The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World by R. Murray Schafer is a foundational text in the field of acoustic ecology. First published in 1977, the book explores how the world’s acoustic environment—from natural sounds to industrial noise—functions as a vast, continuous musical composition.
More recent critiques suggest the original project lacked diversity, disproportionately representing European-Canadian voices and sounds.
Schafer has been criticized for favoring natural sounds over man-made ones, sometimes appearing nostalgic for a pre-industrial era.
Like landmarks, these are unique community sounds that possess qualities making them specially regarded by the people in that area (e.g., a specific church bell or town signal).
