In David Dunn’s article, he evaluates the wonder of sound and how it connects human and nonhuman life to nature. While music today stands as a form of entertainment, it used to be our form of communication and way to understand the world around us not just a means to cure our boredom. John Cage used music to show people the voice of nature and everyday sounds, but in the process he also allowed for people to take these sounds and use them in a way that would not deepen their understanding, but instead allow them to become trivial entertainment.
David Dunn’s experimental sound art focuses on showing that bird calls and nature’s voice are more than a beautiful sound, in fact they are a way of communication and distinction within their habitat. While Dunn was recording sounds in Africa for aquariums, he realized that many of the once incredible sounds they had sent him to record, were in fact a mirage that were marred by the constant industrial sounds in the background. In allowing for these sounds to be edited to become the ideal safari sound, people have no idea about their involvement in destroying these habitats. Instead, Dunn’s work focuses on the noises that make up the entire world today, the juxtaposition between industrial and natural sounds.
As humans, we assume that our language, culture, and size make us the rulers of the world, but in fact Dunn shows that small creatures, such as ants, and water beetles have just as much to say as we do. If we are in fact superior to insects and all other small creatures, why can’t we understand their inferior language?
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