The Market - July 19, 2000

The Market - July 19, 2000

Back in the studio --

I am listening back to the recordings I made a week ago. I have come to the market several times since my original journal entry back in May. I am listening in the (relative) quiet of my own studio where I can hear the sounds of the market out of context. It is important to take sounds out of their original locale to hear them without the influence of the sights, sounds, tastes and touch.

Of all the pieces in the Capital Resoundings suite, this one has presented me with the most challenges. I cannot hear what I am supposed to say about this place. The root of this lack of inspiration, I am now convinced, is the massive amount of noise which lives here. Or, in most cases, passes through. The Market is the noisiest place I have found in this city.

The traffic and construction noise are the main contributors to this din. This noise blocks my hearing, and thus blocks my thoughts. I have had a hard time conceptualizing through this sound wall.

At one point, I was thinking that this piece was destined to be a noise study. Then Barry, my partner, presented another way of listening. He suggested that sounds exist in separate island all over the market. Each island is separated by the vast ocean of noise.

As I listen back to my recording of a week ago, I find that this is true. When one is in the centre of a sonic island, the noise backdrop recedes. It doesn't disappear - it's too loud. But at least it's possible to shift one's listening away from the roar of the car and machine sounds.

I think I will focus my piece around these individual, sonic islands. Perhaps what I should be doing is discovering as many of these distinct sound spaces as I can. I have heard several already in the recording I have just been listening to -

The Flower Island - good dialogue between merchants and buyers

Busker Island - a lone guitarist in front of the big fruit store - the music can be heard clearly over voices, traffic etc - at one point, someone drives by with stereo blaring and windows open - a common occurrence down here - good soundmix of two island colliding - the car as mobile, invasive island is a theme which interests me

Garden Island - woman buying plants for her garden with a bird chirping loudly beside her

Lettuce Island - produce stalls - there are many interesting voices (many of them Francophone) to be found. People buying and selling fresh, beautiful produce. I wish one could convey they beauty of a stall of brightly coloured peppers and red sail lettuce through sound. Sad for composers that so much beauty in the world cannot be heard.

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