The Case for Old-School Radio

We live in a world of sound. Sound is everywhere. It is prolific. And much of that sound, I will confess, is not the kind of communal sound that a recent guest on my radio show, Professor Alex Fisher, spoke about. He talked at length about the sound of bells heard once upon a time, organizing sonic information and space in public places, and sometimes, even, through civic authority. Another guest, family physician Dr. DeMarco, spoke about the birdsong he hears on his long bike rides around the globe — rich soundscapes that help him identify both familiar and unfamiliar species. This type of soundscape feels more and more archaic as time passes. When we are outside, we may not be hearing the sound of the wind or the sound of animals or even the sound of our own heartbeat. Today’s sound is more of a curated list. We curate the sounds we want to hear — we choose our playlist. I began to wonder whether old-school radio still has a place in a world where so many of us listen to our music,…