Sometimes, I do just shut my eyes whilst walking. It helps when I’m listening to music in headphones to visualise prettier images than our London streets. With this in mind, I was sure the sound walk would be a calming and easy experience for me. However, there is something very different about having to wear a blindfold, and partake in this experience amongst a group of people.

The first location of the sound walk was the underpass by Forest Hill station. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, as the most prominent sounds were the traffic and the train rumble. There were other uncomfortable sounds, such as squeaking gates, clanging bicycle chains, rushed footsteps and train announcements over the station tannoy. Although I still haven’t thought of a concept for the piece I will create for this unit, reflecting now, I’m linking these sounds to my thoughts on expressing the feeling of pain synaesthesia.

The next location was a small alley behind the train platform. The most prominent sound in this space was the sound of multiple messages being announced over different tannoys. I resonated with this sound. The last clear message we heard before taking off our blindfolds was “if you see something suspicious, please report it”, which although is a general TFL message that is announced all the time, as a collective, we felt as though we were the suspicious activity taking place, because of our blindfolds. To me, this highlighted the vulnerability we were all feeling not being able to see our surroundings, and is perhaps something I’d like to capture in a sound I record later.

At the third location, we split into pairs, taking turns to be blindfolded. Whilst I was guiding, I found it difficult to not speak to my partner, as they seemed very untrusting and nervous. I feel as though as a result, the experience was partially ruined for her. I’d love to ask her about this, and perhaps do another walk where we keep in complete silence to compare each experience. Whilst it was my turn to be guided, though there were pretty sounds dipping in and out of earshot (birdsong, whistling, chimes), it was very hard not to focus almost solely on the sound of footsteps, and grass being kicked. As a very rhythmic sound, I feel as though the footsteps on the grass kept me grounded throughout the walk, however it felt very loud in my head which was discomforting. In my head now, an idea is being formed about the relationship between senses of familiarity and comfort.

The final location was Sydenham Hill Wood. Again, like in Horniman Museum Gardens, I found it very difficult not to focus on the sounds of footsteps. I did find it easier to guide my partner without talking, as the longer we walked for, the longer the trust built.

Overall, I feel there were a couple of lessons to be taken away from this experience. I now believe that we as humans need to pay more attention to our surroundings, particularly nature. It is now almost instinct for us to plug in our headphones when going about our daily activities, that our minds aren’t as tuned into and perceptive of the sounds that the world itself creates. With practice, I will be able to hear the little prettier sounds, instead of mainly just my footsteps, on a soundwalk. I wonder how different this experience would be in a setting outside of London, where there are less city sounds, and on ground that isn’t as textured, so the sounds my feet make aren’t as prominent.

Sound Pieces: Annea Lockwood, Burning Piano ; Jose Macabra, Eye of the Beholder
Sound Artists: Francisco Lopez, Chris Watson