Since we focused on the aural mode this week with our discussion of "A Tribe Called Red Remixes Sonic Stereotypes", this multimodal experiment asks you to consider the relationship between sound and space in your environment.
First, take a moment to read Hildegard Westerkamp's discussion of the purpose and possibilities of a soundwalk. Second, then you'll conduct your own self-guided soundwalk.
A few notes on soundwalks:
They can take place anywhere--they're about listening intently and intentionally, so don't feel like you need to be in a place with a particular kind of sound. You can conduct a soundwalk in your own home, room, or apartment, in a park, or while driving in a car. It is getting colder out, so don't feel that you need to go outside to do this!
They don't have to involve walking (I think the name is quite limited). You could be sitting at home or driving. One thing to remember though is to listen to the sounds of your own body as a part of the soundscape as well: your footsteps, stomach growling, and breathing, which you can do both through movement and stillness.
Turn off anything that might distract you from hearing the whole soundscape, such as your phone, music, or headphones. Part of a soundwalk is also your own intentional silence.
The amount of time is up to you, but I recommend at least 20-30 minutes to get a chance to hear some different sounds and to give yourself time to focus in on the soundscape.
Listen to all the sounds around you. Notice which ones you tend to want to tune out. Pay attention to pitch, volume, rhythm, repetition, source: all the aural features you can soak up. Also pay attention to your own reaction: how do the sounds make you feel? How do they affect your own behavior?
*Important (and hopefully it goes without saying), but follow all social distancing practices and wear a mask if you're going on a soundwalk around other people. Only do your soundwalk in a safe space, and feel free to do a soundwalk at home, on a porch, or somewhere else away from others if that's safer for you.*
Here's a soundwalk from Downtown Vancouver to give you some inspiration (also see City Symphonies for another interesting approach to the soundscape):
Third, the last step will be to document and reflect on your soundwalk in some way. Here are your options:
Record pieces of your soundwalk and remix them together to give an impression of your soundwalk. You could create just an audio file or combine pictures and video that you take on your walk to make a soundwalk video like the one above.
Make a soundmap. Either hand-draw your map, or use Google Maps, NatGeo Map Maker, or StoryMapJS to make a digital map. Start with a representation of the space where you went on your soundwalk, then pinpoint locations of sounds, describing them, and including your reflection on how those sounds impacted you and what you noticed.
Create a written reflection (aim for 1-2 single-spaced pages) describing the details of your soundwalk, including visuals (hand-drawn or digitally made) that represent the sounds and what you noticed on your walk.
Whichever option you choose, in your reflection consider these questions (don't answer them all, choose a couple as a starting point for your own thoughts):
What different and new aural features did you notice using the soundwalk method?
What conclusions did you draw about the relation between sound and space, including how sound tells the story of a location, how sound clues you in to what's around you, and how sound shapes the environment?
How does sound impact you, in both your day-to-day life in this space or in this soundwalk in particular? How did certain sounds make you feel, what did they remind you of, and how do they impact your experience? How did you feel after the soundwalk?
How did your experience of sound change in the soundwalk over time? Did the soundwalk change your perception of the space you were in?
What applications or connections can you think of between the soundwalk and other contexts?
Submit your recording, map, or written response to Moodle by Sunday, October 25 at 10pm.
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