Synopses & Reviews
A surprising look at the hidden power of sound, revealing how people and brands can use it to inspire and persuade and#8212; or annoy From horror movie scores to national anthems to the crunchy sound of potato chips, sound and music greatly impact how we feel about our lives and the messages and products we encounter every day. With the right tools and understanding, anyone can cut through the meaningless noise competing for our attention and learn to use sound as a rich storytelling strategy.
You donand#8217;t need to be a musician or a composer to harness the power of sound. Joel Beckerman explains how companies, brands, and individuals can strategically use sound to get to the core of their mission, influence how theyand#8217;re perceived by their audiences, and gain a competitive advantage. The key to these sonic strategies involves creating and#8220;boom momentsand#8221; and#8212; transcendent instants when sound connects with a listenerand#8217;s emotional core.
The Sonic Boom draws surprising insights from real world examples: the way Disney parks score every second of their guestsand#8217; experience; how Chiliand#8217;s restaurants uses lessons from evolutionary psychology to sell tons of sizzling fajitas, how the sound of a special edition Mustangand#8217;s engine is designed to make drivers feel like action-movie heroes. Sure to appeal to fans of Made to Stick and This Is Your Brain on Music, The Sonic Boom offers readers a powerful new vocabulary for sharing impactful messages with sound.
Review
"By reading Powell's book we can gain a more solid knowledge of the foundations of music and therefore be better able to appreciate it."--Amanda Mark, New York Journal of Books
Review
"Any readers whose love of music has somehow not led them to explore the technical side before will surely find the result a thoroughly accessible, and occasionally revelatory, primer."--James Walton, The Spectator
Review
"In this distinctive combination of scientific treatise and laugh-out-loud commentary, composer and physicist Powell...has carved out an intriguing niche by using humor to enliven what could have been an otherwise dry introduction to acoustics...readers ... should glean some useful background for music study while simultaneously being entertained."--Barry Zaslow, Library Journal
Review
"An exceptionally informative discussion of the hows and whys of music...The presentation is clear and logical-even for a layman like myself. Yet it is never pandering, or overly simplified. In short, this is just about the best book on the subject I have come across."--Greg Barbrick, Seattle-Post Intelligencer
Review
"The author...uses easy-to-follow, conversational language to lead the reader into the science of music...It is amazing that after a few hours of Powell's explanations, a musical novice (like me) can begin to read music, which is written in a language that is as foreign to most of us as Sanskrit."--Phillip Manning, Science Book News
Review
andquot;
The Sonic Boom will alter how you hear the world.andquot; --
TIME andquot;Equal parts sociological study and business advice, using unique everyday examplesandndash; for instance, how the fate of the Chiliandrsquo;s fajita empire rested on the sound of the sizzling platter, and how Disneyland approaches soundscapes for a fully immersive experienceandndash; and#160;to explain how sound effects our mood and shopping habits.andquot; --EW.com
andquot;Beckermanand#39;s anecdotes, including how Apple computers came to have their particular start-up noise, are engaging.andquot; --Los Angeles Times
andquot;Thanks to such entertaining asides and Beckermanandrsquo;s enthusiastic conviction that sound matters more than anything, readers of The Sonic Boom might suddenly find theyandrsquo;re hearing things they had never noticed before.andquot; --Washington Independent Review of Books
andquot;A fast and provocative read that will appeal to a wide, general audience, especially those interested in the psychology of marketing.andquot; --Library Journal
andquot;Informative...The bookandrsquo;s strength lies in the specificity of its examples: the restaurant chain Chiliandrsquo;s triggered Americansandrsquo; hunger by amping up the sizzle of fajitas; Disney creates andldquo;fake quietandrdquo;andmdash;a soundscape of birds and forest soundsandmdash;to help people feel they are somewhere magical...This book is directly aimed at corporations, fund-raisers, and party planners, but shoppers, donors, and partygoers should also read it to learn about how their decisions are being affected by the soundscapes in which they are immersed.andquot; --and#160;Publishers Weekly
andquot;The author makes a strong case that we are unaware of the degree to which and#39;the hidden world of soundand#39; influences our moods and the choices we make. Although we are more aware of the information we obtain through sight, Beckerman bolsters his conclusion that it is sound rather than sight that is our most important sense, citing how The Star Spangled Banner and Beethovenand#39;s Fifth Symphony evoke powerful emotions by the use of a few repeated notes. We instantly recognize these musical phrases, or and#39;sound logos,and#39; which and#39;efficiently let listeners recall and understand rich stories.and#39;...Interesting insight on the use of sound bites to merchandise products.andquot; --Kirkus
andldquo;Iand#39;ve spent my life curating, creating, and collecting sounds. But Beckerman and Gray have shown here that there are still plenty of sounds that weand#39;ve all missed. The Sonic Boom reveals the music and structured cacophony of everyday life.andrdquo;
andmdash;Moby
and#160;
andquot;The only force more powerful than taste or smell when trying to create an emotional response? Music. The right sound at the right time can slam you right back to childhood, create dread, inspire empathy, turn you on a dime to an emotional jellyfish. The right song at the right time can changeandmdash;and has changedandmdash;the world, leading directly to social change and even revolutions. Music defines us.and#160;Joel Beckerman knows. Let him tell you all about it.andquot;
andmdash;Anthony Bourdain, chef, bestselling author of Medium Raw, No Reservations, and Kitchen Confidential
and#160;
andldquo;Pick this book up. Put it close to your ear. Riff through the pages. Hear that? Those are ideasandmdash;Beckermanandrsquo;s ideasandmdash;flying by a mile a minute. Reading Sonic Boom is like seeing colors for the first time!andrdquo;
andmdash;Fred Graver, writer/producer, TV creative lead at Twitter
and#160;
andldquo;Beckerman and Gray show how the right sound at the right moment forges bonds between brands and peopleandmdash;and how bad sound breaks them. The Sonic Boom illuminates the surprising opportunities that are revealed when we utilize sound thoughtfully and strategically, not just tactically.andrdquo;
andmdash;Andrea Sullivan, chief marketing officer, North America, Interbrand
and#160;
andldquo;Beckerman offers an intriguing examination of the manipulative and inspirational power of sound in our everyday lives. It made me listen to my ears!andrdquo;
andmdash;George S. Clinton, film composer and Chair of Film Scoring at the Berklee College of Music
and#160;
andldquo;We are all susceptible to the power and manipulation of sound and Beckerman has beautifully described this mysterious process. As a producer, this book not only makes my choices and use of sound more informed but hopefully more effective.andrdquo;
andmdash;Gordon Elliott, executive producer of ABCandrsquo;s andldquo;The Chewandrdquo;
and#160;
andldquo;This remarkable book describes and clarifies the exciting and complex world of sound.andrdquo;
andmdash;Ellis Douek, emeritus consultant ENT surgeon, Guyandrsquo;s and St Thomasandrsquo; Hospital, London; author of Overcoming Deafness
and#160;
andldquo;Beckerman offers insights into a potent marketing opportunity. His work helps brands realize the powerful potential of sound.andrdquo;
andmdash;Ruth Gaviria, executive vice president of corporate marketing, Univision Communications Inc.
Synopsis
HOW MUSIC WORKS presents an intriguing and charming guide to some of life's most fascinating mysteries. A scientist and musician, John Powell has a gift for breaking down the science of music, uncovering delightful facts along the way. In the book, he unveils the answers to such intriguing questions as:
Why are musical notes heard differently from other noises?How can you tell if you have perfect pitch when you're singing your favorite ABBA tune?How do composers compose? Why do ten violins only sound twice as loud as one?Are your Rolling Stones albums better on CD or vinyl?Why do we play Mozart's masterpieces differently than he intended (and how do we know that)?
Readers will learn how music--ranging from classical to pop--works, and may even learn how to carry a tune. With discussions of scales, chords, timbre, keys, harmony, loudness, musical composition, and more, HOW MUSIC WORKS is a fascinating and lively investigation into the world of music.
Synopsis
"Any readers whose love of music has somehow not led them to explore the technical side before will surely find the result a thoroughly accessible, and occasionally revelatory, primer."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer
What makes a musical note different from any other sound? How can you tell if you have perfect pitch? Why do ten violins sound only twice as loud as one? Do your Bob Dylan albums sound better on CD vinyl? John Powell, a scientist and musician, answers these questions and many more in How Music Works, an intriguing and original guide to acoustics.
In a clear and engaging voice, Powell leads you on a fascinating journey through the world of music, with lively discussions of the secrets behind harmony timbre, keys, chords, loudness, musical composition, and more. From how musical notes came to be (you can thank a group of stodgy men in 1939 London for that one), to how scales help you memorize songs, to how to make and oboe from a drinking straw, John Powell distills the science and psychology of music with wit and charm.
Synopsis
What makes a musical note different from any other sound? How can you tell if you have perfect pitch? Why do 10 violins sound only twice as loud as one? Do your Bob Dylan albums sound better on CD or vinyl? John Powell, a scientist and musician, answers these questions and many more in HOW MUSIC WORKS, an intriguing and original guide to acoustics. In a clear, accessible, and engaging voice, Powell fascinates the reader with his delightful descriptions of the science and psychology lurking beneath the surface of music. With lively discussions of the secrets behind harmony, timbre, keys, chords, loudness, musical composition, and more, HOW MUSIC WORKS will be treasured by music lovers everywhere.
The book also includes a CD of examples and exercises from the book.
Synopsis
Powell, a scientist and musician, fascinates the reader with his delightful descriptions of the science and psychology lurking beneath the surface of music and discussion of the secrets behind harmony, timbre, keys, chords, loudness, musical composition, and more.
Synopsis
A guide to the effective use of sound in marketing, revealing the surprising ways sound can influence our emotions, opinions, and preferences
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About the Author
Hailed as andldquo;equal parts Philip Glass and Don Draperandrdquo; by Details Magazine, JOEL BECKERMAN is an award-winning composer and producer for television. He is the founder of Man Made Music, a company specializing in sonic branding. Fast Company named him one of their andldquo;Most Creative People in Businessandrdquo; and Man Made Music one of their andldquo;Most Innovative Companiesandrdquo; in music. He created original scores for more than fifty television programs, won ASCAPandrsquo;s andldquo;Most Performedandrdquo; theme award for the past eight years, and has developed signature sonic branding programs for global giants such as Disney, ATandT, and Southwest Airlines. Beckerman has worked with John Legend, will.i.am, Moby, OK Go, Morgan Freeman, and the composer John Williams. He lives in New Providence, New Jersey.
TYLER GRAY is editorial director for Edelman in the New York City office. He was recently editorial director for Fast Company and is the author of The Hit Charade.