Soundwalk

Explore the sounds and rhythms of our urban and natural world with Atlantic Center for the Arts. Beneficial for people of all ages to relieve stress, gain focus, and develop a deeper understanding of how we fit into the ecosystem of our environment.

December 14, 2024 at 11AM

Location: Canaveral National Seashore, Apollo Beach (7611 Atlantic Ave S, New Smyrna Beach). Meet at Visitor’s Center.
Free with park admission. Open to everyone. No registration required.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor of this workshop, AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach! Your commitment to the arts and our community is inspiring! www.adventhealth.com

What is a soundwalk?

“A soundwalk is any excursion whose main purpose is listening to the environment. It is exposing our ears to every sound around us no matter where we are. We may be at home, we may be walking across a downtown street, through a park, along the beach; we may be sitting in a doctor’s office, in a hotel lobby, in a bank; we may be shopping in a supermarket, a department store, or a Chinese grocery store; we may be standing at the airport, the train station, the bus-stop. Wherever we go we will give our ears priority. They have been neglected by us for a long time and, as a result, we have done little to develop an acoustic environment of good quality.” – Hildegard Westerkamp (published in Sound Heritage, 1974)

How can a soundwalk improve health?

Focused, silent walks can be a key to reducing stress levels, anxiety, distractions, and can improve breath control. Our sense of hearing is heightened, and awareness of our connection to nature is enhanced. Concentrating on the sound environment links us to the risk of noise pollution and solutions to create an ecologically balanced soundscape. Taking the time to listen to our surroundings gives us a deeper understanding of how our everyday actions affect both nature and our well-being.

How much walking will there be?

Each soundwalk is designed to move through different sound environments. We will be walking at a slow pace to allow for time to fully hear each location. Over the duration of one hour, a distance of approximately ½ mile will be traveled.

Rain or shine?

Yes. These walks are outdoors. Please check the weather before departing for the soundwalk, and prepare accordingly. Weather conditions affect the way sound travels. It is a wonderful experience to hear how the sound waves of a bird call in humid air travels differently than in dry air.

Are the soundwalks open to all ages?

Anyone can participate in a soundwalk. On our walks, we do ask that talking and distraction (cellphone use) be kept to a minimum to allow for the enjoyment of the environmental sounds. Therefore, small children may not be engaged enough in this activity to avoid becoming restless.

About the Artist
Eve Payor (aka Lady Eve) is a musician and soundscape artist working as an arts administrator for Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Her arts advocacy focuses on the connection between music, environment, accessibility and wellness. In 2016 she began to lead an ongoing series of soundwalks, which gives the public opportunities to experience natural surroundings through listening techniques, meditative breathing, and contemplative focus. In recent years, the soundwalk program has grown into an artist residency called the ACA Soundscape Field Station at Canaveral National Seashore, and an accessibility program for blind and partially sighted youth called Young Sound Seekers, sponsored by the National Park Service. These programs highlight the growing importance of environmental sound (soundscape) on the quality of health for all living creatures. As a musician and soundscape artist, she uses field recordings, electronic music, spoken word, and classical oboe in her compositions and collaborations. She has performed at the Mutek Mexico Festival, 800 East Atlanta Art Collective, been a curator at Vancouver’s alternative performance festival: Signal & Noise, and produced her Pan Ambient event series with Seattle’s Decibel Festival. In 2016, she produced an interactive gallery exhibition called Watercolors in Sound at Atlantic Center for the Arts showcasing a sound/video/photography installation of field recordings from the New Smyrna Beach soundwalks. Eve has been a featured artist-in-residence at Hambidge Center in North Georgia, Serenbe AIR in Chattahoochee Hills Georgia, and a featured artist at Timucua Arts Foundation Orlando, and the Atlanta Science Festival. As an active Zazen practitioner, she incorporates meditation and subtle awareness throughout her artistic endeavors.
www.ladyeve.co