ear FUNnel
“Tune into the Opus of our Lives”
A small, whimsical, mobile, interactive, sound amplifier.
Created by Pattibird Johnson, for Playhouse Arts, 2026 Outside Arts Project, Arcata, CA.
A nano bite of Sound Mechanics
Sound is the energy produced when objects vibrate. Water molecules falling over rocks or bouncing against one another, the vocals of birds or people, air swaying leaves and branches, cars and machines rattling are examples of vibrations creating sound. These vibrations force the air surrounding an object to vibrate as well. The vibrating air is called a sound wave. Sound waves push & pull, bunch & bend, air back and forth from the vibrating object, ultimately resonating out away from it. The invisible sound waves travel through, air, water, glass, wood, metal. Sound waves are marvelously “fluid”, they can bend, reflect, echo, spread out, and funnel; until eventually they lose energy and fade. But they must travel through a medium to continue vibrating. We know this because there is no sound in a vacuum. (This is unlike light waves, which can travel through a vacuum. As when sun rays travel from the surface of the sun through space to reach earth.) We hear when sound waves vibrate little bones in our ears; which literally touches a nerve in our brain – hence the phrase “it touched a nerve”. Consequently, sound resonates deep within the body, with a big impact on the nervous system. (Think of how it feels to stand next a thunderous waterfall, or speakers at a concert, or a choir singing.) As such, our bodies have a remarkable physiological response to the deep resonating way in which we hear sound. As does every-living-being on the planet.
Generally, natural sounds relax us. These subtle sounds are largely, non-abrasive or jarring, and have a low decibel frequency; sounds most people find soothing or joyous. Noisy sounds are louder, with a greater amplitude than that of natural acoustic sounds; and, in my experience, travel surprising distances before they fade. The pesky thing is, us humans make a lot of noise, in fact most modern human generated sounds are noise: think engines, machines, alarms. Discouragingly, our noisy sounds are pulsing out across the planet overriding the natural sounds.
Every environment on earth has an audible arrangement of sounds unique to its particular location. It encompasses all the soft and/or loud natural sounds of the earth: birds, water, and wind in trees; human voices, song, laughter; and, noises (which are always human-generated): engines, machinery, and alarms (as examples), audible within a particular area. This is called a Soundscape.
A high-quality soundscape comprises a diversity of sound sources; where not any one sound dominates over the others. Acoustic diversity is influenced by topography, land management, seasons, and proximity to humans and human-made structural elements.
Why sound?
Sound…beautiful, beautiful sound (and not so beautiful sounds) – there you are everywhere.
I’m convinced my ears are hyper-wired to hear sound (sometimes this feels like a super power, and other times a curse). So enamored with sound, every day I go outside – just to listen. The melody of bird song, children laughing, popcorn popping! Undoubtedly my ears will pick up a sound, a voice, a song my heart will find delightful, my soul a salve.
My favorite sounds are natural sounds, the sounds generated by earthly things (human voices included!). There are times however, when the hub bub of human noise overrides and drowns out earthly sounds. Being human and living in community requires the acceptance of both: natural-soothing and jarring-noisy sounds. Combined, with a pleasing balance, natural and noisy can be quite lovely, forming a charming composition of human life on earth. But if we are out of practice with listening, how are we to know if the natural sound, noise ratio is out of balance? And unfortunately, studies have shown instead of analytically thinking about noise, people are turning up the volume to drown it out. The result is two things: missing hearing earth’s beautiful subtler sounds, and pulsing more noise out into the world.
I created the Ear FUNnel – sound amplifier to inspire deeper listening, of all sounds within a soundscape: delightful, soothing, and grating. I choose a psuedo-science meets whimsy, circus-esque design with the aim of drawing people in. My hope is visitors will pause and consciously listen to the world around them at that moment in time. The Ear FUNnels can aid in teasing out the natural sounds, the noise; especially the subtler sounds weaving, behind, around, and in-between our busy lives. I want visitors to find the delight in listening!
It is an honor to share my hearing super power, especially at a time when we are turning more and more away from nature. Art plays an important role in fostering expansion of ideas and connection to place. Sound related art is an imaginative way to showcase and celebrate the opus of soundscapes. Perhaps, awareness of sound in our lives will encourage promotion of what is loved; and critical thinking about what is not. (Possibly even Citizen Science documentation or a Science Fair Project!) For me, listening deeply has enriched my relationship with my community and the earth we are all entwined. I want this for you – lets celebrate the sounds we love!
(So enamored with sound I went on a multi-year quest to find Quiet, right here in the Public Wild Lands of NW California. This webpage is devoted to the slow-moving creation of a regional car camping guide based on finding Quiet – on that quest.)
Playing with the ear FUNnels
- Before you put your ear to a FUNnel amplifier pause and listen for a moment – listen to the soundscape around you.
- Now step up to a funnel and “look” through your ears!
- Closing your eyes may help. This will isolate your since of hearing.
- Can you hear the subtler sounds hidden behind loud dominate ones? The FUNnels can aid in isolating these sounds.
- What is the farthest sound you can you hear?
- What sounds do you find soothing or joyful?
- Could you feel the sound in your whole body?
- What sounds do you find jarring?
- Did listening to the Opus of this soundscape – make you want to cheer or flee?
Ear FUNnel creation
The project is very low pro; there are no electronic devices or such. But it’s amazing how low pro tinkering can elevate the simpliest of experiences. Designing the ear funnels straight-away I realized a couple of things. First, metal funnels sound best, plastic and wood let sound pass thru the sides, which included sounds the funnel was not aimed at. Secondly, although sound waves can travel long distances, when compressed – as in a funnel, they dissipate quickly. So, bigger was not necessarily better. I started out with seven funnels but pared it down to 5 to maximize the capturing of sound around the circus-esque cart. Most of the materials used in the creatation of this project were reclaimed and salvaged, including the bolts, washers, and hose clamps.
- The Earball. Not a FUNnel but a parabolical disc. The sounds captured in the Earball are amplified, but individual sounds are less defined as sound sweeps around the bowl and back out. The Earball is fastened to a telescoping pole for maximum capture and fun.
- The Sound Scoop. The Scoop does just as the name implies, heaps in a lot of sound.
- The Focus FUNnel. It is small but mighty. Mounted on a telescoping pole which swivels, the Focus FUNnel can be specifically directed to capture a sound(s).
- The Echo Cone. Works similarly to the Focus FUNnel.
- The Ear Drum. The amplification of this FUNnel allows for very subtle and distance sounds to be heard. It’s a real treat for the ears. The Drum is mounted on a swivel/swing arm.
Cheerfully Loud Thank Yous go to…
Jackie Dandaneau of Playhouse Arts for encouraging and supporting this idea. My fabricator, Mr. J of PJ’s Handman Services. You are a first rate salvager. The Arcata Art Center for the sign painting advice and the paint. Malia Matsumoto for the cart idea. Ana Johnson for listening and creative help with the sign painting.
And, Thank You for visiting. Hope your time with the ear FUNnels brought joy to your day, and broadened your relationship with the sound. (If you are reading this but unable to visit the Ear FUNnels, step outside, cup your ears and listen!)
My wish above all… stay curious, and Tune into the Opus of our Lives!
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