This interactive workshop invites students to tune into the sounds of their environment and transform them into original musical creations. Rooted in the principles of R. Murray Schafer's soundscape studies, students engage in deep listening, creative experimentation, and group composition using body percussion, voice, found objects, and classroom instruments. Through guided soundwalks, exploration of graphic notation, and collaborative performance, students develop a new awareness of their sonic world.
Workshop Steps
Introduction & Soundwalk: Learn about soundscapes and take a silent walk to observe environmental sounds. Reflect through drawing or discussion.
Sound Exploration: Experiment with different sound sources (body, voice, objects) and describe their sonic characteristics.
Graphic Notation: Learn how to represent sound visually using colors, shapes, and symbols.
Group Composition: Create and rehearse original soundscape pieces in small groups using graphic scores.
Performance & Reflection: Present final compositions, record them if possible, and engage in discussion and feedback.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
Final Result of the Project
A student-created soundscape composition, graphically notated and performed as a class. Optional recordings allow for reflection and sharing with the broader school community.
| Grade Suitability | Gr 3-12 |
| Maximum Class Size | 20 |
| Time Required | 1 to 4 classes plus 1 hour prep time |
| Material Required | Scrap paper, large rolls or sheets of paper and colouring utensils. School will provide supplies. |
| Language of Instruction | English |
| Communities | All |
Toby Moisey is a conductor, flutist, and music educator based in Whitehorse, Yukon. He studied conducting at the University of Toronto and flute performance at the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. A passionate advocate for accessible and creative music-making, Toby has led graphic notation workshops across the Yukon in communities such as Old Crow, Beaver Creek, Destruction Bay, and Haines Junction. His workshops, inspired by R. Murray Schafer's philosophy of deep listening and interdisciplinary arts, invite students of all experience levels to explore sound through visual expression. Toby currently performs as a flutist with the funk band Major Funk and remains active as a sound artist and community radio host.