Is Loudness in the Ear of the Beholder?
Several years ago I had the exceptional opportunity to interview five Bronx housing court judges regarding noise cases. What still stands out in my mind is their unanimity in defining noise as a subjective phenomenon. This perspective is common enough beyond the confines of landlord-tenant courtrooms; it's the time-honored notion that one person's music is another's noise, that what constitutes noise varies from individual to individual. What makes the judges' espousal of this concept noteworthy is that it clashes with the findings in a leading noise case. In 1980, a state appellate court ruled that a New York City criminal court's "directive that defendant `maintain his music at reasonable levels' was one that was readily comprehensible to a person of average intelligence," and that loudness "is a term that is commonly used and readily understandable." In short, there exists an objective standard for determining noise: the opinion of most people. It's indisputable that our classification of sounds as noise can hinge on such personal factors as preference and frame of mind. Take for example, a neighbor's louder-than-normal music. We might be less up in arms about it on a weekend afternoon after a good night's sleep, rather than on a weekday evening as we're getting in exhausted from work. Suppose we're cramming for an exam. Even at a moderate volume, a T.V. in the next room could be upsetting. On the other hand, if we're just hanging around and in good spirits, we might find out what show is on and end up watching it. We might even ask that the volume be turned all the way up so that we could listen while relaxing in our room. The appellate court's ruling that most people understand what loud is is also indisputable. Up to a point. Agreement among English speakers on the meaning of the term "loud" - loudness in the abstract - may be near-universal. However, consensus would be harder to come by if we had to give concrete examples of loud, such as loud music. No doubt, our illustrations would diverge significantly long generational, ethnic, class, and, perhaps even religious, lines. Furthermore, although its wording is simple, the instruction that someone play music at a reasonable volume is subject to a complex variety of interpretations. One reason is that each generation of Americans is exposed and recruited to more loudness than the preceding generation. Playing a large hand in this "louding" are manufacturers of stereos and other audiotechnology, who, for the past 40 years in particular, have been enticing - and in the process, debasing - our aural sensibilities, with ever new lines of products more potent, portable, and affordable than the last. There are two results. One, the younger the generation, the greater its receptivity to loudness (and the lesser its gratification from tranquility). And, as important, the co-existence of several generations of "persons of average intelligence," each with a progressively different and conflicting concept of what reasonable noise levels are. In the final analysis, then, aren't the housing court judges right, that noise is subjective? Yes, but not absolutely. For there still remains one stark, objective reality. Exposure to noise beyond a certain decibel level not only deteriorates hearing, but also undercuts other key aspects of physical health - completely regardless of our beliefs, mood, or pleasure. One final point. The noise levels of our communities and the nation as a whole continue to rise not on their own, but, to a great degree, because too many of us cling to the idea that noise is mostly subjective, instead of embracing objectivity and exploring the causal relationship between noise pollution and individual and collective irresponsibility. Sound Advice appears regularly in the Norwood News. The column is copyrighted by John Dallas and cannot be reprinted without his permission. John Dallas is founder of the Bronx Campaign for Peace and Quiet. Write to him in care of: Norwood News, 75 E. 208th St., Bronx, NY 10467. Recent Sound Advice Columns include:
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