Fresh listening turns familiar places into an arena for music

Vancouver New Music presents two free Soundwalks
Free guided listening tours in Vancouver neighbourhoods

Soundwalk with igor Santizo and Mark Brady
Sunday 24 September, 2–3:30 pm
Meet at the corner of Davie St. & Pacific Blvd. outside the Roundhouse Community Centre in front of antique train-engine 374.

Soundwalk with Stephanie Loveless and Julianna Barabas
Sunday 1 October, 2–3:30 pm
Meet at the corner of Davie St. & Denman St.

Let’s climb out of our bubbles, emerge from behind our walls and windows, computer screens, loudspeakers and headphones and open our ears directly to the environment. Let’s listen to “place” as if listening to a concert performance or sound event. Let’s listen like we have never listened before.

Soundwalks invite participants to experience how our ears and imagination process environmental sounds all the time. In a soundwalk, the listening “audience” moves through a place and the environment “performs.” The walking listener and the environment create a unique piece together that can only occur during the time of the walk. In a soundwalk we take the time to hear the environment: we are its true ear witnesses. And like any musician, the environment offers us its sounds for our consideration.

Soundwalking can be a way to deepen our relationship to “place”; …to be open without a need to define, intellectualize, categorize, or interpret; to listen without expectations, assumptions or judgement; Soundwalking can be a meditation: the world happens, the sounds occur and they pass. – Hildegard Westerkamp

Since the mid-70s Westerkamp has composed with any sound that the environment offers to the microphone. By focusing the ears’ attention to details both familiar and foreign in the acoustic environment, Westerkamp draws attention to the hidden spaces of the environment we inhabit. This spring’s soundwalks will be led by Hildegard Westerkamp along with Stephanie Loveless and Chris O’Connor, members of a soundwalk group co-ordinated by Westerkamp.

Soundwalks are FREE and open to the public, but participants must call to reserve: 604.633.0861. Each Soundwalk can accommodate 50 people. Participants should be sure to wear appropriate footwear and clothing for any weather condition.

Vancouver New Music gratefully acknowledges the support of The Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage through Arts Presentation Canada, The Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, The City of Vancouver, Holiday Inn Downtown and Tom Lee Music.

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Media contact: Heather McDermid
Phone: 604.633.0861 · Fax: 604.633.0871 · Email: heather@newmusic.org
Web site: www.newmusic.org

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