1 It is the printed word and the physical artifact that reign supreme in most museum spaces, and the

sound of muffled conversation and whirring air circulation systems that provide the soundtrack. In our culture of listening people, accustomed to the sounds of radios, televisions, cellphones, and ipods, as well as regular conversations and the everyday sounds of the environment, museums have unwittingly chosen to detach visitors from the sounds of life in order to explain both nature and human culture. Artifacts lay lifeless in glass cases like in silent tombs and visitors leave the real world behind to learn about the past in sealed environments. But what if museum content could enter daily life, if we could use our ears and our eyes to directly connect the places around us with the history and culture buried beneath the surface? ound, as a learning tool combined with locative technologies like global

positioning systems and cell phones can deliver complex and engaging information to the public, create lasting and personal connections with history, as well as preserve modern narratives and democrati!e depictions of cultural heritage. Before delving into the new possibilities of a museum without walls however, it is necessary to stress the importance of sound and the failure of museums to tap into this valuable resource. In museums as in many other places in "estern culture, a hierarchy of the senses places sight high above hearing. ound though, carries large amounts of information that can be understood as well as felt rapidly and emotionally. #aul $odoway in his book Sensuous geographies: body, sense, and place, suggests that %an auditory world unfolds like a tune, a visual world is presented already complete like a painting.&1 In this sense, the experience of auditory information is like an exploration that provides engagement and interaction whereas the visual information merely exists in a static form to be internali!ed mechanically. 'hat is not to say that visual information is devoid of value, but that a greater balance must be struck between the senses of sight and hearing so that one can be put to use in the service of the other. 1 #aul $odoway, ensuous geographies ( body, sense, and place, )*ew +ork( $outledge, 1,,-., /0.

0 1eremy ilver in the collection of essays entitled The Museum Time Machine: Putting Cultures on Display, discusses our society2s failure %to recogni!e the validity of recorded audio materials as cultural documents,&0 and this undervaluing of sound3archives is widespread he says %in many of our academic, educational, and cultural institutions.45 ilver mentions that there is an institutional

pre6udice against sound that results in a general attitude among the institutions and their users,- and this may account for the prevalence of static visual displays in museums. $aising awareness of this bias toward the visual however, is a significant first step that museum professionals can take in order to move forward and make greater use of multi3sensory tools. It could be argued that this general attitude among both institutions and public audiences )that museums are places of visual learning. is reason enough to maintain the current hierarchal structure of the senses. 'his is true if the use of audio re7uires a drastic ad6ustment in the learning styles of the museum3going public, and if extensive training8change is necessary. 9earning to listen well often re7uires proper training according to :avid ;. #feiffer from the :epartment of <ducational #sychology at the =niversity of >innesota. ?e states that, %in a world of visual dominance in the presentation of information, training will continue to be a significant and necessary factor to assure that learners benefit through improved understanding of a well3designed, sonified environment.&@ 'he argument that learning to listen is a trained skill, for example through musical study and ear training, is certainly a valid one, however any fear that museums have about an ill3e7uipped public unable to handle audio information, is completely unfounded due to the culture of listening that we are a part of. >ichael Bull is a $eader in >edia and Ailm tudies at the =niversity of ussex, Brighton and has looked extensively into the cultural implications of car radios, ony "alkmans, and i#ods and he 0 1eremy ilver, %Astonished and omewhat 'errified( 'he #reservation and :evelopment of Aural Bulture,& In The
Museum Time Machine: Putting Cultures on Display, ed. $obert 9umley )*ew +ork( $outledge, 1,//., 1C1. 5 Ibid. - Ibid., 1C5. @ :.;. #feiffer, %9isten and learn( An investigation of sonification as an instructional variable to improve understanding of complex environments,& Computers in Human Behavior 0- )0DD/.( -/1.

5 feels as though %contemporary consumer culture is a sound3consuming culture in which daily life is increasingly mediated by a multitude of mechanically reproduced sounds.&E 'his is increasingly true of younger generations using i#ods, but is not limited to this new wave of mobile sound devices. 'he radio has been a ma6or fixture in "estern culture throughout the 0Dth century and sound, for the ma6ority of the population, is also a fact of everyday life. 9earning to listen is an important skill that museums should advocate, and concerns about the untrained ears of the public may be put to rest thanks to the listening devices of popular culture. 'he desire for sound is a strong one for many people and a 7uote from $obert Boles, in ;eorge <. ?ein2s The Constructivist Museum, gets to the heart of the oppressive nature of museum sound3 spaces by addressing the responses of children to these echoing cavernous rooms. Boles says, I can still, even now, remember the description I heard, of the enormous rooms, the marble floors, the hushed silence that threatened to envelop the children, so they felt, and dared them the urge to make noise as a statement of self3assertion... 'he enormity and splendor of many museums bears down on the eyes and ears, strained to see and to hear so much under such awesome and, yes, constrained or regulated circumstances.C Bhildren and adults alike are creatures of bustling sound3environments and the process of entering hushed museum spaces can be both mentally and physically exhausting. Another description of museum spaces as uncomfortable sonic environments comes from the trained ear of soundscape designer and composer ?ildegard "esterkamp. In her 1,/D article The Ne Museum o! "nthropology in #ancouver: "n "coustic Dump, "esterkamp is critical of the museum, calling it %an acoustically oppressive environment.&/ he describes the air conditioning system as a source of meaningless sound that %creates F often unconsciously F feelings of distance and isolation in the individual, not only from the other people but also from the artifacts, and the general museum environment.&, 'he experience of the ob6ects on display is one step removed she says, because they E >ichael Bull, %*o :ead AirG 'he i#od and the Bulture of >obile 9istening,& 9eisure tudies 0- )0DD@.( 5-C.
C $obert Boles 7uoted in ;eorge <. ?ein. $earning in Museums )9ondon( $outledge, 1,,/., 1@,. / ?ildegard "esterkamp,%'he *ew >useum of Anthropology in Hancouver( An Acoustic :ump,& )1,/D. Ihttp(88www.sfu.ca8Jwesterka8writingsK0Dpage8articlesK0Dpages8acousticdump.htmlL., Accessed April 1/, 0DD/. , Ibid.

have been taken from their contexts and from the acoustic environments that contribute to their meaning. If museums were to think outside of their physical spaces and bring their stories out into the streets, it would be possible to create contexts that tie narratives to particular places and use recorded audio and natural soundscapes to effectively engage public audiences. 'he importance of contextuali!ation is stressed in an article about new technologies and location by >alcolm >cBullough. ?e explains that 4perceptions of place may be sub6ective and fleeting, but grounding life in effective contexts remains absolutely necessary. $esorting to nostalgia hardly helps in doing this howeverM there is little to be gained from understanding place mainly as something lost.41D >cBullough feels that culture and place are to a great extent intertwined, and for museums this means that representations of cultural narratives are somewhat detached from their contexts because they lack a strong sense of place. =sing location3based technologies such as global positioning systems and cell phones combined with sound elements like oral histories and natural soundscapes, museums can combat this problem and create effective contexts. 'wo pro6ects exemplify this context3based narrative structure, and each of them offer very interesting perspectives that could in fact be combined to greater effect. %>I9N& is a mapping pro6ect created by a group at the $iga Benter for *ew >edia Bulture in 9atvia and it was completed between 0DD- and 0DD@.11 *ine participants in the pro6ect were given ;# devices in order to track the %production and distribution of cheese from 9atvian dairy farms to the markets of =trecht.410 By documenting the movements of dairy farmers, dealers, and consumers, 4the artists represent the spatial histories and knowledges that are, for all practical purposes, otherwise inaccessible and invisible in the material of cheese.415 In this piece, the artists have created a spatial context for diary production in 1D >alcolm >cBullough, %On the =rbanism of 9ocative >edia,& Places 1/ )0DDE.( 0,.
11 $yan ;riffis, %Aor an art against the cartography of everyday life,& $e3#ublic( $e3Imagining :emocracy, )0DDC. Ihttp(88 www.re3public.gr8en8?pP1CEL. Accessed April 1/, 0DD/. 10 Ibid. 15 Ibid.

@ 9atvia and through the process of documentation have allowed the participants to both play their part and come to know the larger phenomenon. 'hough this story could be told in museums through the material product of cheese, the creation of a location3specific participatory experience is far more engaging and meaningful. 'he process of tracking in this case is also a valuable tool for the preservation of cultural heritage over the long term. >urmur is another interesting location3based pro6ect and it focuses on personal oral histories that reflect particular places in 'oronto, Hancouver, >ontreal, <dinburgh, :ublin, an 1ose, and Qo #aulo.1- ;reen signs )see appendix. are posted around these cities with phone numbers that the public may dial by cellphone in order to hear voices that were recorded on that very spot. 'he stories refer to exact locations and the listener is physically connected to the setting of the narrative. A girl listening to an <dinburgh >urmur piece recalls her experience saying that, As I listen to each personRs memory and visuali!e it happening, however many years ago on that very spot, it begins to feel as though IRm walking through a collection of short stories, something like herwood AndersonRs "inesburg OhioM a slow3building portrait of a community told through tiny moments in the lives of its residents.1@ In this way, the listener is surrounded by an environment where she8he can imagine the sounds of the past while experiencing the soundscapes of the present. 'he audio, used as a learning tool provides a vehicle for the imagination that is facilitated by the sights and sounds of the setting. 'he tracking component of >I9N and the audio element of >urmur could both be used by museums wishing to expand their programming out into the city, engaging the public with sound and and providing location3specific contexts. 'he combination of sound elements and location3tracking make up an excellent formula for a museum without walls, and the benefits for audiences are multiple. In addition to gaining knowledge about history and culture on a personal level, the ability to respond and add to the content allows for further engagement. "hen describing his criteria for $earning to be

1- %>urmur,& Iwww.murmurtoronto.caL, Accessed April 1/, 0DD/. 1@ Nristin Innis, %$ight ?ear, $ight *ow,& )0DDC. Ihttp(88www.list.co.uk8article81E103murmur8L. Accessed April 1/, 0DD/.

E Discriminating $isteners, ?arlan Adams emphasi!es the value of active listening and responding. %As good listeners& he says, %we should retain and use what we have attended to...'he good listener is responsive.&1E As a way of training the ears museums can ask the public to respond to what they hear by adding personal stories and mapping their own histories. 49ocative mapping as personal expression can become interesting to individuals as a reflection and as a narration of their experience41C according to 9ily hirvanee, and after making sub6ective connections to past oral histories, the public should have the opportunity to contribute to those cultural documents for future generations. Opening up the documentation of cultural heritage in this way would also make marginali!ed or obscure histories available to the public on a large scale. 9ocative media pro6ects, says $yan ;riffis utili!e the %familiar documentary aim of making visible for their audience the stories of marginali!ed people and places,&1/ and the community involvement in oral history pro6ects like >urmur surely paint more diverse pictures than a museum could display on the walls. On top of this, pro6ects of this kind have the potential to create %a more democrati!ed as well as familiar and meaningful public space,&1, as 9ily hirvanee says. *ot only could museums improve the understanding of and engagement with their content, they could help to improve the public space of the cities they occupy by showcasing the many stories of the people who live8lived there. It is clear that the hierarchy of the senses present in traditional museum spaces, in which sight is privileged and hearing is repressed, negatively affects the experience of museum visitors and their engagement with the material on display. ound is a key ingredient in our understanding of the world

and as #aul $odoway suggests, %with both listening and voice we participate in a geography of a living world, an auditory world, and so distinguish places and identify relationships across space.&0D A balance between sights and sounds in museums would help to reduce the sense of isolation and distance
1E ?arlan Adams, %9earning to be :iscriminating 9isteners,& The %nglish &ournal 5E )1,-C.( 1-. 1C 9ily hirvanee, % ocial Hiscosities( >apping ocial #erformance in #ublic pace.& Digital Creativity 1/ )0DDC.(1@-. 1/ ;riffis, Accessed April 1/, 0DD/. 1, hirvanee, 1@,. 0D $odoway, ,E.

C created by oppressive soundscapes, however the contexts that go along with the artifacts and narratives would remain elusive. 'he use of locative media technologies along with audio components can contextuali!e the content and expand the museum beyond its walls and out into the city2s public spaces. "ith these techni7ues in use, audiences would have the opportunity to engage and respond to the museum2s content, leading to a democrati!ed and personal depiction of the city2s heritage. 'wo important elements of a museum without walls are the creation of a sense of place, and the use of sound to both disseminate information and stimulate the imagination. As ?ildegard "esterkamp suggests, %conscious attention to the soundscape is like learning a new language and conscious listening and soundmaking is a way of placing ourselves inside the workings of our cultures, societies and landscapes as involved, living participants.401 By wandering through our cities with attentive ears and humble appreciation for the stories of the past, connections to the places we encounter will deepen and mature, and museums can facilitate this growth if they are able to think outside of their walls and embrace locative media technologies and audio techni7ues.

01 "esterkamp, Accessed April 1/, 0DD/.

/ "orks Bited Adams, ?arlen >. %9earning to Be :iscriminating 9isteners.& The %nglish &ournal 5E )1,-C.(1131@. Bull, >ichael. %*o :ead AirG 'he i#od and the Bulture of >obile 9istening.& $eisure Studies 0)0DD@.( 5-535@@. ;riffis, $yan. %Aor an art against the cartography of everyday life.& 'e(Public: 'e()magining Democracy* 0DDC. Ihttp(88www.re3public.gr8en8?pP1CEL )Accessed April 1/, 0DD/.. ?ein, ;eorge <. $earning in the Museum* 9ondon( $outledge, 1,,/. Innis, Nristin. %$ight ?ear, $ight *ow.& 0DDC. <http(88www.list.co.uk8article81E103murmur8L )Accessed April 1/, 0DD/.. >cBullough, >alcolm. %On the =rbanism of 9ocative >edia,& Places 1/ )0DDE.( 0E30,. %>urmur.& Iwww.murmurtoronto.caL )Accessed April 1/, 0DD/.. #feiffer, :.;. %9isten and learn( An investigation of sonification as an instructional variable to improve understanding of complex environments.& Computers in Human Behavior 0- )0DD/.( -C@3-/@. $odoway, #aul. Sensuous geographies : body, sense, and place* *ew +ork( $outledge, 1,,-. hirvanee, 9ily. % ocial Hiscosities( >apping ocial #erformance in #ublic pace.& Digital Creativity 1/ )0DDC.( 1@131ED. ilver, 1eremy. %Astonished and omewhat 'errified( 'he #reservation and :evelopment of Aural Bulture.& In The Museum Time Machine: Putting Cultures on Display, edited by $obert 9umley. *ew +ork( $outledge, 1,//. "esterkamp, ?ildegard. %'he *ew >useum of Anthropology in Hancouver( An Acoustic :ump.& 1,/D. Ihttp(88www.sfu.ca8Jwesterka8writingsK0Dpage8articlesK0Dpages8acousticdump.htmlL )Accessed April 1/, 0DD/..

Appendix

>urmur sign in Qo #aulo courtesy of www.flickr.com