Sound Travels 2004 | Workshops and Soundwalks

Composition Workshop
by Kevin Austin
Thursday August 5, 2004 - Charles Street Video 7-10 PM
Cost $35 - Registration required nadene@ca.inter.net
Limited registration

Kevin austin This is a workshop for those who wish to explore in greater depth and
detail how 'hearing' functions in relation to materials presented. The
introductory portion will present some models of how sound(s) are
perceived together and individually, and based upon these concepts --
those of Auditory Scene Analysis, participants' work will be examined with regards their technical and communicative impact.

When and how do sounds work 'against' each other? How do multiple
sounds fuse or stay together? How is it possible to present
simultaneous materials and keep them separated? How do certain
effects enhance or reduce clarity? What kinds of sounds 'attract' the ear?

Kevin Austin will give feedback on single work examples by those
registered for this class. Registrants are encouraged to bring scores and
audio CDs. Registration is limited. E-mail nadene@ca.inter.net for
registration info.

Artist Talk
by Kevin Austin
Friday August 6, 8 PM
St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church - Pay What You Can

Flight through the liberation of sound - an introduction to spatialization and electroacoustics by Kevin Austin (Concordia University, Montreal)

Sound cannot be seen or touched, yet it is deeply felt. The last century has witnessed many rapid transformations, among them being the nature and extent of our daily contact with sound(s) -- no longer only the sounds of our immediate family and neighborhood, but of the world and world cultures present and past.

In this introduction to spatialization and electroacoustics, Kevin Austin will explore hearing and cajole the listeners' ears to hear and and around space in ways not before realized.

Through a tour of compositions created for pure listening -- there are no live performers -- this sonic survey will attempt to provide historical and cultural contexts, from the transformation of a single drop of water in 1955, to a sonic evocation -- through a mambo -- of the cubist movement, and a brief listening to the ultrasmall soundscape barnacles breathing.

With this flight through the liberation of sound, an underlying theme of the presentation is how the mind (re)creates images with nothing more than some slightly moving air. Composers and poets use many means to explore, communicate, sometimes quite seriously, and sometimes in a much lighter vein. These sounds, abstract and well known in the form of tunes, tone colors, nature, words, and collaged soundscapes are parts of the broader pallet.

The works will be presented in an eight-channel surround sound format, where the loudspeakers are not "loud" but are used to present the artists' voices in a clearer, immersive environment.

Hear Here
A Sound Art Workshop Series for Youth (age 15-25)
Presented by
Charles Street Video, New Adventures in Sound Art & The Power Plant
Workshop Dates: June 20, 27, July 4 (inclusive)
Cost $100 - Registration required nadene@ca.inter.net
Led by Darren Copeland
(web site)

Hear Here is a new and exciting multimedia project for youth between the ages of 15 and 25 that provides a hands-on opportunity to learn about contemporary art, sound recording, digital editing and new media.

train Over a series of workshops, participants will use The Power Plant
exhibition Janet Cardiff: Forty-Part Motet as the model for an on-line, site-specific sound work. Led by Toronto sound artist Darren Copeland, the workshop will introduce participants to the processes of recording everyday sounds from the environment and creating short compositions from those recordings using computer sound editing and processing techniques. The soundscape of Toronto Island will serve as a subject for the workshop. Notions of representation and portraiture in sound art will be explored in the
compositions made by the participants.

The compositions will form the audio component of a new media work
that will be presented every Sunday from July 25 to September 5, 2004 as part of the Sign Waves installations series at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church and on-line at www.soundtravels.ca.

Soundwalks

SOUNDwalk
Centre Island Pavilion (near the ferry dock)
7 pm - FREE
In the evening on Centre Island, what do you hear? The sounds of Centreville are diminishing and the sounds of the trees take over and if you focus on listening there will be many other surprises. Toronto Island offers a wealth of sounds that have fueled the imagination of many artists over the years. Nadene Theriault-Copeland will guide you through some of the interesting sonic pathways found on Centre Island on a Friday evening. SOUNDwalk begins at the Pavilion on Centre Island (near the ferry docks).

SOUNDwalk
Centre Island Pavilion (near the ferry dock)
1:15 pm - FREE
The cacophony of the many voices found on a Saturday afternoon on Centre Island, the ferry horn sounding as they close the gates, and as you move away from the crowds, what sonic delights will you find? Nadene Theriault-Copeland will guide you through some of the interesting sonic pathways found on Centre Island on a Saturday afternoon. SOUNDwalk begins at the the Pavilion on Centre Island (near the ferry docks) following the performances by Barry Prophet and Janice Pomer.