SOUNDWALKS

SCOTT SMALLWOOD’S FIRST SOUNDWALK TOOK PLACE IN AUSTRALIA IN 2003.

“I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS,” THE MUSICIAN, SOUND ARTIST, AND PROFESSOR OF MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA ADMITS. “IT WAS AT A CONFERENCE, AND I JUST SHOWED UP WHERE I WAS TOLD TO GO.”

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CANADIAN SOUNDWALK PIONEER HILDEGARD WESTERKAMP, SMALLWOOD AND ABOUT 15 OR 20 OTHER PEOPLE MOVED SILENTLY THROUGH THE STREETS OF MELBOURNE. THERE WERE ONLY THREE RULES: FOLLOW WESTERKAMP AND KEEP TOGETHER, AND DON’T SPEAK TO EACH OTHER OR TO ANYONE ELSE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, OPEN YOUR EARS TO THE SOUNDS THAT YOU NORMALLY BLOCK OUT IN THE PROCESS OF YOUR DAY.  

“IN THE END, WE ALL GATHERED AROUND A BIG TREE AND WE KIND OF RELATED OUR EXPERIENCES OF LISTENING TO THE CITY THAT WAY,” SMALLWOOD EXPLAINS. “SO, IT WAS JUST KIND OF INTENTIONAL AND THAT’S REALLY ALL A SOUNDWALK IS.”

THAT’S THE SIMPLEST EXPLANATION OF A TERM THAT CARRIES SO MUCH MEANING. SMALLWOOD, WHO HAS LED HIS OWN SOUNDWALKS ON THE STREETS OF EDMONTON, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE’S BEEN ON ONE WHERE THE GUIDE SECRETLY POPULATED THE WALK WITH MUSICIANS, AND OTHERS WHERE THE WALK IS SELF-GUIDED WITH SIGNS ALONG THE WAY. IF THE BAREST EXPLANATION IS THAT A SOUNDWALK IS A WALK WITH INTENSE FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT, THEN ANYTHING GOES.

COMPOSER R. MURRAY SCHAFER AND MEMBERS OF THE WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT ARE GENERALLY AGREED TO HAVE FIRST COINED THE TERM IN VANCOUVER IN THE 1970S, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF COOKS IN THIS KITCHEN. PROBABLY THE MOST NOTABLE IS PAULINE OLIVEROS, AN AMERICAN MUSICAL MULTI-HYPHENATE, ACADEMIC, AND PROPONENT OF WHAT SHE CALLED “DEEP LISTENING.” FOR MANY PEOPLE SOUNDWALKS ARE A WAY TO RELEASE THEMSELVES FROM PURPOSE AND SIMPLY EXIST IN THE MOMENT, SEEING AND HEARING WHAT THEY NORMALLY IGNORE AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAY. FOR OTHERS, THERE’S A CONNECTION TO HOW WE LISTEN TO EVERYTHING, SOUNDS AND MUSIC INCLUDED.   

“IT’S A PRACTICE THAT PAULINE USED TO TEACH PEOPLE,” SAYS IAN CRUTCHLEY, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR, AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NEW MUSIC EDMONTON. “THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE DOING SOUNDWALKS WHO HAVE NO OTHER REAL EXPERIENCE WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIC, AND IT’S USED AS KIND OF A WELLNESS THING. SO, IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. IT’S REALLY OFFERING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BASICALLY STOP DOING EVERYTHING ELSE, EXCEPT MAYBE WALK AND LOOK, BUT MOSTLY JUST TO WALK AND LET YOUR EARS FIND WHAT THEY WILL.”

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST MIKA HAYKOWSKY WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO SOUNDWALKS DURING HER UNDERGRAD STUDIES AT THE U OF A. INITIALLY, SHE WOULD TAKE AN AUDIO RECORDER AND CAPTURE SOUNDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH SHE WOULD THEN LAYER TO CREATE SOUNDSCAPES. THOSE SOUNDS WOULD THEN BE BROUGHT INTO A PHYSICAL SPACE SO PEOPLE COULD LISTEN THROUGH SPEAKERS OR HEADPHONES.

IN DECEMBER OF 2024 SHE WAS ASKED BY NEW MUSIC EDMONTON TO LEAD A SOUNDWALK.  

“I CREATED A MAP AND HAD PEOPLE FOLLOW ME IN A SINGLE FILE, ABOUT FIVE PACES BETWEEN US, AND WE JUST WALKED IN SILENCE FOR ABOUT 40 TO MAYBE AN HOUR,” SHE RECOUNTS. “WE STARTED IN RIVERDALE AND WALKED ACROSS THE TAWATINÂ BRIDGE.”

HAYKOWSKY CHOSE THAT ROUTE BECAUSE OF THE TRAIN SOUNDS ABOVE, FOLLOWED BY THE SOUNDS OF THE FOREST ON THE OTHER SIDE. SQUIRRELS, BIRDS, AND OTHER ANIMALS ACTED AS SONIC PUNCTUATION AS THEY WARNED EACH OTHER OF HUMAN INTERLOPERS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR HAYKOWSKY WAS FOLLOWING THE SUN, BECAUSE THE SOUNDWALK TOOK PLACE ON DEC. 21, THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

“IT WAS KIND OF THIS ALMOST RITUALISTIC WALK FOR ME, KIND OF CELEBRATING THE REALLY SHORT DAYS AND THE LONG NIGHTS. IT WAS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN HEAR DURING THOSE SHORT DAYS, AND WHAT WE CAN APPRECIATE AROUND US.