Soundscape exercises and questions

Idea

Find a sound that is at risk of disappearing from our world? This and other questions and tasks focus our attention on sounds and noises that surround us.

Tasks

  • Write down everything you hear at the moment. Categorize the sounds into: sounds of nature, human sounds, technical sounds (pleasant/unpleasant, or: invent your own categories). Sort the sounds according to their loudness:
  • Close your eyes and follow the sounds/voices of 1-4 people walking through the room. Can you say which path each of them walked?
  • Close your eyes and identify 5 different sounds or noises made by your teacher or a student. Name the objects they were produced with (e.g. scissor, paper). Do you remember the correct order?
  • Sound quiz: Record a noise or sound at home or a place of your choice. Bring your recording to class and make a quiz out of the different sounds and noises. Can you also guess who recorded which sample?
  • Sound walk: Walk in pairs. One of you closes his eyes. Your partner guides you. After a while change roles. Don`t talk, just listen. Pay attention to the noises and sounds surrounding you. Make a recording of your walk and let your class guess where you have walked. Describe what you have heard. Write down what you have heard.
  • Sound diary: What was the first sound/noise you heard in the morning? What was the loudest sound of the day? What was the nicest sound of the day?
  • What was the most remarkable sound event in your life. Try to describe it.
  • Is it possible to recognize a person just by his voice or the noises he is making when walking?
  • Find a sound that is at risk of disappearing from our world.
  • Find sounds that are new (that your great grandparents did not know).
  • What sounds in your environment you are most disturbed by?
  • Silence is … (complete the sentence)
  • ...

Aus: Schafer, Raymond Murray (2002): Anstiftung Zum Hören: Hundert Übungen Zum Hören Und Klänge Machen, Aarau.