There is no music except for occasional snatches of it from passing cars. Instead there is the wind in the trees, various birds having their conversations, and perhaps kids playing if I'm near the playground. It's really kind of wonderful.
I find myself thinking that a cafe whose playlist is nothing but natural ambient sounds - maybe you walk in and the playlist is "jungle fauna", or "rainstorm", or "tranquil beach" - would be really cool, but I also know that running a small cafe is a ton of work and a great way to probably lose a ton of money. Maybe I'll suggest that at one of the cafes I work inside of on a regular basis.
There are some nice apps for blending sounds.
Seems like a good space for ML to play, producing unique, but authentic feeling sounds.
Perhaps, but there are several sound libraries with 10hours + non looping recordings...
It's quite successful too. (There's one right outside disneyland in Los Angeles)
So not very seriously at all?
Fortunately, we do have some resistance to this in the form of portable music players.
I virtually never hear any music at any of the venues or stores I visit, because I'm always listening to my own.
With or without headphones, the only strangers who come up and talk to me are people who want something from me, like beggars, people seeking directions, or people trying to sell me something. As someone who's not very social around strangers, I rarely initiate conversations with strangers myself.
Listening to my own music just makes getting through the world more pleasant for me. It doesn't make me significantly more isolated.
(I only did this once but it was very eye opening)
I think the picture makes the point on its own, but at the risk of being accused of Reddit style image replies: Prior to phones, people weren't automatically any more social with random strangers than they had to be.
I suspect many malls are pumping potpourri scent into the HVAC system. It pervades the malls.
I've gone there at times I wouldn't normally, like Sunday at 6 AM because I put it off and need something now, and it's like I'm on the wrong radio station.
So if you're ever at a Walmart and don't like the music, you're just not shopping at the right time apparently.
Mutebox
The anti-jukebox that lets you mute restaurants' ambient music to bring back the vitality of your surroundings. For when your favorite cafe is playing experimental electronic music and you really came for the sound of espresso machines and light background noise while you crank out that TPS report. Or, the jukebox that exclusively plays John Cage's 4'33". [1]
I suppose it could work if your ears are always in a known place.
That’s why we can only make noise cancelling headphones.
How ubiquitous? I worked in a hotel once, and even the cargo elevator (used by all employees) had it. Oddly, the speaker wires would get mysteriously snipped on a regular basis to make it stop. That would work for a couple of days until maintenance got around to reconnecting things.
Silence is so wonderful, why must we fill it up with noise?
