With sound having significant influence on the way we interpret the world around us, leading composer and producer, Joel Beckerman, has offered his perspective on using the medium to create the world’s greatest experiences.

Beckerman, founder of Man Made Music – an international firm specialising in harnessing the emotional power of sound – believes that to create an experience that has a tangible emotional effect, contrast is key, with less often being more when it comes to total immersion through sound in a visitor experience.

“Immersive sound, where the sound and music pulls audiences ‘in’ to an experience, is vital. If we are constantly pushing sound ‘out’ at people, it can get very wearing,” said Beckerman, speaking to Attractions Management.

“Contrast is key to creating a soundtrack story. Surprise after surprise might raise the heart rate, but there are no effective surprises without contrast. It’s similar to creating a horror movie soundtrack, where the set up before the scare is everything. Creating a greater sense of surprise in an attraction has more to do with what comes before or after and the quality of the surprise has everything to do with tricking the mind into thinking that it knows what’s coming next and then breaking that expectation. It’s not just about volume or the startle.”

When creating a new project, Beckerman said that the first thing Man Made do is to decide what emotion the audience should feel in each moment – thinking equally about foreground, mid-ground and background sound. As part of this process, Beckerman and his team discover where sound can make a big difference in an attraction and where it can’t, creating a complete canvas on which to paint – or not paint – their pictures.

“White space, or perceived silence, is becoming more important as attractions get more complex,” said Beckerman. “The trick is not to try to create ‘silence’ but create simple ambiences that mask sound, or perceived silence. These ambiences can be quite specific in terms of their emotional takeaway. They can make you feel a sense of calm, anticipation, magic, wide open space. It’s an incredibly powerful tool.

“Sound and music are the glue that holds an attraction together, tying every stage of the experience together to complete the illusion,” he continued. “The vast majority of the time when an attraction is not all that it could be, it has something to do with the soundtrack. You can’t have a great attraction with a mediocre soundtrack.”

For more on soundscapes and how to create the best immersive experiences, check out the latest edition of Attractions Management, available now.