Innovation Happens

For students Anne-Marie Shaver (PhD in Musicology) and Hunter Langenhorst (undergraduate student in Music and Culture, and Spanish literature), music has long been an important part of life. The Acoustic Ecology Lab offers unique ways to embrace that passion. “Every single sound we hear has its sonic niche. Whether it’s the birds chirping, or the wind, or gravel creaking as people walk…every single sound has a frequency,” Hunter explains. “Losing that special frequency can give us hints about what is happening in the environment, and the ecology, in that place. Studying those sounds, or lack of sounds, is what the lab does.” Simply put, the Acoustic Ecology Lab is using sound to understand what is happening in our environments. Stemming from the pioneering work of Dr. Garth Paine in Acoustic Ecology, and with the help and vision of co-director Professor Sabine Feisst, the lab features an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, engineers, music enthusiasts, and environmentalists. Learn about the lab’s