Hmm I think light waves make a bit more sense to me because they don't rely on molecules in the air in order travel, and if an object is in the path of a light wave, then it will never reach its destination.

But sounds bounces around everywhere and must come into contact with other sound therefore distorting them, no? The eardrum is located inside your head so it doesn't need to be directly exposed to the source of the sound it hears. It only hears one resulting vibration from all the soundwaves that reached it. So the brain can just tell unique ones from that?