Meklit Hadero: The unexpected beauty of everyday sounds | TED

TL;DR

In this talk, the singer-songwriter explores the influence of everyday soundscape on music, discussing nature, language, and silence.

Transcript

As a singer-songwriter, people often ask me about my influences or, as I like to call them, my sonic lineages. And I could easily tell you that I was shaped by the jazz and hip hop that I grew up with, by the Ethiopian heritage of my ancestors, or by the 1980s pop on my childhood radio stations. But beyond genre, there is another question: how do t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎵 Nature can be a source of unexpected inspiration for music-making, as seen in the connection between bird songs and opera singing. Birds are considered to be musical teachers in Ethiopian culture, and their scales influenced Saint Yared's compositions. The natural world can serve as a cultural teacher, as shown by how the Pygmies tune their instruments to the pitches of birds in the forest.
• 🎶 Language communicates with pitch, and different languages have their own musicality. Ethiopian language, Amhariña, has a melodicism built into it, with words and phrases having their own melodies. The musicality of language can be incorporated into compositions, like turning the shape and pitch of Ethiopian words into bass lines.
• 🎹 John Cage's avant-garde composition "4:33" shows that even in silence, there is music. The everyday soundscape, including the sounds of the audience, contributes to the musical expression. Cage's point is that true silence does not exist, as even in quiet environments, we still hear the sound of our own heartbeat.
• 🌍 The world is already immersed in musical expression, and there is no such thing as a musical desert. The human auditory system may have evolved to hear music, as it is more complex than what is needed for language alone. We are hard-wired for music and can find inspiration anywhere, knowing that there is no end to the inspiration from nature, language, and soundscape.
• 🎵 To find percussion inspiration, one can listen to the unusual grooves of freeway tires or the clicking sound of stove burners. For melodic inspiration, dawn and dusk avian orchestras and the natural lilt of emphatic language can be sources. We are both the audience and the composers, constantly creating and making music from the pieces we are given.
• 🎶 It is important to study music and trace our sonic lineages, but there is a sonic lineage that we all belong to. We are immersed in a world of musical expression, and if we actively listen, we can tap into the never-ending inspiration of nature, language, and soundscape.
• 🌿 Nature and the environment have a musically generative quality and are fertile grounds for inspiration. The soundscape can provide sonic textures that can be turned into music. We can add to the existing soundtrack but also recognize that it is already playing.
• 👂 We must be active participants in the world of music, both as listeners and creators. By being attentive to the sounds around us, we can tap into the endless inspiration that nature, language, and soundscape offer. Listening is key to discovering and appreciating the musical expression that surrounds us.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the speaker's belief about the everyday soundscape?

The speaker believes that the everyday soundscape can be the most unexpected inspiration for songwriting.

Q: How does the speaker demonstrate the influence of nature on music?

The speaker mentions how the techniques of opera singing may have been inspired by birdsong. She also talks about how the Pygmies of the Congo tune their instruments to the pitches of the birds in their forest surroundings.

Q: What is the significance of Saint Yared in relation to music?

Saint Yared, a real historical figure, is considered the originator of music in Ethiopia. Birds taught him music, and he used scales derived from their songs to compose chants and hymns. His scales evolved into the pentatonic, five-note system used in Ethiopian music today.

Q: How does language play a role in music inspiration?

The speaker describes how different languages utilize pitch and melody in their communication. She specifically mentions the melodicism and musicality present in the Amharic language, highlighting how certain words and phrases inspire musical ideas in her mind.

Q: What is the significance of John Cage's "4:33" composition?

John Cage's composition demonstrates that even in moments of apparent silence, there is always music present in the form of everyday sounds. The audience's coughs, sighs, and other noises contribute to the soundscape and become part of the musical expression.

Q: Can music be found anywhere?

Yes, according to the speaker, music can be found anywhere. Research suggests that the human auditory system may have evolved to hear music due to its complexity. She encourages listeners to find inspiration in everyday sounds, whether it's the rhythms of tires on a freeway or the clicking of a stove burner.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker discusses how everyday sounds influence the music we create, using examples from nature, language, and silence.

• The story of Saint Yared illustrates the influence of birdsong on music composition in Ethiopia.

• The speaker highlights the musicality inherent in language and the idea that there is no such thing as true silence, as even in silence we can hear our own heartbeat.