Guest: ANDRA MC CARTNEY
SOUNDWALK practice
VANCOUVER'S OASIS
We maintain a connection with the sound environment by choosing to use fairly long sequences and studio techniques that highlight and trace the contours of sonic gestures rather than isolating sounds from their original context, and radically changing them to make them unrecognizable. I will be including an extensive discussion of studio soundscape work in my CD ROM on Westerkamp.
Soundwalking can also encourage dialogue with the people in a place. Some soundwalkers use unobtrusive microphones that resemble headphones.
Another interesting level of dialogue is the memories and associations that are inspired by listening to a certain soundscape.Hildi uses a large microphone which is obvious, and seems to encourage people to approach and ask what she is doing. For instance, when we were in the sunken garden, recording the sounds of a large plant, a passerby approached and began to talk to us. After we had recorded the sounds of the young people playing the Knife-Edge sculpture, they also asked what we were doing.
This page documents a soundwalk done in August 1997 by Hildegard Westerkamp and Andra McCartney. Queen Elizabeth Park is a landmark of Vancouver, described in tourist brochures as "Vancouver's oasis", containing Vancouver's only tropical garden under the triodetic dome of the Bloedel Conservatory at the highest point of the park, which provides an excellent view of the city and surrounding mountains. The map of Queen Elizabeth Park is by Hildegard Westerkamp. It was published in her article"Soundwalking" (Sound Heritage 3(4), 1974: 22).
This site can be considered an initial sketch for the introduction to my PhD dissertation, about Hildegard Westerkamp, which will be produced as a CD ROM.
There are several places in this soundwalk where Westerkamp's intense listening is evident through the way that she guides the microphone. For instance, at the lookout, she guides the microphone closer to the vent as the airplane crosses overhead, constructing a dialogue between these two very different mechanical sounds. In the sunken garden, she moves the microphone to different points close to the waterfall, revealing percussive rhythms in the water that form interesting polyrhythms with the drumming.
Soundwalking can also encourage dialogue with the people in a place. Some soundwalkers use unobtrusive microphones that resemble headphones.
Another interesting level of dialogue is the memories and associations that are inspired by listening to a certain soundscape.Hildi uses a large microphone which is obvious, and seems to encourage people to approach and ask what she is doing. For instance, when we were in the sunken garden, recording the sounds of a large plant, a passerby approached and began to talk to us. After we had recorded the sounds of the young people playing the Knife-Edge sculpture, they also asked what we were doing.
This page documents a soundwalk done in August 1997 by Hildegard Westerkamp and Andra McCartney. Queen Elizabeth Park is a landmark of Vancouver, described in tourist brochures as "Vancouver's oasis", containing Vancouver's only tropical garden under the triodetic dome of the Bloedel Conservatory at the highest point of the park, which provides an excellent view of the city and surrounding mountains. The map of Queen Elizabeth Park is by Hildegard Westerkamp. It was published in her article"Soundwalking" (Sound Heritage 3(4), 1974: 22).
This site can be considered an initial sketch for the introduction to my PhD dissertation, about Hildegard Westerkamp, which will be produced as a CD ROM.
There are several places in this soundwalk where Westerkamp's intense listening is evident through the way that she guides the microphone. For instance, at the lookout, she guides the microphone closer to the vent as the airplane crosses overhead, constructing a dialogue between these two very different mechanical sounds. In the sunken garden, she moves the microphone to different points close to the waterfall, revealing percussive rhythms in the water that form interesting polyrhythms with the drumming.
At the creek, she moves very close to the rocks and branches channeling the flow of water, making apparent the changing rhythms, pitches, and timbres that these structures produce.
The waters of the creek sounded very different, depending on how they were flowing. Here the water falls over quite a large boulder. Notice how different this sound is from the following one.
The waters of the creek sounded very different, depending on how they were flowing. Here the water falls over quite a large boulder. Notice how different this sound is from the following one.
Here, the water is moving more slowly and gurgling around some small branches and stones. It is less noisy and more melodious. You can also hear the air-conditioning from the Conservatory at the top of the hill. This sound seems louder in this part of the park. It continues as we proceed to the Quarry Garden.
© ANDRA McCARTNEY
MusicAnd ATELIER Sound Trip #4
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