Sound Identity

Each human being has a specific set of fingerprints different from every other person on earth. Fingerprints are used to identify people. Sounds also have their own fingerprints in some ways. A bell has a unique sound. There are many types of bells with various pitches, but most people after hearing the noise a bell makes, can be pretty certain that it was a bell.

Music by form of musicians and instruments can also have identities. Mostly the identities are limited to genres and styles. For example if you hear a quickly strummed distorted guitar with a quick heavy drum beat, chances are it is rock or some category of rock music. It is very difficult as a musician to have your own sound identity that stands above all other artists and genres. Having your own sound identity means that after about 3 seconds or listening to music that you have created, you can establish who it came from. This exercise does not count for previously listened to or memorized sounds that the artist has produced in the past. This is hearing something you have never heard before in your life and connecting it to someone seconds into hearing it. That is someone with a Sound Identity.

I watched the movie "The Social Network" a couple days ago and during the first remnance of the movie music score I identified the musician responsible. I did know that Trent Reznor had won an Oscar for best original score of a movie, but I honestly did not remember which movie it was. Once I heard it, I knew immediately. He owns his own sound. No one can replicate it, and it can't be confused with anyone else. Once you hear it, you know that it is him. I have a history of listening to Nine Inch Nails so I was familiar with the sound created by Trent Reznor, but I had never heard any of the music from the movie until I watched it.



I was facinated that I could identify it as Trent Reznor almost immediately and it made me try to think of other artists who have their own musical identity. i could not think of any, but my wife came up with one that I agree on. Enya. She, like Trent, owns her musical identity. I challenge everyone to come up with others who can unmistakeably be identified upon hearing material for the first time.

Bottom Line - Originality is hard to achieve due to the massive population of creative people in this world making art and music.