Listening to the world around us: easy exercises for World Listening Day

Every year on 18th July, people around the globe celebrate World Listening Day, honouring the legacy of composer and acoustic ecologist R. Murray Schafer. Schafer believed that listening is not simply a passive act, but a way of understanding our environment, our communities, and ourselves.  

At The Evelyn Glennie Foundation, we share this belief deeply. Our mission is to Teach the World to Listen, and this day offers an opportunity to reflect on how we engage with sound in our daily lives. 

Listening is more than hearing. It’s a practice of attention, empathy, and connection. Below are three easy exercises you can try on your own, with others, or in your community to help you tune in to the sounds in your environment and discover what they can tell you this World Listening Day.

 

Ecological sound awareness exercises

1. Alone: Listen to the living world

Activity:  

Sit outside at dawn or dusk for 10–15 minutes. Close your eyes and listen without distraction. Note what you can hear, or feel. Listening includes sounds that vibrate through your body. 

Reflection:  

Notice biodiversity: birds, insects, wind, distant traffic. Repeat this on a regular basis — what changes do you notice within your environment and yourself?

2. With others: Collective Listening

Activity:  

As a family, community, class, with friends – create a small group, sit in silence for 5 minutes listening together, then share what each person has experienced. Think about how we listen by not just hearing, but by feeling. 

Reflection: 

Practice collective listening and see how perception varies with each person. What did others notice that you didn’t? How did it feel to listen together?

3. For change: Listening for inclusion

Activity: 

Choose a space — your home, workplace, a café — and evaluate how sound affects different people. Consider those who are sound-sensitive, deaf and hard of hearing, or neurodivergent. 

Reflection: 

Think about who this space is sonically designed for. Who might be excluded or overwhelmed by its soundscape? Think about how we can create more inclusive, accessible environments through intentional listening. 

 

Why it matters 

The more we listen intentionally, the more we realise that sound is not just background noise, it’s an ecological signal, a social connector, and a cultural marker. Listening helps us understand the world and each other more deeply. 

At The Evelyn Glennie Foundation, we believe that listening is a skill that can transform lives. Through our work, we aim to build a society where communication and cohesion are strengthened by the simple, powerful act of listening. 

Want more listening exercises, stories, and ways to engage with our work? 

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