Page 71 - Winter2021

well-known to me until somewhat recently, frequency. The importance of frequency came into view about a year ago when I really began to notice my brother (who has low-functioning autism) watching loops of YouTube videos on his iPad in the G major frequency. He would skip around a short list of videos, looping bits and pieces of them over and over, lowering his face to the screen and staring with utmost intent as he flapped his arms wildly. He would do this every day for hours at a time. Although quite perplexing and disheartening to watch, his response to these videos intrigued me. What could it be about the sound patterns in the G major frequency, over other sound frequencies, that my brother liked so much? How does frequency really affect our hearing? What can we do to learn more about frequency, and how can it be used for good? These kinds of questions continue to fill my mind to this day as I dig deeper into the hidden world of sound frequency.
Back in January 2021, I was struck with the idea to create some sort of resource for sound concepts, music theory, and perfect pitch that could be easily learned by anyone who wanted to learn it. I knew that these were merely skills that could be picked up, not talents only a lucky few were born with. I learned a lot of musical and acoustical content in the three years I was trained, but I knew I could not only condense this knowledge down but also put my own spin on it so that anyone would be able to catch on in as little as weeks. And that’s how Perfect Pitch Fluency (see perfectpitchfluency.com) came to be. Launched at the end of March 2021, this website aims to provide com- prehensive, yet digestible, resources for people to master perfect pitch quickly and increase their understanding on related concepts in the realms of frequency, music theory, and other aspects of sound. It is completely free of charge to access and is continuously expanding in development. Instagram (see instagram.com/perfectpitchfluency) and Facebook (see facebook.com/perfectpitchfluency) pages have been created and filled with insightful content, and a monthly newsletter and series of seasonal seminars are in the works (as of July 2021).
Looking back from when I started truly learning about the world of sound almost six years ago to where I am today, I couldn’t be more proud of how I’ve been able
to expand my perspective on sound as I know it. But I do understand that so much more can be learned. I am elated to see where else my sound journey will take me, and I look forward to the excitement of pursuing acousti- cal endeavors beyond my high-school career.
Contact Information
Brooke Dougherty
brookeathenadougherty@gmail.com
Coronado High School
1001 Coronado Center Drive Henderson, Nevada 89052, USA
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Reflections
Don’t miss Reflections, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America’s series that takes a look back on historical articles that have had a significant impact on the sci- ence and practice of acoustics.
See these articles at:
acousticstoday.org/forums-reflections
Winter 2021 • Acoustics Today 71