“Amid the myriad sounds that accompany our daily lives, we focus on only a few with any clarity—those that engage our attention. Yet we are affected by all the vibrations in the environment, whether we are conscious of them or not” – Andrea Olsen in Body and Earth

SOUNDS IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Walk paying close attention to the sounds inside and all around you.

Find a place to lie down. Be adventurous (when was the last time you laid on concrete, grass, sand, tile or dirt?), and set a timer for five minutes. With your eyes closed, listen.

When the timer goes off, take three minutes to jot down any notes about the sounds that you heard.

SOUND SCORE

Take out a piece of paper. Imagine that it is a musical score. Set your timer for 5 minutes. As you listen to the sounds around you, record each of them on your paper making up symbols and signs for the different sounds you hear.

When the timer rings, using your musical scores as a map, dance the sounds that you have recorded. Be creative—what do these symbols of sound feel like in your body? How do they make you want to move?

QUIET PLACE

Either inside or outside, find a quiet place to lie down. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Now focusing on your breath, listen as you inhale and exhale. Notice the sound vibrations as they move through your body. When you feel like you have listened to every part of your body, tune-in to the environment and listen there.

*These activities are inspired by Olsen’s “Day 12: Sound and Hearing” in Body and Earth: An Experiential Guide.

Works Referenced

Olsen, Andrea. Body and Earth: An Experiential Guide. Middlebury College Press, 2002.