A Campus Sound Walk: Exploring Place Through Focused Listening

On Thursday afternoon, April 30, Prof. Linda O’Keeffe led several students and faculty on a sound walk through different campus environments. Over the course of about 45 minutes, we listened carefully to the campus soundscape, which included birds, ventilation units, fountains, sirens, clock chimes, people’s voices, cars, breeze, and the sounds of our feet on pavement, gravel, grass, and dirt surfaces. Sound reflected differently off of brick walls, forested areas, Roth Pond, and open spaces. It was a slow-paced meditative journey without talking or smartphones, and we stopped periodically to take notes and silently reflect on what we heard.

Afterward, we went back to the library and Prof. O’Keeffe led a workshop on sound mapping. We turned our notes into a variety of different maps, each making our own visualization. Even though we all went on the same walk and were exposed to the same sounds, the mapping activity was a wonderful way to celebrate our individual experiences, our unique ways of processing the sonic landscape.

We left with an appreciation for how our understandings of time, place, and community can shift, grow, and change when we move our auditory sense into focus.

Thank you to Linda for an enlightening afternoon!