soundwalk means an excursion for the purpose of listening to the environment. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Why “soundwalk” is a great word
SOUNDWALK — [Noun] An excursion, often guided, undertaken with the primary purpose of listening to and engaging with the sonic environment. From sound (perceived auditory sensation) + walk (act of traveling on foot); first used in the 1970s by members of the World Soundscape Project under composer R. Murray Schafer in Vancouver. Unlike a "hike" (which pursues scenic vistas) or an "audio tour" (which delivers a curated narration), a soundwalk cultivates a profound auditory focus on the present place. It is the disciplined attention to the distant sigh of a drawbridge, the layered counterpoint of footsteps through leaves and passing conversation, and the slow crescendo of evening insects in a vacant lot—a quiet practice of receiving the world not as scenery, but as vibration, where the listener becomes a temporary instrument of the world's invisible score.
Etymology
From sound + walk; first used by members of the World Soundscape Project under the leadership of composer R. Murray Schafer in Vancouver in the 1970s.
noun
- An excursion for the purpose of listening to the environment.“Although there is a classical component to Open Ears, there's a lot more on offer on the high-quality, eclectic bill, including the Turtle Island String Quartet playing the music of Coltrane, Vancouver's Hard Rubber Orchestra, an outdoor soundwalk with Schafer, Persian improv and art installations.”