A system is disclosed for detecting and correlating percussive sounds with previously identified spectral signatures of a plurality of events so as to notify a user of an occurrence of a particular event. The system may include a sensor component which includes a piezoelectric transducer at a periphery of the sensor component for coupling with a surface and converting percussive sounds from the surface into an electrical signal. The sensor component may also include a local processor configured to produce a data signal based on the electrical signal, and a communication device for sending the data signal to a remote processor. The system may also include a remote processor configured to receive the data signal and compare the data signal to at least one reference signal and send a notification to a user based at least in part on the data signal correlating to at least one reference signal.