Paulus van Horne
Oberlin College
Project
Noise & The Megacity
Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, United Kingdom
Megacities, areas with a population exceeding 10 million, are on the rise as the world embraces urban life. My project picks through the sonic landscape of the world’s megacities to learn how residents live with increasing noise. I will interview local urban planners about noise pollution; engage experimental musicians about their artistic uses of noise; and meet residents and activists who are on the front lines of quieting the din. Through human interactions and sound recordings, I will piece together patterns and portraits of sonic life in today’s megacities with an eye toward the future of the urban metropolis and its health.