By Kyla Brettle

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Walking into a noisy restaurant, Rick Tarulli felt inundated by a barrage of sound – the effect of which was so overwhelming that it made him lose his balance. Every conversation in the room shouted at him, the scrape of knives on plates made his vision jump and he could clearly discern the hum of the fridge out back. Rick knew there was something going wrong inside but couldn't work it out. Neither could his doctors. Three years ago Rick discovered his symptoms were caused by superior canal dehiscence syndrome, a recently diagnosed condition that affects the inner ear. Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Music Unit as part of the Figures in a Soundscape series, this program is a radiophonic exploration and impressionistic interpretation of how the world spoke to Rick. The piece features Rick Tarulli and was produced, recorded and edited by Kyla Brettle. Executive Producer, Robyn Ravlich. Final audio mix by Garry Haverley at ABC studios in Southbank.