Its ultimate goal is "to find solutions for an ecologically balanced soundscape where the relationship between the human community and its sonic environment is in harmony.
Publications which emerged from the project include The Book of Noise (1968)[2] and The Tuning of the World (1977),[3] both by Schafer, as well as the Handbook for Acoustic Ecology (1978)[4] by Barry Truax.
Notable members included John Oswald,[5] Howard Broomfield, Bruce Davis, Peter Huse, Barry Truax and Hildegard Westerkamp.
The project emerged from Schafer's reaction to the increasing degradation of Vancouver's developing soundscape, as well as work as a professor at Simon Fraser University where he taught a course in noise pollution in attempt to draw attention to the sonic environment.
The recording projects were similar in style and purpose to the Canadian tour, but with special focus on rural areas and soundscapes which were still well-preserved.
In 2009, a group of Finnish researchers led by Helmi Järviluoma, Heikki Uimonen, and Noora Vikman in collaboration with Barry Truax revisited the same five villages to analyze how their soundscapes had changed over 30 years due to urbanization.
Featured composers included Darren Copeland, Sabine Breitsameter, Hans Ulrich Werner, Barry Truax and Claude Schryer.