In class today, and for the readings, the subject of “sound normalization” came up.  I learned, because I had not heard of this phenomenon before, that in recent musical history the trend has been to modify the pitch and volume of music to a more standardized level.  For instance, if a song containded a piano, a string section, vocals, and a trumpet, then the volume of each “instrument” would be modified in order to create an experience roughly the same volume all the way through.

I.E., make it possible to hear “conversational singing” over a full orchestra.