Listen…do you hear that? It’s the sound of your world. From a cat’s purr to an elevator’s hum to human voices, sound is an important element of our natural and cultural environment. Shh…do you hear this? It’s the sound of people across six continents inviting you to World Listening Day, an annual event that will unite the global community this Saturday, July 18.

It started—quietly enough—in the 1970s with a Canadian composer named Raymond Murray Schafer. His World Soundscape Project developed the fundamentals of acoustic ecology, the study of the relationship in sound between human beings and their environment.

“When you listen carefully to the soundscape,” said Schafer, “it becomes quite miraculous.”

Schafer’s ideas struck a chord with so many people around the world that in 2010, World Listening Day was founded. It falls on July 18 to honor Schafer’s birthday.

Now Hear This

This year, communities around the globe will be participating in listening events hosted by the World Listening Project. This year’s theme, created by Wildlife Sanctuary Vice President Katherine Krause is The Collective Field.

“Current times have asked each of us, individually and in concert, to retreat, reflect, and rethink the world we thought we knew,” says Krause. And so, on this international day of awareness, Krause asks us to still the noise in our head and to listen—really, listen—to the “collective field” of overlapping environments:

Say, What?

We’ll look at—I mean “listen to”—each environment in a moment. But first, I swear I can hear what you’re thinking: Isn’t listening something we do every day?

Yes, but mostly we hear passively. Most sounds blend and wash over us, whether we’re on a conference call or a beautiful island. At other times, we focus on one particular sound, whether it’s the warble of a bird or the whine of a leaf-blower. Sound experts call this directed listening.

Active listening is when we notice how sounds affect each other, our environment, ourselves, and others. During a “quiet” walk on a beach, for example, we might hear not only seagull cries and the whoosh of the waves, but also the light drum of our footfall on firm sand, the jingling collar of a playful dog, and in the distance, scattered outbreaks of faint voices and car radio music.

Listening as a Global Community

On July 18, thousands of people around the world will participate in a wide variety of listening activities. Here are just a few suggestions.

Take a soundwalk. This is any excursion whose main purpose is listening to the environment. It is exposing our ears to every sound around us no matter where we are.

Before COVID, cities from Chicago to Sydney regularly offered guided soundwalks for small groups. Today you can still glean much from a solo or shared soundwalk of your own.

Walk in silence in an area that you think you know well, such as your own neighborhood. Listen attentively for as many sounds as possible. If walking with another, pause occasionally to compare what you’ve noticed. (Consider using breaks to jot down lists and exchange them in silence to stay in “listening mode.” )

Map the sounds of nature. Listen to the sounds of nature—even if you’re self-isolating. Nature Sound Map (see screenshot from website below) lets you travel the world, discovering soundscapes of our planet’s wildlife, oceans, and other natural phenomena.

Be sure to check out World Sounds (see screenshot from website below), too. This global archive offers both human-built and natural soundscapes. What would you hear on a walk through a market in London—or in Kampong Cham, Cambodia? What does the Eiffel Tower sound like? Find out on . . .

Describe your day in sound. We each have a unique soundtrack that plays behind our day. As I write in my apartment, I hear the tapping of the keyboard under my fingers, the click and clink of ice in a thin glass of water, the murmur of an old refrigerator.

Sounds of the neighborhood filter in through the open window: the flute-like call of a western meadowlark, a breeze rustling Ponderosa pines, delivery trucks pulling into the parking lot, two girls discussing ice cream, and one block away, the cheers of peaceful protestors as passing drivers sound their car horns.

These sounds encapsulate not only nature and the built environment, but also several clues about the time, place, and culture in which I live. What does your day sound like? Describe it in a brief social media post or email and invite friends to respond with the sounds of their day.

Listen to others. Part of honoring the “hear” and now is to listen mindfully to people around us, gaining insight into each other’s experiences, viewpoints, and insights. This isn’t always easy. When we’re too reactive, too dismissive, or simply unaware, it’s as if the noise of our own conditioning drowns out what others are trying to say.

The good news is that we can change this in a moment. We can break a “loud” habit by simply listening. We can quell the urge to instantly shut down a different opinion. We can stop one-upping a friend’s account of a significant personal experience with an oft-told tale of our own. We can refrain from retorting defensively, “Well, I’M not like that!” when someone opens up about experiencing racism, stereotyping, or other forms of bias.

Oh, I see: To hear the world clearly, we must first reckon with our own interruptions.

Listening to the World

Wherever you are this Saturday, July 18, you can take part in World Listening Day. Whether you listen to nature, the human-built soundscape, the environment of cultural discourse, or all three, you’re sure to experience an aha moment. Now that’s a sound idea.

Find events specific to your country and join the global community for World Listening Day, here.

Sound expert Julian Treasure shares 5 ways to “re-tune” your ears for better listening, here.

“Being Hear,” by Emmy-winning acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, is a 10-minute treat for the senses, here.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

$\"Hands$

Lend an ear to the world of sounds at your fingertips!<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

Have You Heard? World Listening Day Honors the “Hear” and Now.<\/h2>\n
Listen\u2026do you hear that? It\u2019s the sound of your world. From a cat\u2019s purr to an elevator\u2019s hum to human voices, sound is an important element of our natural and cultural environment. Shh\u2026do you hear this? It\u2019s the sound of people across six continents inviting you to World Listening Day, an annual event that will unite the global community this Saturday, July 18.<\/p>\n
World Listening Day? What\u2019s that? <\/em><\/p>\n
I\u2019m glad you asked. Listen closely and I\u2019ll tell you.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
The soundscape emerges when we still the noise within.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
It started\u2014quietly enough\u2014in the 1970s with a Canadian composer named Raymond Murray Schafer. His World Soundscape Project developed the fundamentals of acoustic ecology, the study of the relationship in sound between human beings and their environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you listen carefully to the soundscape,\u201d said Schafer, \u201cit becomes quite miraculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schafer\u2019s ideas struck a chord with so many people around the world that in 2010, World Listening Day was founded. It falls on July 18 to honor Schafer\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
How alert are we to the sound of our world?
\u00a9 Skeeze\/ Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n
Now Hear This<\/strong><\/h4>\n
This year, communities around the globe will be participating in listening events hosted by the World Listening Project. This year\u2019s theme, created by Wildlife Sanctuary Vice President Katherine Krause is The Collective Field<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrent times have asked each of us, individually and in concert, to retreat, reflect, and rethink the world we thought we knew,\u201d says Krause.\u00a0 And so, on this international day of awareness, Krause asks us to still the noise in our head and to listen\u2014really, listen<\/em>\u2014to the \u201ccollective field\u201d of overlapping environments:<\/p>\n
\n
the natural world of animals, plants, land, water, and weather.<\/li>\n
the human-built soundscape of traffic, machinery, and even architecture.<\/li>\n
the cultural environment\u2014the voices we hear, and the voices we \u201ctune out.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"Soundwaves$
What enhances or hinders our ability to tune in to the world’s wavelengths?<\/p><\/div>\n
Say, What? <\/strong><\/h4>\n
We\u2019ll look at\u2014I mean \u201clisten to\u201d\u2014each environment in a moment. But first, I swear I can hear what you’re thinking: Isn\u2019t listening something we do every day? <\/em><\/p>\n
Yes, but mostly we hear passively. Most sounds blend and wash over us, whether we\u2019re on a conference call or a beautiful island. At other times, we focus on one particular sound, whether it’s the warble of a bird or the whine of a leaf-blower. Sound experts call this directed listening.<\/p>\n
Active listening is when we notice how sounds affect each other, our environment, ourselves, and others. During a \u201cquiet\u201d walk on a beach, for example, we might hear not only seagull cries and the whoosh<\/em> of the waves, but also the light drum of our footfall on firm sand, the jingling collar of a playful dog, and in the distance, scattered outbreaks of faint voices and car radio music.<\/p>\n
Listening as a Global Community<\/strong><\/h4>\n
On July 18, thousands of people around the world will participate in a wide variety of listening activities. Here are just a few suggestions.<\/p>\n
Take a soundwalk.<\/strong> This is any excursion whose main purpose is listening to the environment. It is exposing our ears to every sound around us no matter where we are.<\/p>\n
$\"People$
Wherever you live is the perfect place to take a soundwalk.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Before COVID, cities from Chicago to Sydney regularly offered guided soundwalks for small groups. Today you can still glean much from a solo or shared soundwalk of your own.<\/p>\n
Walk in silence in an area that you think<\/em> you know well, such as your own neighborhood.\u00a0 Listen attentively for as many sounds as possible. If walking with another, pause occasionally to compare what you\u2019ve noticed. (Consider using\u00a0 breaks to jot down lists and exchange them in silence to stay in \u201clistening mode.\u201d )<\/p>\n
Map the sounds of nature. <\/strong>Listen to the sounds of nature\u2014even if you’re self-isolating. Nature Sound Map<\/a> (see screenshot from website below) lets you travel the world, discovering soundscapes of our planet’s wildlife, oceans, and other natural phenomena.<\/p>\n
$\"Map$
Hear the sounds of morning in Capertee Valley, Australia on the Nature Soundmap website.
\u00a9 Wild Ambiance<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n
Be sure to check out World Sounds<\/a> (see screenshot from website below), too. This global archive<\/a> offers both human-built and natural soundscapes.\u00a0 What would you hear on a walk through a market in London\u2014or in Kampong Cham, Cambodia? What does the Eiffel Tower sound like? Find out on\u00a0 . . .<\/p>\n
$\"Screenshot$
Hear the sounds of urban life, markets, religious centers, and more nature soundscapes
on the World Sounds website. \u00a9 World Sounds<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n
Describe your day in sound. <\/strong>We each have a unique soundtrack that plays behind our day. As I write in my apartment, I hear the tapping of the keyboard under my fingers, the click and clink of ice in a thin glass of water, the murmur of an old refrigerator.<\/p>\n
Sounds of the neighborhood filter in through the open window: the flute-like call of a western meadowlark, a breeze rustling Ponderosa pines, delivery trucks pulling into the parking lot, two girls discussing ice cream, and one block away, the cheers of peaceful protestors as passing drivers sound their car horns.<\/p>\n
These sounds encapsulate not only nature and the built environment, but also several clues about the time, place, and culture in which I live. What does your<\/em> day sound like? Describe it in a brief social media post or email and invite\u00a0 friends to respond with the sounds of their day.<\/p>\n
Listen to others. <\/strong>Part of honoring the \u201chear\u201d and now is to listen mindfully to people around us, gaining insight into each other\u2019s experiences, viewpoints, and insights. This isn\u2019t always easy. When we\u2019re too reactive, too dismissive, or simply unaware, it\u2019s as if the noise of our own conditioning drowns out what others are trying to say.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
What do we miss when we tune out?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
The good news is that we can change this in a moment. We can break a \u201cloud\u201d habit by simply listening. We can quell the urge to instantly shut down a different opinion. We can stop one-upping a friend’s account of a significant personal experience with an oft-told tale of our own. We can refrain from retorting defensively, \u201cWell, I\u2019M not like that!\u201d when someone opens up about experiencing racism, stereotyping, or other forms of bias.<\/p>\n
Oh, I see<\/strong>: To hear the world clearly, we must first reckon with our own interruptions.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
What are we listening to? What don’t we hear?
\u00a9 Mircea Lancu\/Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n
Listening to the World<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Wherever you are this Saturday, July 18, you can take part in World Listening Day.\u00a0 Whether you listen to nature, the human-built soundscape, the environment of cultural discourse, or all three, you’re sure to experience an aha moment. Now that’s a sound<\/em> idea.<\/p>\n
Find events specific to your country and join the global community for World Listening Day, here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
Sound expert Julian Treasure shares 5 ways to “re-tune” your ears for better listening, here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
“Being Hear,” by Emmy-winning acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, is a 10-minute treat for the senses, here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
Comment<\/em><\/a> on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":37872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,225,227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crossing-culture","category-nature-travel","category-worldwide-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37819"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37881,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37819\/revisions\/37881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}