Stephen E. Bacher" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>BTW, are we about to witness the irresistible force of the trend toward
>piping classical music into areas of juvenile congregation confronting
>the immovable object of the PipeDown movement?
>
>Where do we stand when it's "our" music that's being piped in?

The position of Pipedown, and its members, is that *silence* is the
required ideal in all public places.

A MORI poll in The Sunday Times (1997) revealed that piped music (aka
muzac) was third in the list of things that people hated the most.  The
first two items in the list also related to noise.  Of those over 45 in
social groups A-B - a clear majority hated it.

In April 1994 Gatwick Airport carried out a survey on its use of piped
muzac.  A total of 68,077 people were asked.  The results were:  those that
disliked it 43%, those that liked it 34%; the remainder had no opinion.
This is the largest survey conducted to date.  Gatwick ceased its music
immediately.  Heathrow remains a nightmare.

The UK supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury have undertaken not to
introduce muzac and the Co-op chain has just made all its stores muzac-free
thanks to the efforts of Pipedown.

There are no published surveys or opinion polls showing any level of
approval or support for piped music nor any evidence that it promotes sales
in retail stores etc.  Indeed, a survey at the medical school of Nottingham
University showed that 215 blood donors were made more nervous by the piped
music before giving and became more depressed afterwards.  Amongst the deaf
86% hate it as it interferes with their hearing-aids!  The Royal National
Institute for the Deaf now supports Pipedown.  The blind are similarly
upset, as it disorientates them.

Although psychologists may have worked out that Mozart is more agreeable in
general terms than other "musics" one's taste in music has nothing whatever
to do with the issue.

For those visiting UK there is an excellent publication from The Daily
Telegraph called <The Quiet Pint> which lists all pubs that are free of
musac, juke-boxes etc.  I can supply the address privately.  Here in Spain
one finds some of the noisiest people in Europe and our supermarkets sound
like third-world airports.  The battle is far from won!

The use of CM to control hooligans is an appalling affront to one of the
greatest artistic achievements of the human mind and should be strongly
resisted, but that's another issue.  My thanks to DL for the space I have
taken.

John G. Deacon
Pipedown: The Campaign for Freedom from Piped Music
http://www.btinternet.com/~pipedown