Why is this work relevant for for Music?

We all have playlists that suit a cardio workout, a yoga session or even while we want to focus on our work. Music has been known to cut-down on monotony and increase a person's productivity. But what if music could be used to provide immediate relief to the blind from anxiety related to nightmares. In this campaign, experimental soundtracks were created with the help of sound therapy research and music and sound design experts, including a visually-impaired composer. A combination of the right tones, rhythms, and bass lines that induced relaxation, help slow heart rate, and anxiety for the blind.

Background

Studies by the Danish Centre for Sleep Medicine reveal that blind people have four times more nightmares than the sighted. This leads to very poor sleep quality and considerably higher anxiety levels. Since their nightmares are constituted of sound and no visual content whatsoever, only a unique aural experience can effectively counter them. The idea was to make this experience a portable one with that one thing that a visually challenged person would never leave their house without or keep it close with them, almost like it's an extension to their identity. The campaign celebrated music with a well intended tech innovation for a part of the population which is often deprived of the joys that music seeks to offer.

Describe the creative idea

Sound of Sleep is an experimental project that uses sound to counter a blind person’s nightmares. We transformed the cane into a connected device that senses vibration patterns in nightmares, and delivers specially designed sound tracks into Bluetooth earphones to soothe the person’s sleep anxiety. To keep the music in MTV alive, we lapped up the opportunity and were delighted to have a social angle incorporated in the same. The activity was received very well and touched a lot of hearts.

Describe the strategy

The experimental soundtracks were created with the help of sound therapy research and music and sound design experts, including a visually-impaired composer. A combination of the right tones, rhythms, and bass lines that induce relaxation, help slow heart rate, and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Basically, effecting a reduction in anxiety and normal resting rates.   For accessibility, we transformed a blind man’s foldable cane into a connected device with a motion sensor that detects the unique vibration patterns that accompany a nightmare. And then activates and streams the specially composed tracks into Bluetooth earphones to soothe the person back to sleep.

Describe the execution

The idea stemmed from the escapism and the mood setting that music does, which later led to the creation of three soundtracks. The initial prototype of the technology was developed on January 15th which led to the final design and fabrication of the blind stick on March 20. We further gave a full closure to the activity by sharing these sticks with Snehadeep Foundation for blind and disabled on 12th April. The video was finally shared on our social media handles in the end of April. The AVs and the initiation of the thought garnered a lot of appreciation from the trade and the MTV audiences alike.

Describe the outcome

At one level, we were targeting institutions that work towards helping and rehabilitating blind people and showing them that an innovation like this could potentially have a great impact on the sleep quality of visually-impaired people.On another level, it’s actually underlining MTV’s pre-eminence in sound and music, taking it a level up into future-facing innovations that expand the possibilities of sound. This idea has also paved way for further R&D in this direction which may lead to further development of the concept. It is a prototype that’ll move people and touch their heart to be more inclusive of visually impaired people.