Realizing Silence is Empty
The Power of Background Sounds
Has the quiet ever sounded too loud to you?
Have your thoughts replaced background sounds in a silent room?
Were the sounds of your own body louder than anything else around you?
Welcome to Rear Tone!
I talk about the background sounds I used to hate.
These include:
- Traffic
- Neighbor’s music
- Neighbor’s roaring engine or motorcycle (South Park already covered the motorcycle, so we don’t have to)
- A TV playing in the other room (sports, essentially)
- Fans screaming over said sports
- Sirens or trains
If you’re in the city, you probably know what I’m talking about, but if you’ve moved to a remote location like I have, you’ll switch from hearing to listening.
Here, I write about everyday life through sound:
- The first night in a new place that feels too still
- Missing noises I once found annoying
- Filling silence with music, fans, or distant voices
- Learning when quiet becomes peaceful instead of unsettling
Listen closely.
I didn’t set out to write about sound. I was originally writing about productivity tools with my friend, MK. It started when I moved and suddenly everything was quieter than I was used to.