Next Monday is World Listening Day…but what does that mean?

The World Listening Project (WLP) is a not-for-profit organization devoted to understanding the world and its natural environment, societies and cultures through the practices of listening and field recording. Together with the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology, the WLP invites you to participate in a day of celebrating active listening.

The world hums and pulses with sound and hymn. An intrepid network of field recordists draws out these rhythms, recognising that these sensescapes have something to tell us if only we’d listen. Renowned cultural planner Charles Landry has noted that urbanisation results in a proliferation of sound and often the pleasurable sounds – like music, talking and laughing – are drowned out by noise. As individuals move around, plugged into their portable music devices, they are selectively removed from the auditory envelop of the city. – Linda Carroli, ArtsHub

So turn off your mp3 player (even Sonic can wait) and engage with the sounds of the world around you for a day.

Some ways to participate are:

• Organize a soundwalk or a listening party where people play field recordings. What is a soundwalk?
• Organize a performance event that involves field recordings and other artistic expressions that explore our soundscape and how we can listen to our sonic environment.
• Participate in a private / solitary way, by paying attention to your soundscape.
• Facilitate an educational event that relates to acoustic ecology, field recordings, or a similar topic.
• Contact organizations that are participating in World Listening Day, to see if you can get involved that way.

WLD events will be happening world wide.

In Toronto, Canada:
On July 16th, NAISA will take you on a SOUNDwalk through the local neighbourhood around the Wychwood Barns in Christie. Following the SOUNDwalk will be a soundscape concert that will feature a number of interesting sounds: nightingale floors in Japanese temples, fish burps in the North Saskatchewan River, and special ambisonic soundscape recordings of Toronto.

In Queensland, Australia:
Brisbane-based sound artist Lawrence English is encouraging Queensland’s residents and visitors are to experience the sites dotted across the state including Cape Hillsborough, Brisbane Forest Park and Mt Hypipamee as part of his project Site Listening. The sites are mapped on the project website along with GPS coordinates and recommended listening times.

In Perth, Australia:
Artist Perdita Phillips is organising two sound walks on July 17 and 18.
Walk 1: North Lake on Sunday 17 July. 9:30 am to approximately 10:45 am.
Walk 2: Night walk in the City of Perth. Monday 18 July, 7:30pm to 8:30pm