Free Audiobook: The How And Why Wonder Book Of Sound

Museum of Portable Sound Press has produced its first-ever audiobook, and you can listen to it for FREE on our Bandcamp page! You can also download a copy (and if you’d like to leave a donation, that would be swell!)

This 1962 children’s book makes for a great listen, especially with our Director’s annotations and some bells and whistles thrown in. Perfect for older kids or a refresher for adults, this audiobook covers the basics of acoustics in-depth in an accessible 90 minutes!

Here’s the full Table of Contents:

Part 1: A World Without Sound

Part 2: The Nature of Sound
What is sound?
How can you prove that sound is a form of energy?
How do we hear sounds that are far away?
How can we prove that sound needs a medium to travel through?
Sound Waves
What do we mean by compression waves?
What do we mean by rarefaction waves?
What do we mean by longitudinal waves?
Compression wave: How does it work?
Rarefaction wave: How does it work?
How can we make a vibration write its autograph?

Part 3: Measuring Sound
How fast does sound travel?
How can you use sound to measure distance?
How can you tell the distance of a lightning flash?
What is the pitch of a sound?
What do musicians mean by ‘tone deaf’?
How can you prove that pitch depends on frequency?
How do scientists give proof that pitch depends on frequency?
What is loudness?
How is loudness measured?
Why are farther sounds fainter?
What is resonance?
How did Joshua win the Battle of Jericho?

Part 4: Reflected Sound
What is an echo?
Do bats use their eyesight to find insects?
How do bats locate insects?
How do bats use sound?
How does the porpoise use sound to catch fish in the sea?
How do people who are blind locate objects?
How do ships locate enemy submarines?
How are echoes used to detect schools of fish?
How are echoes used to locate minerals?

Part 5: Musical Sounds and Musical Instruments
What is musical sound?
What is a musical scale?
What is harmony?
How do stringed instruments produce sound?
How do wind instruments produce sound?
How do percussion instruments produce sound?

Part 6: Living Sound Organs
What is the human voice?
How do we hear?

Part 7: Sound and Communication
How does a telephone carry sound?
How does a radio transmit sound without wires?
How can we record sound?
What is stereophonic sound?
How does a wire or tape recorder work?
How are sound movies made?

Part 8: Ultrasonics and Supersonics
What is ultrasonics?
How can you wash dishes with sound?
What is the sound barrier?
What is a sonic boom?

Part 9: Some Interesting Facts About Sound
Why are soldiers at the rear of a column sometimes out of step?
Why does an approaching automobile horn have a higher pitch
than usual?
Why is it easier to hear sounds from a boat during the day than
at nighttime?
When can you hear the ‘sound of the sea’ in a shell?
Your New World of Sound

• Listen and get your copy today!

Visit Us Online!

Until further notice, due to the Covid-19 outbreak we will now be conducting visits to the Museum of Portable Sound exclusively online. You’ll still get the same one-on-one access you’re used to, but now it will be via the magic of video chat. Learn more and book your Online Visit!

2019: Our Year In Pictures

Here are 12 highlights of our institution’s activities in 2019 – it’s been an eventful and productive year, and here’s to an even bigger and better 2020!

 

Sonic Boom at the V&A, London
We were honoured to be invited to participate in the Sonic Boom Friday Late at the Victoria and Albert Museum in February! Our Director gave a talk, then hosted visits to our museum inside one of the V&A galleries. A magical night! Many thanks to Eric de Visscher for inviting us to be a part of this massive night of museum sounds!

(more…)

Unlocking Our Sound Heritage at The Keep, Brighton, UK

A collage of images from the Keep Sounds archive in Brighton, including reel to reel tape machines, a VU meter, micro cassettes, and the Director of the Museum of Portable Sound
Some images from our visit to the Keep Sounds offices in Brighton, UK.

Yesterday our staff had the honour of visiting The Keep Archives in Brighton, Sussex, home to one of the satellite offices of the British Library’s Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project is working to digitise analogue sound recordings for the UK-wide #SaveOurSounds archiving project.

Our Acquisitions Team collected several sounds of the Keep’s recording and playback equipment to add to our 20th Century Audio Equipment gallery, and our Director had a great time chatting with the staff about sounds as culture and their experiences working on this important sonic heritage project.

• Follow Keep Sounds on Twitter

 

Celebrate Our Grand Re-Re-Re-Opening & 40 Years of the Sony Walkman at the National Science and Media Museum

40 Years of Portable Sound

On 1 July 2019, the Sony Walkman will turn 40 years old. We’re teaming up with the National Science and Media Museum to celebrate this milestone.

The Sony Walkman was a breakthrough in portable technology that changed the way the world listens. It allowed individuals to create their own sound environment, opening up a new, cinematic, and personal way of experiencing the world.

As part of this event, we’ll mark the anniversary by launching the newest redesign of our own permanent collection galleries—all of which exist on a single mobile phone! This groundbreaking personal museum listening experience builds on the history that the Walkman started.

Come listen to selections from the 300+ sound objects we’ll now permanently have on display, and learn more about our mission to bring the culture of sound to the world… one listener at a time!

EVENT PROGRAMME

18.30–19.10

19.15–20.30

  • John Kannenberg, Director of the Museum of Portable Sound, will talk about the history of the Sony Walkman and how it has influenced our lives, as well as the development of his own museum

  • Experience a sample of the vast array of sounds curated by the Museum of Portable Sound

  • Q&A on sound in museums with John Kannenberg, Annie Jamieson (Curator of Sound Technologies at National Science and Media Museum) and James Mansell (University of Nottingham, author of The Age of Noise in Britain)

Many thanks to Annie Jamieson and the National Science and Media Museum for hosting this event!

Photos from the V&A Sonic Boom Friday Late, February 2019

Although tonight’s talk is free, there may be some mild product placement. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Although tonight’s talk is free, there may be some mild product placement. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Eric de Visscher introduces the concept of sound & museums.
Our Director takes the stage and snaps a photo of the audience.
Our Director takes the stage and snaps a photo of the audience.
The audience in the V&A Sackler Research Centre's Hochhauser Auditorium.
The audience in the V&A Sackler Research Centre’s Hochhauser Auditorium.
Our Director discussing his Sound Map of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, from 2010.
Our Director discussing his Sound Map of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, from 2010.
Introducing the Museum of Portable Sound Education Department and its flagship course, Listening to Museums.
Introducing the Museum of Portable Sound Education Department and its flagship course, Listening to Museums.
Revealing the upcoming expansion of our museum campus, coming later this year.
Revealing the upcoming expansion of our museum campus, coming later this year.
On with the show – an introduction to the Museum of Portable Sound's Permanent Collection.
On with the show – an introduction to the Museum of Portable Sound’s Permanent Collection.
One of three examples played of street crossing signals, soundmarks of local neighbourhoods around the world.
One of three examples played of street crossing signals, soundmarks of local neighbourhoods around the world.
No, our Acquisitions Department did not do anything to alter the appearance of the waveform of their recording of the sound of Sigmund Freud's toilet. That's just how it looks. Get your mind out of the gutter.
No, our Acquisitions Department did not do anything to alter the appearance of the waveform of their recording of the sound of Sigmund Freud’s toilet. That’s just how it looks. Get your mind out of the gutter.
The sound of an amolador trumpet, a disappearing sound of the local culture of Lisbon, recorded by João Caldas.
The sound of an amolador trumpet, a disappearing sound of the local culture of Lisbon, recorded by João Caldas.
V&A Senior Curator of Design and Digital Corinna Gardner moderates an all-too brief Q&A.
V&A Senior Curator of Design and Digital Corinna Gardner moderates an all-too brief Q&A.
The massive queue in V&A room 82 waiting to visit the Museum of Portable Sound.
The massive queue in V&A room 82 waiting to visit the Museum of Portable Sound.
Our stunned Director frantically sets up the museum.
Our stunned Director frantically sets up the museum.
Meeting the first group of visitors (and/or posing for a Last Supper painting).
Meeting the first group of visitors (and/or posing for a Last Supper painting).
Another group of visitors inside the stunning Room 82.
Another group of visitors inside the stunning Room 82.
A visit in progress while the visitor queue is sorted by numerous assistants.
A visit in progress while the visitor queue is sorted by numerous assistants.
Our wonderful designated V&A staff member in action keeping the hoardes of potential visitors at bay.
Our wonderful designated V&A staff member in action keeping the hoardes of potential visitors at bay.
A far shot of a visit in progress from inside Room 81.
A far shot of a visit in progress from inside Room 81.
Director's Eye View 1
Director’s Eye View 1
Director's Eye View 2
Director’s Eye View 2
Director's Eye View 3
Director’s Eye View 3
Director's Eye View 4
Director’s Eye View 4
Director's Eye View 5
Director’s Eye View 5
Director's Eye View 6
Director’s Eye View 6
Director's Eye View 7 (along with Dr Lara Torres, who took many of these photos!)
Director’s Eye View 7 (along with Dr Lara Torres, who took many of these photos!)
Director's Eye View 8 (the final group, who snuck in after closing time, much to the ire of V&A security)
Director’s Eye View 8 (the final group, who snuck in after closing time, much to the ire of V&A security)
Eric de Visscher posing with the Museum of Portable Sound information display at the end of a highly successful evening!
Eric de Visscher posing with the Museum of Portable Sound information display at the end of a highly successful evening!

Appearing at V&A Friday Late: Sonic Boom, 22 February

Friday Lates-colour3

Our Director and Chief Curator will be appearing twice at the upcoming Sonic Boom Friday late at the V&A museum in London on 22 February!

First, Director Kannenberg will be participating in a panel discussion, ‘How Do You Listen In Museums?’ alongside V&A visiting researcher Eric de Visscher and V&A Senior Curator for Contemporary Design Corinna Gardner.

Following the talk, the Museum of Portable Sound will be available to be visited in one of the V&A’s galleries for the remainder of the evening. We will provide headphones for up to five people to listen to the museum simultaneously!

• Find more information about the event at Facebook.

What is the Museum of Portable Sound?

Find out in only two minutes thanks to this handy little infomercial now available at our YouTube Channel!

Coming soon: The Record that Went to Space

We are thrilled to announce that this autumn, thanks to the cooperation of Ozma Records, we will present SOUNDS OF EARTH: THE RECORD THAT WENT TO SPACE. This special exhibition will consist of the twelve minute long montage of field recordings that was intended to represent what Earth sounds like in the event that extra terrestrials might someday find either of the Voyager space probes.

Launched in 1977 by NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to this day these craft, now outside out solar system, each carry with them a Golden Record – an LP containing this montage as well as greetings in dozens of languages and music from around the Earth.

Compiled by the likes of Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Jimmy Iovine, this montage of sounds is a fascinating document of what sounds a select group of humans thought best represented our planet.

This autumn, you’ll be able to hear this dazzling historic recording when you visit the Museum of Portable Sound. Stay tuned for information on the official exhibition opening date and other events by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and by signing up for our mailing list.