The Addictive Power of Sound

Friday, March 12, 2010

Page 15

AT THE SIDEBAR (Column)

The Addictive Power of Sound

By J’AMY PACHECO

I recently read an article about the addictive power of sound. Sound, the author suggested, may influence what we buy and how we eat.

Apparently, a group of volunteers was wired and measured for responses to certain sounds that were dubbed “most addictive.” It’s important to note that only 50 volunteers were used, and that no demographic information about them was provided.

The 10 most addictive sounds were ranked as a baby’s giggle, the jingle for the Intel computer chip, a vibrating phone, an ATM or cash register, The National Geographic and MTV themes, a T-Mobile ringtone, a McDonald’s jingle, the Star Spangled Banner and the theme song for State Farm Insurance.

I found this interesting. I’d definitely go with a baby’s giggle—there are few things more enjoyable than the sound of a baby laughing, in my opinion.

The jingle for the Intel computer chip was an interesting second place. I had to listen to it to know what it was, and to be honest, I thought that sound went with Duracell’s Coppertop batteries.

It must be a bummer to develop the second-most addictive sound for your jingle, only to see it associated with somebody else’s product.

When the vibrating phone sound played, the volunteers apparently stopped volunteering and collectively checked their phones. I guess that’s a pretty powerful demonstration, but I couldn’t help wondering how old these volunteers were.

If I see I’ve received a call but I don’t recognize the number and no message was left, I assume it was a wrong number and ignore it. If today’s generation sees a missed call from an unfamiliar number, they’ll call it back and say, “You called my phone.” That, to me, is one of the weirdest things young people do today, behind piercing tender body parts and covering the skin above the butt with tattoos that show when the subject sits down.

It makes me wonder if there were any of us pre-cell phone generation people in the crowd.

I wouldn’t have recognized the jingles for National Geographic, McDonalds or MTV. I guess I don’t watch enough television. In fact, if you asked me what the McDonald’s theme is, I’d hum “You Deserve a Break Today.” Barry Manilow wrote that theme, and while I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to it, it’s definitely one of the most recognizable sounds I know.

The Star Spangled Banner always moves me, and I do remember the State Farm jingle, which, oddly enough, Barry Manilow also wrote.

If you ask me what sounds are most addictive—sounds that demonstrate the power of what we hear—I’d start with the unusual opening notes of Boz Scaggs’ “Harbor Lights.” It came out just before I graduated high school, and I used to play that song on my 8-track player and dream of the big things that waited out in the world for me. I can’t hear the opening without being transported back to…well, the pre-cell phone days.

My old cell phone ringtone was a good sound. My old phone played the music from Disneyland’s “Fantasmic!” show. It didn’t matter who was calling; it made me happy just to hear that perky music.

Unfortunately, I bought a Blackberry Pearl, and never have been able to find a Fantasmic! ringtone that can be played on it.

Ocean waves are another powerful sound. They always make me think of the trips I’ve taken to Hawaii. I still go to sleep listening to ocean waves on the CD player next to my bed.

Bird songs, the Peter Pan pan pipe bit associated with the film character, playground sounds and the announcer’s voice saying, “Remain seated please. Permanecer sentados, por favor” at the end of the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland are other favorites of mine.

I used to like the sound my daughter made while eating when she was a toddler. I couldn’t tell you what was unique about it, but it was the cutest sound she could make, other than laughing.

There are sounds I hate, too. Screaming kids throwing tantrums; my daughter’s puppy when it’s in its “I’m going to hurt your ears until you let me pee on the rug” mode and thumping, head-splitting rap music coming from other people’s cars are among the sounds I most dread.

I’m not sure I accept that sounds are addictive, but if somebody wants to send me to a beach in Hawaii to listen to “Harbor Lights” to test my reactions—well, that sounds good to me.