Austrian Yodelers Find Echoes in Underground Parking Garage

In Graz, Austria, a city not nestled in the high Alps but surrounded by hills, yodeling enthusiasts are seeking out an unlikely venue for their practice: an underground parking garage. The concrete structure's echoes are being utilized by yodeling teacher Anna Maria Gutschi and her students to approximate the acoustic conditions found in mountain landscapes.

"It’s not too dissimilar to the high mountains," Gutschi explained, leading a group of 30 participants through the empty garage earlier this week. "You have wide hallways; you have walls that reflect a lot."

Gutschi, who works for the Styrian Volksliedwerk, a cultural organization dedicated to promoting traditional folk music, has organized a series of courses in unusual locations to keep the tradition vibrant. These sessions, held in spaces like underground car parks, canals, or even gas stations, welcome up to 30 people as long as the acoustics are suitable.

She described yodeling as a form of communication that historically allowed people to connect across long distances in the mountains, comparing it favorably to modern communication methods. "It’s a form of communication from mountain to mountain — just like that, without the need for a phone," she said. "And it’s not as boring as writing an SMS. Sounds much better, too."

The participants practiced their skills for over an hour, moving deeper into the parking garage to find the optimal conditions for sound. The classes cater to both experienced yodelers and newcomers eager to learn the craft.

Jamey Sohn, an international student in Graz, joined the class to experience Austrian culture firsthand. "When I actually came here, it was a lot more — well, I wouldn’t say easy per se, but it’s a lot more approachable than I first expected," Sohn commented.

Yodeling originated centuries ago as a method of long-distance communication in the Alps, used not only between people but also to manage livestock. The practice evolved into a distinct musical genre, gaining international recognition partly through the U.S. film "The Sound of Music."

For some, like New York-native teacher Thomas Button, yodeling serves as a meditative practice. "It’s like a form of meditation. Singing meditation," he stated.

Local fan Rudolf Schmidhofer highlighted the communal aspect of yodeling. "It’s hard to describe how much power you get from yodeling together, the energy from within," he said. "The togetherness, the polyphonic kind of yodeling where you must listen to each other."