Using Virtual Soundwalk Approach for Assessing Sound Art Soundscape Interventions in Public Spaces

This paper discusses the soundscape assessment approaches to soundscape interventions with musical features introduced to public spaces as permanent sound art, with a focus on the ISO 12913 series, Method A for data collection applied in a laboratory study. Three soundscape interventions in three cities are investigated. The virtual soundwalk is used to combine the benefits of the on-site and laboratory settings. Two measurement points per location were recorded—one at a position where the intervention was clearly perceptible, the other further away to serve as a baseline condition. The participants (N = 44) were exposed to acoustic environments (N = 6) recorded using the first-order Ambisonics microphone on-site and then reproduced via the second-order Ambisonics system in laboratory. A series of rank-based Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed on the results of the subjective responses. Results revealed a statistically significant positive effect on soundscape at two locations, and limitations related to sound source identification due to cultural factors and geometrical configuration of the public space at one location

Fleeting Strands

stereo acousmatic sound, fixed medi

Immersive Composition for Sensory Rehabilitation: 3D Visualisation, Surround Sound, and Synthesised Music to Provoke Catharsis and Healing

There is a wide range of sensory therapies using sound, music and visual stimuli. Some focus on soothing or distracting stimuli such as natural sounds or classical music as analgesic, while other approaches emphasize the active performance of producing music as therapy. This paper proposes an immersive multi-sensory Exposure Therapy for people suffering from anxiety disorders, based on a rich, detailed surround-soundscape. This soundscape is composed to include the users’ own idiosyncratic anxiety triggers as a form of habituation, and to provoke psychological catharsis, as a non-verbal, visceral and enveloping exposure. To accurately pinpoint the most effective sounds and to optimally compose the soundscape we will monitor the participants’ physiological responses such as electroencephalography, respiration, electromyography, and heart rate during exposure. We hypothesize that such physiologically optimized sensory landscapes will aid the development of future immersive therapies for various psychological conditions, Sound is a major trigger of anxiety, and auditory hypersensitivity is an extremely problematic symptom. Exposure to stress-inducing sounds can free anxiety sufferers from entrenched avoidance behaviors, teaching physiological coping strategies and encouraging resolution of the psychological issues agitated by the sound

Improved acoustics for semi-enclosed spaces in the proximity of residential buildings

Continuous urban densification exacerbates acoustic challenges for residents of housing complexes. They are confronted with higher noise immission from railway, road traffic, construction, as well as louder neighborhood acoustic environments. Thereby, not only noise immission indoors is associated with stress, annoyance, and sleep disturbance, but also the immediate outdoor living environment (e.g., courtyards, private gardens and playgrounds, etc.) can be acoustically unpleasant and annoying. This non-exhaustive narrative review paper elaborates on the role of a number of design parameters on improving the quality of the outdoor soundscape of housing complexes: architectural and morphological design, facade material characteristics, balconies, greenery, ground, background sounds, and several factors concerning quality of sounds (e.g., multisensory perception, holistic design, the relevance of space, context, social factors, co-creation, etc.). It mainly covers literature including both acoustical (e.g., sound pressure level and room acoustical parameters) and human/perceptual (e.g., comfort and annoyance) factors. A series of recommendations are presented here as to how the semi-enclosed outdoor spaces in the proximity of residential complexes can be acoustically improved

An Exploration of Feasible Approaches to Soundscape and Music Therapy

Stressful and strained workplace settings are becoming more common in modern culture, significantly affecting employees' mental well-being and work productivity. The purpose of this article is to investigate the usage of soundscape in the workplace using music therapy. We will cover the present state of soundscape development in conjunction with music therapy possibilities, as well as merging the good effects of soundscape with music therapy interventions to build a unique emotional intervention program. We will also look at crucial elements and testing methods to consider, as well as how these can be incorporated and examined early in the program design process. Most importantly, our research aims to validate the feasibility of soundscape combined with music therapy methods for workspace applications in the hope of improving working population stress and emotional state through intelligent interventions, thereby improving the overall work environment and employee well-being, enabling employees to better cope with stress, increase productivity, and achieve a balance between work and life

Sine wave in music and sound art : a typology of artistic approaches

Project : Towards an Aesthetics of the Sine Wave Chercheur.e.s : Nicolas Bernier, Guillaume Boutard, Caroline TraubeDespite the sine wave’s close links to the birth of electronic music in the mid-twentieth century, it has been little studied aesthetically, and no systematic review of its artistic usages exists. This article presents a brief literature review, followed by the results of a survey on the principles guiding sine wave-based works. This allows to put forward a typological framework contributing to an understanding of the application of the sine wave in music