Performances presented on 2023
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Re-Opening on Art's Birthday
January 17, 2023, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 17 to celebrate the opening of its exhibition space and café at its new location at 313 Highway 124 in South River Ontario. This will take place in conjunction with the annual international Art’s Birthday celebration and will include an outdoor performance on NAISA’s Decomposing Piano installation. There is also an exhibition indoors - Tree Earth Sky and The Sound of Tree Rings.
“We are very excited to be re-opening in our newly renovated and accessible gallery and café and to welcome visitors back to experience media art. We have an indoor exhibition as well as an outdoor installation and our internet café with seating will once again allow for many community connections and art-inspired conversations.
New Adventures in Sound Art’s staff and board of directors are very grateful for the funding received from the NOHFC that contributed towards the upgrades of NAISA’s new facilities. We are also thankful for the many donations received from supporters far and wide that contributed towards the purchase of this new location. This combined support will have a lasting contribution to the future vitality of NAISA as a media arts organization as well as to South River’s community as a whole." — Nadene Thériault-Copeland, Executive Director, New Adventures in Sound Art
Indoor and Outdoor Exhibitions
Tree Earth Sky by Wild Empathy is a VR experience that invites visitors to look and listen to the underground mycelium network and its connected old-growth grove of trees on Vancouver Island, in 8K definition with ambisonic audio. The Sound of Tree Rings by Simon Lysander Overstall is a generative musical work composed from the tree rings of a ‘tree cookie’ originating from an old growth cedar tree in Stanley Park (Xwayxway) downed in the windstorm of 2006.
The Decomposing Piano installation is a semi-permanent outdoor installation exploring the effects of the Northern Ontario climate on an upright piano. A ruined piano is a piano left outside in a natural environment for an extended period of time (see https://bolleter.wixsite.com/warpsmusic for further insights). With the gradual "decomposition" of the piano over time, new sounds will be uncovered with the aid of contact microphones and subtle forms of material born amplification. Through its entire decomposition process, the public is invited to play the piano and experience its transformation over the next year to 2 years.
January 17, 2023, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 17 to celebrate the opening of its exhibition space and café at its new location at 313 Highway 124 in South River Ontario. This will take place in conjunction with the annual international Art’s Birthday celebration and will include an outdoor performance on NAISA’s Decomposing Piano installation. There is also an exhibition indoors - Tree Earth Sky and The Sound of Tree Rings.
“We are very excited to be re-opening in our newly renovated and accessible gallery and café and to welcome visitors back to experience media art. We have an indoor exhibition as well as an outdoor installation and our internet café with seating will once again allow for many community connections and art-inspired conversations.
New Adventures in Sound Art’s staff and board of directors are very grateful for the funding received from the NOHFC that contributed towards the upgrades of NAISA’s new facilities. We are also thankful for the many donations received from supporters far and wide that contributed towards the purchase of this new location. This combined support will have a lasting contribution to the future vitality of NAISA as a media arts organization as well as to South River’s community as a whole." — Nadene Thériault-Copeland, Executive Director, New Adventures in Sound Art
Indoor and Outdoor Exhibitions
Tree Earth Sky by Wild Empathy is a VR experience that invites visitors to look and listen to the underground mycelium network and its connected old-growth grove of trees on Vancouver Island, in 8K definition with ambisonic audio. The Sound of Tree Rings by Simon Lysander Overstall is a generative musical work composed from the tree rings of a ‘tree cookie’ originating from an old growth cedar tree in Stanley Park (Xwayxway) downed in the windstorm of 2006.
The Decomposing Piano installation is a semi-permanent outdoor installation exploring the effects of the Northern Ontario climate on an upright piano. A ruined piano is a piano left outside in a natural environment for an extended period of time (see https://bolleter.wixsite.com/warpsmusic for further insights). With the gradual "decomposition" of the piano over time, new sounds will be uncovered with the aid of contact microphones and subtle forms of material born amplification. Through its entire decomposition process, the public is invited to play the piano and experience its transformation over the next year to 2 years.
Reveil
12:00 AM May 6 to 1:00 AM May 7
Listen on the Reveil Portal or on NAISA Radio
Reveil is a 24+1 hr radio broadcast that follows sunrise around the earth on Dawn Chorus Day, traveling west on live audio streams sent in by streamers at daybreak from their locations. Reveil brings city yards, remote rural sites, fresh and salt water bodies into communication, creating a collective audit of planetary soundworlds over one earth day.
Streams are hosted on the live soundmap by Locus Sonus (ESAAIX, Aix en Provence) with the support of Creacast, France. The broadcast is hosted by Wave Farm (Acra NY), Resonance Extra and can also be heard on NAISA Radio. Follow the Reveil portal during the broadcast for additional content and background.
Reveil 2023 is produced in London by Soundcamp, again in collaboration with guest mixers Leah Barclay in Australia and Fernando Godoy (Radio Tsonami) in Chile.
Partner organisations in the Acoustic Commons project: Full Of Noises (Cumbria UK) · Locus Sonus (Aix FR) · Radio CONA (Ljubljana SI) · HMU and TUC (Crete GR) · Cyberforest (Tokyo JP)
To propose a stream, soundcamp or transmission work, or to relay the broadcast, please use the short sign-up form.
12:00 AM May 6 to 1:00 AM May 7
Listen on the Reveil Portal or on NAISA Radio
Reveil is a 24+1 hr radio broadcast that follows sunrise around the earth on Dawn Chorus Day, traveling west on live audio streams sent in by streamers at daybreak from their locations. Reveil brings city yards, remote rural sites, fresh and salt water bodies into communication, creating a collective audit of planetary soundworlds over one earth day.
Streams are hosted on the live soundmap by Locus Sonus (ESAAIX, Aix en Provence) with the support of Creacast, France. The broadcast is hosted by Wave Farm (Acra NY), Resonance Extra and can also be heard on NAISA Radio. Follow the Reveil portal during the broadcast for additional content and background.
Reveil 2023 is produced in London by Soundcamp, again in collaboration with guest mixers Leah Barclay in Australia and Fernando Godoy (Radio Tsonami) in Chile.
Partner organisations in the Acoustic Commons project: Full Of Noises (Cumbria UK) · Locus Sonus (Aix FR) · Radio CONA (Ljubljana SI) · HMU and TUC (Crete GR) · Cyberforest (Tokyo JP)
To propose a stream, soundcamp or transmission work, or to relay the broadcast, please use the short sign-up form.
Fundraising Performance #1 on The Decomposing Piano
By James Bailey and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
June 24, 2023, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here to Donate and for Online Access
By James Bailey and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
June 24, 2023, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here to Donate and for Online Access
The Decomposing Piano sounds different almost everyday which provides a unique challenge for improvisation and spontaneous composition. Join us for the first of three special fundraising performances. This first one features both artists performing solo and as a duo.
James Bailey is a sonic explorer from Toronto who has been recording sound pieces since the mid-'70s and performing on occasion since the early '80s. He has also been known to play objects unmodified by electronics, including instruments, though rarely in a conventional manner.
James Bailey is a sonic explorer from Toronto who has been recording sound pieces since the mid-'70s and performing on occasion since the early '80s. He has also been known to play objects unmodified by electronics, including instruments, though rarely in a conventional manner.
Nadene Thériault-Copeland received her Honours B.A. in Music from York University in 1991 where she studied composition with James Tenney and performance with Christina Petrowska-Quilico. Her interest in improv and alternative tunings led her to create the Decomposing Piano exhibit. Nadene is the Executive Director of New Adventures in Sound Art.
Learning Through Listening - Online Screening
July 15 @ 7pm Online Event
General $12, Advance Registration Required
Enjoy this online screening on July 15. Featured is the film "Listening (with Hildegard Westerkamp)" by filmmakers Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise and "Accidental Wilderness" by media and sound artist Alëna Korolëva.
The online presentation will include a Q&A with the artists. See July 18 event listing for programme details.
July 15 @ 7pm Online Event
General $12, Advance Registration Required
Enjoy this online screening on July 15. Featured is the film "Listening (with Hildegard Westerkamp)" by filmmakers Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise and "Accidental Wilderness" by media and sound artist Alëna Korolëva.
The online presentation will include a Q&A with the artists. See July 18 event listing for programme details.
Learning Through Listening - World Listening Day Soundwalk and Screening
July 18 @ 7pm In-Person Event
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River
General $12, Advance Registration Required
NAISA's contribution to World Listening Day 2023 features a SOUNDwalk exploring the mid-summer soundscape of Deer Lake in Lount Township (22 KM west of South River) as well as a screening of Listening (with Hildegard Westerkamp) by filmmakers Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise and Accidental Wilderness by media and sound artist Alëna Korolëva.
Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people from six continents have participated in World Listening Day since its inception in 2010. The annual grass roots event is about engaging with important questions related to listening, ecology, and the future. Visit the World Listening Day website to host a World Listening Day event in your home region.
July 18 @ 7pm In-Person Event
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River
General $12, Advance Registration Required
NAISA's contribution to World Listening Day 2023 features a SOUNDwalk exploring the mid-summer soundscape of Deer Lake in Lount Township (22 KM west of South River) as well as a screening of Listening (with Hildegard Westerkamp) by filmmakers Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise and Accidental Wilderness by media and sound artist Alëna Korolëva.
Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people from six continents have participated in World Listening Day since its inception in 2010. The annual grass roots event is about engaging with important questions related to listening, ecology, and the future. Visit the World Listening Day website to host a World Listening Day event in your home region.
Program:
I. Listening by Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise
A short biographical video of iconic Vancouver composer and sound ecologist Hildegard Westerkamp. She was the only woman to participate in the original version of the World Soundscape project that not only brought new ears to city life, but laid the foundation for noise bylaws/pollution standards, radically upending traditional notions of music, the role of the composer, and found new uses for the portable tape recorder. In addition, Hildegard has brought the art of sound walking to groups around the world, and in these face-to-face encounters she has formulated a deep feminist ecology rooted in the body. This experimentalist short offers a place for the viewer to listen, conjuring the space of listening as the necessary precondition for personal and societal change.
A short biographical video of iconic Vancouver composer and sound ecologist Hildegard Westerkamp. She was the only woman to participate in the original version of the World Soundscape project that not only brought new ears to city life, but laid the foundation for noise bylaws/pollution standards, radically upending traditional notions of music, the role of the composer, and found new uses for the portable tape recorder. In addition, Hildegard has brought the art of sound walking to groups around the world, and in these face-to-face encounters she has formulated a deep feminist ecology rooted in the body. This experimentalist short offers a place for the viewer to listen, conjuring the space of listening as the necessary precondition for personal and societal change.
II. Accidental Wilderness by Alëna Korolëva
A selections of pieces from Korolëva's album of field recording-based compositions will be presented. The pieces grew from listening to the sounds of the ever-changing boundary between the city of Toronto and Lake Ontario. The waterfront is a transition zone where sounds of animals, plants, people, machines and water meet and overlap.
The title "Accidental Wilderness" refers to the transformation of a wasteland into new natural habitats. This happened in Toronto as wildlife reclaimed islands of construction garbage which had been dumped into the lake. Over the years the site became a lush green park, a home and meeting place for many different species. The coastline of Lake Ontario is forever chaging because of climate change and colonial interventions.
There are many kinds of creatures living on the waterfront of Toronto, it is a densely populated place with much more biodiversity than surrounding areas. This transition zone between the city and wildlife is a complex and fluid boundary, hosting not only varieties of native species but also acting as an international hub for migratory birds.
The city borders look concrete but they are a temporary arrangement, and colonial domination can be not only stopped but reversed. Borrowed/stolen land one day can be taken back. Will the city be consumed by the rising water levels or will the lake recede due to droughts? There is no way to predict the future, but new condo towers and “revitalisation” projects just a few steps from a colossal body of water seem the result of wishful thinking.
A selections of pieces from Korolëva's album of field recording-based compositions will be presented. The pieces grew from listening to the sounds of the ever-changing boundary between the city of Toronto and Lake Ontario. The waterfront is a transition zone where sounds of animals, plants, people, machines and water meet and overlap.
The title "Accidental Wilderness" refers to the transformation of a wasteland into new natural habitats. This happened in Toronto as wildlife reclaimed islands of construction garbage which had been dumped into the lake. Over the years the site became a lush green park, a home and meeting place for many different species. The coastline of Lake Ontario is forever chaging because of climate change and colonial interventions.
There are many kinds of creatures living on the waterfront of Toronto, it is a densely populated place with much more biodiversity than surrounding areas. This transition zone between the city and wildlife is a complex and fluid boundary, hosting not only varieties of native species but also acting as an international hub for migratory birds.
The city borders look concrete but they are a temporary arrangement, and colonial domination can be not only stopped but reversed. Borrowed/stolen land one day can be taken back. Will the city be consumed by the rising water levels or will the lake recede due to droughts? There is no way to predict the future, but new condo towers and “revitalisation” projects just a few steps from a colossal body of water seem the result of wishful thinking.
Fundraising Performance #2 on The Decomposing Piano
By Julia Breckenridge and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
July 29, 2023, 7:00 pm
Live-streamed online and in-person at NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here for Tickets and Online Access
By Julia Breckenridge and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
July 29, 2023, 7:00 pm
Live-streamed online and in-person at NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here for Tickets and Online Access
The second of three fundraising concerts on the Decomposing Piano will take place at the newly located NAISA North Media Arts Centre and Cafe on Saturday July 29 at 7pm EDT. You can attend either in-person or on-line as the concert will also be live-streamed.
Local Guest artist Julie Breckenridge will be performing with Nadene Thériault-Copeland to bring out the unusual, the percussive, the strange and the beautiful sounds on this ever-changing instrument that continues to surprise and delight so many passersby outdoors at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre.
All funds raised for this concert will be used to support NASA's ongoing Community Art Projects and the presentation of Sound-based Media Art works at NAISA's new location.
Local Guest artist Julie Breckenridge will be performing with Nadene Thériault-Copeland to bring out the unusual, the percussive, the strange and the beautiful sounds on this ever-changing instrument that continues to surprise and delight so many passersby outdoors at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre.
All funds raised for this concert will be used to support NASA's ongoing Community Art Projects and the presentation of Sound-based Media Art works at NAISA's new location.
Julia Breckenridge Along with collecting crystals, minerals and fossils since she was a child, Julia Breckenridge has also had a keen in interest in music throughout her life. Julia was given piano lessons at age 4 and played the organ in churches in her teen years, having had lessons in Bedford cathedral England. Later on she played clarinet in a band for 13 years and now enjoys improvising with her son David whenever she gets the chance. Julia is also the co-owner of the Crystal Cave Museum in South River, is a biologist with a background in geology and obtained both her BSc ED and Ontario Teachers Certificate and certification in Special Education. After many years of teaching, Julia has also ventured into the area of visual art with her macro-photography of the various mineral specimens she collects.
Nadene Thériault-Copeland received her Honours B.A. in Music from York University in 1991 where she studied composition with James Tenney and performance with Christina Petrowska-Quilico. Her interest in improv and alternative tunings led her to create the Decomposing Piano exhibit. Nadene is the Executive Director of New Adventures in Sound Art.
Fundraising Concert #3 and Silent Auction
By Donna Brock and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
August 26, 2023, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here for Tickets and Online Access
Local Guest artist Donna Brock performs with Nadene Thériault-Copeland to bring out the unusual, percussive, strange and beautiful sounds on both the violin and this ever-changing instrument - the Decomposing Piano - that continues to surprise and delight so many passersby outdoors at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre.
There will also be a Silent Auction for a gift basket donated by Julia and John Breckenridge from the Crystal Cave Museum: Porphory, Druzie, Selenite, Red Cap, Amethyst, Fuschite, Galena Quartz, Copper, Selenite, Bornite and Red Quartz. Bidding starts at $20 on August 26 at 7pm via email naisa@naisa.ca. Bidding will end on Sunday August 27 at 7pm.
By Donna Brock and Nadene Thériault-Copeland
August 26, 2023, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River
General $12, Click Here for Tickets and Online Access
Local Guest artist Donna Brock performs with Nadene Thériault-Copeland to bring out the unusual, percussive, strange and beautiful sounds on both the violin and this ever-changing instrument - the Decomposing Piano - that continues to surprise and delight so many passersby outdoors at the NAISA North Media Arts Centre.
There will also be a Silent Auction for a gift basket donated by Julia and John Breckenridge from the Crystal Cave Museum: Porphory, Druzie, Selenite, Red Cap, Amethyst, Fuschite, Galena Quartz, Copper, Selenite, Bornite and Red Quartz. Bidding starts at $20 on August 26 at 7pm via email naisa@naisa.ca. Bidding will end on Sunday August 27 at 7pm.
Donna Brock was introduced to the violin at age 8, and embraced Old Time Fiddle and Folk Music as an adult. She enjoys improvising and accompanying other musicians, playing with local bands like the Deelies and the FernGlen FiddleHeads. Donna has her BA from Laurentian and later trained as a stone sculptor (Sir Stanford Flemming College). She is a retired Piano Tuner (George Brown College) with a keen interest in the Decomopsing Piano’s journey as she is one of the team that brought the idea to fruition.
Nadene Thériault-Copeland received her Honours B.A. in Music from York University in 1991 where she studied composition with James Tenney and performance with Christina Petrowska-Quilico. Her interest in improv and alternative tunings led her to create the Decomposing Piano exhibit. Nadene is the Executive Director of New Adventures in Sound Art.