Semester 01 Soundwalk Case Studies
Introduction
Soundscapes Of
Singapore
A series of videos created for the Straits
Times in which a contrast is shown between
the situation prior to the lifting of the
circuit breaker restrictions and the
improved situation following the lifting of
the restrictions.
Soundscapes
Of Singapore Under Shutdown,
May 25, 2020
YouTube video produced by Samuel Ruby and
Jamie Koh depicts a series of field
recordings taken during the circuit breaker
period of the Covid pandemic.
“Since circuit breaker measures kicked in on
April 7, the hustle and bustle of everyday
life has given way to a newfound
tranquillity. The Straits Times traversed
the island to capture the sights and sounds
of a city under shutdown.”
— The Straits Times
There were several locations shown in the video, including Bishan MRT Station, which is usually packed with people, but was almost like a ghost station during this time. As a result of the inability to dine out during this period, food stalls are another location, so the normally noisy soundscape of a hawker centre is now extremely quiet. Because urban noises have decreased, it is easier to hear the natural soundscape during this lockdown.
Soundscapes
Of Singapore After Circuit Breaker,Jun
15, 2020
Aileen Teo, Jamie Koh, Renee Poh, Samuel
Ruby, and Azim Azman produced this video
after the circuit breaker period. It
illustrates Singapore's sights and sounds
during phase one of reopening after schools
and businesses were closed due to the
Coronavirus outbreak. Compared to the
previous video, the soundscape is vibrant as
we gradually become accustomed to the
pandemic, and return to our daily activities
once the restrictions have been lifted.
Ellen Reid Soundwalk
A GPS-enabled application, Ellen Reid utilises music created by Pulitzer Prise-winning composer Ellen Reid to enhance natural environments with its music. The music is tailored to each location so the user can reflect peacefully. The application is user-guided: based on the path you choose, you can hear a different mix of music, and no two visits will be the same.
- New York, New York Central Park
- Los Angeles, California Griffith Park
- San Francisco, California Golden Gate Park
- Laguna Beach, California Heisler Park
- Los Angeles, California UCLA Campus
- Athens, Greece Stavros Niarchos Park
- Knoxville, Tennessee Ijams Nature Center
- Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Performing Arts Center
- Norfolk, Virginia Elizabeth River Trail
- Virginia Beach, Virginia Pleasure House Point Natural Are
Locations for soundwalks in the application:
Img.29 - Application Screenshots
Locosonic
An online platform called Locosonic offers advanced tools for sound artists, musicians, and beginners to create soundscapes on their own. In the event that you are a beginner, you can use the Freesound database to develop your own soundwalks using the sounds that are published under a permissive licence. Music and story are also connected to locations through a GPS-enabled mobile application. As you explore a location, the application generates an appropriate soundscape from the database to match your location, ensuring that you are immersed in the environment.
“Every place has a story to tell. Dive into
a brand new world of audio experiences
determined by your location. All you need is
your smartphone, our mobile app and
earplugs. An additional dimension of
perception—discover Locosonic Soundscapes!
Soundscapes link sounds, music and story
to a location. While exploring an area, you
will hear the Soundscape that matches your
location. Like an additional sense,
Locosonic allows you to experience places
through their story and music. Download
the Locosonic App to your smartphone, plug
in your headphones and start discovering
your surroundings.”
— Locosonic
Img.30 - Steps and application Screenshots
Echoes
Echoes is a mobile platform to create stereo, binaural, 3D audio, and ambisonic soundwalks for your audiences. It allows users to upload their own audio, images, and text. You can also publish your recordings to the web.
This GPS-enabled mobile application allows your audience access to the walk you have created. Stream the walk or download it easily and save it for offline use for patchy connectivity.
Img.31 - Application Screenshots
VoiceMap
Audio tours created by local storytellers, journalists, filmmakers, novelists, podcasters and tour guides are available via VoiceMap, a GPS-enabled mobile application. The creators of this application realised that a podcast would travel with you and tell stories about your surroundings. In view of the limited number of pandemic tours available, it is necessary to devise creative methods for viewers to interact with the space or objects.
Audio tours can be purchased through the web platform or mobile application in order to learn more about a location that you wish to visit. As well as a map showing your landmarks and directions, you have the option of walking, driving, cycling, indoor, train, boat, and ferry tours.
Img.32 - Application Screenshots
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Soundwalks can be used in many ways. While researching, I discovered guided soundwalks to be the most common. In guided soundwalks, the user examines the environment with the assistance of a voice recording of a guide who will lead the user through the soundwalk process.
Several ways in which the activity of the soundwalk can be utilised are demonstrated in this video. All the demonstrations were created by the University of Illinois students enrolled in MUS 243 - Introduction to Music Education Technology. Listening to the examples, I found that the use of sound walk as a guided tour was unique and helpful since, for someone who is unfamiliar with the concept of soundwalk, a guided voice will assist them in understanding the soundscape.
Time and Objects Found,
1:04-2:05
In the following example, the recording guides
users to gauge their time spent in the location
and to appreciate their surroundings. When asked
to focus on a painting found in space, the
recording assists in putting you in the same
location as the painting.
Finding a Person,
6:19-7:16
I found this example of a soundwalk unique
because it gave me a sense that I was on a quest
to find a missing girl, listening to a recording
of her voice to find clues. I believe that this
could be used to create an interesting gameplay
interaction.
Ghostwalking
An audio-video series titled Ghostwalking was created in 2011 by spell#7, established in Singapore in 1997 by Kaylene Tan (Singapore) and Paul Rae (UK). In its history, culture and politics intersections in everyday life through intimate theatrical performances and environmental sound works, the company has developed a distinct and inventive focus on these intersections. The Ghostwalking programme consists of audio-video walks conducted by the company. The soundscapes were recorded in neighbourhoods adjacent to the North East Line.
Each of the recordings serves as a guided soundwalk that tells a story corresponding to the location where the recordings were recorded. Listeners will journey along the North-East MRT line as a character named Tony. Several stops will be made at different MRT stations to embark on a guided soundwalk with participants. Listeners will be able to download the soundtracks to their smartphones, as well as watch three videos depicting confessions made by various Singaporeans. The concept of discovering different life stories by participating in guided soundwalks really appealed to me as a case study.
The three videos were presented at the 2011 PQ Prague Quadrenial of Performance Design and Space Architecture Section as part of the Architecture Section. A collaboration between Sherman Ong and architect Ling Hao led to the exhibit, Ghostwalking: Take Possession, which utilised sound, video, and an interactive table to examine the city as a performance space. During Motherland, Sherman Ong presented these three videos as part of his migration-related project.
Desire Paths
Ben Slater and Kaylene Tan created Desire Paths as an immersive audio tour of Little India in 2004. Upon meeting at Kerbau Road, the participants would receive a portable CD player and a map, and then explore the district following instructions from the recording. They would learn about the history behind landmarks in the location, such as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, as well as the fictional story of a couple that begins and ends their journey on 65 Kerbau Road.
spell#7's latest project takes us into an imaginary world created by sound, music, and voices as participants walk through the location.