Fall Soundwalks

In Pursuit of Clairaudience – registration full

Dedicated to the memory of composer R. Murray Schafer who passed away on August 14, 2021.

Led by Hildegard Westerkamp

Sunday, September 26, 2021; 1-2:30PM
(approx. 1 hour total walking time, followed by a half hour open discussion)
Meeting Location: By the chandelier under Granville Bridge, NW corner of Granville St and Beach Ave.
Soundwalks are free, but capacity is limited. Participants MUST register in advance. If you do not register we can not guarantee that there will be a spot available for you on the day of the Soundwalk.

DOWNLOAD LISTENING SUGGESTIONS AND MAP

Schafer coined the term soundwalk and was the first to propose it as a form of active participation in the soundscape. All this happened right here in Vancouver in the early 1970s, when Schafer taught at SFU, headed the World Soundscape Project research group and wrote his seminal book The Tuning of the World. On this walk we will revisit some of Schafer’s early approaches to soundwalking and will test and contemplate their relevance and application through our own present day listening in times of Covid and the Climate Crisis.  

Accessibility information: Light to moderate walking, possibly some stairs. The route can be adjusted around stairs with advance notice. Please contact soundwalks@newmusic.org if you have any accessibility concerns or other questions. 

This Soundwalk was conceived and will be guided by Hildegard Westerkamp, with assistance from Jorma Kujala, Jennifer Schine and other members of the Vancouver Soundwalk Collective.

Note: This walk will end near the north side of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, about 1km from the starting point. We invite you to stay in the area following the Soundwalk to take in Ben Brown’s Sound Sculptures performance beginning at 3PM at The Swimmer public sculpture near the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.

This Soundwalk is part of Soundwalk September.

Choose Your Own (Sonic) Adventure – registration full

Led by Helena Krobath

Sunday, October 3, 2021; 4-5:30PM
(approx. 1 hour total walking time, followed by a half hour open discussion)
Meeting Location: Front steps of the Vancouver Public Library Main Branch (350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC)

This soundwalk explores active ways of hearing public places, especially listening for pleasure. It invites us to transform our attention and sensations of sound, using optional listening tools and experiments. We’ll experience different acoustic environments within a 2 km distance, as we wander from Vancouver Public Library towards the waterfront. 

Optional Preparation: 

• Download & install the free Zoom Handy Recorder App for smartphones (and bring your own headphones), and/or…
• Bring your field recorder if you have one (and bring your own headphones).
• There will 2 portable field recorders available to borrow during the walk. Please email soundwalks@newmusic.org to reserve one of the recorders (please bring your own headphones; splitters can be provided for pairs listening together).
• Other listening paraphernalia will be provided. All items are sanitized and individually packaged for distribution.

Accessibility information: Light to moderate walking, possibly some stairs. The route can be adjusted around stairs with advance notice. Please contact soundwalks@newmusic.org if you have any accessibility concerns or other questions. 

Note: This walk will end near Devonian Park, about 2 km from the starting point. We invite you to stay in the area following the Soundwalk to take in Ben Brown’s Sound Sculptures performance beginning at 6PM at the Solo public sculpture in the park.

Soundwalks are presented in association with the Vancouver Soundwalk Collective.

Top photo by Hildegard Westerkamp.