Learning to Listen

Do you remember those special sounds of childhood? The sound of sleet against the window, birds singing in the tree above your favorite playground swing, or the echo of kids laughing in a vacant urban lot? Memories from the soundscape of youth often come to us at the most unexpected times, stimulated by a gust of wind, the rustle of leaves, rain on the roof, a distant voice, or the sound of a car. The acoustic environment in which we grow up can leave a lifetime of impressions on us.