The 2012 World Listening Day happens on Wednesday, July 18th. The purposes of World Listening Day are:

to celebrate different ways we can focus on our soundscape (sonic environment);
to raise awareness about the acoustic ecology movement, including ideas regarding how noise pollution can be reduced; and
to introduce new educational initiatives and community events related to listening and acoustic ecology.

Participation in the 2012 World Listening Day focuses on the aforementioned goals, which could include listening parties, listening to one’s soundscape in private, private or public soundwalks, public forums about acoustic ecology, and more. What would you like to do on the 2012 World Listening Day? Events could happen on Wednesday, July 18th. However, if another day during that week (July 15-21) would work better with your schedule, that would be fine.

World Listening Day happens annually on July 18th—the birthdate of R. Murray Schafer, a Canadian composer who established the World Soundscape Project. Its research laid the foundations for what became known as Soundscape Studies and Acoustic Ecology.

Dozens of organizations and more than a thousand people from six continents have participated in World Listening Day so far — on the inaugural World Listening Day in 2010, and the second WLD last year. Both were great successes, and we’re hoping to have more people and organizations participate this year. Please fill out this 2012 World Listening Day participation form and return it to worldlistening@gmail.com, with “World Listening Day” in the subject line if you are interested in participating. Thanks!