Analysis: Michael Bull's "Sounding Out the City"

I found the excerpts from Dr. Michael Bull’s Sounding Out the City to be very fascinating just based on the fact that he brings up observations and ideas which I have never really thought about before.

“The World of Personal-Stereo Users”

I am aware that most people in this day and age own some form of gadget which offers them privatized listening, be it a Walkman, a portable CD player, or (more recently) a cell phone or mp3 player. However I never really considered how someone’s dependence upon such a device has the potential to completely alter how they interact with the world around them. This made complete sense to me when he stated that personal stereos are “a private experience with interpersonal resonance.” Although I may be listening to my own music which nobody else can hear, that music will still affect both my mood and how I personally interact with the people in my immediate social space.

When he began to throw around the word “aesthetic”, I really began to grasp his message. I think that music has the ability to change how you see the things around you as you are listening to it. As I am sitting in my dining room writing this response, I am listening to the music on my computer on shuffle mode. As the songs change, I look out at the rainy, gloomy day we are having and how its aesthetic changes with that of the different songs.

As mentioned before, Bull discusses how many people are dependent upon privatized listening devices when it comes to going through with their daily routines. I can definitely relate to this because I felt weird not being able to listen to my music while I was reading these excerpts. I knew that I couldn’t because I would get lost in the lyrics and not pay as much attention to the text. I can also relate to the people who use their music to avoid talking to others because I do this all the time on campus.

“Reconfiguring the Site and Horizon of Experience”

The portion of this section which resonated with me the most was when one of the interviewees talked about how when listening to music, the environment experienced is a part of their desire. This allows them to get more out of their surrounding environment.

I can relate to this when I go to the gym. When I listen to my music there, I can have a peaceful, motivating workout without hearing the loud conversations of others, the tedious droning of the cardio machines, or the conflicting ramblings of the multiple televisions stationed throughout the space. As discussed before, it even allows me to avoid conversation with others. My mp3 player, which I don’t leave the house with unless it’s fully charged, allows me to have the positive experience I want from this particular environment.

“Empowering the ‘Gaze’: Personal Stereos and the Hidden Look”

I concluded through reading this section that looking at someone is different from gazing at them. Looking involves active attention, usually done without the use of a personal stereo system. Gazing, however, commonly occurs when someone is using a personal stereo system and is one step removed from the situation. They are primarily engulfed in their music and therefore not paying as much attention to where their eyes may rest. In this sense, gazing is less penetrating or intrusive than looking.