Art & Soundworks
(broadcast or performance rights)
Radio/audio art Productions
Listen to Completed works:
Cambridge Bay Soundscape - In September 2003 Victoria Fenner visited the town of Cambridge Bay. The town is on the southern shores of Victoria Island, far above the Arctic Circle. This recording captures the essence of the soundscape in this small remote town. In it you hear the people, the music, the sounds, and the environment of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. (October 2003) Listen |
Outside In – (first movement) – inspired by the SARS crisis in Toronto in the spring of 2003, this piece explores what happens when a foreign, unknown presence imposes itself where it is not wanted. A three part piece which moves from fear to acceptance. Composed for the Deep Wireless Radio Art Festival, (April 2003). Listen |
The Appalshopper - produced for the Appalshop Media Arts Centre in Whitesburg, Kentucky. A sound  installation presented in conjunction with “The Appalshopper Show”, an exhibit of artwork and items about the people who volunteer and/or work at Appalshop. The sound installation provides some insights into what makes Appalshop work, and the unique dynamics which happen when artists, administrators, and volunteers put their thoughts, dreams and ideas together under one roof. (2001) (website) Listen |
Meeting Place - from the Capital Resoundings Suite "The Hill" is home to many voices. It is one of the most powerful symbols of who we are as a nation. Many have said that Ottawa lives in the shadow of the Peace Tower. Few would debate that the culture of the city is influenced by this fact. Our identity as a community and our identity as a nation are inextricably linked to a degree not found in other Canadian cities. premiered at SAW Video Gallery in a public performance presented by the Canadian Society for Independent Radio Production - June 2001; also broadcast on WMMT, Whitesburg Kentucky, September 2001. Listen |
Hogs Back Falls is a unique geological formation approximately 8 kilometers from downtown Ottawa and the Parliament Buildings. It is a significant acoustic, geological and social space, located where the Rideau River splits into to two streams. The river carries on its natural course until it meets the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls. Folded and Broken premiered at “Sound Unbound”, an audio art symposium, Ottawa 2001. Listen |
Qui Chante is a soundscape based on the Lourdes Grotto, an outdoor It explores the theme of quiet, silence and the sacred voice in the |
No Time for Silence - produced for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio program “Out of the Blue”. It is about losing our quiet places and getting back to them again, both geographically and spiritually. Noise and quiet in this piece is about noise in our outer environment, but also a metaphor for the noise inside our minds – how easy it is to lose the clarity which is so important to hear ourselves and our world. How easy it is to lose our place on the earth when human noise drowns out natural rhythms.. (2000) Listen |
People of the Moon - produced collaboratively with Ottawa artist Douglas Samuel for the CBC Radio program “Outfront”. A re-creation of the week long “Full Moon Audio Art Camp” through adventurous sound. (2000) (website) Listen |
ReRF - a radio re-creation, in which the sounds of radio stations and the radio airspace from Toronto to Vancouver are re-arranged, re-ordered and presented as a reinterpretation Canada’s radio soundspace. (1982) Listen
Regency Radio photo from Steve Reyer's Regency webpage |
The Current Situation - Vancouver in the early 1980's was a place of many contradictions. In “The Current Situation”, the peace and tranquillity of the natural world is contrasted to the social turmoil as people fought in the streets to end the arms race, reverse the social agenda of the Bill Bennett Socreds, and bring about a fair and just province in pre-Expo 86 Vancouver. This piece was composed in 1998, though the raw footage was collected in 1982-83. Listen |
Deconstructed Language - composed by Victoria Fenner and Michael Waterman at the Full Moon Over Killaloe Audio Art Camp. Inspired by a statement by another Full Moon participant asking how to present the sound of words but remove their literal meaning. Contrasts natural language with electronically mediated language. (1999) Listen |
Folded and Broken - from the 
Qui Chante - from the 
Works in Progress:
| States of Place, States of Mind – a four part series of audio works which contrast the objective reality of four locations with the subjective landscape/soundscape as it exists in the artists’ mind. The four chosen locations are Central Appalachia, USA; Killaloe, Ontario; Hamilton Ontario; and Vancouver BC. |
| The Queen of Bees Had Myriads to Please … – a dark fantasy, exploring the power dynamic of the beehive … who has power, and what happens when it is used. This work includes documentary sound of bees and beekeepers, sound poems, and general bee buzz. Thanks to Penn Kemp for the inspiration and the title, as well as sound fragments from her bee poems. B-b-b-b-b |
| Capital Resoundings - a suite of audio compositions exploring the soundscape of Ottawa, Canada in the first year of this new millennium. The suite includes four soundwalks of significant locations in Ottawa and four artistic interpretations of these locations. Many hours of recordings were gathered during the summer of 2000, with the first three works in the series already completed and posted on the web. Funded in part by the Region of Ottawa-Carleton. (website) Listen to Meeting Place | Folded and Broken | Qui Chante |
Audio Art Performances/Broadcasts
Outside In – premiered at the Deep Wireless Radio Art Festival, April 2003.
No Time for Silence - Commissioned by CBC Radio Program “Out of the Blue”, broadcast nationally October 23, 2000; also performed in a live concert setting as part of the Deep Wireless Festival, Toronto, April 2002
The People of the Moon - commissioned by CBC Radio Program “Outfront “- a radio program about the Full Moon Audio Art Camp, composed with Douglas Samuel - broadcast November 2, 2000
The Appalshopper - Appalshop Media Arts Centre Gallery Exhibition, Whitesburg, Kentucky - Sound Installation - December - January 2000
Meeting Place - from the Capital Resoundings Suite - premiered at SAW Video Gallery in a public performance presented by the Canadian Society for Independent Radio Production - June 2001; also broadcast on WMMT, Whitesburg Kentucky, September 2001.
Folded and Broken - from the Capital Resoundings Suite - premiered at “Sound Unbound”, an audio art symposium, Ottawa 2001 - public performance at the SAW Gallery sponsored by the Canadian Society for Independent Radio Production.
The Current Situation, ReRf, Winter Recall - University of Windsor - played as part of a presentation called “Listening for the Authentic Voice”, at the Media for a Change lecture series. March 2002; also played at the Radio Burst Festival, Trent Radio, June 2000 as part of the Sound Escape Acoustic Ecology Conference at Trent University.
Audio Art Related Events - Presentation, Curatorial and Production
Recently completed:
Ultrasonique - Audio Art in Quebec - researcher/curator - commissioned by Outfront, CBC Radio 1, this series will consist of 10 fifteen minute radio episodes to be broadcast in prime time in the fall of 2003.
Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Creative Radio Initiative - Producer - A three-year educational program by the Canadian Society for Independent Production to explore community radio as artspace. Funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the project involves workshops on radio drama, electronic literature, documentaries, soundscapes, and audio art, plus web based training materials.
Radiant Dissonance - Producer and Curator - a ten part radio series featuring the works of ten Canadian audio artists - the first edition was completed and distributed to radio stations in April 2000; the second in January 2003.
Past Audio Art Events:
Radio that Hears the Soundscape – Producer - a weekend workshop held in Toronto in April 2002 to help radio producers develop new artistic approaches towards soundscape composition on air.
Sound Unbound - Producer - held concurrently with the National Campus and Community Radio Conference, held in Ottawa from June 11- 14, 2000. A gathering of artists to dialogue with community radio people about Canadian audio art; to discuss audio art and audience development in concert, gallery and broadcast settings; and to perform audio art works for conference delegates and the general public. Funded by the Canada Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation
Radio Burst - contributing producer - a radio art exhibition held at Trent Radio in Peterborough, Ontario from June 28, 2000 to July 2, 2000 (in conjunction with the Sound Escape Acoustic Ecology Conference, hosted by Trent University and The Canadian Association for Acoustic Ecology)
Bells and Whistles - A Sound Art Workshop for Artists - Producer - August 21 and 22nd, 1999, National Library of Canada (CSIRP project)
Full Moon Over Killaloe - An Audio Art Retreat in the Ottawa Valley - August 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 - Producer - A project of the Canadian Society for Independent Radio Production.
Sound Carvings - Audio Art in Performance - Producer - 4 audio art performances featuring the works of four artists, held in June 1987 at the Community Arts Council Gallery, Vancouver
Information regarding broadcast or performance rights
Most of Victoria Fenner's work is registered with SOCAN, or ASCAP in the United States. One time broadcasts of single pieces are permitted without further permission, although we would appreciate an e-mail telling us. Some of Victoria's works are available from the Public Radio Exchange on broadcast quality MP2 format. For compact disc copies, or to request permission for other uses, including sampling, please contact us directly.
165 Queen St. S. #903,
Hamilton Ontario L8P 4R3
289-396-2742
E-mail: fenner@magma.ca
community-media.com
Last Updated February 1, 2004