World Listening Day

World Listening Day is when you need to be silent for a while and listen to how the world sounds, including the voices of relatives, friends, and your favorite music. The holiday was established by a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach people to better understand the world and the natural habitat of humans. The organization’s specialists explore acoustics and the relationship between humans and nature through various sounds. So, if July 18 is on the calendar, it is time to open your ears and listen to the sounds of nature.

History

Why exactly July 18? On this day, Raymond Murray Schafer, a Canadian composer who is considered the founder of acoustic ecology, was born. During his lifetime, this musician and scientist developed his own World Soundscape Project, which laid the foundation for the main practices and ideas of acoustic ecology. The holiday was first in 2010; since then, every year a specific theme is chosen for it, like water, lost and found sounds, or listening to the Earth. Over the years of its existence, thousands of people from different countries have joined in.

Interesting Facts

• Listening is a real art requiring attention and patience, and brings satisfaction to both the listener and speaker.
• With the ability to listen comes the ability to understand the environment and hear and distinguish different sounds.
• According to statistics, people do not use their hearing to its full potential. In developing the ability to listen, we learn to distinguish more sounds.
• By developing listening ability, a person learns to isolate themselves from the outside world.

How to Take Part

Listen to family, friends, and colleagues. Be attentive to details and be patient. Learn to empathize and comfort – this benefits both the speaker and listener. Keep quiet; it calms and orders your thoughts. Take a walk alone if you live near the sea or ocean, listening to the waves. Another source of soothing sounds is the forest; listen to the wind in the trees and the birds singing. If you cannot take a walk in the forest or along the coast, record the sounds of nature and listen to them while walking. Loud music of any genre also helps to detach you from the world.

When is World Listening Day in 2024?

World Listening Day is associated with the anticipation of happiness and joy. It is observed on July 18 each year.

Observations