... an extra layer - we will be outdoors!
... a wind instrument! I can supply empty bottles and a few slide whistles. If you have recorders or flutes, please bring them. Anything else that sounds similar is also welcome...
1. practice silence
2. form pairs/groups
3. review mechanics of movement
4. review neighborhood path
silence in the body: an opportunity to listen for small things.
careful silence. embodied in the minor movements of your still limbs and fingers. delicate breathing. maybe even a little bit tense.
If you'd like to walk alone, walk alone. If you'd like to walk in a pair, find a partner. Groups of three or less make the most sense
We will be dispersed throughout a small area, walking separate, intertwined paths, and converging upon a common point (Harbor View Park). We will be in communication by whistle, but ideally, not in other ways. We will assess our comfort levels and put ourselves in groups that allow for comfortable engagement.
We will number the groups (cells), and split them odd/even (for example: with 6 total cells, we have cells numbers 1,3,5 and 2,4,6).
Another group's whistle is like an on/off switch, starting or stopping your walking and movement.
(You walk, you hear a whistle, you stop... You hear another whistle, you start...)
Odd Cells: may sound only when in motion
Even Cells: may sound only when stationary
You and your partner(s) should try to sound simultaneously, which requires some subtle communication, especially if you close your eyes while listening.
Some ideas: a small tap on your instrument, a hand on a shoulder, a sharp inhale, an opening of the eyes...
For example:
Put up a finger when you want to sound. When you and your partner BOTH have fingers up, sound simultaneously.
These starting points and walking routes are suggestions. They should help everybody stay roughly in earshot of each other, which is necessary for this walk. That said, please take liberties...
Starting points 1, 2, and 3 might try to walk on the left side of the street(s).
Starting points 4, 5, and 6 might try to walk on the right side of the street(s).
(The expandable menu on the left side of the map pane has checkmarks, so you can activate/hide the various routes and map features)
This should go without saying, but make sure to fully cross the street before heeding the stopping call of another tugboat!
After the group practice in the backyard, we'll disperse to starting points...
Try to embody silence. Listen to the neighborhood and to your partner.
As sounds from your partner or the larger environment start to happen, take them as invitations to begin letting go of silence.
Gradually let your breath, movement, and thoughts become increasingly part of the neighborhood. Match your body-sounds to what you hear. As you, your partner, and the neighborhood grow louder, feel free to begin sounding your whistle, or locomoting...
Try to adhere to the mechanics of movement above, but only if it seems like it's working (for you, for the group, etc).
This walk is about listening. Please do, or abandon, what you need to do or abandon in order to make the walk meaningful to you, sonically or otherwise. And definitely don't let my stupid rules get in the way!
Never forget to periodically return to a state of silence.
Groups will trickle into Harbor View Park. Gather and make silence.
While people are still arriving, help them reach the end by sounding. When the group is full, feel free to keep sounding/listening. Step away/downwind if you'd like to have a smoke.
Try to maintain a nonverbal environment; group silence can be awkward, because we are almost never given the chance to practice it.
Leave as soon or as long afterwards as you would like. Walk silently, and do not say goodbye.
Quick note: Different people react to extended periods of silence in different ways. If you end up feeling anxious, or if your attention levels are waning, please take a break! Or bend the rules to suit you!
Please be mindful of the people and space around you. With that said, silence does not have to look, feel, or sound any certain way...
