Ice Breakers and Discussion Questions
Examples of icebreakers and discussion questions you can use post-soundwalk.
Part One: Pose these icebreaker questions to the entire group of soundwalking participants.
- What were your initial thoughts and feelings as you began the sound walk?
- Did anything surprise you along the way?
- What is the weirdest sound you heard?
Part Two: Transition into smaller groups of 4-6 to reflect on the following discussion questions. Invite participants to transfer any notes from their soundwalking field notes to a chart paper, white board, or another form of shared note.
We gave each group an enlarged version of the original soundwalking map—used during the soundwalk—to help them compile their observations during group discussions. Include supplies like permanent markers, pens, sticky notes, highlighters and stickers for participants to document their thoughts. We invited participants to reflect on these discussion questions below when transferring their observations.
- Describe the different layers of sound you noticed during the walk. Were there any that you typically ignore or take for granted? Did any sounds evoke strong emotions or memories for you?
- How did the soundscape change as you moved through different spaces? Did anything stand out for you?
- What role did silence play in your experience? How did moments of silence impact your overall perception of the soundscape?
- How did the experience of listening to different sounds change your perception of these spaces? What sounds stood out to you, and why?
- Some of the sites we visited had objects arranged throughout the space. Which, if any, stood out to you? Did these objects impact your perception of the site?
- What voices and/or stories were represented or absent in the soundscape of these sites? How did this change your perception of your surroundings?