Sound artist and researcher. For further information, the andrasound channel on youtube includes slow videos of 80 sound pieces, recordings of live performances and work from installations. The soundcloud channel andrasound has selected audio works. https://soundwalkinginteractions.wordpress.com/ documents the research of a multi-year project on listening conversations and soundwalk interactions.
Sound, Media, Ecology. Edited by Milena Droumeva and Randolph Jordan, 2019
After soundwalks, there is always talk about traffic. Other topics come and go, but this one seem... more After soundwalks, there is always talk about traffic. Other topics come and go, but this one seems ubiquitous, like the sound in our daily lives. The quality of attention invoked in soundwalks encourages heightened listening to and reflection on the vibrations and flows of road traffic, the most constant sounds of many places. This paper explores soundwalking from an emplaced sensorial methodology by asking the following questions: How do resonant bodies sense vibrations of traffic and make sense of them? What kinds of prostheses and practices are used to do this, and how do these technological processes affect daily sonic experiences of traffic, urban design that pays attention to sound, and the creation and reception of sonic artworks involving traffic?
Negotiated Moments: Improvisation, Sound and Subjectivity. Edited by Gillian Siddall and Ellen Waterman, 2016
This paper explores listening practices in a soundwalk through consideration of Luce Irigaray’s i... more This paper explores listening practices in a soundwalk through consideration of Luce Irigaray’s ideas about intimate and ethical listening. The conceptualization of love as involving listening that is not yet coded and open to the unknown is discussed as a valuable theoretical model for improvisational listening in public spaces, ideal for the unpredictable shifts and changes of the sound environment. The structure of the soundwalk favours listening conversations that acknowledge partial knowledges (Donna Haraway) and intimate risk in soundwalking improvisation.
David Paquette and Andra McCartney. “Soundwalking and the bodily exploration of places.” Canadian... more David Paquette and Andra McCartney. “Soundwalking and the bodily exploration of places.” Canadian Journal of Communication, 37 (1), 2012: 135-145. This article explores the use of walking and soundwalking as research practices and artistic performances, and presents the current work of the Soundwalking Interactions research-creation project. It includes a review of historic and contemporary discussions of walking and soundwalking, and an analysis of the various models of soundwalks used in acoustic ecology, urban design, and performing arts. RÉSUMÉ Cet article explore les divers usages et caractérisations de la marche et de la marche sonore comme méthode de recherche ainsi que pratique artistique, et présente les travaux du projet de recherche-création « La marche sonore comme processus d'interaction ». On y retrouve une revue des différentes approches historiques et contemporaines envers la marche, ainsi qu'une analyse plus spécifique et approfondie du développement de la marche sonore dans le contexte de recherches en écologie sonore et en design urbain ainsi que dans le cadre de performances artistiques.
Paper presented at Ambiances network conference, in Montreal, QC, about the methodology and conce... more Paper presented at Ambiances network conference, in Montreal, QC, about the methodology and conceptual basis of the Soundwalking Interactions project directed by Dr. Andra McCartney at Concordia University in Montreal.
When soundscape composers, documentarians and artists work with soundscapes, they are expressing ... more When soundscape composers, documentarians and artists work with soundscapes, they are expressing relationships to the place of work and its inhabitants and visitors, to the sounds listened to, recorded from or projected into the place, and to the audience of the work. Each time a soundscape composer designs a soundwalk or a theatre piece, an installation or broadcast work, relationships with the world are expressed through how the maker treats the place, the sounds and the audience. Does the maker want to reveal particular sonic aspects of the place as it is, as it used to be, as it might be? Does the composer want to create an ideal place through sound and if so, what are the characteristics of this imaginary place and what ideas and values inform this utopic creation? How does the composer treat the sounds? How prominent are the composer’s treatments in relation to the sounds originally heard in that place, and what are the characteristics of this electroacoustic ecology? What are the dominant and masked sounds in the piece and how do they interact? What connections are there in the work between what is heard in the piece and the place of recording? Does the maker imagine the audience as deafened into numbness and needing to be awakened to true listening by the composer or soundwalk leader’s approach to the soundscape? Do we imagine the listener is ignorant and needing enlightenment? Do we think of the listener as possessed of original and unusual ways of listening, contributing to an expanded awareness of how to work with soundscapes? What are the ethics of this expression, and how are these ethics informed by underlying ideologies of sound, of sound production, and of sound ecology?
Written for the art book Hlysnan--Listening, edited by Berit Fischer. Casino of Luxembourg, May ... more Written for the art book Hlysnan--Listening, edited by Berit Fischer. Casino of Luxembourg, May 2014.
<<Journées Sonores, canal de Lachine>>est un projet sonore de documentation et création qui s'agi... more <<Journées Sonores, canal de Lachine>>est un projet sonore de documentation et création qui s'agit des modifications du paysage sonore du canal Lachine au fur et à mesure des différentes étapes de son réaménagementpendant les années 200-2004. Comme tous les projets de rénovation urbaine, ce projet de plusieurs années et millions de dollars a de profonds effets sur le contenu sonore des abords du canal. L’enregistrement, pendant plusieurs années, des sons depuis la piste qui court le long du canal a permis la création d’images sonores condensées accompagnant ces changements urbains. Nous espérons qu’en les écoutant, ces sons vous sensibiliseront au lieu – en particulier vous qui vivez et travaillez aux abords du canal – et que vous serez amenés à penser votre rapport avec les sons de ce lieu. Contrairement aux représentations visuelles, les enregistrements de sons ne cadrent pas de scènes ou d’édifices particuliers, mais soulignent des rapports entre sources différentes, comme la circulation de voitures ou de bateaux, des cyclistes, des machines industrielles ou de construction et des piétons.
Les enregistrements sonores ont été juxtaposés à des illustrations du canal Lachine. Notre intention était de mettre en relief différents angles d’un environnement donné en fonction de sources et perspectives différentes.
Le document qui commence sur la page suivante était produit pour l'installation au Musée de Lachine. En commençant sur la page 24 on peut trouver une liste de notes qui s'agissent de l'environnement du canal de Lachine. On peut les entendre sur youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh341k2f4lU&list=PLIG92ZJmuTlXF4FpScYlXOOCBSNDpAna6
Journées sonores, canal de Lachine is a sound project which reflects on shifts in the soundscape... more Journées sonores, canal de Lachine is a sound project which reflects on shifts in the soundscape of the Lachine canal as it changed with each phase of a revitalization project, as the canal re-opened as a recreation area in 2002, after many decades of dormancy while the St. Lawrence Seaway moved shipping and industrialization to another area on the south shore of the river. Like all urban renewal projects, this multi-year, multi-million dollar project has profound effects on the areas surrounding the canal. By recording sounds from the areas around the canal over several years, this project created condensed sonic images that followed these urban changes, as well as imaginary scenes from its past based on interviews with local residents. These sound recordings do not frame particular buildings or scenes, but point to relationships among different sources such as auto and boating traffic, cyclists, industrial/construction machines and pedestrians, and reveal the changing ambiences of these places over time.
In the final phase of this project (2002-2003), a multimedia installation was produced for display at the Musée de Lachine (March 2004), in a historical building adjacent to the canal. The show included an interactive computer installation, bringing together sounds recorded throughout several years. It also included more composed meditations on particular sites, along with photographic and drawn images and found objects. Comments from the project’s website were also included. Visitors to the gallery were encouraged in turn to comment on the installation and how it affected their perception of and attitude toward the sounds of the Canal. It was possible then to go outside and do a soundwalk immediately after experiencing the installation.
Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine / the sonic terroir of the Lachine light-house.
http://f... more Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine / the sonic terroir of the Lachine light-house.
This piece is based on soundwalks around the Lachine light-house just to the west of Montreal, 1999-2000. The water and pier surrounding the light-house invite all kinds of crossings: people eating lunch, fishers, sunset-watchers in their cars, ducks, swallows, boats, gulls, sparrows, wind gusting, waves and waves from the end of Lac St. Louis, sometimes frozen into fantastic ice-cubes that tinkle riotously against the rocks, sometimes coated with a thin creaking skin of ice. The light-house stands tall, blinking. Mostly this sentinel is locked but one day it is possible to enter. I remember how strikingly audible the presence of the light-house interior was. Inside, I wanted to name it: “this is the…” but my voice trails off as the rounded metallic interior speaks back to me. “Hello?” Walking by the shore, I discover an old chain and lift it up and down on the rock, imagining the many steel hulls that were tied to this bank with such chains, when it was an industrial port. The voice of the fisherman brings me back to the present “Bonjour!”
McCartney, Andra. “Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine.” Peripherique. Curated by Nicole Gingras. Groupe Intervention Video, December 2000. http://www.givideo.org.
Notes de programme, Impusion, Electrocd.com, 2001. CD sur le travail de Micheline Coulombe St. Ma... more Notes de programme, Impusion, Electrocd.com, 2001. CD sur le travail de Micheline Coulombe St. Marcoux.
Article about the soundwalk recording in Queen Elizabeth Park that was used in a later installati... more Article about the soundwalk recording in Queen Elizabeth Park that was used in a later installation. Comments on recording techniques, compositional practices, working together, and on Andra McCartney's early history of learning to walk after a long-term childhood injury.
Discussion of the sound design work of Diane Leboeuf of Montreal in her design of virtual exhibit... more Discussion of the sound design work of Diane Leboeuf of Montreal in her design of virtual exhibits, in situ exhibits and museum overlapping displays, as well as the gendering of these public spaces and workplaces.
Introduction to the In and Out of the Sound Studio project at Concordia University in Montreal, i... more Introduction to the In and Out of the Sound Studio project at Concordia University in Montreal, including the participation of Dr. Bev Diamond, Dr. Ellen Waterman, Dr. Kip Pegley, as well as numerous soundmakers, mostly women.
The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what ... more The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what Western art music is: as John Cage noted as early as 1937, it opens up the entire field of sound as musical sources. Barry Truax states that" the serious use of environmental sound in music is potentially disruptive and even subversive to the established norms of the artistic field"(1995: 1). Electroacoustic music can shift attention from pitch relationships to timbral possibilities of sounds.
McCartney, Andra. "Soundscape composition and the subversion of electroacoustic norms." Journal S... more McCartney, Andra. "Soundscape composition and the subversion of electroacoustic norms." Journal SEAMUS 14 (2) 2000: 6- 24. EContact! Electroacoustic Histories. 2001.(French and English) http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/Histories/SoundscapeComposition.htm The Radio Art Companion, edited by Darren Copeland and Nadene Theriault. New Adventures in Sound Art: Toronto, ON. April 2002: 14-22. Translated into Chinese by Zhang Liming for CSA (China: the Sonic Avant-Garde) Vol. 2 Edited by CHEN Wei, XU Cheng and ZHANG Liming), February 2006. http://www.chinesenewear.com/mag/ Feature article for earlabs version 8, January 2007. www.earlabs.org. Feature article for ..mediateletipos))), May 2007. http://www.mediateletipos.net/ Feature article for Networked Music Review, Sept. 2007. http://transition.turbulence.org/networked_music_review/
The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what ... more The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what Western art music is: as John Cage noted as early as 1937, it opens up the entire field of sound as musical sources. Barry Truax states that "the serious use of environmental sound in music is potentially disruptive and even subversive to the established norms of the artistic field" (1995: 1). Electroacoustic music can shift attention from pitch relationships to timbral possibilities of sounds. As a result, much electroacoustic music confounds traditional forms of musical analysis (Tenney 1986: 4). Soundscape composition, with its focus on environmental sound, could be considered a type of electroacoustic music that is particularly resistant to traditional analysis and categorization. I will limit my discussion here to the place of the serious use of environmental sound (which I will refer to as soundscape composition) within the field of electroacoustic music, since this will give me a manageable field to consider. Electroacoustic music is a specific genre of Western Art music which has developed only in the last hundred years or so, requiring extensive financial expenditure for equipment and therefore practised — at least until recently — mostly by people in industrialized nations, in large publicly or commercially funded studios. My discussion of the place of soundscape composition within the field of electroacoustic music will raise issues that also apply to the larger field of Western art music, while retaining a focus on the norms of electroacoustic music. The discussion will be in three parts: (1) what is meant by the phrase "the serious use of environmental sound," (2) what are the established norms of electroacoustic music, and (3) To what extent does soundscape composition in itself disrupt or subvert these norms? 1. The serious use of environmental sound The concept of an environment of sound is the basis of the word "soundscape," a term credited to composer R. Murray Schafer. He defines it as: The sonic environment. Technically, any portion of the sonic environment regarded as a field for study. The term may refer to actual environments, or to abstract constructions such as musical compositions and tape montages, particularly when considered as an environment. (1977: 275) By sonic environment, Schafer is referring to "the ever-present array of noises, pleasant and unpleasant, loud and soft, heard or ignored, that we all live with" (1977: jacket notes). This acceptance of all sounds is similar to that of John Cage, who said that the use of electrical instruments "will make available for musical purposes any and all sounds that can be heard" (1961: 4). Recording equipment makes any sound in the world available: it can be isolated from its context and treated as a sound object, or the interplay of sounds within a specific environmental context can be the focus of attention. Schafer's statement in his definition that abstract constructions such as musical compositions are soundscapes particularly when considered as an environment refers to the importance of context in soundscape composition. Barry Truax clarifies what the importance of context means: In the soundscape composition ... it is precisely the environmental context that is preserved, enhanced and exploited by the composer. The listener's past experience, associations, and patterns of soundscape perception are called upon by the composer and thereby integrated within the compositional strategy. Part of the composer's intent may also be to enhance the listener's awareness of environmental sound. (1984: 207) Truax concentrates on the importance to the composer of the experiences, awareness and perceptions of listeners, and their relationships to the sound environment. These become an integral part of the compositional strategy. Hildegard Westerkamp also defines soundscape composition as a form that insists on contact between the composer, listener and sound environment: "The word soundscape always implies interaction between environment and individual, and between environment and community" (1988: 3). Thus the serious use of environmental sound, according to these composers, is to work with the environment of the sounds, their context and interrelationships with listeners and with the composer.
Sound, Media, Ecology. Edited by Milena Droumeva and Randolph Jordan, 2019
After soundwalks, there is always talk about traffic. Other topics come and go, but this one seem... more After soundwalks, there is always talk about traffic. Other topics come and go, but this one seems ubiquitous, like the sound in our daily lives. The quality of attention invoked in soundwalks encourages heightened listening to and reflection on the vibrations and flows of road traffic, the most constant sounds of many places. This paper explores soundwalking from an emplaced sensorial methodology by asking the following questions: How do resonant bodies sense vibrations of traffic and make sense of them? What kinds of prostheses and practices are used to do this, and how do these technological processes affect daily sonic experiences of traffic, urban design that pays attention to sound, and the creation and reception of sonic artworks involving traffic?
Negotiated Moments: Improvisation, Sound and Subjectivity. Edited by Gillian Siddall and Ellen Waterman, 2016
This paper explores listening practices in a soundwalk through consideration of Luce Irigaray’s i... more This paper explores listening practices in a soundwalk through consideration of Luce Irigaray’s ideas about intimate and ethical listening. The conceptualization of love as involving listening that is not yet coded and open to the unknown is discussed as a valuable theoretical model for improvisational listening in public spaces, ideal for the unpredictable shifts and changes of the sound environment. The structure of the soundwalk favours listening conversations that acknowledge partial knowledges (Donna Haraway) and intimate risk in soundwalking improvisation.
David Paquette and Andra McCartney. “Soundwalking and the bodily exploration of places.” Canadian... more David Paquette and Andra McCartney. “Soundwalking and the bodily exploration of places.” Canadian Journal of Communication, 37 (1), 2012: 135-145. This article explores the use of walking and soundwalking as research practices and artistic performances, and presents the current work of the Soundwalking Interactions research-creation project. It includes a review of historic and contemporary discussions of walking and soundwalking, and an analysis of the various models of soundwalks used in acoustic ecology, urban design, and performing arts. RÉSUMÉ Cet article explore les divers usages et caractérisations de la marche et de la marche sonore comme méthode de recherche ainsi que pratique artistique, et présente les travaux du projet de recherche-création « La marche sonore comme processus d'interaction ». On y retrouve une revue des différentes approches historiques et contemporaines envers la marche, ainsi qu'une analyse plus spécifique et approfondie du développement de la marche sonore dans le contexte de recherches en écologie sonore et en design urbain ainsi que dans le cadre de performances artistiques.
Paper presented at Ambiances network conference, in Montreal, QC, about the methodology and conce... more Paper presented at Ambiances network conference, in Montreal, QC, about the methodology and conceptual basis of the Soundwalking Interactions project directed by Dr. Andra McCartney at Concordia University in Montreal.
When soundscape composers, documentarians and artists work with soundscapes, they are expressing ... more When soundscape composers, documentarians and artists work with soundscapes, they are expressing relationships to the place of work and its inhabitants and visitors, to the sounds listened to, recorded from or projected into the place, and to the audience of the work. Each time a soundscape composer designs a soundwalk or a theatre piece, an installation or broadcast work, relationships with the world are expressed through how the maker treats the place, the sounds and the audience. Does the maker want to reveal particular sonic aspects of the place as it is, as it used to be, as it might be? Does the composer want to create an ideal place through sound and if so, what are the characteristics of this imaginary place and what ideas and values inform this utopic creation? How does the composer treat the sounds? How prominent are the composer’s treatments in relation to the sounds originally heard in that place, and what are the characteristics of this electroacoustic ecology? What are the dominant and masked sounds in the piece and how do they interact? What connections are there in the work between what is heard in the piece and the place of recording? Does the maker imagine the audience as deafened into numbness and needing to be awakened to true listening by the composer or soundwalk leader’s approach to the soundscape? Do we imagine the listener is ignorant and needing enlightenment? Do we think of the listener as possessed of original and unusual ways of listening, contributing to an expanded awareness of how to work with soundscapes? What are the ethics of this expression, and how are these ethics informed by underlying ideologies of sound, of sound production, and of sound ecology?
Written for the art book Hlysnan--Listening, edited by Berit Fischer. Casino of Luxembourg, May ... more Written for the art book Hlysnan--Listening, edited by Berit Fischer. Casino of Luxembourg, May 2014.
<<Journées Sonores, canal de Lachine>>est un projet sonore de documentation et création qui s'agi... more <<Journées Sonores, canal de Lachine>>est un projet sonore de documentation et création qui s'agit des modifications du paysage sonore du canal Lachine au fur et à mesure des différentes étapes de son réaménagementpendant les années 200-2004. Comme tous les projets de rénovation urbaine, ce projet de plusieurs années et millions de dollars a de profonds effets sur le contenu sonore des abords du canal. L’enregistrement, pendant plusieurs années, des sons depuis la piste qui court le long du canal a permis la création d’images sonores condensées accompagnant ces changements urbains. Nous espérons qu’en les écoutant, ces sons vous sensibiliseront au lieu – en particulier vous qui vivez et travaillez aux abords du canal – et que vous serez amenés à penser votre rapport avec les sons de ce lieu. Contrairement aux représentations visuelles, les enregistrements de sons ne cadrent pas de scènes ou d’édifices particuliers, mais soulignent des rapports entre sources différentes, comme la circulation de voitures ou de bateaux, des cyclistes, des machines industrielles ou de construction et des piétons.
Les enregistrements sonores ont été juxtaposés à des illustrations du canal Lachine. Notre intention était de mettre en relief différents angles d’un environnement donné en fonction de sources et perspectives différentes.
Le document qui commence sur la page suivante était produit pour l'installation au Musée de Lachine. En commençant sur la page 24 on peut trouver une liste de notes qui s'agissent de l'environnement du canal de Lachine. On peut les entendre sur youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh341k2f4lU&list=PLIG92ZJmuTlXF4FpScYlXOOCBSNDpAna6
Journées sonores, canal de Lachine is a sound project which reflects on shifts in the soundscape... more Journées sonores, canal de Lachine is a sound project which reflects on shifts in the soundscape of the Lachine canal as it changed with each phase of a revitalization project, as the canal re-opened as a recreation area in 2002, after many decades of dormancy while the St. Lawrence Seaway moved shipping and industrialization to another area on the south shore of the river. Like all urban renewal projects, this multi-year, multi-million dollar project has profound effects on the areas surrounding the canal. By recording sounds from the areas around the canal over several years, this project created condensed sonic images that followed these urban changes, as well as imaginary scenes from its past based on interviews with local residents. These sound recordings do not frame particular buildings or scenes, but point to relationships among different sources such as auto and boating traffic, cyclists, industrial/construction machines and pedestrians, and reveal the changing ambiences of these places over time.
In the final phase of this project (2002-2003), a multimedia installation was produced for display at the Musée de Lachine (March 2004), in a historical building adjacent to the canal. The show included an interactive computer installation, bringing together sounds recorded throughout several years. It also included more composed meditations on particular sites, along with photographic and drawn images and found objects. Comments from the project’s website were also included. Visitors to the gallery were encouraged in turn to comment on the installation and how it affected their perception of and attitude toward the sounds of the Canal. It was possible then to go outside and do a soundwalk immediately after experiencing the installation.
Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine / the sonic terroir of the Lachine light-house.
http://f... more Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine / the sonic terroir of the Lachine light-house.
This piece is based on soundwalks around the Lachine light-house just to the west of Montreal, 1999-2000. The water and pier surrounding the light-house invite all kinds of crossings: people eating lunch, fishers, sunset-watchers in their cars, ducks, swallows, boats, gulls, sparrows, wind gusting, waves and waves from the end of Lac St. Louis, sometimes frozen into fantastic ice-cubes that tinkle riotously against the rocks, sometimes coated with a thin creaking skin of ice. The light-house stands tall, blinking. Mostly this sentinel is locked but one day it is possible to enter. I remember how strikingly audible the presence of the light-house interior was. Inside, I wanted to name it: “this is the…” but my voice trails off as the rounded metallic interior speaks back to me. “Hello?” Walking by the shore, I discover an old chain and lift it up and down on the rock, imagining the many steel hulls that were tied to this bank with such chains, when it was an industrial port. The voice of the fisherman brings me back to the present “Bonjour!”
McCartney, Andra. “Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine.” Peripherique. Curated by Nicole Gingras. Groupe Intervention Video, December 2000. http://www.givideo.org.
Notes de programme, Impusion, Electrocd.com, 2001. CD sur le travail de Micheline Coulombe St. Ma... more Notes de programme, Impusion, Electrocd.com, 2001. CD sur le travail de Micheline Coulombe St. Marcoux.
Article about the soundwalk recording in Queen Elizabeth Park that was used in a later installati... more Article about the soundwalk recording in Queen Elizabeth Park that was used in a later installation. Comments on recording techniques, compositional practices, working together, and on Andra McCartney's early history of learning to walk after a long-term childhood injury.
Discussion of the sound design work of Diane Leboeuf of Montreal in her design of virtual exhibit... more Discussion of the sound design work of Diane Leboeuf of Montreal in her design of virtual exhibits, in situ exhibits and museum overlapping displays, as well as the gendering of these public spaces and workplaces.
Introduction to the In and Out of the Sound Studio project at Concordia University in Montreal, i... more Introduction to the In and Out of the Sound Studio project at Concordia University in Montreal, including the participation of Dr. Bev Diamond, Dr. Ellen Waterman, Dr. Kip Pegley, as well as numerous soundmakers, mostly women.
The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what ... more The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what Western art music is: as John Cage noted as early as 1937, it opens up the entire field of sound as musical sources. Barry Truax states that" the serious use of environmental sound in music is potentially disruptive and even subversive to the established norms of the artistic field"(1995: 1). Electroacoustic music can shift attention from pitch relationships to timbral possibilities of sounds.
McCartney, Andra. "Soundscape composition and the subversion of electroacoustic norms." Journal S... more McCartney, Andra. "Soundscape composition and the subversion of electroacoustic norms." Journal SEAMUS 14 (2) 2000: 6- 24. EContact! Electroacoustic Histories. 2001.(French and English) http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/Histories/SoundscapeComposition.htm The Radio Art Companion, edited by Darren Copeland and Nadene Theriault. New Adventures in Sound Art: Toronto, ON. April 2002: 14-22. Translated into Chinese by Zhang Liming for CSA (China: the Sonic Avant-Garde) Vol. 2 Edited by CHEN Wei, XU Cheng and ZHANG Liming), February 2006. http://www.chinesenewear.com/mag/ Feature article for earlabs version 8, January 2007. www.earlabs.org. Feature article for ..mediateletipos))), May 2007. http://www.mediateletipos.net/ Feature article for Networked Music Review, Sept. 2007. http://transition.turbulence.org/networked_music_review/
The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what ... more The field of electroacoustic presents a number of potential challenges to assumptions about what Western art music is: as John Cage noted as early as 1937, it opens up the entire field of sound as musical sources. Barry Truax states that "the serious use of environmental sound in music is potentially disruptive and even subversive to the established norms of the artistic field" (1995: 1). Electroacoustic music can shift attention from pitch relationships to timbral possibilities of sounds. As a result, much electroacoustic music confounds traditional forms of musical analysis (Tenney 1986: 4). Soundscape composition, with its focus on environmental sound, could be considered a type of electroacoustic music that is particularly resistant to traditional analysis and categorization. I will limit my discussion here to the place of the serious use of environmental sound (which I will refer to as soundscape composition) within the field of electroacoustic music, since this will give me a manageable field to consider. Electroacoustic music is a specific genre of Western Art music which has developed only in the last hundred years or so, requiring extensive financial expenditure for equipment and therefore practised — at least until recently — mostly by people in industrialized nations, in large publicly or commercially funded studios. My discussion of the place of soundscape composition within the field of electroacoustic music will raise issues that also apply to the larger field of Western art music, while retaining a focus on the norms of electroacoustic music. The discussion will be in three parts: (1) what is meant by the phrase "the serious use of environmental sound," (2) what are the established norms of electroacoustic music, and (3) To what extent does soundscape composition in itself disrupt or subvert these norms? 1. The serious use of environmental sound The concept of an environment of sound is the basis of the word "soundscape," a term credited to composer R. Murray Schafer. He defines it as: The sonic environment. Technically, any portion of the sonic environment regarded as a field for study. The term may refer to actual environments, or to abstract constructions such as musical compositions and tape montages, particularly when considered as an environment. (1977: 275) By sonic environment, Schafer is referring to "the ever-present array of noises, pleasant and unpleasant, loud and soft, heard or ignored, that we all live with" (1977: jacket notes). This acceptance of all sounds is similar to that of John Cage, who said that the use of electrical instruments "will make available for musical purposes any and all sounds that can be heard" (1961: 4). Recording equipment makes any sound in the world available: it can be isolated from its context and treated as a sound object, or the interplay of sounds within a specific environmental context can be the focus of attention. Schafer's statement in his definition that abstract constructions such as musical compositions are soundscapes particularly when considered as an environment refers to the importance of context in soundscape composition. Barry Truax clarifies what the importance of context means: In the soundscape composition ... it is precisely the environmental context that is preserved, enhanced and exploited by the composer. The listener's past experience, associations, and patterns of soundscape perception are called upon by the composer and thereby integrated within the compositional strategy. Part of the composer's intent may also be to enhance the listener's awareness of environmental sound. (1984: 207) Truax concentrates on the importance to the composer of the experiences, awareness and perceptions of listeners, and their relationships to the sound environment. These become an integral part of the compositional strategy. Hildegard Westerkamp also defines soundscape composition as a form that insists on contact between the composer, listener and sound environment: "The word soundscape always implies interaction between environment and individual, and between environment and community" (1988: 3). Thus the serious use of environmental sound, according to these composers, is to work with the environment of the sounds, their context and interrelationships with listeners and with the composer.
A special issue of Intersections Canadian Journal Of Music (2006) about the In and Out of the Sou... more A special issue of Intersections Canadian Journal Of Music (2006) about the In and Out of the Sound Studio project, edited by Andra McCartney and Ellen Waterman. The introduction is linked on Erudit to the other articles in the issue, by authors writing in English and French on gender, music, sound and technology.
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Papers by Andra McCartney
This article explores the use of walking and soundwalking as research practices and artistic performances, and presents the current work of the Soundwalking Interactions research-creation project. It includes a review of historic and contemporary discussions of walking and soundwalking, and an analysis of the various models of soundwalks used in acoustic ecology, urban design, and performing arts. RÉSUMÉ Cet article explore les divers usages et caractérisations de la marche et de la marche sonore comme méthode de recherche ainsi que pratique artistique, et présente les travaux du projet de recherche-création « La marche sonore comme processus d'interaction ». On y retrouve une revue des différentes approches historiques et contemporaines envers la marche, ainsi qu'une analyse plus spécifique et approfondie du développement de la marche sonore dans le contexte de recherches en écologie sonore et en design urbain ainsi que dans le cadre de performances artistiques.
Les enregistrements sonores ont été juxtaposés à des illustrations du canal Lachine. Notre intention était de mettre en relief différents angles d’un environnement donné en fonction de sources et perspectives différentes.
Le document qui commence sur la page suivante était produit pour l'installation au Musée de Lachine. En commençant sur la page 24 on peut trouver une liste de notes qui s'agissent de l'environnement du canal de Lachine. On peut les entendre sur youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh341k2f4lU&list=PLIG92ZJmuTlXF4FpScYlXOOCBSNDpAna6
In the final phase of this project (2002-2003), a multimedia installation was produced for display at the Musée de Lachine (March 2004), in a historical building adjacent to the canal. The show included an interactive computer installation, bringing together sounds recorded throughout several years. It also included more composed meditations on particular sites, along with photographic and drawn images and found objects. Comments from the project’s website were also included. Visitors to the gallery were encouraged in turn to comment on the installation and how it affected their perception of and attitude toward the sounds of the Canal. It was possible then to go outside and do a soundwalk immediately after experiencing the installation.
http://facs-newmedia.finearts.yorku.ca/andra/phare/terroir.html
This piece is based on soundwalks around the Lachine light-house just to the west of Montreal, 1999-2000. The water and pier surrounding the light-house invite all kinds of crossings: people eating lunch, fishers, sunset-watchers in their cars, ducks, swallows, boats, gulls, sparrows, wind gusting, waves and waves from the end of Lac St. Louis, sometimes frozen into fantastic ice-cubes that tinkle riotously against the rocks, sometimes coated with a thin creaking skin of ice. The light-house stands tall, blinking. Mostly this sentinel is locked but one day it is possible to enter. I remember how strikingly audible the presence of the light-house interior was. Inside, I wanted to name it: “this is the…” but my voice trails off as the rounded metallic interior speaks back to me. “Hello?” Walking by the shore, I discover an old chain and lift it up and down on the rock, imagining the many steel hulls that were tied to this bank with such chains, when it was an industrial port. The voice of the fisherman brings me back to the present “Bonjour!”
McCartney, Andra. “Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine.” Peripherique. Curated by Nicole Gingras. Groupe Intervention Video, December 2000. http://www.givideo.org.
EContact! Electroacoustic Histories. 2001.(French and English) http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/Histories/SoundscapeComposition.htm
The Radio Art Companion, edited by Darren Copeland and Nadene Theriault. New Adventures in Sound Art: Toronto, ON. April 2002: 14-22.
Translated into Chinese by Zhang Liming for CSA (China: the Sonic Avant-Garde) Vol. 2 Edited by CHEN Wei, XU Cheng and ZHANG Liming), February 2006. http://www.chinesenewear.com/mag/
Feature article for earlabs version 8, January 2007. www.earlabs.org.
Feature article for ..mediateletipos))), May 2007. http://www.mediateletipos.net/
Feature article for Networked Music Review, Sept. 2007. http://transition.turbulence.org/networked_music_review/
This article explores the use of walking and soundwalking as research practices and artistic performances, and presents the current work of the Soundwalking Interactions research-creation project. It includes a review of historic and contemporary discussions of walking and soundwalking, and an analysis of the various models of soundwalks used in acoustic ecology, urban design, and performing arts. RÉSUMÉ Cet article explore les divers usages et caractérisations de la marche et de la marche sonore comme méthode de recherche ainsi que pratique artistique, et présente les travaux du projet de recherche-création « La marche sonore comme processus d'interaction ». On y retrouve une revue des différentes approches historiques et contemporaines envers la marche, ainsi qu'une analyse plus spécifique et approfondie du développement de la marche sonore dans le contexte de recherches en écologie sonore et en design urbain ainsi que dans le cadre de performances artistiques.
Les enregistrements sonores ont été juxtaposés à des illustrations du canal Lachine. Notre intention était de mettre en relief différents angles d’un environnement donné en fonction de sources et perspectives différentes.
Le document qui commence sur la page suivante était produit pour l'installation au Musée de Lachine. En commençant sur la page 24 on peut trouver une liste de notes qui s'agissent de l'environnement du canal de Lachine. On peut les entendre sur youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh341k2f4lU&list=PLIG92ZJmuTlXF4FpScYlXOOCBSNDpAna6
In the final phase of this project (2002-2003), a multimedia installation was produced for display at the Musée de Lachine (March 2004), in a historical building adjacent to the canal. The show included an interactive computer installation, bringing together sounds recorded throughout several years. It also included more composed meditations on particular sites, along with photographic and drawn images and found objects. Comments from the project’s website were also included. Visitors to the gallery were encouraged in turn to comment on the installation and how it affected their perception of and attitude toward the sounds of the Canal. It was possible then to go outside and do a soundwalk immediately after experiencing the installation.
http://facs-newmedia.finearts.yorku.ca/andra/phare/terroir.html
This piece is based on soundwalks around the Lachine light-house just to the west of Montreal, 1999-2000. The water and pier surrounding the light-house invite all kinds of crossings: people eating lunch, fishers, sunset-watchers in their cars, ducks, swallows, boats, gulls, sparrows, wind gusting, waves and waves from the end of Lac St. Louis, sometimes frozen into fantastic ice-cubes that tinkle riotously against the rocks, sometimes coated with a thin creaking skin of ice. The light-house stands tall, blinking. Mostly this sentinel is locked but one day it is possible to enter. I remember how strikingly audible the presence of the light-house interior was. Inside, I wanted to name it: “this is the…” but my voice trails off as the rounded metallic interior speaks back to me. “Hello?” Walking by the shore, I discover an old chain and lift it up and down on the rock, imagining the many steel hulls that were tied to this bank with such chains, when it was an industrial port. The voice of the fisherman brings me back to the present “Bonjour!”
McCartney, Andra. “Le terroir sonore du phare de Lachine.” Peripherique. Curated by Nicole Gingras. Groupe Intervention Video, December 2000. http://www.givideo.org.
EContact! Electroacoustic Histories. 2001.(French and English) http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/Histories/SoundscapeComposition.htm
The Radio Art Companion, edited by Darren Copeland and Nadene Theriault. New Adventures in Sound Art: Toronto, ON. April 2002: 14-22.
Translated into Chinese by Zhang Liming for CSA (China: the Sonic Avant-Garde) Vol. 2 Edited by CHEN Wei, XU Cheng and ZHANG Liming), February 2006. http://www.chinesenewear.com/mag/
Feature article for earlabs version 8, January 2007. www.earlabs.org.
Feature article for ..mediateletipos))), May 2007. http://www.mediateletipos.net/
Feature article for Networked Music Review, Sept. 2007. http://transition.turbulence.org/networked_music_review/