Against Instrumentalization

SONIC ROOM resists reducing sound to a means. Contemporary discourse tends to instrumentalize audio. Music becomes a tool for productivity enhancement, stress reduction, mood management. Its value is measured by what it produces: focus, calm, energy. The listening experience serves ends external to itself. SONIC ROOM proposes an alternative. The experience is intrinsically valuable. Listening to extraordinary sonic works in optimal conditions is worthwhile in itself, regardless of subsequent effects on productivity or mood. The encounter is the point. SONIC ROOM honors sound as a cultural medium, not a wellness commodity. It asks visitors to approach the archive as they would approach a museum collection: with attention, respect, and openness to surprise.