Acoustics

Next, Ceraso gives an interesting and insightful example of automobile acoustic engineers and how they take into account not just obvious auditory components such as car radios, but how other sounds are taken into consideration when designing a car; this includes paying attention to things like the tires’ sound, how the interior reflects the sound, etc.  This is another example of how sound is used “to affect, attract, and persuade targeted consumers” (p. 113).  By giving detailed explanations that are quite captivating, Ceraso is successful in explaining the need for multimodal listening pedagogy when it comes to preparing students for becoming adept consumers and preparing them to look at sonic objects (objects using sound in a strategic way to influence consumers’ experiences) because material and sensory elements of products work simultaneously with sonic experiences to alter a consumer’s responsiveness to a product.  Introducing these practices into multimodal composition classrooms allows students to learn how to adjust their approach to listening and sound.  Chapter 4 includes a “Sonic Objects Project” which gives students an opportunity to learn how sound “as a mode of composition is always shaped by and connected to other sensory modes and materials” (p. 124). This project connects back to the one in Chapter 2 in that students need to pay attention to how their bodies engage with sonic objects and how sound can be a persuasive force.