The article only touches on the visual world and even quotes Genndy Tartakovsky as saying we’ve almost forgotten what animation was about — movement and visuals, but I agree with you about the sounds. The background music sets the scene as much as any background visual.

Mm, we live in such a world of words that they are often the default method of communication we use but there are so many more symbols available and even non symbolic ways to communicate.

Sonics is so much wider than language and music but in a lot of real time art takes a back seat.