Reading 4 - Russolo, The Art of Noises

What really stood out to me about Luigi Russolo’s The Art of Noise was his idea that industrialization changed the nature of music. Instead of just pleasant, organized sound, music could (and should) embrace the city's chaotic, mechanical, and unpredictable noises of factories, engines, sirens, and crowds. I like his idea because it feels so relevant even today, especially in how urban life constantly bombards us with layers of sound that we often don’t even consciously register.

One part I connect with is the idea that noise isn’t just disruptive; it can be expressive. Living in a city, you hear rhythms in everything: the hum of traffic, the clatter of trains, even the way people’s footsteps sync up or clash against each other. There’s a strange kind of musicality to it, and I like how Russolo challenges us to recognize it not as mere background noise, but as something with its form and meaning.

Before exploring sound art and reading about noise, I never really thought of sound as art. I always thought of sound as mere background noise, something to ignore or tune out. But now, I see how sound can be much more than that. Sound can be expressive, with meaning and purpose, as Russolo argues in The Art of Noise. In addition, after listening to Jean-Claude Risset’s sound art from the Ubu page, I realized that sound is not just something we hear, but something that can shape our emotions and sensations. It’s interesting how a simple sound, like the chirping of birds in the morning, can instantly evoke a sense of calm and peace.