About this soundscape:

Here is a soundscape collage of the early morning of June 11, 2013 between the hours of 4AM and 7AM. It tells the story of Chicago's waking moments in an early summer morning. The dawn chorus features first the American Robin, and soon after the Red Wing Blackbird. Others can be heard in the distance such as gulls and grackles. Notice also that every thirty seconds is another half hour in the morning and as such human activity adds its tenor and bass notes to the chorus. Abridged recording; duration 03:30.

Where: 
This was recorded in Lincoln Park at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary along the outer perimeter which contains a prairie and a small woodland.

When: 
June 11, 2013 @ 4:00 AM - 7:00 AM.

Acknowledgements:
Sound files were collected by Chicago Wildsounds members at DePaul University. 

Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University (http://csh.depaul.edu/departments/environmental-science-studies/Pages/default.aspx).

In association with Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Bryan Pijanowski and the Global Sustainable Soundscapes Network (http://soundscapenetwork.org/).

Equipment:
Recorded on a Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter SM2+ (http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/song-meter-sm2-birds) and edited in Logic Pro 8 using iZotope Ozone 5 and Fabfilter Pro MB software instruments.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Dawn Chorus at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary (June 11, 2013)

About this soundscape: 

Here is a collage of soundscapes within a single day at South Pond in Lincoln Park. Starting at midnight on August 23rd, 2013 this piece captures a patchwork of sounds and gives the listener a glimpse into the daily rhythms of South Pond's inhabitants. Although there are not consistent intervals for every hour, one can listen to the morning chorus starting from 45 seconds up until 1:26. An interesting addition to this time of day is the sound of airplanes flying overhead, providing a look into how these birds cope and adapt to these man made noises. The dynamic character of South Pond's soundscape truly is a hidden treasure within a vast urban environment.

Where: 
This was recorded in Lincoln Park at South Pond.

When: 
August 23, 2013 @ 12:00 AM - 11:00 PM.

Acknowledgements:
Sound files were collected by Chicago Wildsounds members at DePaul University.

Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University (csh.depaul.edu/departments/envir…ages/default.aspx).

In association with Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Bryan Pijanowski and the Global Sustainable Soundscapes Network (soundscapenetwork.org/).

Equipment:
Recorded on a Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter SM2+ (www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/son…er-sm2-birds) and edited in Logic Pro 8 using iZotope Ozone 5 and Fabfilter Pro MB software instruments.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Edited by Dan Marvan

South Pond 12 AM to 7 AM

South Pond 8 AM to 3 PM

South Pond 4 PM to 11 PM

HOLLY is a 27' sound-installation.  The loop is played-back MONO through a converted karaoke box (14"X8"X6").  

A dark grey "cozy" was specially made by artist Holly Abney, to wrap this small, box-like speaker.

The speaker, including cozy, is available on loan from Jeff Kowalkowski, for future installation.

Jeff Kowalkowski, composer, vocals, keyboards
Henry Kowalkowski, guitar, vocals, samples
Caleb Kowalkowski, cello, vocals, samples

mixed by Jeff Kowalkowski

Preferable play-back at a loud volume in a reverberant space, or at a soft volume in a dry space.  

HOLLY was premiere-installed in the 2nd floor stairwell at DPAM, summer 2013.  


HOLLY27'

About this soundscape:

On June 30th, 2014 at around 9pm, storm "Derecho" hit parts of the midwest including Chicago. A thunderous storm came crashing down and hushed human (anthro) and wildlife (bio) noise altogether. Geophony took center stage for the night. 

Where: 
This was recorded at Jarvis Point Bird Sanctuary.

When: 
June 30, 2014 @ 9:00pm

Acknowledgements:
Sound files were collected by Chicago Wildsounds members at DePaul University.

Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University (csh.depaul.edu/departments/envir…ages/default.aspx).

In association with Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Bryan Pijanowski and the Global Sustainable Soundscapes Network (soundscapenetwork.org/).

Equipment:
Recorded on a Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter SM2+ (www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/son…er-sm2-birds)

Photo courtesy of rmhess via Instagram.

Edited by Dan Marvan

Storm "Derecho" on June 30, 2014

Welcome to our first feature on "Do You Hear What I Hear?!". We're stoked to share with you Cad_Elf's original piece, Goosefeathers, composed using CWS's field recordings. 

Our goal is to bring together a diverse group of people, to highlight the various aspects of sound that we experience differently and to softly (and sometimes loudly) propose a new way to listen to our environment and each other, through the honest reflections and creative interpretations of our neighbors.

You can find Cad_Elf's other music here: https://soundcloud.com/cad_elf

Do You Hear What I Hear?! - Goosefeathers by Cad_Elf (Paul Gray)

A Walk in Sound
Forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-yoku, is the Japanese practice of taking a leisurely stroll through the forest to refresh the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. Similar to this practice, yet originated in different intent, is taking a soundwalk. The term soundwalk was coined by the World Soundscape Project and is used to describe an excursion with the intent of listening. Sound is perennially present in our daily lives, yet how closely do we actually listen to our surroundings? There is much that goes unheard. The purpose of taking a soundwalk is to indulge in deep listening, a form of close observation that expands our understanding of the environments we encounter. It is a practice of mindfulness, allowing your undivided attention to be immersed in the present, receptive to the abundance, or absence, of sounds that reside. A soundwalk, in itself, is a meditation in which the observer tunes in to the rhythms and melodies of the natural world rather than tuning out. In doing so one can gain insights or inspiration that may have been unattainable under any other circumstance. 

There are many benefits to the practice of soundwalking, the most apparent being an expansion in consciousness. Indulging in a soundwalk, much like other forms of meditation, increases focus within the individual. Through focusing on the array of sounds present within your environment, you become more conscious of sounds that may not have been apparent before. Each stream of vibrations reveals itself the longer you tune in, compiling together to form the grand symphony of the soundscape. Much like a landscape being comprised of different visual features, a soundscape is comprised of a variety of sounds. 

There is much that we can learn through taking a soundwalk. Apart from making you more conscious of your immediate environment, flashes of insight may come through your experience. Imagine talking a stroll through an urban area with the intent of deep listening. While tuned in you may hear very pleasant sounds such as the cheerful chatter of passing pedestrians or the alluring tones produced by street performers. However, there could be unpleasant sounds present as well such as the blaring siren of a fire truck, the disruptive honks in heavy traffic, or the clanks from construction. Rather than tuning out these unpleasant noises, as many urban folks do, tuning in brings the reality of these sounds into perspective. Through understanding the aversion experienced from listening to these sounds, it brings forth the realization that perhaps many other living beings experience that very same aversion. Becoming conscious of the prevalence of unpleasant human-made sounds gives more incentive for limiting these noises, not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of all living things in the area.

Taking a soundwalk is really quite simple, all you need to do is find an environment you would like to get acquainted with and spend some time exploring it with an open mind and open ears. A soundwalk does not necessarily need to happen at a predetermined destination, one can practice it virtually anywhere. The feelings, insights, and inspirations one receives through soundwalking is completely subjective. You may hear something unique, and the way these sounds are internalized is dependent on the listener. To get the most out of your soundwalk experience, it is best to clear your mind and focus your complete attention on the sounds you hear. Inevitably there will be moments when you tune out and that’s completely fine. If you had a hectic day and want to clear your head, a soundwalk is a perfect way to do so. It is also a good idea to pay attention to the way you feel or some of the thoughts that come to mind while engaging in a soundwalk, for it is not merely about discovering your environment, but also discovering yourself. Similar to the healing practice of Sinrin-yoku, a soundwalk is a great way to open yourself up to the world around you.


Do You Hear What I Hear?! - A Walk in Sound by Matt Connors

Annie Baldwin is a queer feminist artist from Chicago. She is currently majoring in Environmental Studies and Digital Cinema at DePaul University. She spends her time writing and performing her poetry in coffee shops all around the city. She is a DJ at Radio DePaul as well as a Writing Tutor at the University Center for Writing Based Learning. She has recently released her first chapbook entitled "Skin" and is working on her first debut short film called "Blaze." She is also performing her own piece in DePaul's rendition of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, & A Prayer for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. She dedicates her life to creating art and healing through it. Her motto in life is "keep producing!" She wants to get her work out there and touch other people with it. You can keep up with her creative endeavors at www.artbyanniebaldwin.com.

Do You Hear What I Hear?! - Love Letter To Chicago 3 by Annie Baldwin

Comfort Food is an experimental noise jazz band from Chicago. They have released two albums, Dig In (2012) and Dr. Faizan's Feel-Good Brain Pills (2013). A third release is planned before the end of the year.

comfortfood1.bandcamp.com

Do You Hear What I Hear?! - Clothes Are Skin by Comfort Food

Today on "Do You Hear What I Hear?!" is a music composition titled "Bare Ruin'd Choirs, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (Triple Fugue for crying baby, father-son, and laughter; with wind-plane continuo)" by Daniel Rosiak.

The main body of the piece is a triple fugue, employing as its three themes literal transcriptions--except in the case of a part of one theme and in the extension of another--of three "events" extracted from the original sound recordings. While I have drawn attention to three "events" in particular--the baby crying, the father-son, and the laughter--one could easily listen to the original recordings and fail to notice these. For the most part, the soundscape is dominated by the unremarkable sounds of planes overhead (more than once a minute on average) and wind effects on the microphone (if there was any more typical "nature" sound in the recordings, it was entirely masked by the constancy and aggressiveness of these two). Accordingly, the whole piece is bracketed on both ends by these sounds, which also serve as a sort of basso continuo for the fugue. Formally, the development of the piece as a whole often "moves with the wind". The idea for a fugue was suggested by part of the dialogue between the father and son, when the father tells his son to "please catch up!". The fugue is a relatively strict fugue, with three separate expositions for each theme, and a brief section where all three themes are combined, until they diverge from one another completely. The prelude-like section, rather than acting as a typical prelude to a fugue (preparing material to come), works more as a conceptual counterpoint to the main fugue. While the triple fugue, like all fugues, aims for high levels of complexity and mobility through economical combination of basic material, the introductory section was conceived in almost inverse terms, aiming at the overall static, rarefied quality in the insistence of independent, distant, and propulsive mass sound events (like the planes overhead). The tendency of the fugue--towards intimacy, individuality, and increasing complexity in the almost deterministic combination of autonomous and divergent material--is conceived in opposition to the tendency of the recordings as a whole, which--with disconnected car alarms, sirens, planes, and distant chatter--tends to fill the soundscape with a sort of density without contours.

Bare Ruin'd Choirs, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Daniel Rosiak

Independent Soundscape Group in collaboration with:

DePaul University 
Purdue University
National Science Foundation

Chicago Wildsounds focuses on conserving and understanding the soundscapes heard throughout our city, sharing our records with the citizens of Chicago in order to encourage and develop an intimate relationship with the city's sonic heritage and surroundings. Our goal is to spread awareness about sound and how it functions in an urban setting, particularly its interaction with nature.

Chicago Wildsounds

Popular tracks