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The Giver of Names | soundmap | Response Time

John Wynne

Response Time

City Hall Rotunda | 200 King Street West in Kitchener

Everything beeps these days: microwave ovens, watches, cars, phones, computers, the doors on elevators. Auditory warnings, large and small scale, surround us in domestic and public spaces; many have strong and specific associations but are paradoxically difficult to locate spatially. ‘Response Time’ makes use of a set of auditory warnings of my owndesign to explore that dividing line between ignoring something because we hear it all the time and listening because it signifies something directly applicable to ourselves. It also brings out the abstract beauty and musical qualities of these sounds, attributes usually obscured by their potentially high annoyance factor. The aim of the piece is to promote a long-term qualitative change in the way people experience the urban sound environment and an increased awareness of the value of “silence”.