Soundscape: Quietest Place on Earth

Being Hear (9:56) Acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton has spent the past 35 years recording natural soundscapes. His work has taken him around the world and into some of the least densely populated places. Source: National Geographic/ YouTube

Soundwalk: Estufa Fria de Lisboa

Fauna Sonoscopia (14:40) Participants at last years Lisbon Soa explore the soundscape of the Estufa Fria de Lisboa or “Lisbon Greenhouse". This venue is "one of the most important parks that exist in the city. As a living museum and an ex libris of Lisbon, it is one of the most visited sites in the city, by both students and tourists. Initially thought out as a place to simply shelter various types of plants, it has become one of the most pleasant green spaces in Lisbon, where you can spend a few enjoyable hours between lakes, waterfalls, brooks, statues and hundreds of different plant specimens from all over the world. A place the gives its visitors a sense of tranquility and well being. This Greenhouse is managed by the Lisbon City Council and is divided into three different areas: “The Cold House”; “The Hothouse” and “The Sweet House”."

Documentary: Soundscape Ecology

Soundscape Ecology (3:26) NOVA asks: What can sound tell us about the health of an ecosystem? Source: PBS

Documentary: World According to sound

Soundscape - the world according to sound (13:45) “The natural world tells unseen stories through sound - all are fascinating but also disturbing. This new science of soundscape ecology is tracking environmental change with small audio recorders and powerful computer processing. Catalyst discovers what we can learn from listening to nature.”  Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Science (2016).

Lecture: Dr. Gage Paine —The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence (10:21). When was the last time you felt silence? The concept of silence may be a distant cousin in our everyday lives. Listen and learn. Dr. Gage Paine extends an invitation for us to open our minds to the power silence has on our psyche. Source: TEDxSanAntonio 2012. 

Lecture: Gordon Hampton - saving silence

Saving Silence from Extinction (18:45). One day,Gordon Hempton , slept on the grass. A storm fell and he continued asleep in the rain. That was the day he became fascinated with the sounds of nature. For 25 years, his job is to record sounds that people have forgotten to hear. He warns us: silence is becoming extinct. Source: TEDx Amazonia

Discussion: Surrounded by Soundscapes

Surrounded By Soundscapes (1:22:43) Composer Charles Amirkhanian, soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause, and film editor and sound designer Walter Murch consider the environmental implications and artistic possibilities of aural landscapes and ambient sounds. Source: BAMPFA

Soundwalk: Durham, NC

Sound walk with Anna Friz (1:02). As historian Emily Thompson notes, the soundscape is “simultaneously a physical environment and a way of perceiving that environment.” At Moogfest 2016 in Durham, NC, sound artist Anna Friz led this small group as they walked together while listening closely to their surroundings, considering all sounds as phenomena worthy of attention. This excursion asked participants to become mindful and implicated listeners to their sonic environment (or soundscape), whether indoors or out. The 30-minute walk was followed by 15 minutes of discussion.