Art and Technology

Be a Sound Artist

Make a sound track of found sounds

The idea

There are sounds all around us. We can also make sounds: sensible or silly...LOUD or quiet sounds.

Sound art is art which uses sound both as material (much like paint or pencils) and as its subject (what it is about).

We are going to make sound art by going on a sound walk and using an app to make a sound track.

This Digital Makers activity has been tried and tested by groups with Special Education Needs and Disability in workshops at Tate and as part of Diggin the Gallery.

Rebecca Horn
Concert for Anarchy (1990)
Tate

Step 1

Bruce Nauman
a (1970)
Tate

Play with your voice for a couple of minutes and see what sounds you can make.

Out of ideas? Ask your friends or family to add some in. You can even make some of your favourite animal noises. ROARRRR!

Step 2

Kids in sound art workshop at Tate Britain

© Tate

Find some sounds. What sounds would you like to record?

Start easy. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds that are there around you. Birds tweeting, water dripping, creaking pipes, footsteps in the room next door.

Too quiet? Head outside...

Step 3

Kids sitting with a tablet at a sound art workshop

© Tate

Record your sounds.

Ready? Start recording your sounds.

Use the app to play around with the sounds and loop them together. How you do this will vary from app to app.

More to explore