Place Sounds

OVERVIEW

This activity draws participants to pay attention to the sounds that fill their homes and communities. They will record a soundscape in a place of their choice, and discuss what they notice, what sounds are characteristic of this place, and where/who the sounds are coming from.

When you are asked to describe where you live, what do you say? Do you describe the homes, shops, and businesses? Do you describe the people? The landscape? All of these things help to define a sense of place, or what makes a certain place have its own distinctive character.

Sound is often a major part of what makes a place special. However, when people describe places, sound is often forgotten.

OBJECTIVES

• To identify the sounds that create a sense of place

• To write descriptions of the sounds or record the sounds for others to hear

• To identify where/who the sounds are coming from, what sounds tell us about the place, and what relationships are revealed through sound

SUGGESTED SUPPLIES

• A recording device (phone, recorder, etc.)

• Pen/pencil

• A worksheet

• Technology to play audio through

• (speaker, laptop, etc.)

STEP-BY-STEP FACILITATION GUIDE

Brainstorm: Have participants decide a place

where they would like to create a soundscape.

Explain that a soundscape consists of the sounds

within a place.

Guide them through the following questions:

• How do you describe the sounds of a place?

• Do sounds capture or define a place?

Activity: Participants are given a worksheet with the activity instructions and questions. They will use a recording device of their own, or be given one, to walk through their communities and choose a place of significance to create a soundscape recording. They should spend a few minutes concentrating and capturing the sounds they hear. To do so, encourage them to walk around the space, sit or stand still, and/or close their eyes while recording.

After doing so, have them write responses to the following questions (on the worksheet attached):

• What sounds do you hear?

• Where are the sounds coming from? Who is making these sounds?

• What relationships do you notice in the sounds?

• Which sounds do you hear differently now, or are you paying closer attention to?

• How would this place feel without the major sounds you hear?

Share back: Have the students share the recordings with the class, and debrief the worksheet questions.

TIP FOR FACILITATORS

• Although this activity might feel abstract for some participants, encourage them to take note of any sound they hear - however simplistic it might feel. Encourage the idea that every sound contributes to a place’s story.

• Audio recordings can be as long as participants think is suitable. Roughly 30 - 60 seconds is a good length for playback.

Adapted from an activity facilitated by Dr. Dylan Robinson during the Indigenous Student Gathering held in December 2019 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the University of Toronto; and from the National Geographic Xpeditions activity “Soundscape: A Sense of Sound”, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/soundscape/

WORKSHEET QUESTIONS

In this activity, you will record a soundscape in a place of your choice. Choose a place of significance to create a soundscape recording. Spend a few minutes concentrating and capturing the sounds you hear. You could walk around the space, sit or stand still, and/or close your eyes while recording. Afterwards, take time to consider and write responses to the following questions.

What sounds do you hear?

Where are the sounds coming from? Who is making these sounds?

What relationships do you notice in the sounds?

Which sounds do you hear differently now, or are you paying closer attention to?

How would this place feel without the major sounds you hear?