Building Sounds at Charlotte Street Arts Centre Residency - First Etude: West Stairwell

Part of a larger sound art residency at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, this work-in-progress etude is an analysis and repurposing of sounds documented in the 140 year-old building's west stairwell. This liminal space is home to many resonances, both active and dormant. The challenge of this project was to understand a portion of the affordance of this space by activating sounds in peculiar ways. I would thump on the railings, remove transients of resonating metal, perform on a cymbal at various floor levels, and process these moments to reveal their subtle intricacies. It’s about hearing what is not often heard, and listening deeper than what is typical in a space such as this.