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Instructions
Using ideas from the reading from Hildegard Westerkampf on “Soundwalking,” create a Soundwalk, i.e. take a trip on foot through a soundscape, observing what you hear around you, and write about it in a narrative style. You may write in the second person (i.e. addressing your Soundwalk to “you,” another listener) or in the first person (i.e. “I” did or heard this or that).
All students are required to submit an audio or video recording of at least 30 seconds documenting their walk/observation, but the Soundwalk itself should be in the form of a narrative essay of about 500 words. You must also submit a map (hand drawn or via Google Maps) that shows at least three locations on your sound walk.
Optional: Consult at least one outside source (which you will cite) about the history of the locations you describe (i.e. something that took place there, or the history of an institution on that site), and use this to inform your written narrative.
This assignment will be evaluated on its use of descriptive language to convey the students’ experience of listening, and specifically the sounds observed in the chosen context. You may choose any location or path to conduct your Soundwalk, including familiar places, but be aware your surroundings in a way that ensures your safety and security. In some locations, it may be unadvisable to do a Soundwalk late at night or in inclement weather, for example.
