Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK Is Live In Heisler Park

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Escape to an aural adventure in Laguna's Heisler Park. The Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK is a GPS-enabled, free public artwork using music and sounds to illuminate a walk through the park.

Composed and designed by musician and sound artist Ellen Reid, the soundscapes you'll hear through your earbuds as you stroll through the park are performed by the 14-member SOUNDWALK ensemble, including Reid on synthesizers. The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winner in Music has a creative range including opera, sound design, film scoring, and ensemble and choral writing.

But it's the person walking who creates the actual composition. Every step, every turn the walker makes triggers a shift in the soundscape.

The experience aims to "inspire us and make us feel connected to something larger than ourselves. It is meant to serve as artistic nourishment—a place to recharge, reconnect and re-energize,” says Reid.

You can spend five minutes or two hours immersing yourself in the soundscape, which is tailor-made to Heisler Park.

Spots not to miss are Recreation Point, Picnic Cove and Diver's Cove.

"I just hope that people will stay awhile," says Reid.

All you have to do is install the free app, and then download the Heisler Park SOUNDWALK before you go to the park. Since cell reception can be iffy, do the downloading where your wifi is strong. Once at the park, it's recommended you press START at a spot where your cell service is working well. It needs that little push to get going but should follow you even if you wander into areas with reduced reception.

"Wherever you enter the park, there will be sound that follows you," says Reid. "The composition should unfold around you no matter which way you're going. There isn't one right way to do it. However you do it is the right way."

Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK at Heisler Park is funded by the City of Laguna Beach and local lodging establishments.

When you browse the app, you'll notice there are Ellen Reid SOUNDWALKS all over the U.S.A., and even one in Athens, Greece.

Happy walking, happy listening. Return to compose a walk as many times as you like through July 1, 2022.

Remember to charge your phone fully before getting started, and don't forget your earbuds.

Have you been? What did you think of the Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK experience? Let us know in the comments, or by emailing your Patch Editor.