Sound Map As Archive

While I'm here working on St Barnabas, I'll be using this map to upload recordings relevant to the whole school - marking key events in the school calendar.

This demonstrates how a sound map can also function as an archive.

The previous maps were made by the children of specific classes - and they function as mini-archives in themselves of what occurred on that day - but this sound map will work historically over a longer period of time, perhaps a year.

"Unless sounds are remembered by man, they perish, for they cannot be written down." Isodore of Seville (ca. 560-636)

In the year 600 people were still trying to imagine a way of writing down music, let alone sounds; and any single sound could not be replayed until well over a thousand years later, with the advent of Edison's phonograph. 

But one of Edison's original ideals for the phonograph was the preservation of sounds, the preservation of speech... a collecting device that created 'records' in the truest sense of the word: for example of people, events, speeches, activities.

Not much later, Emile Berliner's disc-playing device was quickly seized upon as an opportunity to sell products to people - to create consumers, rather than to create producers of sound, and music. A multi-million pound industry soared, but perhaps the simple act of creation was lost to the individual.

Phonography, a modern term for the practice of field recording (recording sound outside of a studio), is a creative act which literally translates as: writing sound; it represents a way of reclaiming the products of ones' life, experiences, interactions and observations.

Year 5 Class Sound Map 2014

Year 5 at St Barnabas took their turn at recording and mapping sounds in their school towards the end of 2013. Many took to the idea of an 'archive' in rather touching ways, leaving spoken testaments to their friends and introducing spaces and people vocally when they were in charge of the microphone. Although these poignant eulogies will be archived as part of the whole project, most of the intentionally narrated spoken aspects have been left out, because initially the idea is that all sounds are 'secret' (i.e. we don't know who the recordist is..), and that we are listening to the natural ambience, and naturally occurring sounds... You can also listen to the sounds (on their own or mixed with the locations above) in the SoundCloud list below...

Year 1 Class Sound Map 2014

The Year 1 class at St Barnabas were given a talk about active listening. They were then shown a sound map in which you can hear recorded sounds from around the world. We listened to sounds (recordings) from various global locations, and the pupils described what they could hear.
Lastly, the pupils were then sent out in small groups to capture sounds with hand-held recording devices, with the idea of collecting material for their own Sound Map of St Barnabas School. Click on the map pointers to hear where the sounds were recorded. Or play from the SoundCloud list below. From looking at frogs, listening to taps, and jumping off steps the children seemed to be lost in a world of sound...I think the railings are my favourite! Here are the sounds in a SoundCloud list:

A Guide for working with Piezo Electric Disks to introduce Children toIssues of Acoustic Ecology and Sonic Creativity

Richard Lerman http://www.west.asu.edu/rlermanpzo.lerman@asu.edu 

This paper was delivered at the June 1998 Conference of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology in Stockholm, Sweden

The proliferation of COMMERCIAL MUSIC makes it difficult, if not impossible for children to appreciate issues of ACOUSTIC ECOLOGY, or even become exposed to contemporary music and sound art. Teaching strategies and processes must be developed that encourage children and teenagers to explore their own sonic creativity. While enabling them to 'discover' acoustic ecology, and newer forms of music, they will also explore relationships between the Arts and the Sciences...

The basic idea!

Here is a very simple 'Prezi' to explain how sound mapping works as a global project potentially involving communication between schools.

Use the forward & backward (< arrow > ) buttons on your keyboard to move the Prezi onwards...

Click "" for full screen

^ Mute sound here if necessary 

A sound map is usually in the style of a Google satellite map, but with autochthonous sound - you get to listen to, and hear the locations.

An example of a genuine working and ever-growing sound map can be accessed here.

The sounds presented there are uploaded by people who simply took the time to capture their surroundings. It is a way of communicating globally (but non-verbally) through sound.

Children can listen to, and discuss sounds they hear from other schools, countries, geological areas, buildings, locations, communities, and so forth.

They can then contribute to this global exchange by sharing sounds of their environment, by putting themselves on the sound map. All it takes is listening, recording, exploring.

The original St Barnabas sound map can be found here with a write up of the initial concept.