Monday’s Must Hear? – The Soundwalk!
Sometimes the things that can bring the most surprise aren’t big and flashy. Sometimes, they aren’t even a place or a building or a memorial. Sometimes they aren’t even to be seen but rather heard. This is certainly the case for this weeks Must See…Soundwalk! On Curtis Street between 15th and 16th Streets is a gem of the Mile High City that few have witnessed with their eyes and ears open. Most people who walk down the street simply think they are hearing things and pay little attention to the innocuous grates that line this one block of Denver. Then there are those who look down and double back to investigate, for it is from these grates that the sounds are escaping. Laughter and wonder follow this simple discovery of Soundwalk.
Soundwalk is an art installation by Jim Green and was set into the northwest sidewalk of Curtis Street in 1992. If you can plan a walk down this block every day you are in town, we highly suggest it- for the sounds change and you never know what you might get to experience. When I first indulged in the pleasure of Soundwalk I was delighted to hear elephants roar and Tap Dogs tapping! When I took Alicia to Soundwalk we heard a train speed under us in succession as we passed over the grates.
The six grates produce 40 to 100 different sounds an hour from a tape recorder in a nearby building. Though I like to believe it is magic! Whether you like the wizardry of sound unveiled or prefer to remain whimsical like me- Soundwalk is a Must Hear! If you get a chance to take this walk and are intrigued by the innovative work of Denver Artist Jim Green, take a side trip to the DAM, Denver Art Museum, to witness Mr. Green’s Singing Sinks or head over to the Convention Center for his Laughing Escalator.
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