MUSIC IN THE CITY: the problem of musical pollution

	BOLOGNA, 17 - 19th May 2002 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM *Music in the city:* *the problem of musical pollution* Bologna, palazzo Marescotti, via Barberia 4
Why has this symposium been organised? The idea came from observing a new, widespread phenomenon in present day society: the ubiquitous presence of music in the urban areas: in public places (cafés, restaurants, supermarkets and shopping centres), on public transport, in squares, parks, indoor and outdoor places of entertainment, in a word, everywhere. Parallel to this, radical changes are taking place in the way in which music is produced, reproduced and listened to. These changes also deeply affect the notion of music itself: in the urban context music has become a mixture of many different sounds and, like any other commercial product, it is produced in order to be consumed. These all-pervasive, intrusive musical sounds can be regarded as an example of noise pollution caused by music. The individual feels completely helpless against what might be termed "acoustic violence": ears do not have lids. This phenomenon has both a quantitative and a qualitative aspect. The quantitative aspect refers both to the excessive amount of music which can be heard in our cities and to the constant use of amplification. This acoustic violence may awake in the citizen a feeling of overt or creeping mistrust towards the Public Administration, whose task is not only to regulate industry and commerce, but also to safeguard a peaceful environment and the citizen’s right to health, as stated by Article 32 of the Italian Constitution. At high or low volume, any music which is unsolicited is unwelcome especially if repeated and obsessive and it can "pollute" the environment in the way described by Italian general law no. 447/1995, i.e. it can "pose a threat to human health" by interfering "with the lawful use of public spaces". The qualitative aspect affects the listening habits of the individual by altering them. The individual reaches a point of saturation at which the listening experience turns into an undifferentiated sensory experience. In particular, the intrusiveness of the music which can be heard in public places effectively eliminates silence, which is the ideal condition for rest and reflection. Besides being an inalienable subjective right, silence is also the ideal environment for good music and for attentive listening. The symposium will deal with the problem of musical pollution in terms of the relationship between the individual and his acoustic environment, focusing on both human and environmental health, and on the acoustic environment as public property, part of the common good, an integral part of our ecosystem which needs to be protected. Symposium contributors will include musicologists, legal experts, economists, physicians, engineers, communication experts, politicians, representatives of the public administration and of environmentalist groups. The aim of the symposium is to analyse the problem of musical pollution and to encourage discussion which leads to concrete proposals for legislative regulation of the phenomenon. The three-day symposium will take place at Palazzo Marescotti which houses the Dipartimento di Musica e Spettacolo (via Barberia 4, Bologna). Carla Cuomo and Giuseppina La Face Bianconi Translation of Elisabetta Zoni
PROGRAM
together with



with the support of World Forum for Acoustic Ecology Regione Emilia Romagna Provincia di Bologna - Council of Culture Comune di Bologna - Council of Health and Environment Comune di S. Lazzaro di Savena - Council of Culture and Environment with the sponsors Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna and Ministero per i Beni e le Attività culturali