“How Do We Protect the Voice of a Healthy River – and, in Turn, Our Own?”
This powerful project-based learning question has been guiding our Year 9 learners through an immersive exploration of sound, place, and environmental responsibility.
Like people, rivers have stories to tell. When they flow freely and cleanly, both ecosystems and communities flourish. In the CUBE course ‘Live Streaming’, students are investigating the deep connection between the wellbeing of rivers and the wellbeing of humans, and discovering how careful listening can reveal important environmental insights.
Over the past few weeks, students have been developing the craft of active listening. They have been identifying different sound types, natural and human-made, while building their communication capabilities and foundational sound design skills to create authentic soundscapes for the nearby wetlands environment in Lewis Park.
Students began with sound walks around the School, capturing everyday environmental audio and reflecting on what they heard and how those sounds made them feel. These experiences sharpened their awareness of how sound shapes our understanding of place.
The learning then moved beyond the School grounds with a sound walk to the local recently constructed wetlands, where students worked closely alongside professional sound designer, David Franzke. Under expert guidance, they were introduced to techniques for capturing high-quality environmental audio. Using specialised microphones, students learned how to record sound both above the waterline while also observing the sound designer use a hydrophone below the waterline to capture sounds such as the fascinating underwater world of water beetles and the subtle rhythm of water bubbles.
Working in small collaborative groups, students applied the expert coaching in real time, carefully capturing audio, images, and video footage that represent the character of the site.
This week, they continue to work with the sound designer to analyse their initial recordings, refine audio quality, and intentionally layer sound with visual media to create, place-based narratives. Over the coming weeks, they aim to master the range of skills associated with developing a compelling soundscape to capture the character of the wetlands.
Through direct mentorship from an industry expert, our Year 9 students are not only building technical capability in sound design and communication but also gaining authentic insight into professional creative practice, learning to listen more deeply to the environments we all share.
