Episode 3

1.According to Krukowski, what are the main differences between a microphone and a cellphone and why is this difference important?

According to Krukowski, the major differences between a microphone and a cellphone is that we are able to control the proximity effect with microphone, but cellphone can not.As we all know, the sounds we speak out to cellphone will get worse quality when switching to digital form.No matter how close we speak to cellphones, there is no proximity effect.On the contrary,if we speak closely to microphones, we can convey our feelings and emotions well to the listener.It’s quite significant because we want listeners listen our voice through electronic devices as real as possible, we can better express our related feelings by microphones, and cellphone is more like a simple communication device.

 2.What do Krukowski and Gary Tomlinson, the professor he interviews, assert about the “musical” qualities of the voice and how are these changed by digital transmission?

Professor Gary Tomlinson states that our ability to communicate with the nonverbal parts of our voices goes so deep, not only in our memories from childhood, it’s coded into the genetic makeup of species itself. Hence he asserts that the musical quality of our voice is also an important nonverbal part of our voice to communicate. However, as the technology develops, the digital transmission has decreased the musical quality of voice because the nonverbal quality of our voice will get lost in digital transmission.Scientists still need to work harder to keep sounds real as it supposed to be when transmit into digital form.

3.What is the significance of Krukowski’s comments on the voice to ideas about community and interpersonal connection?

Krukowski comments that digital tools make the voice to ideas about community and interpersonal connection possible to share our words at great distances, but they fail us in so many ways as we try to communicate one to one.This is absolutely a great technique which provides opportunities for people to talk without the limit of distance.However, this technique still has many deficiencies can be improved. Once we can overcome these limits in the digital transmission of voice, these digital tools will make our life and work better.

Episode 4

 1. Krukowski begins by discussing the issue of music file sharing. What is your opinion of this issue? Should music be freely available or should one have to pay? 

As far as I am concerned, whether or not people should pay for music depends on the form of music.For example, if a musician published a song, then in order to appreciate this song, we should pay for it because the musician spent lots of time and money to create the song.However,it should not be set as expensive, otherwise not too many people can listen to it.I think music is a nonverbal “language”, we can use music to communicate with people from all over the world. What’s more, music has the magic to cure our broken heart and relief our anxiety.It’s also the reason why many music artists would like to create music works.

2.How does this episode represent the relationships between music, community, and culture?

Music is a art work created by human beings.The creators always would like to share their feelings, minds and experience through music to their listeners.Therefore music work certainly will contain the creator’s culture and thoughts.What’ more, a creator from particular place can connect better with people from particular community by his music works.It’s because they have similar cultures and backgrounds.And what messages the creator conveys can be easily accepted by those people.Overall, music work can reflect creator’s and culture and it is definitely a great tool to connect with communities and people.

3.Does charging money for music impede the formation of communities around this music or does it help support the circulation of music?

From my perspective, I believe that charging money for music could help support circulation of music.We all know that a person needs to study many knowledge of music to become a musician, it will cost it plenty of money and time.Besides, musician is not a job can easily money.Because the judgement of a song is quite subjective, the creator might love his music work very much, but listeners can not appreciate its value.And as time passed, many musician will give up his music career and work on other industries.Therefore ,charging money for music can make those potential  musicians stay in the area of music and create more wonderful songs.