What is a soundwalk?

... any excursion whose main purpose is listening to the environment. It is exposing our ears to every sound around us no matter where we are. (Hildegard Westerkamp, World Forum of Acoustic Ecology)

‘ A soundwalk is a form of active participation in the soundscape. Though the variations are many, the essential purpose of a soundwalk is to encourage the participant to listen discriminately and moreover, to make a critical judgement about the sounds heard and their contribution to the balance or imbalance of the sonic environment.

In order to expand the listening experience, sound-making may also become an important part of a soundwalk. Its purpose is to explore sounds that are related to the environment and, on the other hand, to become aware of one's own sounds (voice, footsteps, etc.) in the environmental context. A soundwalk may be recorded in the form of a map, which the participant uses both to guide the route and draw attention to features of acoustic interest’ (handbook of acoustic ecology, ed. Barry Truax).

 The term was first used by members of the World Soundscape Project, under the leadership of R. Murray Shafer, in the 1970s.  At New Works Calgary we take an interdisciplinary approach to soundwalking, inviting not only musicians but artists from all disciplines to lead our walks.  We encourage activation of sonic awareness from many different points through the body and mind; we are excited to explore as many different creative paths to listening as there are creative souls in the cosmos.