Soundwalks, teaching, etc.
Soundwalks
a soundwalk can take a number of forms depending on who is leading it, but the common thread is that one or more people move around a space or a site concentrating on its sonic, rather than its visual, qualities. my approach is to walk at a much slower pace than usual and to encourage people to listen to the sounds around them instead of constantly commenting on them. I introduce one or two listening games and exercises along the way. I have led soundwalks for both adults and children (but I don't have a CRB check).
Kendal soundwalk for World Listening Day - Monday 18 July 2011
I led a soundwalk in Kendal, Cumbria on Sunday 18 July 2011, the date of the second World Listening Day, which is an initiative of the World Listening Project, an organisation based in Chicago which is publicising acoustic ecology and similar fields, and the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology. the 18th of July is the birthday of R. Murray Schafer, who developed the concept of acoustic ecology and wrote Soundscape: The Tuning of the World in the 1970s, which is still a key text for all this stuff.
the walk began in Noble's Rest park, went through the trees behind Marks and Spencer's to Low Fellside, went through Booth's supermarket's car park and then through the supermarket itself, then along the main street, through one of Kendal's many yards, through the shopping area, back to the main street, and finished in the garden of the Brewery Arts Centre. the weather was kind and it was nice to see a few people turn up. here is a bit of feedback from participants: "we both enjoyed the hour and it was fascinating to consciously follow the discipline of listening, much that was familiar/taken for granted was heard in a newer fresher way." "Highlights for me were: turning the corner from the park and leaving behind greenery but also the sound of the extractor fan; walking out onto the high street to the sound of the clock tower bells; the people talking down the alleyway; the quiet road disturbed first very gently by a pigeon flying overhead and then more violently by bottles being recycled and bins being emptied."
here is a link to the poster for the walk (Acrobat format).
Soundwalks for Huddersfield Arts Festival, 1 and 2 October 2010
I did some soundwalks as part of the 'Warehouse Weekend' at the first Huddersfield Arts Festival. follow this link to a page about the Warehouse Weekend. there was visual art, films, music, theatre and a beer festival all in the same place at the same time ... and me. the format of the event made it interesting to recuit people for the walks - if you turn up for an exhibition you don't expect someone to be asking you to commit 40 minutes of your time to something - but I think the people who came on one of the walks found it interesting.
Andi leads a soundwalk at Brigflatts, Sedbergh, 2007 (photo: John Rice)
Kendal soundwalk for World Listening Day - Sunday 18 July 2010
I offered a soundwalk in Kendal, Cumbria on Sunday 18 July 2010. unfortunately the weather was very wet that day, so no-one ventured out. I did the walk anyway - I heard a lot of good dripping noises. this was the first World Listening Day, which seems to have had quite a lot of activity all around the world.
Teaching
I occasionally share some of the skills and approaches I have developed in a workshop setting, either as an activity on its own - as I did for the Society for Storytelling's conference in March 2007 - or as part of the process of devising an 'And Musicians' piece. I like to focus on listening, relaxation and learning to let sounds come, whether produced by one's own body, scrap materials or musical instruments. I use games, spontaneous composition and a lot of qi gong. I think musicians have valued the new perspectives gained on their practice and those defining themselves as non-musicians have been interested, excited and motivated to dare a little more with sound and with themselves.