this out to me, and offering me ways to use my new knowledge to my benefit, without having to buy anything from them.
I was astonished to hear this charlatan on a program of such high quality as the Diane Rehm show. Mr. Campbell provided no answers to some very good questions about research and evidence for the claims he makes. Instead, we were treated to banalities about the potential harmful effects of sound. The presentation seemed completely oblivious to the very real fields of neuroscience and audiology. What was clear is that he is motivated to sell his book and (I fear) associated products. Again, I'm disappointed that such a high quality program is essentially offering a long radio commercial for purveyors of such nonsense.
About 15 years ago, my husband attended the symphony while healing from shoulder surgery. He had no pain when we were seated. The opening piece was a contemporary, very dissonant work with a great deal of tension. He began to suffer from severe pain. After the piece concluded, we enjoyed Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. His pain disappeared.
I am a firm believer in the physical effects of sound. There is nothing more healing than the sounds of nature and nothing more irritating than a leaf blower intruding on those sounds or the roar from the vehicles on the highway.
My daughter's occupational therapist uses noise canceling headphones with classical music to help her overcome a condition she suffers from. It improves her ability to concentrate on her school work.
Mr. Campbell recommended in "The Mozart Effect" that exercising to classical music is more effective. I experimented with this and found it to be true.
I agree that marketing went overboard with Baby Mozart, but what did it hurt? It certainly didn't hurt the children who had an opportunity to enjoy some wonderful music.
I am always disappointed to see negative comments on sites such as this. But I guess that's part of the Simon Cowell/reality show bullying that is a part of our society today. It would be so much more pleasant if people could disagree in a respectful manner.
I am surprised no one has commented yet that neither the host nor the guest knew what sound roosters make. Susan Page was unsure what the sound was called. The sound "expert" was happy to inform her that roosters "crew." Roosters CROW.
I totally agree with you.