Sonic logos are everywhere — such as the "ta-dum” from Netflix, or NBC’s iconic three chimes, or even the little deedle thing of T-Mobile. For the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the new sonic logo was part of a larger rebranding for the organization, and was the idea of new Music Director Kwamé Ryan, who says he was looking for something more than just a new visual logo.
"The idea is that when people hear a sound that they associate with the orchestra, just as they do in the cinema, they know that the next thing that happens is an event," said Ryan.
For the project, Ryan enlisted the help of Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates, who says he wanted to capture the depth and excitement of the Symphony’s performances, but had never created something so brief.
"It’s hard in a fun way, because you really have to grab the listener in a matter of microseconds," Bates said. "You don’t have the luxury of building any kind of a case; you have to kind of pull the listener in immediately. I wanted to have a sense of like magic and mystery of things swirling together, where you can hear the different individual instruments building up out of this like quicksilver primordial soup."
Sonic logos aren’t just cosmetic or fun. They’re purposeful marketing. Humans have a deep-seated connection to sound. Dr. Susan Rogers is a researcher in behavioral neuroscience who teaches at Berklee College of Music. And the author of "This is What It Sounds Like." She specializes in the emotional impact of sound.
"When we hear a sound, we’ve got two things going on that are important to marketers of products," Rogers said. "One is associations, and the other is memorization. So, if in that first few seconds the brain decides, 'This is for me, I like this. Please continue.' You will continue to listen further. Orchestral music is associated with kind of a high-brow culture, but if the piece of music is really catchy and memorable, it can also welcome in a new generations of listeners."
The sonic logo — both the short version and a longer 30-second variation was unveiled this past Friday night as part of the CSO’s season-opening concert.
Among the folks surveyed at intermission, reaction was unanimously positive.
“I thought it was spectacular. It was so much cooler than I thought it could have ever been! It’s very fitting.”
“I thought it was amazing. I really, really enjoyed it.”
"I’m so happy that Charlotte Symphony did this. It’s very professional. It’s iconic. And, it’s much better than dimming the lights, you know, hearing this beautiful music, it’s 'OK, time to go get our seats.' It’s a wonderful thing."
Ryan says the logo will also be used on social media and television advertising, to announce the arrival of a guest speaker on stage, or to tell patrons in the lobby that it’s time to return to their seats.
