Dan Mayfield - School of Noise

Dan Mayfield is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound artist and author who founded the School of Noise in 2015, which delivers workshops on both the science and creativity of sound to children and families around the world.  

He studied Sound Engineering at college and Acoustic Ecology at University while also playing violin as a session musician for bands such as Deron Johnson and Carter USM.

So many previous guests on The Quiet Mark Podcast share how they played instruments in bands before embarking on sound and acoustic related careers; varying from the sound design of household products for global brands, to the acoustic design of some of the world’s most iconic buildings.

It was therefore a joy speaking to Dan as somebody who offers that educational foundation to future generations. Recently, Gov UK and Ofsted have acknowledged the lack of music education in school with a released report asking that students learn music up until the end of key stage 3 as the number of students taking music at Key stage 4 and 5 continues to decline. 

The School of Noise encourages an exploration of music and sound with its aim being to provide creative and imaginative activities using sound in accessible, fun and educative ways. Dan took us through the journey of its founding; 

“I grew up in Lincolnshire. My parents are both folk musicians and my dad ran a folk club so I grew up with mostly that type of music. I learnt the violin and played the fiddle for Irish folk bands around the town. I also listened to grunge and a lot of styles of music growing up.” 

“During my early 20s, while studying sound engineering and music tech at college, a tutor played our class John Cage’s 4′33″ and it blew my mind in a way no other piece of music had done. That piece just opens your ears and imagination to sound and about how music isn’t just music. Unlike other songs I’d heard, it didn’t seem to fall into a compartmentalised organised sound. This piece included everything that made a noise and evoked movement and complex layers and insight to sound and the role it plays in our lives. From then on I just paid much more attention to sound and learnt how to play around with recording and audio stations.”

“For the following ten years, I found myself collecting ideas, artists, instruments and technology and I wanted a place to share them. I started to run some workshops in Hackney, in East London, for 7-12 year olds. We played a lot on drum machines, synthesizers and morse code keys. My message was that these instruments are not precious enough to not be touched. I wanted to find equipment that was robust enough to be played on but not be traditional children’s musical instruments. It felt like some of these instruments were only available for adults in studios and I wanted them to be shared. I enjoy finding information about sound and passing it on to other people. I do feel as if I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none sometimes but other people seem to enjoy it and that brings me a lot of joy. That was the beginning of the School of Noise.” 

We see children interact with flat, buttonless telephone screens. Furthermore, due to music’s digital evolution, children of today don’t necessarily witness the physical creation of sound in a way that they might through watching a needle land on a vinyl and sound come out, for example. We wondered about some of the amazing reactions Dan witnesses and asked Dan about what it’s like watching children of this technical era witness the creation of sound. 

“Most children I come across are bold when it comes to giving things a go. It's often us as adults that are anxious of what might go wrong because we have seen things break in the past but most of the time this isn’t the case.” 

The School of Noise’s website also states that the workshops offered are tailored for anyone willing to have fun and explore with sound. “We offer two types of workshops, one is more of a formal talk/interactive session and I take those into schools for example and we talk about what sound is, its energy and how our ears convert acoustic energy into electrical energy and how a microphone does the same as ears. We even have a giant ear that, in non-Covid times, the children pass round which is fun. In that session we sample sounds and turn them into something more rhythmic and musical. We also lay out tables with scientific equipment (such as tuning forks) and musical instruments like a waterphone which is two metal bowls welded together and a pipe sticking out the middle. Most people haven’t heard of the name but when they hear the sound it's easily recognisable. There is water inside that moves as you play and thus changes the tone as you play.” 

Dan played his waterphone for us live over Zoom and the instrument did release a familiar and rather fantastical sound. “I want the workshops to be interesting for everyone in the room whether its parents, teachers or children. I want everyone to get stuck in.”

We also spoke about the freedom School of Noise is bringing children by allowing them to play in a zone free of rules and restrictions. Interestingly, Dan informed us that the more obscure and unheard of instruments tend to encourage more playfulness among the children. 

“Some instruments we used in the past, which didn’t work as well, tended to be instruments that people already have an expectation about. One was a synth, for example. When the children tried to play it they tried to play things they were familiar with on the piano. I like to set the room up in a way where the instruments are unrecognisable because with a quick introduction, children get it immediately. You get a response straightaway. There are already enough opportunities surrounding traditional instrumentation and so we want to create a space outside the box.” 

Recently, Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba in China - the world’s biggest online commerce company - spoke at Davos about AI. He said that of the many of the things we teach in academics around the world, AI will be able to do quicker and faster. He went on to say that it is therefore necessary that we encourage creativity because AI won’t be able to create in our nuanced, human fashion in the near future. We asked how this resonates with Dan and his work with School of Noise. 

“I would agree entirely. People often think that creativity only exists in the arts but that’s not the case. Creativity blossoms in the arts but that mindset will allow people to work anywhere in society and encourages empathy and collaboration not to mention its role with problem solving and that’s met in many industries including design and medicine as well as friendships. Creativity should not live exclusively in the arts.”

We wondered about the typical engagement process Dan witnesses in schools and whether the teachers and staff demonstrate a hunger for creativity due to today’s lack of funding in the arts in British schools. 

“Often I would be asked to go into a school around key stage 2 - so kids aged 8 to 10 - and that would be to cover elements of physics in the science curriculum. What I try to do is expand and give context to the science of sound. Hopefully this brings life to sound rather than it seems like a chapter in a dusty old textbook.”

Dan played his waterphone for us live over Zoom and the instrument did release a familiar and rather fantastical sound. “I want the workshops to be interesting for everyone in the room whether its parents, teachers or children. I want everyone to get stuck in.”

We also spoke about the freedom School of Noise is bringing children by allowing them to play in a zone free of rules and restrictions. Interestingly, Dan informed us that the more obscure and unheard of instruments tend to encourage more playfulness among the children. 

“Some instruments we used in the past, which didn’t work as well, tended to be instruments that people already have an expectation about. One was a synth, for example. When the children tried to play it they tried to play things they were familiar with on the piano. I like to set the room up in a way where the instruments are unrecognisable because with a quick introduction, children get it immediately. You get a response straightaway. There are already enough opportunities surrounding traditional instrumentation and so we want to create a space outside the box.” 

Recently, Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba in China - the world’s biggest online commerce company - spoke at Davos about AI. He said that of the many of the things we teach in academics around the world, AI will be able to do quicker and faster. He went on to say that it is therefore necessary that we encourage creativity because AI won’t be able to create in our nuanced, human fashion in the near future. We asked how this resonates with Dan and his work with School of Noise. 

“I would agree entirely. People often think that creativity only exists in the arts but that’s not the case. Creativity blossoms in the arts but that mindset will allow people to work anywhere in society and encourages empathy and collaboration not to mention its role with problem solving and that’s met in many industries including design and medicine as well as friendships. Creativity should not live exclusively in the arts.”

We wondered about the typical engagement process Dan witnesses in schools and whether the teachers and staff demonstrate a hunger for creativity due to today’s lack of funding in the arts in British schools. 

“Often I would be asked to go into a school around key stage 2 - so kids aged 8 to 10 - and that would be to cover elements of physics in the science curriculum. What I try to do is expand and give context to the science of sound. Hopefully this brings life to sound rather than it seems like a chapter in a dusty old textbook.”

As well as going into schools, the School of Noise also holds workshops at festivals such as Green Man, Latitude and several film festivals across Europe. This time around both parents and children are involved within the tangible and tactile experience Dan provides. “We usually build the workshops as family friendly. We want people to drop in and play on the instruments. I love when I look over and witness parents learning with their children, following the instructions together and getting creative collectively.

It’s amazing how some of the simplest and shortest memories can stay with you for the rest of your life. I remember being a child at school and a photographer came in and showed us these huge photographs she took of owls. It must have been a half hour session but it's stuck with me for 30 years. I like to think that maybe what we do will stick in some of these children’s heads for that long. I don't think it will do for everybody and that's fine but if some people feel their curiosity and enthusiasm has been opened up, that’s all we can hope for.” 

Most of the guests we have on this podcast express a foundational love for music and the fact Dan and the School of Noise are opening these opportunities for young people is so encouraging. “As well as working in sound, I've worked in social care supporting adults on the autism spectrum and a lot of them have difficulties with sensory sensitivities. Sound plays a huge part. Some find it difficult to leave their house at certain times of the day because of the noise outside. We try to come up with ways around that to support people. Noise cancelling headphones in the past few years have really allowed some people to go out and participate in society where before it was too difficult. They don’t listen to music necessarily but what’s great is that they look like normal headphones so no one will be pointing at a difference. We are now trying to talk to employers so they can understand that for some, wearing these tools, this aid in the workplace will reduce anxiety attacks and allow them to concentrate”.

“I think if someone has a difficulty which you don’t have yourself all you can do is believe them if they say it is hard. It's not for me to say no it's fine I don’t have that but rather to ask what we can do about this. There are many things we can't change but sound is something we can. It should be acceptable to wear them in the workplace.” 

As most of us remember well, we each had our strengths at school. Due to the lack of funding into music and the arts we were curious as to whether some children who maybe were quieter during Maths and English class, were given a chance to shine during Dan’s workshops. “One time at Latitude we received an email from a parent the week following the workshop and the email justified everything I want to try and do with the School of Noise. It read, ‘Thank you for the inspirational experience my son had at Latitude. My child loves electronic music and science but has no interest in playing an instrument. He wants to listen and not play music. The 45 minutes he had on the analog synths has changed all that. I cannot thank you enough for inspiring him’.”

Listen to Dan Mayfield on The Quiet Mark Podcast, HERE

Book your own School of Noise workshop, HERE.