SOUND IDEAS
Dear Friends,
It’s getting close to that time of the year where we shut down the office for a short stretch. We will close December 19, and we’re back on January 6, 2026. This is a time for us to put our focus on our loved ones (and likely some food, too:)). In past years I've used this time in the calendar to send out a wish list of sorts, usually recordings that I believe people must hear, or books about music that have really had an impact...but today, something different! Here are three ideas that I believe would have a positive impact on our world, all related to sound.
If you're like me, you are sometimes quite annoyed by how much noise we are forced to put up with on a daily basis. There are of course sound laws (Stratford has these), but many things fly under the radar that I think could easily be addressed, and for the betterment of our health. I'm willing to believe that most people reading this will have had the experience of hearing a train's wheels come to a screeching halt and having to quickly raise their hands to their ears in order to protect their hearing. But how many of you are also bothered by chairs in restaurants and cafes that screech equally offensively simply because of the material at the bottom of the chair leg scraping across a hard floor? It happens all over the world, and I'm willing to bet we've all lost a little bit of our hearing as a result. It is a simple thing to fix (felt on the bottom of chair legs will do it). Wouldn't your conversations in such social situations be all the better with a drop in this acoustic annoyance? Check out this video...NOT music to my ears:
One thing I've been using for years are noise cancelling headphones. These can range in price from $100 to more than $1000. But I believe they are worth it if you're able to invest in them. More and more studies out there are showing us that untreated hearing loss is a factor in many cases of early dementia and is also considered a possible early symptom. I use them whenever I'm on a plane, or even just waiting to board. But there is another investment airlines could help save our hearing (and therefore brains) - noise cancelling equipment built into the cabin. Cars already use this technology, so why can't airlines do the same? If you are sitting in a row behind the engine, you are exposed to levels of sound that aren't necessary. Even if you are sitting in front of them, it is still a high decibel level. Personally, I find that making it successfully through a flight with noise cancelling devices around my ears keeps my entire body in better shape, and the effects of any sort of jetlag are greatly reduced. Add to this that most doctors and audiologists are now in favour of the devices.
I would love to see more public recognition for those musicians that have made such a positive impact in countless peoples' lives. One such way to do that would be to name airports after musicians or groups of musicians. Just think if we did that across the country of Canada. Who would be on your list of contenders? For me, starting in the east with St. John's, I would go with Figgy Duff International Airport. Halifax would be Stan Rogers International. You get the idea. Send me your thoughts on which musicians would be good pairings for different airports in the true north, strong and free.
Lastly, last Thursday we had the pleasure of welcoming The Ennis Sisters to Stratford for a Christmas performance. There were incredible harmonies (as only The Ennis Sisters can do), heartfelt moments, and a good dose of laughter. A wonderful show for a wonderful time of year. If you weren’t able to make it that night, we officially announced our 2026 50|50 Raffle, with an Early Bird prize of 2 tickets to Ed Sheeran!
That's it for today! Have a great weekend!
Mark and the SSM Team