earlier i mentioned starting a weekly listening series with Alyssa Moxley based around London’s In the Dark. this past week we played 4 pieces, 3 short 1 long, all centred around identity. the first 3 come from The [Un]Observed, an online audio magazine.

the first piece is from an art installation that plays an electronic voice reading text fragments from thousands of public internet conversations (i.e. chat rooms) that all start with “i am…”

the second piece is an award-winning short documentary from NPR’s Weekend Edition about a man’s search for people who have his name.

the third piece tells both the story and let’s the audience experience a bit of how Rick, who suffers from superior canal dehiscence syndrome, experiences the world.

the last piece is a longer one from Radiolab about a friendship and how familiar we are with things like our own voice.

after listening to these pieces i asked everyone to think about the same question that these pieces asked me:

what is it that makes you who you are?

i don’t have an answer yet, but i think simply asking the question on a daily basis is what’s important. hopefully you are left with something similar. hopefully audio did its magic and caused a reaction – something indefinable, something meaningful.

loon choir’s sophomore album, fire poems, shows maturity, growth, and achieves a musical complexity that many bands are striving for today. like the heart-pumping sincerity found in their lyrics, the band’s drums, synths, affected guitars, and violin all throttle the listener to a place of emotional honesty. from its breakdowns, time changes, and buildups their is enough fluctuation in the music to keep the listener interested. listen here:

here at the banff centre i am privileged to have access to a room dedicated to listening. padded walls, plush couches, dimmed lights, and a sound system worth more than you can shake a stick at make up the perfect environment for truly experiencing audio. so, when freelance audio storyteller and journalist Paolo Pietropalo came to the banff centre, my colleague Alyssa Moxley and i thought it was the perfect situation to use the room.

after that night we didn’t want to stop. so, in the spirit of emerging oneself in great stories told exclusively with sound, and in the fashion of Chicago’s Third Coast Audio Festival and London’s In The Dark, we began our own weekly listening sessions. the first week of content featured two amazing stories. one a documentary. one a drama.

the documentary is about the sunshine hotel, one of the final vestiges of the Bowery, New York’s notorious skid row. it comes from Sound Portrait Productions and one the Prix Italia in 1999.

the sound drama is “a radio play without words.” Andrew Sachs‘ The Revenge first aired in 1978 on the BBC and is perfect heard on headphones with one’s eyes closed.

here are some of the things i learned:

crafting the piece.

• each voice has to have a purpose. why are the going to be heard?
• let the best clips from your interview “tell you what the piece will be.”
• know what the length will be and choose your voices based on that (rule of 3).
• be ruthless when cutting content (the audience doesn’t know what they don’t hear).

as the host.

• it is your responsibility to tell the audience what the piece is about.
• it’s all about setting the right expectation.
• use short sentences.
• use active verbs.

it’s 6am on the morning of January 17. 24 puppeteers are preparing to leave the banff centre and i have just had the most imaginative night of my life. on January 16th, participants in the Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s program performed their final show of the program.

the Banff Puppet Theatre Intensive, “offers a two-week exploration into the creative art of puppet theatre.” each morning, participants would engage in physical exercises inspired by the Suzuki method; a process aimed at creating physical awareness and synchronicity of an ensemble. afternoons were dedicated to working with puppets and sets that would become the material for the performances in the Margaret Greenham Theatre, while evenings had participants making their own puppets. Chris Duthie, a playwright and actor, says each day was filled with the intent of, “provoking an engagement with puppets.”

if i could accurately describe the show itself, i would describe it as that – a provoked engagement with puppets. the provocation begins even before the performance, with puppets greeting you at the entrance and interacting with audience members as they take their seats. the puppets themselves are shocking, inspiring, and imaginative. puppeteers operate their creations by twisting rods, pulling leavers, and working their entire bodies. later during my interviews i would make the observation that it seemed as thought the puppets were guiding the actors, and not the other way around. the performance itself began with Old Trout Member Peter Balkwell leading the participants through one of their traditional morning exercises – something that looked more like a tai chi session than anything. then, through a series of short vignettes involving one to many puppets, the crowd was taken on a magical journey. through lands that exists far beyond the realms of our reality we all were transported to an existence only ruled by our imaginations. with only the sounds of giggles, grunts, and music both live and recorded – the show has no dialogue – stories of discovery, wonder, gentrification, escaping the annoyances of unwanted fellow train passengers, and what can happen in a shanty-town were beautifully told with specifically detailed physical articulation. groups would move puppets, props, and the entire set over the ground, through the air, and believably into my heart.

luckily, i was invited to spend the night with the troupe so that i could better understand their process, world, and the camaraderie necessary to put on such a show, all for the purposes of producing a podcast. i watched as they reminisced about the past two weeks. i received and passed a cardboard roll between my knees to the knees of others, as we joined in a circle to play “pass the woody”. i jammed on guitars, ukuleles, banjos, and drums, and danced all night; all while collecting my interviews.

over the past few weeks i’ve been going over those interviews and remembering the time i had. while it was only one evening the night was transformative. while sitting in a chair watching people sing their improvisational song, “In Puppet Camp” i thought of Hunter S. Thompson and the situations he’s been in. while i’m not at his level nor purport to have his skill, i do like to look to those who have come before me for inspiration. as i finish the piece i’ve turned to CBC producer Denise Ball and Peabody Award winner Paolo Pietropalo for guidance. the two have come to the Banff Centre and listened to my work, offering suggestions and guidance.

here is that piece:

musicians from all over the world come to the banff centre to participate in a variety of intensive programs involving rehearsing, performing, and recording. every wednesday and friday a variety of these musicians perform classical and contemporary pieces in the rolston recital hall. thankfully the audio team records these concerts and i get to interview some of the musicians. this particular episode features pianists elizabeth dorman and miki sawada and marimba duo (insert TITLE) members ben dunikar and greg samek.

on January 31 City and Colour stopped at the Eric Harvie Theatre to play a sold-out show. i got the chance to sit down with Dallas Green to talk about his inspirations, performing with people like Gord Downie and Ron Sexsmith, and how he feels when compared to Joni Mitchell or Neil Young.

for the banff centre’s blog i spent the week of January 17, 2011 recapping the indie band experience. the third podcast from this recap features an interview with Leah Abramson of The Abramson Singers talking about loving music, looping her voice, and trying to define a sound. you’ll also hear a live recording of their concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

for the banff centre’s blog i spent the week of January 17, 2011 recapping the indie band experience. the second podcast from this recap features Toronto’s Doldrums. in this feature you’ll hear Airick Woodhead talk to Jessa Runcimen about his foundation in music, writing, and sound as well as a live recording of their concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

for the banff centre’s blog i spent the week of January 17, 2011 recapping the indie band experience. the first podcast from this recap features Winnipeg’s Mise En Scene. in this feature you’ll hear members Stefanie Johnson & Jodi Dunlop talk to Evie Ruddy about art, working in an Icelandic community, and intensely collaborating as well as a live recording of their concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.