Sir Joseph: Can you sing? Ralph: I can hum a little . . . —H.M.S. Pinafore Not only Ralph Rackstraw hums a little. Babies hum at the breast, and
mothers hum while rocking them. Children hum at play; workmen hum at
work. No company is without its office hummer who strides the halls
humming his favorite pop or Paganini. Pablo Casals hums while playing
the cello. Why do humans hum? In the current Journal of Auditory
Research, a psychiatrist offers a couple of answers. Dr. Peter Ostwald, 33, of the University of California School of
Medicine, has for three years been studying human sounds. Ostwald says
in effect that humans hum to soothe themselves mentally. Humming is
frequently prompted by one of two subconscious impulses: 1> to achieve
a back-to-the-breast association with mother, and its consequent
feeling of security, or 2> to block out extraneous sounds when one is
trying to concentrate. If the first motive — “thumbsucking without the thumb” — is
predictably Freudian, the second is quite practical. The sound waves
produced by humming are far more effective than the low volume would
indicate. This is because humming is a “purer” tone. “When a person
hums, he can blot out most of the sounds of speech,” Ostwald reports.
“Many hum to themselves while concentrating on tasks, particularly if
these involve abstract thinking or fine motor skills.” Ostwald hastens to point out that humming is perfectly normal. Does he
hum? “Of course. We all do. We have to.”
