Make a Sound Map
What’s a Sound Map?
It’s obvious, right? A sound map is a visualization of sounds. Well, it’s not that simple. There are sound maps that focus on decibel levels (i.e.noise levels), like the map of London, upper left. There are interactive soundmaps where online and geographic communities upload and share sounds recorded in their area (like our own Sounds Like Staten Island Map and like the sound map of Montreal, upper right). Then there are sound maps that are entirely audio,like Annea Lockwood’s A Sound Map of the Hudson River (above, lower left). And maps crafted by individuals or groups working collaboratively. The map (above, lower right) is a digitally collaged map of three sensory levels: the “smellscape,” the “texturescape” and the soundscape of the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University, compiled by the Junior League summer campers, and digitized by Associate Professor John Krygier.
A Sound Map Can Be:
PROJECT 1: LISTEN THROUGH MAPPING 
Let’s begin by drawing a sound map as a means to understanding your audio environment better through careful listening.
What You Need:
- A pad of paper or a drawing pad—something with a cardboard back
- Something to write or draw with: pencils, pens, thin magic markers—different colors!
Directions:
1. Find a spot to sit, either inside or out of doors. You can be in a playground or park, in a churchyard, a cemetery or at the beach. You can do this just about anywhere!
2. Mark an "X" or an “O” [bold] in the center of the paper to locate yourself on the map.
3. Close your eyes and listen to the enviroment around you for 5 - 10 minutes–longer, if you can. What do you hear? Listen for the sounds of birds, animals, bells, jet planes, people, leaves falling, clattering dishes, cars passing and other sounds.
4. Now draw pictures or symbols on your paper that represent all the sounds you hear:
Identification: Can you identify the sources of all the sounds your hear?
Location: Note where sounds are coming from, and mark them on your paper as being to your left, right, behind you, below you, above you—or inside you! (Do you hear your breath, your heart beat, your stomach growling.)
Distance: Develop symbols to represent whether a sound is nearby or far away.
Intensity: Develop symbols to represent whether a sound is loud or very soft.
Changing location: If a sound is moving, indicate with arrows what direction it is going.
Speed: Is the sound moving past you slowly? Quickly? Indicate with a symbol or note.
Audio Patterns: Develop marks to indicate sounds that have a repetitive rhythm or beat.
5. At the top of your page, write down the date, time and where you were.
Example 1: Student sound map of Shoelace Park in the Bronx, with some geographic markers.
Example 2: Sound map of the Lion’s Sensory Garden at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, drawn by Robin Locke Monda. There are markings for planes, a helicopter, a bell ringing, birds and more.
PROJECT 2: MAKE A SOUND MAP FOR OTHERS
You will make a map that leads people through an area that you find environmentally interesting, culturally or socially informative, and sonically rich. The two sound maps above are examples of highly personal sound maps not intended to be read and used by someone else. To direct others on a sound walk, there are different objectives and goals.
A sound map can guide others on...
- Where to walk: What route do you want the person to take? How will you draw that?
- What to listen to: What do you want the person to pay attention to? How will you draw their attention to it?
- What to do, think about, notice or imagine while walking:
Context: In what context do you want your sound walk to be viewed? Do you want the sound walker to become aware of the historical signifcance of the place you have mapped out for them? The social context? The cultural richness?
Sights: What do you want the sound walker to see? Do you want people to observe the architecture? Note the cultural indicators? Listen to the traffic or note the geography?
Sounds: What sounds willl you direct them to that will emphasize your perspective? Will you direct them to loud sounds? Soft sounds? Sacred or profane sounds? Will you direct them to areas where there are sounds of construction, commerce, entertainment?
Activities: What do you want the sound walker to do? Walk into a store? Close their eyes? Turn around slowly? Stop and call a recorded message? Wear headphones?
Example 3: A sound map intended to guide others, by Michelle Nagai: “Vibratory Resonance of Sacred Spaces”
This map (above) takes the walker on a sound walk in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, beginning in front of a building with the lettering, “Talmud Torah Building,” on its facade. It then takes walkers past “the collapsed remains of the First Roumanian-American Congregation Synagogue.” Walkers are then directed to the Allen Mall Six, where they are told to listen to several cycles of traffic while closing their eyes and turning in a slow circle. The walker is guided down streets that lead to the M'Finda Kalunga Garden a tranquil spot that memorializes “the second African American burial ground that was located on nearby Chrystie Street between Rivington and Stanton Streets.” Finally, walkers are directed to step into New Roma Pizza, walk past the Essex Market and end their walk at the Economy Candy store.
This sound map lays out a sound walk that is rich with the history of New York City. It helps the walker to contemplate the past as they listen to the present. New York City‘s early ties to the slave trade, it’s later ties to Jewish immigrants and the growth of the garment industry, and the successive waves of other immigrant populations that settled in the area are all captured in this little map. Accompanied by directions, it leads to historic depths and sonic treasure!
Visit Michelle Nagai’s “Vibratory Resonance” walk at City in a Sound Walk.
Now It’s Your Turn!
What kind of sound walk do you want people to take on Staten Island? Where would it start? Where would it end? How will you draw the map? How will you do the directions? What do you want people to be aware of? SLSI would like to make your sound walks and sound maps available as pdfs or downloadable MP3 files for others to use. Contact us!
