Soundwalk Response

The soundwalk excercise was a great experience. I am used to walking with a pair of headphones, music blairing into my ears, trying to escape the city noise. It was a great test for me, to see how well and how far I could allow my sense of hearing to stretch. We began the excercise with our hands over our ears, which muffled every noise around us. It gave even the most annoying sounds, like the constant moan of traffic, a very pleasing touch. I was able to pick up on more subtle noises, like the pounding of a joggers shoes on the pavement and the light breeze moving through the leaves. As we began to walk and log each noise heard, I was able to eventually focus on the less obvious noises over the constant droan of the traffic and tire squeeling. Then we began to move down the side streets, so the usual city noises were muffled and seemed more distant. Now the noises heard were not so much mechanical, but more the source of humans and nature. I had a few moments of confusion, as to where a sound was coming from and what exactly it was, but for the most part each noise was recognizable. There were great moments of complete silence, except for a light breeze that rustled the trees and chimes. As we arrived back at school, I seemed more accepting of the city noises that once annoyed me; and I am a better listener!