Keywords in Sound by David Novak

by David Novak

In twenty essays on subjects such as noise, acoustics, music, and silence, Keywords in Sound presents a definitive resource for sound studies, and a compelling argument for why studying sound matters. Each contributor details their keyword's intellectual history, outlines its role in cultural, social and political discourses, and suggests possibilities for further research. Keywords in Sound charts the philosophical debates and core problems in defining, classifying and conceptualizing sound, and sets new challenges for the development of sound studies.Contributors. Andrew Eisenberg, Veit Erlmann, Patrick Feaster, Steven Feld, Daniel Fisher, Stefan Helmreich, Charles Hirschkind, Deborah Kapchan, Mara Mills, John Mowitt, David Novak, Ana Maria Ochoa Gautier, Thomas Porcello, Tom Rice, Tara Rodgers, Matt Sakakeeny, David Samuels, Mark M. Smith, Benjamin Steege, Jonathan Sterne, Amanda Weidman

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Philosophy

Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

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Reviews

[Grace Usleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a niche thing to be so interested in but wow I love this book A TON! So fascinating and perplexing how sound is apart of all of us for our whole lives and yet is often so overlooked. This collection of essays was simply mesmerizing and I learned a ton; my mind was introduced to so many new ideas, philosophies, and sciences, I just couldn’t get enough. It was dense but worth the care and attention to soak in every word. I hope one day if Professor Usleman ever makes it that I could use this as my textbook!! I want to talk about it forever!!

[Scott Neigh]

On the one hand: WHO KNEW that there was an interdisciplinary scholarly area called "sound studies"? On the other hand: OF COURSE THERE IS. I read this as part of my far-ranging, ongoing reading related to work I'm doing on the role of listening in how the world works, how we come to know the world, and how we work to change the world. I think it's a pretty good introduction to sound studies because it is, as the title hints, a book organized around providing historically and materially grounded examinations of "keywords", in the tradition of Raymond Williams' classic book of that name – in this case, in relation specifically to sound studies. I'm not actually sure how much of what I read in here will be directly useful to what I'm writing – probably not a lot – just because I'm actively working to make sure that what I'm doing doesn't come across as too academic, while this book is packed to bursting with dense scholarly goodness. It also pointed me towards quite a number of other resources that are likely, in a practical sense, to be beyond what I need to read for what I'm doing but that I'm tempted to read anyway. (There is, for instance, really just one classic phenomenological study of listening that was done thirty or forty years ago and that is still considered to be sharp and important work. Do I need to read it? Do I want to read it anyway? Decisions, decisions!) Anyway, this book certainly isn't for everybody, but I found it absolutely fascinating...I think because so much of it involves, or is at least connected to, thinking very carefully about how our experience is socially put together, with lots of attention to power and context and history and all of that. Even if what I'm writing can't be as close and fine-grained, I still try to start from careful consideration of everyday experience, and this book is about a whole fascinating (did I mention that?) realm that I had no idea existed and that does exactly that.

[Samuel Goff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Geez, editors David Novak and Matt Sakakeeny took the pursuit I loved most, music and turned it into a dry, pedantic effort in pointless academic drivel. As I had previously enjoyed Novak's book "Japanoise" I thought I was in for a real treat with this book, via 20 essays concerning different areas 0f sound studies such as religion, hearing, synthesis, etc. And some essays DID work better than others particularly Novak's own essay "Noise" and Charles Hirschkind's "Religion." But most of the essays read like college thesis papers that could only hold the interest of a grad school professor. Which would be fine given that context. These essays aren't bad per se, well they are just......boring. The essays all read alike even though they are from different authors. What is gone from these academic treatises on music is the heart and the passion behind a great art form. So yeah if you want a three page history of the word "acoustics" boy do I have the book for you. But if you are looking for a book to ignite your passions on music, I would look elsewhere. Disappointed.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the conceit of this book: defining a field obliquely through a bunch of seemingly disparate keywords entries that are all "at play" rather than trying to concisely pin it down. that kind of thinking, I think, is demonstrative of sound studies itself in its interdisciplinarity.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather pedantic and dull (and I’ve read some dull stuff). Not the greatest read I’ve had during college. “Deafness” was a good chapter, though.

[Caleb Sciannella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid foundational sound studies text

[Harry Cai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acoustically certified fair trade