Please note: all of the NAISA publications are still in print. All except the Sound Art Basics are free. If you wish to receive any of the three free publications, please send your request by e-mail to naisa@naisa.ca. We only ask that you cover the cost of postage and handling. If you wish to purchase the Sound Art Basics publication Click here
Sound Art Basics
Sound Art Basics is a “How to” guide to making sound art and is written by artists well known in the field. It includes articles on how to soundwalk, how to create art with sound (including basic recording and editing techniques), how to circuit-bend, the schematic for the NAISAtron accompanied by an article on how it works, a schematic for a Mini-FM transmitter accompanied by articles both on how radio works and on how to perform using Mini-FM transmitters.
The original impetus for putting together a booklet about Sound Art was to make another in the Companion series of booklets published by NAISA to follow the Radio Art Companion, the Sign Waves Companion and Sound in Space, all of which were booklets intended to educate audiences about the type of works NAISA presents during its festivals (Deep Wireless, Sound Travels, SOUNDplay and the installation series – Sign Waves – that has since been incorporated into its ongoing programming). However, since the last publication in 2004, NAISA has been offering ongoing workshops that teach the basics of sound art creation on an ongoing basis. With the launch of the NAISA youth initiative in December 2007, accompanied by the launch of the NAISAtron created for NAISA by Rob Cruickshank, I saw an opportunity to create a handbook that could be used by youth as well as teachers during and after the NAISA youth workshops and residencies. We tried to keep the language as simple as possible, while still explaining the necessary terms and hope we have succeeded on that end. We hope these articles will inspire generations new, old and in-between to create their own new adventure in sound art!
Nadene Thériault-Copeland
Editor
Published in December, 2009 by New Adventures in Sound Art
Edit & Design: Nadene Thériault-Copeland
Cover Art and Design Assistance: Khalik Provost
Sound Art Basics Article Synopses
How To Do a Soundwalk: By Victoria Fenner
Learn what a Soundwalk is and just how easy it is to do one. Includes tips for leading a Soundwalk as well as helpful discussion questions to facilitate new ways of listening.
Creating Art With Sound: By Darren Copeland
Discover many ways that sound can be used as the material for sonic creation. Learn about basic wave form theory, microphones, recording devices, editing, processing, mixing, mastering, and more. Includes a handy glossary of essential terms.
Getting Started in Electronic Sound: By Rob Cruickshank
Uncover the mysterious forces behind everyday electronics, and find out what you’ll need to get started with your own projects. Learn what Circuit Bending is and how to make creative new sounds with your own simple circuits.
How the NAISAtron Works: By Rob Cruickshank
Find out about the science behind New Adventures in Sound Art’s signature instrument; the NAISAtron. See how the pieces come together and follow along with a detailed schematic diagram by NAISAtron creator Rob Cruickshank.
How Radio Works: By James Bailey and Hector Centeno
Ever wondered how sounds get all the way from a far-off source right to your own personal radio? Learn about electromagnetic waves, transmitters and receivers, what AM and FM actually mean, and much more.
Radio Transmitter as a Radio Art Instrument: By Hector Centeno
Learn how radio transmitters can become creative sound art performance instruments. Includes a short introduction to Japan’s Free Radio Movement and instructions on how to use your body and Tetsuo Kogawa’s radio transmitter to create radio art.
Radio Art Companion
(booklet & CD) published in 2002 by NAISA.
The web-version of the booklet linked to here was published on e-contact
and made possible by the Canadian Electroacoustic Community.
Forward
Radio Culture by Jacki Apple
An Introduction to Acoustic Ecology by Kendall Wrightson
Soundwalking by Gregg Wagstaff
Soundscape Compositions and the Subversion of Electroacoustic Norms by Andra McCartney
Try Looking through Both Eyes at the Same Time by Michael Gogin
Listening to Radio Plays: Fictional Soundscapes by Alan E. Beck
Radio Art Comp: CD Liner Notes
Sign Waves Companion
published in 2002 by NAISA.
The web-version of the booklet linked to here was published on e-contact
and made possible by the Canadian Electroacoustic Community.
Forward
Engaging the Visual and Auditory Senses by Bentley Jarvis
Sound Installations – Altering the Experience of Space by Darren Copeland
Without Beginning, Middle, or End – Transforming Sounds in Motion by David Eagle
Ambient Sound and Resonating Spaces by Rob Godman
Evolving Creative Approaches and New Media Installations by Tania Etienne
The I and the Ear by Nicholas Longstaff
inside the eye of silence by vivienne spiteri & Rob Godman
Artists Bios & Notes
Webliography
Sound in Space
(booklet and 5.1 DVD-A) published in 2004.