Outreach
Sound Travels in public
The research doesn’t stay on paper. Sound Travels raises awareness, encourages listening, and composing with community members. Based on events in Chicago and Columbus, the project shares a collection and individual activities you can adopt or adapt to run with public audiences.
Events · Guides and activities
In this guide, Celebrating Sound with the Public, we describe our goals and process along with reflections and suggestions for adopting and adapting a collection of activities and events we designed to engage public audiences.
Events
Sound Travels has met the public so far at festivals and parks, botanic gardens, and other cultural institutions.
NSF 75th anniversary · May 10, 2025 · Chicago
ReSounding Success at Eden Place
Sound Travels celebrated the National Science Foundation’s 75th anniversary with more than 100 Chicagoans at Eden Place Farms. DJs, short films and a beatmaking workshop from Solidarity Studios producers, a Sound2Sight listening-and-sketching challenge led by MassArt seniors, a sensory session led by Detroit sound artists, and a walk to an ambisonic installation at Eden Place Nature Center. A panel of sound engineers, DJs, a sound preservationist and producers talked about how they found their way into sound, and how different cultures hear it.
Photos: Antonio Cesar
Community event · Chicago River
Beats on the River
A free evening celebrating the sounds of the Chicago-Calumet River, with live music, a plant listening session, hands-on beatmaking with river recordings, and a showcase of the river sounds remix competition. Hosted by Friends of the Chicago River, Planet Chambo and Solidarity Studios; executive producer Cesar Almeida, a Sound Travels advisor.
August 28, 2026 · McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
More resources and activities
Ready-to-use activities and guides for educators, families and anyone getting started with sound.
Activity
Select resources and ready-to-roll activities.
Online interactive
Choose an environment, then select and adjust the sounds in its soundscape.
Facilitator guide
A paired listening activity.
Guide
Acoustically fascinating and often free
Acoustic ecology, field recording, soundscape and soundwalking basics, compiled by Eric Leonardson, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Guide
Celebrating sound with the public
The Sound Travels collection of ideas and activities for engaging public audiences (Same as the link above)
For youth
National Park Service activities to build awareness of sound outdoors.