Sound Travels Festival of Sound Art
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) launches the 27th edition of the Sound Travels Festival of Sound Art with summer-long events that feature interactive exhibitions as well as a special World Listening Day weekend-long event July 18 to 20.
“The complexity of the natural world is astounding in its diversity and musical nuance. South River is located in a region where the natural world has had many impacts on art making. Sound Travels 2025 uses NAISA’s theme for the year —There is Art in Our Nature — this time to provide audiences with the opportunity to hear what is below the water’s surface, to listen in to the sounds that exist in the rivers and lakes, which in the Almaguin Highlands have historically served as passage ways between communities.” – Darren Copeland, Artistic Director, New Adventures in Sound Art
Haptic Voices
Interactive Installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Haptic Voices is a large scale ten channel vibrotactile wall with the potential for 10 independent streams of sound signals. Visitors are invited to stand against the wall to experience vibrations that are controlled using an iPad.
Five sound compositions, designed explicitly for the vibrotactile experience, were commissioned for the wall. The composers include Toronto-based John Gzowski and Ravi Naimpally, Deaf Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain and Haptic Voices creator Jim Ruxton along with a new one in development by VibraFusionLab Director David Bobier.
Using vibration as the final output, Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities to experience the wall. A couple of new works by Bobier and Ruxton will be presented in addition to the Haptic Voices installation.
Interactive Installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Haptic Voices is a large scale ten channel vibrotactile wall with the potential for 10 independent streams of sound signals. Visitors are invited to stand against the wall to experience vibrations that are controlled using an iPad.
Five sound compositions, designed explicitly for the vibrotactile experience, were commissioned for the wall. The composers include Toronto-based John Gzowski and Ravi Naimpally, Deaf Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain and Haptic Voices creator Jim Ruxton along with a new one in development by VibraFusionLab Director David Bobier.
Using vibration as the final output, Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities to experience the wall. A couple of new works by Bobier and Ruxton will be presented in addition to the Haptic Voices installation.
David Bobier is a disabled artist whose creative practice is exploring vibrotactile technology as a creative medium. This work led to his establishment in 2012 of VibraFusionLab, a creative multi-media, multi-sensory centre that has a reputation as a leader in accessibility for the Deaf and disability arts movement in Canada and internationally. As a practicing artist his exhibition career includes 18 solo and over 30 group exhibition projects across Canada and internationally.
David Bobier has served in advisory roles in developing Deaf and disability arts Equity programs for both Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and a presenter at the Global Disability Summit in London, UK. He has recently been nominated by the Canada Council for a Governor Generals Innovation Award. Website: Vibrafusion Lab
Jim Ruxton has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design . He works as an artist and engineer in installation, performance, theatre, dance and film collaborating with many other artists throughout his career. Jim is a founder and former Director of Programs for Subtle Technologies, a Toronto based organization that has created links between artists and scientists . Jim is a member of the Hamilton based VibraFusionLab collective, an organization that works to foster media arts within the Deaf and disabled arts community.
Open Improv on The Decomposing Piano
July 13, August 10 and September 14 at 2 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
FREE
July 13, August 10 and September 14 at 2 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
FREE
An interesting way to learn about improvisation is to play an instrument that is always changing. The Decomposing Piano has been transforming outdoors since December 2022. It continues to challenge expectations and transform possibilities, revealing new sound colours and tunings as time passes on. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to join NAISA Executive Director Nadene Thériault-Copeland in the discovery process.
Echoes Between Us
World Listening Day Outdoor Concert and SOUNDwalk
By Corinne Alice In Wonderland
July 18, 2025, 7:00 pm
rain or shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $15, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
Echoes Between Us is an immersive outdoor experience in two parts created by Corrine Alice, in Wonderland. She is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Almaguin Highlands. The performance will begin with a guided soundwalk inviting participants into deep listening, attuning to the layered soundscape of Warbler’s Roost. After the walk, she will give a solo performance using live looping, voice, and other instruments in intuitive response to the environment. The sounds will rise and fall in conversation with the natural world. This piece explores connection between breath and bird call, silence and song, artist and audience. At its heart, it’s an invitation to remember that the land is always speaking, if we learn to listen. The concert is the first event in a weekend long celebration of World Listening Day
World Listening Day Outdoor Concert and SOUNDwalk
By Corinne Alice In Wonderland
July 18, 2025, 7:00 pm
rain or shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $15, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
Echoes Between Us is an immersive outdoor experience in two parts created by Corrine Alice, in Wonderland. She is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Almaguin Highlands. The performance will begin with a guided soundwalk inviting participants into deep listening, attuning to the layered soundscape of Warbler’s Roost. After the walk, she will give a solo performance using live looping, voice, and other instruments in intuitive response to the environment. The sounds will rise and fall in conversation with the natural world. This piece explores connection between breath and bird call, silence and song, artist and audience. At its heart, it’s an invitation to remember that the land is always speaking, if we learn to listen. The concert is the first event in a weekend long celebration of World Listening Day
Corinne Alice In Wonderland is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Almaguin Highlands. Her work blends movement, music, and mindfulness. With a background in expressive arts therapy, yoga, and vocal performance, she creates immersive experiences that invite presence and transformation. She’s the founder of http://www.YogaArtMusic.com and leads community-based offerings that explore the connection between the inner and outer landscape. Her performances are often improvised and ritual-like, using voice, sound, and stillness to invite a sense of wonder and deep listening.
Voice of the Water
Interactive Installation
By Eric Powell
Opening July 18 (Thurs-Mon, 10 am to 4 pm)
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Voice of the Water is an interactive rotary telephone-based listening station. Using sounds collected from inside the lakes and rivers around South River, Voice of the Water encourages listeners to connect with the local waterways as they explore the boundaries and overlaps between planes of existence. The Artist's goal is to create a venue for contemplation, catharsis, and a deeper engagement with the surrounding environment.
Sound Fishing Invitation
Go on a listening expedition with a staff member from NAISA to record underwater sounds in the vicinity of South River. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of the world in intimate listening proximity to one of the many water ways within 30 KM of the village of South River.
The sounds you record will be included in Voice of the Water. Participation is FREE and the invitation is ongoing. Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment to record sounds at a nearby lake, river, stream, or creak. All weather conditions are possible save for thunder and lightning storms. Dress appropriately for the conditions, including bug protection.
Interactive Installation
By Eric Powell
Opening July 18 (Thurs-Mon, 10 am to 4 pm)
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Voice of the Water is an interactive rotary telephone-based listening station. Using sounds collected from inside the lakes and rivers around South River, Voice of the Water encourages listeners to connect with the local waterways as they explore the boundaries and overlaps between planes of existence. The Artist's goal is to create a venue for contemplation, catharsis, and a deeper engagement with the surrounding environment.
Sound Fishing Invitation
Go on a listening expedition with a staff member from NAISA to record underwater sounds in the vicinity of South River. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of the world in intimate listening proximity to one of the many water ways within 30 KM of the village of South River.
The sounds you record will be included in Voice of the Water. Participation is FREE and the invitation is ongoing. Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment to record sounds at a nearby lake, river, stream, or creak. All weather conditions are possible save for thunder and lightning storms. Dress appropriately for the conditions, including bug protection.
Eric Powell is a sound artist, composer, teacher, and tinkerer. His practice brings together maps, interactive technologies, and field recording to create unique interfaces for exploring both rural and urban sound environments. His work invites users to listen in new ways, challenging them to rethink the role of sound in their daily lives. He is a founding member of several media arts organizations, and has served on the board for both the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology and the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. Eric regularly collaborates with other artists and academics, enabling him to share his work around the world.
Sound Map of the Housatonic River
World Listening Day Indoor Concert
By Annea Lockwood
July 19, 2025, 7:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $15, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
This indoor multi-loudspeaker concert continues a weekend long celebration of World Listening Day and this year's focus by NAISA on water sounds. Created in 2009 "A Sound Map of the Housatonic River" is the third in Annea Lockwood's seminal series of river sound map pieces. The piece takes the listener on an imaginary voyage from the source of the Housatonic River in the Berkshire Mountains to the river’s mouth in Long Island Sound, Connecticut. The mid-summer journey includes sounds from the natural world and those placed there by the human commercial activity.
World Listening Day Indoor Concert
By Annea Lockwood
July 19, 2025, 7:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $15, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
This indoor multi-loudspeaker concert continues a weekend long celebration of World Listening Day and this year's focus by NAISA on water sounds. Created in 2009 "A Sound Map of the Housatonic River" is the third in Annea Lockwood's seminal series of river sound map pieces. The piece takes the listener on an imaginary voyage from the source of the Housatonic River in the Berkshire Mountains to the river’s mouth in Long Island Sound, Connecticut. The mid-summer journey includes sounds from the natural world and those placed there by the human commercial activity.
Program:
I. A Sound Map of the Housatonic River by Annea Lockwood
This is a sonic map tracing the course of the Housatonic River from its sources in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts to the river’s mouth at Milford, Long Island Sound, Connecticut, USA, recorded both at the surface and underwater, not from boats but from the riverbank at many sites, thus mirroring the changing river-created environment.
During the late 19th and 20th centuries the river was industrialized and extensively polluted with PCBs and other toxic substances, but since the 1970s local action and an important Wetlands Protection Act have improved water quality and the riparian environment.
I am fascinated by the multi-layered complexity of the sounds created by fast flowing rivers and have been recording them for many years. An aural scan is a different experience from a visual scan, more intimate, I find. The energy flow of a river can be sensed very directly through the sounds created by the friction between current and riverbank, current and riverbed.
This is a sonic map tracing the course of the Housatonic River from its sources in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts to the river’s mouth at Milford, Long Island Sound, Connecticut, USA, recorded both at the surface and underwater, not from boats but from the riverbank at many sites, thus mirroring the changing river-created environment.
During the late 19th and 20th centuries the river was industrialized and extensively polluted with PCBs and other toxic substances, but since the 1970s local action and an important Wetlands Protection Act have improved water quality and the riparian environment.
I am fascinated by the multi-layered complexity of the sounds created by fast flowing rivers and have been recording them for many years. An aural scan is a different experience from a visual scan, more intimate, I find. The energy flow of a river can be sensed very directly through the sounds created by the friction between current and riverbank, current and riverbed.
Annea Lockwood ’s compositions range from sound art and environmental sound installations to concert music. Recent works include Becoming Air, co-composed with Nate Wooley, trumpet, The River Feeds Back, a sound map of the Schuylkill River created in collaboration with Liz Phillips, Into the Vanishing Point, co-composed with the ensemble Yarn/Wire – a meditation on the large-scale disappearance of insect populations, On Fractured Ground, an electroacoustic work based on recordings of the peace walls in Belfast, NI; and Skin Resonance, composed with Vanessa Tomlinson, bass drum. These last two works have recently been released by Black Truffle Records.
She is a recipient of the SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) Lifetime Achievement Award 2020, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and recently received a commissioning grant from the Fromm Foundation for a collaboration focused on the Elwha River with flutist Claire Chase. Photo by Nate Wooley.
Morning SOUNDwalk
for World Listening Day
July 19, 2025, 9:30 am
Rain or Shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
FREE
Celebrate World Listening Day weekend with a silent walk through the forests and lakefront of the Warbler's Roost property led by NAISA Executive Director Nadene Thériault-Copeland.
World Listening Day, organized in part by the World Listening Project, celebrates the art of actively listening to the sounds of the environment. It aims to raise awareness about the significance of listening as a cultural practice and promotes sonic stewardship of the environment. Through various events and initiatives, it encourages individuals worldwide to engage with and reflect upon the soundscape around them.
for World Listening Day
July 19, 2025, 9:30 am
Rain or Shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
FREE
Celebrate World Listening Day weekend with a silent walk through the forests and lakefront of the Warbler's Roost property led by NAISA Executive Director Nadene Thériault-Copeland.
World Listening Day, organized in part by the World Listening Project, celebrates the art of actively listening to the sounds of the environment. It aims to raise awareness about the significance of listening as a cultural practice and promotes sonic stewardship of the environment. Through various events and initiatives, it encourages individuals worldwide to engage with and reflect upon the soundscape around them.
Underwater Sound Recording Workshop
World Listening Day Outdoor Workshop
By Eric Powell
July 19, 2025, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $45, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
World Listening Day Outdoor Workshop
By Eric Powell
July 19, 2025, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
Tickets $45, Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225) or Event Pass ($65)
What does the world sound like underwater? Cast a hydrophone into the lake and find out. Eric Powell will lead participants on an exploration of the underwater sounds of Deer Lake. Meet at Warbler's Roost. Equipment provided. Event happens rain or shine.
Eric Powell is a sound artist, composer, teacher, and tinkerer. His practice brings together maps, interactive technologies, and field recording to create unique interfaces for exploring both rural and urban sound environments. His work invites users to listen in new ways, challenging them to rethink the role of sound in their daily lives. He is a founding member of several media arts organizations, and has served on the board for both the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology and the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. Eric regularly collaborates with other artists and academics, enabling him to share his work around the world.
Artist Talk on Voice of the Water
World Listening Day Talk
By Eric Powell
July 20, 2025, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Eric Powell will introduce the Voice of the Water installation at NAISA and talk about the evolution of his project which uses a rotary telephone to connect listeners to underwater recordings.
World Listening Day Talk
By Eric Powell
July 20, 2025, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Eric Powell will introduce the Voice of the Water installation at NAISA and talk about the evolution of his project which uses a rotary telephone to connect listeners to underwater recordings.
Eric Powell is a sound artist, composer, teacher, and tinkerer. His practice brings together maps, interactive technologies, and field recording to create unique interfaces for exploring both rural and urban sound environments. His work invites users to listen in new ways, challenging them to rethink the role of sound in their daily lives. He is a founding member of several media arts organizations, and has served on the board for both the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology and the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. Eric regularly collaborates with other artists and academics, enabling him to share his work around the world.
Sound Fishing Invitation
Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment. All types of weather. Dress Appropriately.
FREE
Go on a listening expedition to record underwater sounds in South River and vicinity. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of water in intimate listening proximity. The sounds you record will be included in the Voice of the Water installation opening July 18.
Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment. All types of weather. Dress Appropriately.
FREE
Go on a listening expedition to record underwater sounds in South River and vicinity. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of water in intimate listening proximity. The sounds you record will be included in the Voice of the Water installation opening July 18.
Making Waves Suggested Listening
Listen online at wavefarm.org
Here is a selection of Making Waves episodes with content related to soundscapes, sound ecology and underwater sound. Making Waves is a monthly radio show produced by New Adventures in Sound Art for WGXC Wave Farm.
1. 20250510 – Remembering Andra McCartney with Hildegard Westerkamp, Wendalyn Bartley and Gayle Young
2. 20250111 – Omar Reyna's Sounds of Turbulence
3. 20240608 – Spring Soundscapes from the Almaguin Highlands
4. 20230708 – Importance of Environmental Sound with Alëna Korolëva, Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise
5. 20210710 - World Listening Day with Eric Leonardson and Raquel Castro
6. 20200808 - Reciprocal Listening
7. 20180618 - Jana Winderen and the art of underwater recording
8. 20170513 - Soundscapes of Algonquin Park and Warbler's Roost
Listen online at wavefarm.org
Here is a selection of Making Waves episodes with content related to soundscapes, sound ecology and underwater sound. Making Waves is a monthly radio show produced by New Adventures in Sound Art for WGXC Wave Farm.
1. 20250510 – Remembering Andra McCartney with Hildegard Westerkamp, Wendalyn Bartley and Gayle Young
2. 20250111 – Omar Reyna's Sounds of Turbulence
3. 20240608 – Spring Soundscapes from the Almaguin Highlands
4. 20230708 – Importance of Environmental Sound with Alëna Korolëva, Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise
5. 20210710 - World Listening Day with Eric Leonardson and Raquel Castro
6. 20200808 - Reciprocal Listening
7. 20180618 - Jana Winderen and the art of underwater recording
8. 20170513 - Soundscapes of Algonquin Park and Warbler's Roost
Borderline (Almaguin Highlands): Collective counter mapping through sonic geographies
By Jessica Thompson
Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Pay by Donation
Borderline is a critical mapmaking project that uses sound to illuminate social and economic differences in local geographies. Visitors to the NAISA North Media Arts Centre are invited to contribute to a large-scale soundmap of the Almaguin Highlands by borrowing a toolkit to map sounds in one of the villages of their choice, or by using the Borderline mobile app. The sounds collected are added to the map on an ongoing basis.
The Borderline iOS app enables users to automatically map sounds in their environment, put them in dialogue with other forms of data, and generate interactive soundscapes by playing sounds back into the environment. Click here to download
By Jessica Thompson
Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Pay by Donation
Borderline is a critical mapmaking project that uses sound to illuminate social and economic differences in local geographies. Visitors to the NAISA North Media Arts Centre are invited to contribute to a large-scale soundmap of the Almaguin Highlands by borrowing a toolkit to map sounds in one of the villages of their choice, or by using the Borderline mobile app. The sounds collected are added to the map on an ongoing basis.
The Borderline iOS app enables users to automatically map sounds in their environment, put them in dialogue with other forms of data, and generate interactive soundscapes by playing sounds back into the environment. Click here to download
The Sensation of Distribution
By Mitchell Akiyama and Brady Peters
Open 24/7 year round.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
By Mitchell Akiyama and Brady Peters
Open 24/7 year round.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
The Sensation of Distribution is a reprise of Mitchell Akiyama and Brady Peters’s 2019 work, The Distribution of Sensation, which they created while artists in residence at The Bentway, a large, urban public space situated under an elevated highway in downtown Toronto. The Distribution of Sensation was a sound sculpture composed of PVC pipes installed around The Bentway that invited visitors to listen through the natural resonance of the cylinders, creating a series of musical experiences across the site. Mimic the plumbing infrastructure of the site, the installation was meant to create aesthetic slippages that might potentially lead to confusion as to what exactly functioned or counted as art.
The re-installation of this work at NAISA blends the pipe sculptures into a more domestic vernacular. Mounted on NAISA’s exterior walls to impersonate furnace vents and erupting from the ground to suggest rogue plumbing gone awry, The Sensation of Distribution re-invites visitors to explore the unnoticed or imminent sonic and aesthetic potential of our built environment.
The re-installation of this work at NAISA blends the pipe sculptures into a more domestic vernacular. Mounted on NAISA’s exterior walls to impersonate furnace vents and erupting from the ground to suggest rogue plumbing gone awry, The Sensation of Distribution re-invites visitors to explore the unnoticed or imminent sonic and aesthetic potential of our built environment.