The Renaissance of Noise

The Renaissance of Noise

Since the history of music is as old as humanity itself, in a lot of ways we forget to stop and consider the fact that yes sound has developed and changed through time, but how has the evolution of sound acted as a proponent for things like technological advancements and human interaction? ‘The Wickedest Sound’ tells a compelling story of how from the streets of Jamaica the literal presence of sound and music cultivated spaces for social gathering, business, competition, romance and other facets of the community surrounding it (18:08 - 18:48). This isn’t unlike the use of clubs or concerts in today’s age that creates the circumstances for individuals to engage based on shared interests and maybe let off some steam. But the sound isn’t just treble clefs and quarter notes on a music sheet, it’s the stomping of feet and clapping of hands used by ancient civilizations to tell stories, it’s the use of rhythm in Islamic prayers and recitations of the Quran and it’s the accumulation of speakers and sound systems in postcolonial Jamaica. All these systems are similar in that they illustrate the many ways that humans shape their relationships with the world to best suit their needs (10:35 - 10:56). 

Considering how quickly technology advances and societal initiatives change I think it’s imperative to consider the roles we find ourselves playing during moments of a renaissance. I, for one, am a student but also have a knack for space curation. My mom is a chef but somehow always seems to know exactly what to do with a screwdriver. The point I’m trying to make here is that concerning advancements it’s important to know that ‘formal training’ and adept skill are not mutually exclusive (11:04 - 11:29). Adaptability is an incredible way to use the advancements of society and technology in your favour and the socio-cultural impact of the sound system is just one example of how repurposing materials or skills can lead to great advancements. 

But with all the discourse around the ever-evolving and incredibly present culture that developed around sound systems and music in Jamaica at the time, the podcast makes almost no reference to the role of women in this context. The only time we do hear the voice of a woman on the podcast it’s in the form of the voice of a woman giving a live performance over one of the many musical beats being played in The Bronx (36:50 - 37:00) . What does this say about how women are viewed in these contexts? Perhaps it is a simple indication that women were not prominent figures in these spaces and when they are there, they are objects that are meant to entertain and appease their audiences. The reality is that this podcast does not allow us to know the experiences of women in sound system evolution as the only time a woman’s voice is presented, it is caught up in song. Like this instance, so many iterations of societal development seem to somehow exclude the female perspective. 

This brings me to my next point, why I chose The Assisted Reproduction of Race by Camisha Russell as my assigned text for this block. Well, when I chose Feminist STS I knew that despite the experiences of women in the workplace being one of my primary research interests, I had never taken any courses with gender as one of its primary focuses. The study of science, technology and society is unfortunately not inherently feminist and the views and experiences in these fields are often considered as an afterthought. This sparked my interest because it considers the fact that people use technology to suit their agendas on things like race and kinship Technology isn’t impartial in perpetuating debates around what race does, and how it has been used for social, political, and economic ends. Rather, technology often intersects with existing societal beliefs to form challenging and complicated beliefs about both