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The Unexpected Beauty of Everyday Sounds

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Using examples from birdsong, the natural lilt of emphatic language and even a cooking pan lid, singer-songwriter and TED Fellow Meklit Hadero shows how the everyday soundscape, even silence, makes music. "The world is alive with musical expression," she says. "We are already immersed."

Be The Change

Sit quietly and listen to the music of your everyday world. Try seated meditation to tune into the symphony in silence.

Gordon Hempton is a "soundtracker" who goes hunting for unique and hidden sounds. Watch this trailer on Hempton's attempt to record the vanishing sounds of nature.

As you go through your day, slow down your steps, notice your breathing and listen closely to the world around you. Practice gratitude for the beauty of the songs all around us.

Reflections (12)

Rain Worthington

It reinforces the power and need to listen with open mind and especially with open ears â€“ UNPLUGGED from all the constant devices we have inserted into our ears which block out the sounds of the world around us. We need the "silence" in our head spaces to hear our own inner voices and body pulses, the rhythms of the world around us, the rhythmic cadences and melodic curves of our conversations. Thank you Meklit Hadero, I loved your audio and musical examples. Yes, yes, as a composer the soundscape of the world provides me with infinite inspirations!
(also as a former general music teacher in NYC public schools - that often had no budget for instruments, my classes created instruments from tin cans, pot lids, cardboard & plastic tubes, & tea balls.)

Brian

Thanks Team. Mrs. Hadero is such a refreshing Musician, Poet, Lecturer...Artist...let's be encouraged. 1Earth. 1People...Peace

Trishala

Nature is an inspiration in abundance! Loved it! :)

Kristin Pedemonti

Her delivery was so poetic, like a spoken word piece and so musical in her language too. Beautiful musicality of language and yes, nature provides so much too. Resonated with her sharing of every day musical sounds too. <3 the pot lid from lentils, percussive!

van

a must listen for all especially musicians

Carrie Payne

It is so important to listen to the music around us. She is a clear and wonderful teacher. It has historical information.

Bonnita Darcy

Her overall fluid, effortless language expression in conveying musical inspiration captured in its most authentic raw form from everyday sounds and nature. Acknowledgement and inspiration of music demands our present mindfulness and appreciation in every moment which is often overlooked or considered mundane. However raw or naturalistic sounds appreciated and embraced in their most basic form devoid of additives provides the basis to build and apply interpretation, perspective and inspiration creating them into an art form of self expression considered to be music for those who find and choose to connect with it.

Jyoti

Amazing!Nature is our true teacher

Sherry Mason

Sound is everywhere. We just need to stop and listen.

jean slocum

No closed captioning. Jean

kate

The cacophony of life

Liz Mitten Ryan

It made me stop and listen and be inspired by the richness of everyday sounds