Proposal for International Year of Sound

2019

by Prof Jean-Dominique Polack

The International Year will use Sound to develop

Education and Outreach for Society and the World

For Sound features in all aspects of life:

Culture – Creativity – Nature – Health – Science – Technology – Development – Education – History

Culture Environment Education Health

Motivation for International Year of Sound To encourage worldwide awareness and education based on the role sound and vibration plays in all aspects of our life, in nature, and in cultural heritage:

• using sound for the benefit of man and society

• controlling noise and protecting hearing

An International Year of Sound will contribute significantly to fulfilling the missions of UNESCO in building peace and understanding around the world, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, science, culture and communication.

Mission

Global initiative to highlight the importance of sound in all aspects of life.

Will consist of coordinated activities on regional, national and international levels.

Activities to educate on the role of sound and hearing in all aspects of our society.

Activities to stimulate interest in STEM : science, technology and engineering.

Themes and Activities

An International Year of Sound will focus the world on how sound is an integral part of society and has inspired art, music, literature and philosophy across the centuries.

The year will also promote the applications of science and technology in dealing with sound and vibration and using it for the benefit of mankind.

Song to unify the world

..groups and choirs around the world will sing

it in their regional style and interpretation.

This could be synchronised around the world

with the aim to achieve a world record.

International Noise Awareness Day

World Hearing Day

..will highlight living with a hearing loss and

achievements such as cochlear implants PLUS

an emphasis on the importance of controlling

and reducing noise at work and in recreation.

Major achievements in Sound

…for each month of the International Year of

Sound - information on each achievement will

provide a focus for exhibitions, museums and

education in schools.

Listening to our world

….guided “sound walks” for community to

listen to the sounds that are around them, to

appreciate what they represent and to

understand how they are created.

Sound Science and Technology and Education

…educational kits using the principles of sound

for a range of levels of education using modern

technology to assist and stimulate education

Sound that you don’t hear

….the varied uses of ultrasound and infrasound

including medical and industry and geophysics

will be one of the promotions during the year.

Some examples

Why 2019? 50 years since:

first verbal communication from space: from the Apollo 11 mission;

the first Woodstock Music Festival, a pivotal moment in popular music.

100 years since the births, deaths and achievements of key pioneers in sound:

Lord Rayleigh - the father of the study of sound and wave motion;

Wallace Clement Sabine - first to study of ideal acoustic properties for concert rooms;

Lamar Worzel - discovered the existence of shadow zones in the water;

Henry Higginson - the philanthropy led to foundation of the Boston Symphony Orchestra;

Johannes Stark - awarded the Nobel prize for his discovery of the Doppler effect.

120 years since:

Birth of Georg von Békésy - Nobel Prize for his work on the cochlea and hearing.

200 years since:

the publication on the invention of the stethoscope by Laennec.

500 years since:

death of Leonardo da Vinci – first descriptions of sound waves.

Contributions to STEM

Sound and music - a basis for stimulating STEM interest at all levels of education.

Education kits - for teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary.

Students encouraged to express their feelings about sound, music and soundscapes.

Modern technology – the laptop, sound card and the internet -will be utilized to create sound demonstrations.

Community engagement via citizen science projects such as monitoring/reporting wildlife sounds.

Outreach and Capacity Building

Sound will impact and excite all communities - similar to the International Year of Light.

Projects on sound from simple low cost through to sophisticated high technology.

Special sessions from international conferences in 2019 beamed live to Africa and Asia - encourage capacity building and involvement with STEM.

The legacy of the year will be a greater involvement of those in Africa and Asia in the establishment of National Acoustics Organisations

Enhance Current Projects The universal involvement of sound in all aspects of our life means that sound can be applied to enhance current UNESCO projects including:

• Education for the 21st Century

• Fostering freedom of expression

• Protecting heritage and fostering creativity

• Learning to live together

• Building knowledge societies

• One planet, one ocean

• Science for sustainable future

As well it can contribute to other major projects such as :

European Union project PERFORM (Participatory Engagement with Scientific and Technological Research through Performance) and the

IOP for Africa which provides training for teachers in Africa – projects on sound can contribute

Initiative of the International Commission for Acoustics

Over 50 member societies around the world

International Steering Committee

• Marion Burgess (Australia) – President of the International Institute Noise Control Engineering

• Michael Taroudakis (Greece) – President of the International Commission for Acoustics

• Michael Vorländer (Germany) – Chairman for Acoustics 2019 Aachen

• Michael Stinson (Canada) – President Acoustical Society of America

• Jean-Dominique Polack (France) - Institut Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Université Pierre et Marie Curie

Wide range of supporting organisations International Council for Science (ICSU)

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)

International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM)

European Acoustics Association Iberoamerican Federation of Acoustics

International Institute Noise Control Engineering International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration

Audio Engineering Society European Physical Society

International Congress on Ultrasonics International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise

Western Pacific Acoustics Commission American Otological Society

Institute of Physics (UK) American Institute of Physics

ASME Noise Control Acoustics Division (NCAD) International Audiological Society

Association for Research in Otolaryngology International Phononics Society

American Academy Audiology American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Canadian Academy of Audiology Speech-Language & Audiology Canada

The ICA and all the partner organisations seek your support for the declaration of the International Year of Sound 2019

INTERNATIONAL NOISE AWARENESS DAY INAD Wednesday, 26th April 2017

The International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) aims at raising awareness of noise on the welfare and health of people worldwide. It was established by the Center of Hearing and Communications (CHC) in 1996 , and since then the day is commemorated each year on the last Wednesday of April.

The European Acoustics Association (EAA)

participates in the celebration every year by a series of

events addressed to the whole society, with special

emphasis to young people who are among the most

sensitive persons of our society. For INAD 2017, the

EAA decided to coordinate a wider campaign in order to

raise the interest of the European citizens towards noise

and its effects on the quality of life and health.

EAA is collaborating with the DG-Environment of the

European Commission and the European Environment

Agency for promoting and coordinating specialized

activities during this year, among the EAA members

Societies, and the European and national authorities, the

noise associations, the schools, museums, etc., in order

that a wider public will receive the most accurate and

scientifically correct information on noise effects.

•

EAA main programme of INAD 2017 - “Sounds of my place” a Pan-European competition for primary and secondary schools - Conference "Noise in Europe", Brussels, 24th April 2017

•

“Sounds of my place” a Pan-European competition

for primary and secondary schools

Competition open to students of all schools of European

Countries aiming at raising awareness on sounds and

noise characterizing landscapes and soundscapes all

along Europe. These sounds are either the everyday

sounds that surround us and make up the background

noise in our lives, or the peculiar sounds of some places

that must be known and preserved.

Conference "Noise in Europe", Brussels 24th April 2017 In the Keynote speeches, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will outline the latest findings on the health implications of noise, the European Environment Agency will detail the exposure that European citizens face to harmful levels of noise, and the European Commission will present the findings of the evaluation of activities aimed at reduction of noise pollution in the Union.

Keynote speeches - Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director for Europe World Health Organisation (WHO) - Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director European Environment Agency (EEA) - Joanna Drake, Deputy Director General European Commission - DG Environment