New Books in Popular Culture Richard Mainwaring, "What the Ear Hears (And Doesn't): Inside the Extraordinary Everyday World of Frequency" (Sourcebooks, 2022)
Aug 14, 2025
Richard Mainwaring, a musician, composer, and educator, delves into the fascinating world of frequency in everyday life. He shares quirky stories, including the skaking of a South Korean skyscraper due to a Tae Bo class. The discussion ranges from the sound perceptions of animals, like the 'loneliest whale,' to how specific sound frequencies can enhance plant growth. Mainwaring also explores the links between sound and sensory experiences, highlighting the relationship between music and the science of smell. It's a captivating journey through sound's impact on our lives.
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Pitch Is Frequency, Tuning Is Historical
- Pitch corresponds to frequency; doubling frequency raises pitch an octave.
- Standard pitch (A=440 Hz) is historically recent and musical 'perfect pitch' is context-dependent.
Tuning Systems Are Compromises
- Historical tuning systems (Pythagorean et al.) are compromises and sound different from modern equal temperament.
- Piano tuners intentionally stretch tuning; tuning is mathematical but culturally shaped.
We Are Loudly Disrupting Animal Hearing
- Human-made noise disrupts animal hearing across environments, especially underwater.
- Low-frequency ship and industrial noise mask animal communication and navigation over vast distances.
