Most important sound vs. your FAVORITE sound

From Patricia, one of my special 2000: "My favorite sounds are the rustling of leaves and the sound of water going over rocks. But you asked about the most important sound in the world.


To me it is the voice of someone you love."


What's your most important sound? (Feel free to comment)

Bird sounds

"Birds singing or calling (like eagles or owls do). 🦅🦉" -- Sam



This post is for everyone who says bird sounds! Surprisingly enough, haven't had many of these.

One mother's most important sound

From Debra Hartman:






I decided it's that first cry after you have a baby. The sound never leaves you. Even after 3 am feedings, colics, and other gross bodily fluids babies do so well, you can still close your eyes and remember that sweet sound that the life you created is ALIVE!






With my son, breach, 10.5 ounces, 5 transfusions, and someone on the P A yelling, code blue, code blue. Doctors slipping in to say they just ran out of 0 positive. Trying to type match me for anything that might work. At any rate, I had a reaction to the transfusion. Afterward, they wanted to ask me questions about being dead. That was a shocker! I guess I died on the table 3 times. My daughter weighed 9.9 and a bit. She put me thru the same hell. BUT, remembering the sounds of both of their pitiful cries and knowing I was still around.






But shoot, thunder is good, also.












x

Mark Hamill's Most Important Sound In The World

What is the most important sound in the world? Linda Carey said,

A child’s laugh.
She's not the only one. Check out what Mark Hamill said below:



Follow through @petr3pan to https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/672175979087814656, because StarWars and Joker fans have some pretty awesome "Most Important Sounds" to share!

Lately I've been getting a lot of "a child" responses--two were "a child crying," today. As in, a child's first cry.  I got a "the sound of a toaster popping out toast," and a "the sound of this chat's bing," today, too. Still keeping this project going!

One day I will do something cool with it, I promise. = )




















Follow through to twitter.com

Most Important Sound of a Rising Author

I got a chance to interview T.Z. Wallace over on my writing blog--check out the full interview there. Meanwhile, here are a wordsmith's most important sounds!

Petre Pan: What is the most important sound in the world--if you had to sum up the entire world in one sound, what would that sound be?   

T.Z.: The sound of the word “mom.”  That sound encompasses childlike innocence and uncertainty and fear and hope and desperation and promise.  It is the sound that calls to me in the night and rouses me from the warmth and safety of my bed.  It is the sound that calls forth everything fearless and primal in me.

Petre Pan: What sound would describe your writing style?  

 T.Z.: The sound, “Ahh!”  I try to craft my stories so that the readers get to piece things together and have moments of discovery and excitement.  Things that may have initially seemed unimportant may have a larger meaning; I love the idea of readers scrutinizing words and phrases, places and things to try to determine whether they serve a greater purpose in the story.  I have read books like that…where I was “rewarded” for remembering a detail, some minutia, and I always felt like the author and I shared a secret.  I love that feeling and I want to give that to my readers.

= ) Keep searching for sounds.

KJ-52: Most important sound, song, and a summary of his new album

People of Whom I Would Like To Ask--"What is your most important sound?"

As I've said before, this little project is around to foster a deeper love and understanding of the people around us. I think sometimes I limit myself by forgetting--a person's most important sound is the gateway to that person themself (wow, awful grammar there). Sometimes, I just try to get a sound and get out. But that's not the point. The sound opens windows to knowing the person better. In ordinary conversation, that sound question would give me a chance to open the person up, make them feel comfortable, and connect with them. I realize sometimes that in trying to take this project "big" I forget the entire purpose of the sound. Yes, I want to gather sounds to make my lifelong song--the song of the world--but a big part of it is meeting the actual people! Like my interview with my editor friend from the last post. I didn't just grab a sound and get out. We talked! Granted, she's a dear friend. But...

I saw an intrepid lady on the metro last month who dashed through and got herself stuck in the doors. She was so determined to get on, and I wanted to meet her. But I was so shy--me, shy!--and did not ask her my sound question, or any other question, or even say hi. I'll regret it forever! So all that said, I hope I remember to talk to people and find out about them in the future. So many wonderful people all around us to find out about! Not to sound Pollyannish.

But there are people I'd like to meet--to get beyond the controversies and legends, and just talk to, like people. Girl to man, woman, boy, or girl. Seeker to Most Important Sound. Face to face. I can dream.
In no particular order...this list subject to grow and shrink at a whim. "Good guys" and "bad guys" and all over.

Barack Obama
Chuck Norris
Ryan Higa
KevJumba
Rush Limbaugh
Michelle Obama
TobyMac
Justin Bieber
Harrison Ford
Crow (author of http://www.nicky510.com/)
The XKCD guy (Randall Munroe)
Machosauce productions (Alfonso Rachel)
Ron Paul
George W. Bush
John Piper
The Valve Team that worked on Portal
Relient K
Kelly Minter
BarlowGirl
SuperChic
The lady who inspired me to first start writing: Lynne Reid Banks
B.W.
Michael Tait
Lynda Randall
You

A book editor's Most Important Sound

On the outside, she has short brown 20s bob, and walks with a little bend. Her glasses have a strong, trendy look, and she dresses in clothes that can only be described as always absolutely appropriate. Her words have a metaphysical flavor, and they roll off her tongue with precise, elaborate diction and creative metaphors. She looks and talks exactly how I expect a book editor ought--and well she might, for she works at one of the oldest political publication agencies in the country.

She told me, as she leaned on the wall separating my doorless office from the general hallway, that she categorizes the world in colors. Decades have colors--dark brown is always a bad thing, and light blue is a good thing. The 20s and 60s have dark browns. The 1780s have a sky-blue.

I asked her what color F sharp was. She said a brown or grey. But see, for things other than decades, that is not a bad thing.

Then I asked what she thought was the most important sound in the world.

"Waves on a beach," she said immediately. "That is just the most beautiful sound in the world."

To her, important means beautiful, and important means dreams.

She told me she would like to have a home on a bluff overlooking the sea, and hear those waves all day long.

"Oh, yes, I know exactly what you mean!" I said. "I can see like fields of heather on top!"

"And sitting all alone, can you see my little cottage?"

"Oh yes I can!"

Can you?

89.9 Positive Hits Radio Show Host weighs in on Most Important Sound

Theresa speaks very much for herself. Clearly, God is the most important thing in the world to her, but in a very particular way, a way that has to do with children, hope, and music, speaking to her as a mother, a Christian, and a radio host. I think it's very pretty.

Sent by Ravens (hard rock) and their Most Important Sounds

So yeah, it took me a little while to get this last one up finally, but here it is! I'll have two more in the "AwakeningFest" series coming this week, so do stay tuned.  After that, I have another sound project set from a sheep festival (weird, huh)!

I think the security guard who helped me get these said it best.  "It's that instant reaction," Kate C. said, and went on to explain that the interest in the question comes for her from seeing people's momentary reaction.  An alarm, a siren--these are things that people instantly react to, things that stir people's blood and let them know danger stalks, or awaits in a business suit, or approaches in the form of a missed school-bus. These sounds become the Most Important Sound because we instinctually respond, and because they save our lives.

The instant, spur-of-the-moment hypothesis Kate offered also fits nicely with the other answers. To musicians, music is like your alarm. It's the thing that keeps you alive. It's the sound that protects you, or with which you warn the world. I think, anyway. Not being much of a musician myself, I'm not sure I know. The sound of the wind follows nicely from music, because it's a sound that culturally we associate with music and poetry. If Kate's theory is correct, the first answer, aside from being funny, highlights what pops out into Zach's head when he hears "important"--his wife. (cue d'aaaaaaawww)

So if you had to go on a gunshot gut reaction, what do you think when you hear "important"? How would that change your MIP answer?

Hawk Nelson and their Most Important Sounds (AwakeningFest 3)

Every time I say "the sound of music" I begin to sing my favorite things parody in my head. I even made a video of that song. It's kind of awful, but I feel obligated to link to it for full disclosure of my hownottoblog failure.  Anyway, here's Hawk Nelson!

I apologize for the awful quality. They wouldn't let me take video, and the AwakeningFest bands in the back were makin' a heaven-uva lotta noise.

But again we see the relationality sound holds for people in the "my wife saying she loves me" answer, and the career/life orientation in "music." The funny thing is, in the years of asking this question, no one has ever said "music" as the MIP--except musicians.

I love, too, how everyone interprets the question differently. Perhaps this is a sign of a bad interview in normal reporting, but for an art project like this, which is meant to showcase humanity (as is all art), I think it's beautiful. Mr. Benner answered "what is the most important sound to me," I think Mr. Dunn answered "what is the most influential sound in the world," and Mr. Biro answered "what is the perfect sound." I love how this question not only shows what sounds are important, but how different people define important!
How do you define important? And have you told me yet what you think is the most important sound?

Help! Metal Band Disciple Sounds Off, But I Missed a Man

These guys are Kevin / Micah / Andrew / Israel and Trent.

Andrew is the guy who has question marks over his head in the subtitles. I am absolutely embarrassed to say I can't remember what Andrew said there. Please comment and help me solve the riddle of the 'sound that makes us all equal again.'

The point is made, however, even if I cannot solve the riddle. Some things make us equal, and the kind of music we listen to or the kind of sounds we prefer often label our socioeconomic status or inner sensibility. I don't know if that's how it should be--should we be labelled by our music? Or is it a good thing that you can often extrapolate to a person's inside based on what they like to hear? What say you?

Another interesting observation these guys bring up: the things dearest to our hearts are, quite obviously, often mothers and children. I don't believe that's biological wiring. I believe that's biological wiring meant to represent the state of human hearts. But of course, those kind of metaphors and things are not for here, but for here. What kind of sounds remind you of your mother? Are children a positive auditory experience for you? Just some stuff to think about.

And of course--who doesn't want to be poetic? Cicadas are pretty cool, Mr. Kevin, even though I know you were in a hurry to go. XD What kind of sounds do you think are the most poetic or clever, people? And the original sound, "eeeee" raises a similar question. What kind of sounds strike you, personally, as the most funny?

Hope that gave you guys some food for thought today. Again, this project is about you, thinking about life and what matters to you!

AwakeningFest: Hip-hop Group Grits Sounds off

AwakeningFest 2011. I got to ask a bunch of great musicians what they think the most important sound is! BigCof and Bonafide both agree that music is the sound that defines the world for them.

Unlike a lot of musicians, these gentlemen needed no time to think. Maybe that's because they're rappers, and quick with their mouths. Or maybe they were in a hurry. But to me, their certainty shouts that music really is important to them--it's their living after all--and it's cool to see that in the way they answered.

Not that a pensive, slower response means anything less. Simply that GRITS decided a long time ago that they would serve their world, themselves, and their God through music. For a lot of musicians like GRITS, music really is the most important sound in the world.

Check in with me tomorrow to see what the metal band Disciple said!

Common Responses, #1: Water

I remember the first time, several years ago, I asked my little question to the tall, business-like African man on his way home to Cote d'Ivoire in the bustling airport terminal.
"Water," he said.
Did he have a particular preference?  Raindrops, rivers, oceans?  What was really the most important sound, and why?
Over the past three years, all kinds of people have answered water.  Water makes up most of our planet, they say--of course it's the sound that defines the world.  Others say that a particular water sound, like raindrops, comforts them.  Water sustains life, some point out, so of course its sounds matter the most.
The different answers often come from varying understandings of the question.  Is it, "what is the most important sound in the world to you?"  Or, as I often clarify, "what is the sound that defines the world and breaks it down in a nutshell?"  Or simply, the most important sound?  I prefer to let respondents choose which question to answer, to let them choose kind of information they divulge through this intimate query.
To anyone out there who thinks water is the most important sound--what kind of water sound matters most to you?  What kind of memories does water bring back?
Read my water memory (and this photo's background) here.
Have a lovely day.

P.S. Tomorrow is my first celebrity interview for this site.  Get psyched!

Supernova sounds?

This is possibly one of the most beautiful answers I have heard yet.

Tyler Grigg enjoys learning about "all the cool stuff in the world."  He's been spending his time basically eating too much Chick Fil A and figuring out his first year in college.

He says the most important sound is, "The sound that keeps a supernova from collapsing into a black hole, allowing heavier elements to escape so they can make things like dust for God to sculpt us from."

I would include commentary, but that one's pretty self-explanatory.  What do you think is the most  important sound in the world?

Back in high school, calculus hit me in a funny way upside the noggin.  Perhaps that got me thinking.  Or perhaps it was talking to the designer of these pretty pictures.  Whatever the reason, I began to wonder--what differentiates sounds from music? 
Only that our minds perceive mathematical patterns in music. 
A few assumptions naturally follow.  If God laid out a whole world in pattern, and orchestrates all of history in pattern, and if God sees all, from the beginning of time...Then do all the sounds in the world fall into music for God?  Sitting sideways to our world in time (Sideways, by the way, is a lovely short story by Nathaniel Lee), if he hears everything, and if his mind has the ability to comprehend the patterns laid out in the sounds of the universe, God must hear music.
I thought to myself that I would set out to make a distillation of the music God hears, but then I realized--who am I to decide which sounds to include, and which to leave out?
I set out to ask the rest of humanity.  Over the past four years, I have asked perhaps a hundred people from different countries what sound they consider the most important.  Now, it's time to take that information online and bring our public figures into the picture.

And so, I pose the question to you.  What is the most important sound in the world?