The Charlotte Symphony determined it needs a sonic brand, so it obtained a composer to put in writing a seven-second piece of music for the orchestra.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
It is not every single day that an orchestra commissions a brand new piece of music, particularly one designed to final just some seconds. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra did simply that. They needed what is known as a sonic brand, and now it is probably the primary U.S. orchestra to have one. Eric Teel with member station WFAE in Charlotte was on the unveiling.
ERIC TEEL, BYLINE: Sonic logos are all over the place, like…
(SOUNDBITE OF NETFLIX’S SONIC LOGO)
TEEL: …The ta-dum (ph) from Netflix or…
(SOUNDBITE OF NBC’S SONIC LOGO)
TEEL: …NBC’s iconic three chimes, and even…
(SOUNDBITE OF T-MOBILE’S SONIC LOGO)
TEEL: …This little deedle (ph) factor of T-Cell. So when the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra lately up to date its visible brand to a big C, music director Kwame Ryan thought, why not get a sonic brand?
KWAME RYAN: The concept is that when individuals hear a sound that they affiliate with the orchestra, simply as they do within the cinema, they know that the subsequent factor that occurs is an occasion.
TEEL: Ryan enlisted the assistance of Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates. Bates says whereas he needed to seize the depth and pleasure of a symphony’s efficiency in just some seconds, he’d by no means composed something that brief.
MASON BATES: It is arduous in a enjoyable means as a result of you do not have the luxurious of constructing any type of a case. You must type of pull the listener in instantly.
TEEL: Sonic logos are vital instruments for advertising merchandise, says Susan Rogers, a behavioral neuroscientist and writer of “This Is What It Sounds Like.” She specializes within the emotional affect of sound.
SUSAN ROGERS: If in that first few seconds, the mind decides – that is for me; I like this; please proceed – you’ll proceed to pay attention additional. Orchestral music is related to type of a intellectual tradition. But when the piece of music is absolutely catchy and memorable, it might additionally welcome in a brand new era of listeners.
TEEL: For composer Mason Bates, it was vital that the seven-second piece confirmed off the total orchestra.
BATES: I needed to have a way of, like, magic and thriller of issues swirling collectively, the place you may hear the totally different particular person devices type of increase out of this, like, quicksilver primordial soup.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
TEEL: The brand new sonic brand was unveiled as a part of the symphony’s season-opening live performance.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S SONIC LOGO)
TEEL: Season ticket holder John Stanley Ross was thrilled and likes that it will likely be used throughout intermission on the intercom.
JOHN STANLEY ROSS: It is very skilled. It is iconic. And it is a lot better than dimming the lights, you already know? Listening to this lovely music is – OK, time to go get our seats. It is a great factor.
TEEL: The sonic brand will even be utilized in radio and TV adverts for the orchestra, however because of recording agreements with the nationwide musicians union, it will likely be this studio model created by Bates.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S SONIC LOGO)
TEEL: For NPR Information, I am Eric Teel in Charlotte.
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative document of NPR’s programming is the audio document.
