PART ONE
Somewhere in the Silence
We begin our incomplete history of music at the very beginning of everything, The Big Bang, where conditions come into being so that sound can exist in the first place. We explore the difference between music and sound and debate whether music is uniquely human or do birds and whales just sing for fun.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE & INSTITUTIONS IN THIS EPISODE
Exclusive interviews in order of appearance in Part One
Dr Katie Mack
Astrophysicist and author
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Professor Chris Lintott
Astrophysicist, Broadcaster and author
Website | Bluesky
Phil Wright
Live sound designer and engineer
Website
Professor Helen Czerski
Physicist, oceanographer, broadcaster and author
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Dr Orchisama Das
Audio and acoustic researcher
Website
Rob Hudson
Associate Archivist Carnegie Hall
Website | Instagram
Philip Ball
Science writer
Website | Bluesky
Ginny Smith
Neuroscientist writer and presenter
Website | Instagram
Ben Jaffe
Musician and creative director of Preservation Hall
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Dr Clio Doyle
Lecturer in Modern Early literature Queen Mary University
Website
Steve Pretty
Musician
Website | Instagram
Dr Emily Doolittle
Zoomusicolologist
Website
Dominic Couzens
Nature writer and birdwatching expert
Website
Nitin Sawhney
Musician and composer
Website | nitinsawhney | Bluesky
PIQSIQ
Musicians
Website | Instagram
Natalie Haynes
Classicist, broadcaster and author
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Professor Armand D’Angour
Classicist and ancient music expert
Website
Charlotte Carpenter
Musician
Website | Instagram
Some of the institutions releavant to this episode
The Cosmic Shambles Network
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Kings Place Music Foundation
Website | Instagram
The Royal Institution
Website | Instagram
Preservation Hall
Website | Instagram
Carnegie Hall
Website | Instagram
The Laura Kinsella Foundation
FURTHER READING LIST
If you’d like to dig into any of the topics in this episode a little deeper, you can subscribe to our Patreon for upcoming extended interviews or pick up one of the books below. These are books by the interviewees featured in this episode, books we read in our research and recommended fascinating books of the topics covered.
- The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack Buy it
- Our Accidental Universe: Stories of Discovery from Asteroids to Aliens by Chris Lintott Buy It
- Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski Buy It
- Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World by Helen Czerski Buy It
- The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can’t Do Without It by Philip Ball Buy It
- Overloaded: How Every Aspect of Your Life is Influenced by Your Brain Chemicals by Ginny Smith Buy It
- From the Vault: Studies in Taylor Swift, from Lyrics to Literature by Clio Doyle Buy It
- Why Dylan Matters by Richard F Thomas Buy It
- A Year of Birdsong: 52 Stories of Songbirds by Dominic Couzens Buy It
- Preservation Hall by Eve Abrams Buy It
- Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes Buy It
PLAYLIST
Each episode we’ll present you with a playlist of all the songs featured, mentioned or discussed in the episode. Enjoy the playlist and if you do discover some new music you enjoy, please do buy the album or single and support the artists!
Part One Playlist
- Bobby Cole – Vintage Johnson Blues
- Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now
- AC/DC – Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
- Cold Chisel – Flame Trees
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – God is in the House
- Air – Sexy Boy
- Burt Bacharach – Alfie
- The Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash
- House Of Pain – Jump Around
- The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
- Tom Waits – Clap Hands
- Minnie Riperton – Lovin’ You
- London Symphony Orchestra – Claire de Lune
- Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzier and Dizzier
- Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone
- Hackney Colliery Band; (feat. Valeria Clarke) – Fluoresce
- Hackney Colliery Band (feat. Mulatu Astatke) – Netsanet
- Emily Doolittle; Maria Mannisto; Paul Taub; Laura DeLuca; Matthew Kocmieroski; Mikhail Shmidt; Joe Kaufman; Julia Tai – No. 2, All Spring
- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: III. Allegro assai
- GoGo Penguin (feat. Daudi Matsiko) – Forgive the Damages
- Piqsiq – Ijiraq: Shapeshifter
- Nitin Sawhney (feat. Anna Phoebe) – Movement – Variation I
- The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
- Charlotte Carpenter – You Look Free And I’m Not
QUIZ
How closely were you paying attention? Take our episode quiz to test yourself, your friends, your family, your children, random passers by…
1. What was the sound like at the beginning of the Universe?
White noise. ‘Crap’ is also an acceptable answer.
2. What type of animal had the first thing that we might recognise as a modern ear?
A reptile. Or more specifically Bashkyroleter mesensis.
3. In the physics of sound, what does frequency determine?
How high or low something sounds.
4. Prior to the iconic Carnegie Hall, how many concert halls had its architect William Tuthill designed?
None. Zip. Nada. Zero.
5. Which animal provided the inspiration for Emily Dolittle’s musical piece highlighted in the episode?
A European Blackbird.
6. What year did Bob Dylan win the Nobel Prize for Literature?
2016.
7. Can you name the legendary actor that appears as Hamlet in this episode?
Why it’s none other than Sir John Gielgud.
8. Who are the nine muses the daughters of in Greek mythology?
Zeus and Mnemosyne.
9. What are the two main reasons we know of that the toothed whales ‘sing’?
To communicate within their pod and to echo locate.
10. What is the oldest and most indestructible matter known to modern science?
Keith Richards.
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