Boston Soundwalk: The Next 50 Years A Guided Soundwalk
BOSTON SOUNDWALK: THE NEXT 50 YEARS
Retracing Michael Southworth's 1967 soundwalk
Guided by Kristjan Varnik
Starts from 70 Charles Street, Boston (Tatte Bakery)
Sunday, August 1, 2021 1:30PM
FREE
Link to maps
Please remember to practice distancing. Masks requested when inside.
Non-Event is hosting an event in which we retrace a historic soundwalk by Michael Southworthfrom over 50 years ago. The original soundwalk provided a detailed history of the Boston soundscape, including descriptions of the Central Artery and Filene’s Basement. It contained one of the first usages of the word “soundscape” along with experimental techniques for analyzing the public soundscape. Soundwalk participants will traverse through Boston’s sonic environment and sense the changes that have happened over the last 50 years. The route crosses historic sites and covers four centuries of history. A map will be available online, so that you can take your own self-guided soundwalks at any time. On the guided walk, Kristjan Varnik will introduce the route, provide maps, and guide travellers along the route. At the end of each section, the group is invited to discuss their shared experiences.
Schedule:
1:30 Coffee Hangout - Tatte @ 70 Charles Street
2:00 Outbound Route from Louisberg Square to India Wharf (meet at Louisberg Square)
Approximately 30-45 minutes
3:00 Inbound Route from India Wharf to Myrtle Street Playground Approximately 30-45 minutes
(Group walk departs at the untitled art sculpture at India Wharf)
The original study is in “The sonic environment of cities” by Michael Southworth.
Kristjan Varnik is a musician, acoustic engineer and software engineer following a deep curiosity for sound. He has conducted professional noise analyses for energy projects across North America, including underwater noise from the first offshore wind farm built in the USA. He wrote code for a collaborative sound synthesizer controlled by the human voice. He helped launch the online music school at Berklee College of Music. He has held artist residencies in multiple countries. He earned his degrees from Tufts University and New York University.
