We’re blown away to be nominated at two different awards this week. Today it’s the Music+Sound Awards, where our work with the European Society of Cardiology is in the finals in the “Best Sound Design – Branding + Idents” category.
The Music+Sound Awards are the world’s first and only global awards programme to recognise and celebrate the indispensable role and contribution that music and sound design play in the media. We’re big advocates of this – our work values sound just as much as traditional music.
Sound also plays a huge part in our work with the European Society of Cardiology. At the heart of ESC’s audio identity is its sonic logo. Its rhythm is inspired by the sound of a human heartbeat. The resulting event soundscapes use a lot of sound too. For example, the “nature” soundscape (intended for rest and relaxation), uses birdsong, which is the natural sound most commonly associated with perceived stress recovery and mental attention [1] and may help evoke the restorative benefits of natural surroundings [2]. Its tempo is slow, which has been shown to modulate stress and decrease blood pressure and heart rate – an apt benefit, given ESC’s cardiovascular mission [3].
We’ll have our fingers crossed over the next two weeks – the winners of the Music+Sound Awards are announced mid July.
References
Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2013). Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Journal of Environmental Psychology.