The Listenⁿ Project is a multifaceted acoustic ecology endeavor that has focused on the engagement of communities near national parks and nature preserves in the American Southwest. The Project features the largest online database of field recordings of the American Southwest, available at sonic_events and an ongoing program of community workshops and embodied interactive media applications. The project demonstrates how sound can be a powerful medium in place making and it raises awareness of the importance of acoustic ecologies in general.

In October 2014, the Project hosted a Symposium to showcase the achievements of its first year. The Symposium included scholarly and creative presentations: research papers, panel discussions, musical performances including a rendition of John Cage’s Child of Tree by percussionist Simone Mancuso, installations, sound walks as well as a welcome ceremony from Tohono O’odham musicians. ASU students and community members collaborated in a performance of Cage’s 49 Waltzes. The symposium’s keynote was delivered by acoustic ecology expert Dr. Sabine Breitsameter (Berlin/Darmstadt), Professor for Sound and Media Culture at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. 

The Listenⁿ Symposium served as a forum for a growing body of scholarship and creative activities on acoustic ecology and sustainability issues of American Southwest desert.