Singing Insects Soundwalk with Eric Leonardson and Dr. Carl Strang
Join Midwestern Society for Acoustic Ecology in our summer soundwalk series! Explore the beautiful nature of the Chicago Public parks in an experience led by faculty and alumni from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and other local teaching artists. Experience the sounds of Chicago from a new perspective! This series is in partnership with Chicago Park District and Night Out In the Parks which brings arts and culture to over 500 parks across the city, free and open for public participation.
Singing Insects Soundwalk
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary
July 26, 2023 – 8-9:30pm
Eric Leonardson with Dr. Carl Strang
The Singing Insects Monitoring Program is a citizen science effort to familiarize people with common sounds of singing insects in the Chicago region, including grasshoppers, cicadas, katydids, and crickets. Building on Dr. Carl Strang’s work documenting species across 22 counties, the purpose of the project is to collect local baseline data and help people keep their ears perked for unusual insect calls each summer. Data collected is publicly available to anyone who wishes to use it, and walks are conducted informally site by site along a route prescribed by a surveyor. Key to this is listening. To enjoy and to learn how to identify these insects by their “songs”, Eric Leonardson prepares us for a soundwalk through engaging “Ear Cleaning” exercises with directions from Dr. Strang.
Participants will meet at the flag pole on the walkway near Kayak Chicago and The Dock cafe, west of the bird sanctuary. Map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/GRy7mXaMY3R6RW976
RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdw_toA1uoRl_DTP9c4Z0L5JF6JE0YP-kEQ9Qi7qBy9E1-Q9A/viewform
Eric Leonardson, a Chicago-based audio artist, serves as President of the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology, and Vice-president of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. He is Associate Professor, Adjunct in the Department of Sound at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Leonardson performs internationally with the Springboard, a self-built instrument made in 1994 and often presents on acoustic ecology to new audiences beyond art world contexts; engaging and connecting communities in the interrelated aspects of sound, listening, and environment.