Soundwalk with visiting artist-in-residence Jesse Budel

Explore the sounds and rhythms of our urban and natural world with Atlantic Center for the Arts and sound artist Jesse Budel.

Saturday, November 9th at 11AM
Rain or Shine

Location: Canaveral National Seashore, Apollo Beach (7611 Atlantic Ave S, New Smyrna Beach). Meet at the Visitor Center.
Free with park admission. Open to everyone. No RSVP required.

Jesse Budel (b. 1991) is a composer-performer, sound artist, producer and arts entrepreneur based in South Australia.

His works are for diverse media and spaces, ranging from concert works and installations to community and interdisciplinary collaborations.  His music has been performed the Australian String Quartet (AUS), Soundstream Ensemble (AUS), Zephyr Quartet (AUS), Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra (AUS) and Corvus Ensemble (Alaska, USA), and he has been an artist-in-residence at Adelaide City Library and Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre in Mount Gambier (SA, AUS), as well as at Arts Letters and Numbers (Upstate NY, USA).

Jesse’s PhD research at Elder Conservatorium of Music (supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship) focussed on adapting soundscape ecology to creative process, resulting in a body of works responding South Australian ecosystems and soundscapes, and receiving a Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence in 2019. Previously, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Composition) with First Class Honours in 2013, studying with Graeme Koehne, David Harris and Charles Bodman Rae, and receiving numerous Director’s Awards for ‘outstanding achievement as a composer and a high level of commitment in the promotion and performance of new music’.

As an emerging member of the Acoustic Ecology and Ecoacoustic communities, Jesse currently serves as the Secretary for both the Australian Forum for Acoustic Ecology and World Forum for Acoustic Ecology.

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.