WFAE August 2023 News

Welcome to the August newsletter of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology, which features a message from WFAE President Raquel Castro, information on Lisboa Soa in Portugal and summer activities of the Midwestern Society for Acoustic Ecology, new videos on the WFAE Youtube Channel, and more!

WFAE President Raquel Castro. Photo by Vera Marmelo.

In my initial months as President of WFAE, I've devoted my energies to a fundamental pursuit: attentive listening. Listening to my colleagues on the WFAE Executive, listening to the Board representatives of our affiliates, listening to the members of our network. Therefore, I’d like to extend an invitation to all those who aspire to contribute to the advancement and recognition of Acoustic Ecology as a pivotal discipline in comprehending the intricate dynamics surrounding our planet's sustainability. We are eager to learn more about the topics that interest you in this field, the events you are organizing, the courses you are offering, the research projects you are involved in. We are also interested in understanding the acoustic concerns in your geographic areas, as well as your expectations and needs in this domain.

To facilitate this exchange, a comprehensive survey crafted by Dr. Mickey Vallee of the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology (CASE) will soon be circulating, a cornerstone in our quest to present a vivid and current depiction of our global community.

Further initiatives are on the horizon. We will soon relaunch the publication of our journal, Soundscape, which is being rebranded Acoustic Ecology Review in a new publication partnership with Simon Fraser University. The journal will launch in September 2023 with a special edition featuring the WFAE 2023 Conference Proceedings edited by Milena Dromeva and Lindsey French. Special thanks to Jesse Budel for his administrative support with the new digital platform.  Acoustic Ecology Review will be calling for guest editors and special
edition for 2024-2025. Please reach out to the journal editor Leah Barclay
(lbarclay@usc.edu.au) with any questions.   

Additionally, we intend to renew our website and offer continuous, up-to-date and relevant information, along with a global map of acoustic ecologists around the world. Let us know if you feel you can contribute to this endeavor. We would greatly appreciate your active participation.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Claude Schryer, our valued treasurer, who recently vacated his position on the Executive Board. His dedication, availability, knowledge, and precious contributions have made him an essential member in the core decisions of this network. We are currently seeking someone to fill his position – more details about this opportunity here.

Happy listening,

Raquel Castro

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Vale Susan Frykberg
(1954-2023)

The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology is saddened at the loss of respected teacher and composer Susan Frykberg, who passed away in Whanganui, New Zealand on Friday, April 7, 2023. She was 68 years old.

Several obituaries for Susan have been published on the WFAE website:

• Hildegard Westerkamp, Wendelin Bartley and Tina Pearson shared their memories of Susan for the Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC) and the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology (CASE)
• Cat Hope, Susan's PhD supervisor, wrote an obituary for Susan in Australia's CutCommon Magazine
• the earsay music label published a commemoration of Susan on their website
• The Whanganui Chronicle also published an article at her passing, acknowledging the importance of her home country of New Zealand, and especially of Whanganui as a spiritual home.

To contribute your own memories of Susan's life and legacy, please contact WFAE Secretary Jesse Budel at secretary@wfae.net

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Lisboa Soa, the sound art festival created and directed by Raquel Castro in 2016, has announced its 2023 edition, centered on the theme “Multipli.Cidades”. This year, the festival aims to highlight the importance of embracing differences and promoting coexistence between communities, human and non-human, within urban spaces. 
Lisboa Soa is inspired by public spaces that are not only ecologically conscious, but also socially just and inclusive. This is Lisboa Soa’s proposal: to create a collective space that enables the sound experience, but also multisensorial, in intimate connection with the city, in its multiple cities within.
Sound installations, performances and listening workshops will be accessible to the public over four days between August 24 and 27 in Lisbon. We will navigate between soundwaves and invite bodies to experience space, stimulating listening and challenge our sensitivity to phenomena that are often imperceptible. Lisboa Soa invites us to immerse ourselves in this transformative experience, in which the city reveals its hidden, diverse, ever-changing soundscape.

Full Program Here

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MSAE Summer Soundwalk Series

If you're in US Midwest, join Midwestern Society for Acoustic Ecology in their summer soundwalk series! Explore the beautiful nature of the Chicago Public parks in an experience led by faculty and alumni from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and other local teaching artists. Experience the sounds of Chicago from a new perspective! This series is in partnership with Chicago Park District and Night Out In the Parks which brings arts and culture to over 500 parks across the city, free and open for public participation.

Upcoming soundwalks include:

• Sound and Memory Soundwalk with Christophe Preissing on August 19th, 5-7pm at Steelworkers Park, Chicago
• Hearing the Horizon Soundwalk with Paige Naylor on August 27th, 6-7:30pm at Northerly Island Park, Chicago

More information on the series is available at mwsae.org

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WFAE 2023 Conference Videos

The WFAE is delighted to release the videos of the WFAE 2023 Conference, Listening Pasts, Listening Futures, held at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and online between March 23-26 2023.

In addition to Pre-conference Panels and Keynote presentations, the videos include presentations across the themes of Soundscapes, Research + Studies, Education, Critical Perspectives, Beyond Human Listening and Ecological Crisis

Sincere thanks go to the team of Margaret Halquist, Meg Schedel, Suzie Green, Deirdre Harrison and Jesse Budel for their amazing efforts preparing these videos for our collective benefit!

Watch the WFAE 2023 Conference Videos

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Share Your News!

Towards our next WFAE newsletter in September, we invite WFAE Affiliate, Associate and Individual members to news and updates on activities happening in their local area.

Please send information and links to multimedia (sound, pictures, video, etc.) to secretary@wfae.net.

Share Your News!

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Support the WFAE Library

Hosted on Librarika, the WFAE Library consists of catalogue entries to various resources related to the fields of acoustic ecology, sound studies and ecoacoustics.

As our library grows (750+ items, and hundreds of searches a day), we seek your contributions and support in diversifying and sharing this trove of information.

Submissions for catalogue items can be made via the Submissions links on the WFAE website.

Make submissions to the WFAE Library

We also seek support in the cataloguing of items - expressions of interest can be made to secretary@wfae.net

Email your EOI here

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WFAE Treasurer EOI

The WFAE is seeking Expressions of Interest for position of Treasurer on the WFAE Executive effective immediately.

Financial members of WFAE Affiliate Organisations and WFAE Individual Members are eligible to submit an EOI.

Potential candidates should familiarise themselves with the WFAE Bylaws prior to submitting an EOI.

The position description is available under the hyperlink below.

EOIs close on 15 September 2023.

WFAE Treasurer EOI