Acoustic design improvement must begin with internal mental silence

Evidence

If we have a hope of improving the acoustic design of the world, it will be realizable only after the recovery of silence as a positive state in our lives. Still the noise in the mind: that is the first task—then everything else will follow in time. — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 875

Categorization

• QUESTION: Curious what practical methods Schafer proposes for ‘stilling the noise in the mind’ beyond mere quiet environments.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 875
• XREF: connects to: Learning to respect silence is the first task of the acoustic designer — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 679; Quieting internal mental noise precedes acoustic redesign work — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 875; Creative thought requires an initial silence that clears prior mental assumptions — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 453 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Quieting internal mental noise precedes acoustic redesign work #corroborates (0.95) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 875
• Creative thought requires an initial silence that clears prior mental assumptions #expands (0.70) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 453
• Silence resets the audience’s mental frame before a performance can begin #corroborates (0.65) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 257