October 21, 2013Dear Sirs,Most of what parades as “music” these days is just uninspired, machine-generated and very annoying noise pollution. The licensing fee demands made by the UK-based “Performance Rights Society” should therefore be seen as a most welcome incentive to hit the “off” button. Apart from saving on music licensing fees, shop owners would allow some public spaces to be permeated by the ingredient missing from so man/y lives: tranquility.Turning off audio would most likely turn on sales. Try pressing mute, entrepreneurs! I recently walked through Amsterdam Airport when it occurred to me that the very nice terminal I was in had made itself even more attractive by not blasting audio debris through PA systems in lounges and boom boxes in stores. It made my layover in that airport very pleasant indeed. We all know the ear piercing terror we go through when checking in and waiting at American airports. Bermuda Airport isn’t that far behind in its efforts to numb one’s senses with the most misconceived compositions in musical history.It has always been beyond me why shop owners, airport operators and restaurant proprietors even think they need to musically “entertain” their customers. Instead, we live in a world in which we actually have to pay extra for the privilege of sitting in quiet cars on-board trains! Tranquility and silence are true luxuries of our age.My personal view is that most of today’s composers and those performing their clapbang should actually be charged a fee for invading my personal space with their noise creations. Obviously, I will first need to establish the “Performance Rejection Society”. Then I can demand fees for tolerating the scream-streaming emitted by the so-called artists. I suspect collecting the fees might be a bit of a tricky issue, but I certainly didn’t want to stay mute on the subject.Jens Alers,Sandys