It’s oh so quiet in M&S, is this music to your ears?

I see, or rather hear, there is no good reason to pump load “music” around any shopping places. Soft or discrete music can be welcome in some environments , but not the cacophony of noise that we are all beginning to get.
I would also be happy if the background music on TV programes could be considered in the same light. People who are hard of hearing and those who use hearing aids find that the noise level is so high that it interferes with the conversation of the actors to the extent that much of the spoken word in inaudible so spoiling the programe.

I have today just been driven out of both Cath Kidston and the local Clarks shop because of the volume of the background music. I have mentioned this issue quite frequently to the shop assistants, but usually get the response ” I don’t hear it anymore…” I am tempted to say this isn’t about you, but normally give up and go.

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Regarding Chris’s thoughts on having music some days and not others. I suggested a few years ago to the local shopping centre that they have no music in the mornings but turn it on later in the day, and have music Saturdays but quiet Sundays. They didn’t go for the idea.

A few people have said that it’s unfair to turn music off without asking staff or customers for their opinion. Marks has said that the decision was based on extensive research. I would also like to point out that inescapable pop music in all public places is a relatively recent phenomenon, and no one asked us what we thought when they first forced it on us.

Why is it unfair to not ask when they turn it off when no one ever asked if they could turn it on?

I am keen that we should see evidence to support proposals for change – it makes it so much easier to convince people than just expressing a personal view. Action on Hearing Loss have been conducting research into the effects of noise in cafes, restaurants and pubs on hearing impaired people. I emailed them to see just where this research had got to and they replied as follows. So we should see a report in early July that could provide facts on which to approach noise in public premises.

They also point to research published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America which as far as I can see looked at tailoring the characteristics of hearing aids to improve speech intelligibility “Effect of spectral change enhancement for the hearing impaired using parameter values selected with a genetic algorithm.” I can only see an abstract – link below.

AHL replied
“With regards to the hearing aid project:

The report concludes – The intelligibility and quality of speech in noise and in babble were measured using ten listeners with mild to moderate hearing loss. The results showed the spectral change enhancement processing (a method of enhancing spectral changes over time) led to small but significant improvements in the intelligibility of speech both types of background noise.

The spectrum of sound is a representation of the amount of energy that sound as a function of frequency. Information in speech sounds is carried in the way that the spectrum changes over time. Such changes may be less audible to a person with hearing loss than to a person with normal hearing, because hearing loss usually results in a reduction in the ability to determine the spectrum of sound. The researchers developed a method for enhancing spectral changes over time called the “spectral change enhancement”. The aim was to improve the intelligibility of speech in background sounds for people with hearing loss. The publication is here. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23654396

Action on Hearing Loss will be launching the ‘Speak Easy’ campaign on 7 July with the publication of a flagship report targeting restaurants, cafés and pubs. The report will present clear evidence that high levels of background noise – caused primarily by interior design which harms the acoustic environment, and the playing of background music – are preventing many people with hearing loss from dining and socialising in these venues. Alongside this report, Action on Hearing Loss will be publishing clear guidance for the industry demonstrating the different adaptations which can be made, both to the physical environment and to the venue’s practices, to reduce noise levels.

This will be the first wave of campaign activity, in what will be a long-term campaign aiming to raise awareness within restaurants, cafés and pubs of the access issues faced by people with hearing loss and convince as many venues as possible to work with Action on Hearing Loss to become more accessible. ”

@patrick Their reply includes links to receive updates on their campaigns, to support Speak Easy and to join online forums. I can forward the full reply to Patrick if it would be useful.

Went into Morrisons in Totnes – awful – cut short my shopping trip because of the piped pop. Surely New Age harp would have been more appropriate?

I’m definitely for turning it ALL off, and definitely affects my decision about where I shop/eat/do business.

So do I at the right time and place, but not when we are trying to speak or think about things. I also like the idea that people with hearing impairments or other sensory conditions can go about their daily lives without the unnecessary infliction of pain or discomfort. One person’s loud music is another person’s living nightmare.