Postscript

When we talk about conveying ideas in speech-recognition systems, we tend to think of spoken prompts and responses. But spoken words are not the only way to share ideas. We can convey complex ideas aurally without speaking a single word. Dmitri Shostakovitch proved that in 1937 when he premiered his Fifth Symphony (Op. 47).

Shostakovitch lived in Stalinist Russia ”a time of violent oppression when dissidents and perceived rivals were either eliminated by the secret police or shipped off to labor camps in Siberia. The Soviet government only tolerated those artists and writers whose work reflected Stalinist views and Socialist Realism orthodoxy.

Like many of his fellow citizens , Shostakovitch was horrified by the regime 's brutality and its efforts to quash free speech ”and he was determined to express his opinions through his music. Accordingly, he wrote the finale of the Fifth Symphony with two musical themes that played independently as well as together. One theme is melodic and sorrowful; the other is driven by relentless, pounding drums and the shrill repetition of an "A" note.

After the premiere performance in Leningrad, the audience reaction was overwhelming. They stood and cheered for over an hour , then ran through the streets to share their excitement with others. The audience clearly understood that the first theme represented the suffering of the people, and the second theme represented the iron fist of Stalinist oppression, in cellist Mstislav Rostropovich's words, "like a spear point jabbing in the wounds of a person on the rack." One person in the audience said, "After the first movement we looked around rather nervously, wondering whether we might be arrested after the concert." Not a single word was spoken, but everyone understood the message. Everyone, that is, except the government censors. Fortunately for Shostakovich, they interpreted the finale as representing the triumph of Communism.

Other conductors have also, seemingly, missed the meaning of the finale of the Fifth Symphony. For example, in a recording by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, the pounding tympanis sound more like the triumphant finale of a 1950s musical than the crushing of a nation's spirit.

Besides demonstrating the power of nonverbal communication, this story makes three important points about conveying ideas ”no matter what the medium is. To be successful in conveying an idea:

• The communicator needs to know the intended audience

• The recipient of the communication needs to be part of that intended audience

• The communication's vehicle needs to adhere to the intent of the communicator

It's as true for a speech-recognition system as it is for a symphony. We must keep our audience's needs foremost in our minds. We must be consistent with every element of the production of the design to ensure that all the meaning is conveyed ”clearly, quickly, and unambiguously. We must ensure that every word expressing every idea has a reason to be there, and that every sound enhances the meaning of those ideas.

If we know our audience well and remain true to our clients ' intent from start to finish, we will be successful in conveying our ideas and meeting all the needs of our audience.