ABSTRACT
In an era of extensive urban noise pollution overloaded with meaningless saturated acoustic information, the sudden and dramatic drop of long-standing anthropogenic noises during the COVID-19 lockdown allowed for soft sounds which were previously masked, such as the song of birds, to emerge on the acoustic surface. This chapter argues that the ubiquitous lockdown not only changed the perceived sonic environment by revealing hidden soundscapes, but also redefined our qualitative hearing: it unveiled a forgotten latent acoustic memory which was inactive for a long period due to the prevalence of lo-fi soundscapes, and the salami sound effect in urban areas. The reminiscences of transparent soundscapes have emerged once again, refreshing our memory, unfolding the necessity of acoustic transparency in our environment, and sensitising our ears and brain to vulnerable sounds. Even after decades of living in noisy environments, the latent memory of transparent soundscapes persists, and can be revealed by the song of a single bird. The chapter also suggests that constant noise and the salami sound effect may interfere with our latent learning processes, the ability to create auditory cognitive maps of the environment, and with the motivation to enjoy and explore the full range of soundscapes.
