If you've ever caught an experimental jazz band dishing out wild, improvisational numbers, perhaps you've witnessed it: some listeners are emotionally transported by a pleasing experience that pushes the boundaries of sound, while others wince at what they hear as only noise.
How can people interpret the same sounds so differently? The answer is timbre, according to Zachary Wallmark, an assistant professor of musicology at the University of Oregon.
Timbre-that's pronounced "TAM-ber" not "TIM-ber"-is the quality of sound that makes each instrument and voice unique. Wallmark, of the School of Music and Dance, explores timbre and what draws listeners to a particular sound in the latest video for "Understood," a collection of animated micro-lessons by UO faculty who unpack challenging questions and interesting ideas.
"People have been grappling with the mysteries of music since antiquity," Wallmark said. "Of course there are the unique notes, rhythms and lyrics that make up your favorite songs. But there's also something about musical experience that's hard to describe but absolutely essential: timbre."
