Sound is an essential element in human communication and perception. It is pervasive and multidirectional. We are surrounded by it and it helps us to understand the dimensions of the world around us and develop special awareness. Without equal hearing in both ears it can throw off our balance and perception of reality. Sound is essential to manipulate in in productions in order to communicate specific meaning to the audience. Quality, source and volume of sound can all alter an audiences perception and interpretation of work. Sound is complexly layered element that is prioritized by the ear, therefore different people will experience and process sounds differently. Jasmine spoke about how we usually take notice of sounds that are similar or foreign. She gave the example of our names and how we automatically tune into our name because we identify with it and are familiar with it. An experience I had with my friend Milli on the weekend demonstrated the opposite. She slept over at my house and as we lay in bed I couldn’t get to sleep because I could hear the subtle ticking of my brothers alarm clock from the next room but no matter how hard Milli tried to tune into the sound she couldn’t hear it. This was probably due to the fact that for me it was a familiar sound but she had never registered or identified it before. Jasmine also explained that sound is not an experience that can be closed off, we have to earlids to filter or cut off sound, we are constantly subject to the sounds around us. Selective hearing is a subconscious process that we go through. As people get older their ability to hear high pitch noises decreases. It is important that we try to appeal to the audiences sense of sound and create audio that is engaging, allowing the audience to tune into the piece without the interruption of their subconscious selective hearing. Jasmine also spoke about the different perspectives of sound and how they are divided into 3 layers. Figure (the focus of interest), Ground (the setting or context giving the focal sound meaning) and Flied ( the background or ambiance which is usually not registered but creates a setting and environment rather then silence)