Noise, like other sound, is the result of physical events that take place through space and in time, but unlike other sounds, noise is a nomad; it has no place to go once it has departed; it just gets absorbed into the materiality of the space that surrounds it. Sound, on the other hand, has a destination. Sound is more than often generated to perform functions of communication and affect. Although both sound and noise are always unwillingly received, it’s only sound that is welcome whereas noise is a repellent or is destroyed. However, the ear of the beholder governs the distinction between noise and sound. Noise and sound mutate in and out of one another. Structures, intensities, documentation, reverberation, manipulation, and many other intended or non-intended interventions dictate whether vibrations are received or dismissed as noise. Both can be structured to create music but music itself can be received as either music, sound, or noise depending on the ear of the beholder.
