Take a Soundwalk

Sound walking is fun! It’s a great way to practice focused listening, a skill that enhances your ability to distinguish one sound from another and reveals the relationship you have with the world. The more you listen, the more you hear! The more you hear, the more you learn!

What should I bring?
You don’t need to bring anything. If you like, bring a small notebook and a pencil to take notes. Or bring a sketchbook to draw a map of your walk. Some people draw marks to represent the different sounds they hear. You might want to record what you hear (see our How-To page) . It is entirely up to you. Just be fully present and curious!

I’ve never done this before. How to do you do a sound walk?
There are two keys to a successful sound walk. The first key is silence! You can be silent by yourself or with a group. It may feel strange to walk silently with others, but you’ll quickly get used to it. The second key is to direct all of your attention to the environment and sounds around you.

Where can I do a sound walk?
Anywhere. You can do a sound walk in your home or your school. You can do a sound walk outdoors or indoors. Start in a diner and end in the supermarket. The best sound walk routes allow for a variety of sonic stimulation. Consider a route that takes you through open and closed spaces, or over and under bridges and highways. Start on a city street and finish in a public park. Or start your walk in a church and end it on a bench in the cemetery behind the church. Do a sound walk in a museum—start in the main lobby and walk through the galleries and then the restrooms. End your sound walk in the museum’s cafeteria.

What do you do on a sound walk?
You listen with intention, meaning you deliberately turn your attention to the sounds around you. Here are a few listening practices you can try while you walk:

SURROUND Imagine the environment around you as a huge ball—and you are suspended at its center. Now turn your attention to the sounds behind you. What do you hear? Turn your attention to your left. Then to your right. Then listen to the sounds below you, above you and in front of you. Now try to hear everything, from every direction, all at once.

LOUD-QUIET Turn your attention to the loudest and faintest sounds you can hear. Why are they loud or faint? Is it because the louder sound is nearest at hand? Or is the quieter sound closer to you? How can you tell that a sound is both loud and distant?

SNEAKY SOUNDS Do certain sounds come to your attention only after you’ve listened for a while? Why did it take you longer to hear those sounds?

PITTY-PAT Listen for sounds that have rhythmic patterns—like raindrops, a ceiling fan, a card stuck in a bicycle wheel, a washing machine. How many different rhythms can you hear around you? Picture all of these rhythmic sounds as an orchestra. Do you like the composition?

HARD-SOFT Do you notice any changes in the quality of your sound environment when you walk by or through spaces with different kinds of surfaces? For instance, does a cement sidewalk carry sound differently than a lawn? Does a store with a showroom full of upholstered furniture sound different than a store with a showroom of full of refrigerators, stoves and air conditioners? If so, why?

OPENED-CLOSED Notice how a sound environment changes when you walk from a small, enclosed area to a large, open space. Examples: Go from an elevator to an apartment building lobby. Walk from the school bathroom to the gymnasium.

NEW EARS Listen for unpleasant noises. If you identify a sound as noisy, why? Try to hear the sound “with new ears.” What are its characteristics? What are its parts? Does your attitude toward the sound change as you spend more time paying attention to it? Does your understanding of what this sound represents expand? What can this sound tell you?

What do you do after a sound walk?
Many people like to reflect on their experience and share it with others. Some people like to write about it (see Keep a Sound Journal). Some people like to draw in response to their experience. (See Make a Sound Map! and Picture That Sound!)

I cannot walk. Can I still do a sound walk?
Yes! Just plan your route to accommodate your wheelchair or motorized vehicle. Or do a static sound walk. Sit or lie in one spot and do as many of the listening exercises (above) as you can. The passage of time will reveal many sonic changes in your environment.

“Sounds have been torn from their natural sockets and given an amplified and independent existence.” — R. Murray Schafer, on schizophonia, the splitting of an original sound from its source, and its subsequent electroacoustic reproduction on radio, cell phones, TV, iPods and other devices.

Some Sound Walk Suggestions:

Waterfront Sound Walk:
From the St. George Ferry Terminal, walk to Snug Harbor Cultural Center.

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Cross-Cultural Sound Walk:
At Snug Harbor Cultural Center, walk the The New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden.

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History Sound Walk:
From Alice Austen House, go to Fort Wadsworth, at the end of Bay Street.

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Battery Weed Walk:
From the entrance of Fort Wadsworth walk to the bluff overlooking Battery Weed. Then stand under the Verrazano Bridge.

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South Beach Sound Walk:
Walk Buffalo Road to the Great Kills Marina. Listen for the wind, the water, the snap of sails, and the roar of outboard motors.

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Shoppers' Sound Walk:
Walk the Staten Island Mall. Listen for sounds of community, commerce, and prepackaged audio experiences.

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Fisherman's Sound Walk:
From the Dophin Fountain at Father Capadanno Blvd. and Sand Lane, take the boardwalk to the Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier.

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Multicultural Sound Walk:
Walk the Port Richmond Avenue Mexican shopping area to Ralph’s Italian Ices. Then have a slice of pizza at Denino's, across the street.

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Moravian Sound Walk:
Walk the Moravian Cemetery grounds for the resonance of nature and history.

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Meditative Sound Walk:
Walk Lighthouse Ave. to the Jacques Marchaise Museum of Tibetan Art.

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Greenbelt Sound Walk:
Hike or walk any trail in the Greenbelt to discover an Upstate New York audio experience.

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Multi-Ethnic Sound Walk:
From Bay Street, follow Victory Boulevard up to Silver Lake Park. Listen for signs of Polish, Mexican, Indian, African, Eastern European, Sri Lankan, Russian and Middle Eastern culture along the way. Notice the sudden change of soundscape and landscape when you reach Silver Lake.

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Visit PBS' A Walk Around Staten Island for other sound walk ideas.

Take a Soundwalk

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