Yes, sound waves are a form of energy, however, can we really say that sound waves alone, without interacting with the delicate structures of a human ear and the central nervous system, constitute sound?
The same energy, when interacting with a piece of rock, cannot be compared to the same 'experience' as a person has.
Just a quick review this, for the sake of adding my two cents worth. Certain ranges of frequencies of compression and sheer waves, occurring in various transmitting media, can be detected by the auditory apparatus of living organisms. We call these waves 'sound waves' simply because when they are thus detected, they create a sensation that we call 'sound'. In the absence of suitable detection apparatus there is, of course, no perceived sound. In other words, in the absence of ears, or the equivalent, there is no sound, since sound is the subjective sensory interpretation of sound waves, not the actual waves themselves.
I think the most reasonable position to take is that there is a reality out there but that we are compelled to interpret it in terms of our mental 'lens'...
That's a conclusion hard to refute.
