NAISA Sound Byte 23 - Sound Travels 4-day Creation Intensive
NAISA presents 4-day Intensive July 16 to 20 at Warbler's Roost, South River, Ontario
Be inspired to create a sound art work in situ or inspired by a place in one of the forested or lakeside locations at Warbler’s Roost during a special 4-day Creation Intensive this summer. This will be a creative and very personal way to celebrate World Listening Day, an occasion to reflect on the sound-making of all organisms that inhabit the soundscapes we have the privilege of experiencing.
All levels of experience in sound are welcome. Participants should bring any portable materials or equipment they wish to use. Audio Playback equipment and technical support will be provided.
The workshop will take place July 16 to 20, 2026 at Warbler’s Roost, 22 KM west of South River, Ontario and it will be facilitated by NAISA Artistic Director Darren Copeland and NAISA Executive Director Nadene Thériault-Copeland. Warbler’s Roost has inspired many works through its year-round hosting of artist residencies.
To provide added inspiration the workshop will also feature guest presentations by forester Fred Pinto and artists Christine Charette and Gordon Monahan.
Fred Pinto
North Bay naturalist, forester, and birder, Fred Pinto will lead a workshop on the geologic history of the Parry Sound region and how it shapes the vegetation around Warbler's Roost. Workshop participants will go on a walk with Fred to uncover different bedrock types by recording rocks being struck and listening to that with a Geophone and other microphones.
Christine Charette
Participants will learn from Christine Charette (pictured at top) on how she has combined text, soundscape recording and visual art to create two outdoor site-specific works. She will speak how she weaves an integrated sonic and visual language into making in-situ artworks.
Gordon Monahan
Gordon Monahan has a long history of making site-specific sound art using long piano wires to transmit audio into the sound board of a piano. He will present an online lecture to workshop participants describing some of these works including the recent presentation of A Piano Listening to Itself at the Bekov Castle in Slovakia. The next day Darren Copeland will facilitate a workshop to create long string instruments and methods for using transducers and vibrating motors to carry audio signals into objects, such as the Weathered Piano at NAISA.
Warbler’s Roost is located in the unorganized rural Township of Lount which is 22 KM west of the village of South River, Ontario, Canada and is in the same biosphere as Algonquin Park and equidistant between the cities of North Bay and Huntsville. There are comfortable indoor accommodations at Warbler's Roost with kitchens and bathrooms that are shared among the guests. Breakfast is provided each day. Participants are responsible for self-catering other meals.
There are still a few spots that are available. Accommodation discounts available for those wanting to share a room with a friend or partner.
Dates: July 16 to 20, 2026
Location: Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario
Cost: $678 CDN with 4 nights accommodation or $495 with no accommodation.
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) is a non-profit media arts organization that operates the fully accessible NAISA North Media Arts Centre and Café at 313 Highway 124 in South River, Ontario, Canada. Arts presentation with a focus on sound and listening are the basis of its year-round exhibitions, online broadcasts and performances.
New Adventures in Sound Art is located in the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki peoples covered by the Williams Treaty (1923) and Robinson-Huron Treaty (1850). New Adventures in Sound Art recognizes the significant ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples to aural culture in Canada.