Even at a young age, stereophonic technology stood out to David MacRunnel. His ear was already picking up on distinctions between mono and stereo sound, which he heard on vinyl in his mother’s collection of classical music and historical recordings.
MacRunnel, 34, is still fascinated by the power of the stereophonic sound. He joined “St. Louis on the Air” ahead of a presentation this weekend at the St. Louis Science Center that highlights the ways stereo changed the listening experience, particularly for those listening at home.
To provide an example of the expanded space, depth and breadth made possible by stereo, MacRunnel created an audio file of Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” — popularized by Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey” — that starts in mono and moves to stereo.
The world of music, like film, has been made richer by tools that allow artists to play with listeners’ perception of sound. A musician can manipulate the left and right fields “to create something completely artificial but its own art form,” MacRunnel said. He recommended that people slow down to pay attention to what they’re hearing.
On Saturday, MacRunnel and his partner, Katie Cahill, will present a listening experience as part of “Up Late: Experience Sound,” a ticketed event at the St. Louis Science Center for adults 21 and over.
“The biggest thing to have a rich listening experience is intentionality,” MacRunnel said. “So much of it is actually sitting down and listening. … Make it the focal point of what you do.”
To hear the full conversation with David MacRunnel, listen to “St. Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube or click the play button below.
Stereo changed how we experience sound
Related Event
What: Up Late: Experience Sound
When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. July 25
Where: St. Louis Science Center, 550 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.