Why Sound Matters

A poignant consideration of the material aspect of sound and how it fundamentally shapes our experience of the world, both in its presence and absence

From the joyous communal connections fostered through shared auditory experience to the devastating impact of noise pollution in the deep sea, musician and author Damon Krukowski urges readers to reconsider the significance of sound and its role in both our personal and collective well-being. He looks despairingly at how the multipronged efforts of urban dwellers to mitigate city noise have led to increased isolation, loss of community, and a sense of physical detachment from one’s surroundings. He considers the consequences of the commodification of sound in the digital era. And he looks at what’s at stake in trying to preserve the world’s dwindling quiet places.

Interspersed with personal reflections from years of working in the music business, this book investigates sound’s role in the environment, its value as a material, its relationship to labor, and how it affects our interactions with one another. Krukowski invites you to hear the world anew and renew your relationship with one of our most precious natural resources. So listen up!

Author Biography

Damon Krukowski is an indie rock musician (Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi) and writes the newsletter Dada Drummer Almanach. He is author of The New Analog: Listening and Reconnecting in a Digital World and Ways of Hearing, which was adapted from a Radiotopia podcast series of the same name. He has written about sound and music for many publications, including Artforum, Art in America, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Pitchfork, and The Wire. He lives in Cambridge, MA.