Music and Noise
We all have our own personal idea of the difference between music and noise — one that is shaped not only by what we find pleasant or disturbing, but also by our tastes, culture, and the era we live in. It’s a very subjective concept. When we study and analyse sound waves more closely, we realise that music is characterised by an orderly pattern of frequencies that repeat rhythmically, whereas noise follows an irregular pattern in which frequency values have no clear or defined relationship.
Music taught us to see with the ear and to hear with the heart.
Kahlil Gibran
How can we bring this knowledge into everyday life — in offices, restaurants, and the spaces we inhabit every day?
We know perfectly well that today, music is widely used to make certain environments more pleasant, such as restaurants, shopping centres, hotel lobbies, and increasingly, workplaces.
Recent studies have shown that music, through its rhythmic nature, promotes concentration and calmness in the workplace.
Music shares with work and with life the same repetitive rhythm and the same language of thought.
Giulio Cassano
The use of music reduces stress and increases employee satisfaction (source: WOW Webmagazine). However, we must also acknowledge that the production of harmonious and pleasant sounds often aims to mask background noise, which, as we know, is a major source of discomfort, distraction, and reduced productivity.
Wouldn’t it be better to listen to music without background noise?
That’s why the ideal solution would be to integrate music into acoustic systems — and we’re already working on it!
Sound-absorbing panels can be used in combination with sound systems: they can be installed side by side or designed from the start with sound emission in mind.
Workplaces, leisure areas, and living spaces can therefore be acoustically optimised to produce pleasant sounds and eliminate unwanted ones, creating environments that truly promote acoustic well-being.
Here’s an example of music you can listen to during your working hours — as we said before, it’s all subjective!
