Sound

  The aural sense is extremely important to all of us, especially those who are sight impaired. For this reason we pay particular attention to the sounds/instruments we use and the soundscapes we aim to create. Using sound as another tool, we can enhance sensory experience and give opportunities for participants to engage in sound-making themselves.  

  Vocalising can include songs, chants, repeated phrases which give clues to the environment/activity (i.e Crushing Grapes song )
Vocal 'sounds' can emphasise rhythms and facilitate participants to contribute their own sounds which will then be sanctioned, copied and reinforced. These can include onomatopaeic sounds, whistles, buzzes, roars, brrrr, sssss, ooooo etc. The use of a microphone with sound effects can greatly enhance an individual's own sounds  

Recorded sound effects set the scene for specific environments/themes. such as the sea/seagulls, rain falling, underwater, clanks of machinery, train sounds etc  

  Instruments can be used to engage participants in creating their own soundscapes, for example rainsticks, ocean drums, metallic sounds for machinery, wood sounds in a forest theme.  

We often use real sounds and instruments which relate to an activity: For fire - snapping twigs and popping bubble wrap.
For water - an actual pool/fountain in the workshop.      
 For birdsong - whistles, occarinas, vocals  
For foliage - autumn leaves crackling, rustling wind in leaves 

  Create the sounds of movement: objects rolling down tubes (gravel/rice) or over instruments; 
conkers down a wood xylophone, objects falling/dropping into water, or onto instruments, footsteps scrunching over gravel, on bubblewrap, silver foil, beans or seeds rolling round in tambours, the flicks, whips, whooshes of streamers, ribbons, scarves. 

Sound pdf


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