Sometimes we make our own soundscape memories.
© Meredith Mullins

How Did You Do?

Did your listening skills rise to the test of The OIC Soundscapes Challenge? We hope so.

Here are the answers.

Soundscape #1

The Challenge:

The Answer:

If audio does not display, listen here.

The mesmerizing mountain gorillas can be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This recording was made in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Not only can you hear the gorillas having a lively conversation, but you can also hear the twigs and leaves being broken off for a delicious vegetarian dinner.

Soundscape #2

The Challenge:

The Answer:

The Duomo Bells of Florence
© iStock/ChiccoDodiFC

Church bells around the world each have their own sound and style. It might take years of study to distinguish among them.

The bells of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, also known as “Duomo” ring out six times a day, offering plenty of opportunity for the sound to enter the sense memory.

Soundscape #3

The Challenge:

The Answer:

Gare de Lyon in Paris
© Meredith Mullins

For anyone who lives in France or has traveled the impressive train network, the SNCF song (from the French National Railway Company) will linger in your head like an old commercial jingle.

On any given day in a French train station, you will hear it multiple times, as it is played for each arriving and departing train.

Soundscape #4

The Challenge:

The Answer:

If audio does not display, listen here.

What were you hearing? Whispering whales? Elephants bathing in a dusty pool? A scene from Jurassic Park? This was a difficult sound to guess. But . . . if you’ve ever heard hippos talking (or was it singing?), you would have gotten this right. These hippos were recorded in southwestern Uganda in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Soundscape #5

The Challenge:

The Answer:

The famous San Francisco cable cars
© Meredith Mullins

The sound of the rumbling along the tracks may be difficult to identify until you hear the tell-tale clanging of the cable car bell. If you’ve been to San Francisco (or seen films), this sound is an easy one. And, you may even remember the famous Rice a Roni commercial, making San Francisco (and cable cars) famous.

Soundscape #6

The Challenge:

The Answer:

If audio does not display, listen here.

Music often gives us clues to country and culture, especially when a different scale such as the pentatonic scale is used. Instruments also give a clue, such as bagpipes associated with Scotland or singing bowls associated with Tibet.

Here, we hear not only Chinese music, but also the ambient sounds of social tea. This teahouse happens to be in Beijing, but it could be anywhere in the world where Chinese culture is being shared.

Soundscape #7

The Challenge:

The Answer:

If audio does not display, listen here.

We end this soundscape challenge on a festive note, as we join Oktoberfest in Munich (years ago) and hear a favorite German drinking song “Ein Prosit,” which means “May it do you good.” A toast to fun and good health.

OIC Moments hopes that this soundscapes challenge has honed your listening skills, so that your next travel adventure will be a truly multisensory experience.

Thank you to Colin Hunter of World Sounds and Kevin Barnett of Florence, Italy who helped make this soundscapes challenge possible.