Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK 4+

I was on a quick visit to London and I needed sometime to clear my head so I went to Regent Park and decided to turn on this app Sound Walk. It was recommended by a friend and I am so glad I chose it. It was such an amazing experience to hear the sounds of this brilliant artist narrate my first major visit to the park in over ten years. It made the nature and beauty of the park come a live in a way that I had yet to experience (without hallucinogens). At some point, I felt like the tress and flowers were dancing in a rhythm synced with the conductors music. The music created this immersive artistic experience that I truly got lost in. I live in New York, so I definitely plan on using this through my jaunts in Central Park. What an ingenious idea - synching one form of art (music) with another (nature)? Thank you Ellen Reid’s Sound Walk!

The Griffith Park Soundwalk is pure auditory pleasure, like carrying a concert hall in your backpack. You hear different original musical themes as the terrain around you changes, all newly composed and appropriate to the surroundings. At times you hear the Kronos Quartet, other times ambient synthesizer music, all changing as you explore. There are a few Easter eggs hidden around the park; to hear them, you must approach certain landmarks, monuments or statues.* The catch is, you have have GPS enabled, and be on the trails in the park or it won’t play. I tried about 6 or 7 miles on a cool, sunny winter morning; I want to go back on a foggy day, or even in the rain. (*Spoiler Alert: for one example, walk up to the Astronomers Monument.)

Ellen Reid’s Sound Walk for Fairmount Park is a whole new way to experience this grand old space. Best done alone with no path or destination in mind. A perfect way to spend 2-3 hours exploring ideas large and small. Looking forward to doing it again in the fall and again in the winter.