Noise is a constant it is around us and sometimes the noise is something we like and we want it loud, others times the noise is something we do not want and we want it quiet. An interesting book which looks at the subject is the book Noise – A Human History of Sound and Listening by David Henry, HarperCollins, NY, 2013. The book is based on the radio program which ran on the BBC in England.

From the theatres of part 1 the next chapter is about persuasion. When US President Barack Obama spoke in Chicago’s Grant Park it was a great speech. It showed Obama’s eloquence was one of his key election weapons. It persuaded his supporters to feel hopeful and his opponents to feel generous. It encouraged them all to believe in the things he did. It was partly what he said, and partly a manner how he said it – of cadence as well as content. The art of persuasion is about changing minds, it is about the audience’s skills. It is the listener who has to interpret the words and perhaps detect the falsehoods or manipulations designed to get their vote. Many years ago, in Roman times the master was one of the world’s greatest orators: Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Cicero showed that in ancient Rome good oratory before the voting public was the supreme political skill: you had no hope of gaining public office if you could not speak well. The public is just as cynical as today as there is a fine line between being persuaded and being cajoled and misdirected. The tricks of the trade include:using rhetoric to join two ideas together; ideas are unfurled in threes; drawing attention to a subject by circling it rather than discussing it directly. Use repetition of ideas as well as the end of the sentence for the audience to grasp easily the direction you want them to do. The voice will use different tones and reflections and using the audience’s reaction to enhance the speech for they will have to do something.

From the speaker to the noises of the city to the noises of the sporting arenas – some noise is welcomed. Think about the 12th Man in Seattle – the crowd noise. In other venues such as a concert hall or golf games, that is too much noise .During the football  games it is welcomed and encouraged. In the Middle Ages the best way to communicate was by the bell. The sounds of the bell because people tended to live close meant either church services or a call to action if danger was nearby. In the Industrial Age the bell was topped by the factory whistle. There are other sounds the book discusses such as the noise of war and music.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, when the company makes a profit and pays a dividend there are sounds to be heard from Wall Street to Main Street as the payments are delivered to the shareholders. Part of being a good President of a company is to give the annual report to the shareholders and all listeners wish to hear a good speaker. There are methods to deliver a good speech, however continually delivering increasing dividend payments to shareholders for many have many listening to your words.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.