A soundscape composition of Sydney's downtown boardwalk. These recordings are is an experiment of sonic ethnography that engages the listener with the soundscape of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Each soundmark, a term coined by R Murray Schafer, denotes the sound associated with a geographic locale. I encourage you to think in particular about the second soundmark of the waterfront: listen for the sound of the busking fiddler. It is not a live performance, but a recording played out of a speaker mounted in Sydney’s famous World’s Largest Fiddle. In the background we hear ships and the sounds of construction: the changing sonic landscape of a city trying to revive itself and survive in the wake of the shutdown of the steel plant and the coal mine, and reinvent itself as a historic landmark.
Frank Starzomski discusses the formation of the Croatian Lodge in Sydney, Nova Scotia and the role his grandfather, Kris Mayich, played in the organization.
A soundscape composition of Sydney's downtown boardwalk. These recordings are an experiment of sonic ethnography that engages the listener with the soundscape of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Each soundmark, a term coined by R Murray Schafer, denotes the sound associated with a geographic locale. I encourage you to think in particular about the second soundmark of the waterfront: listen for the sound of the busking fiddler. It is not a live performance, but a recording played out of a speaker mounted in Sydney’s famous World’s Largest Fiddle. In the background we hear ships and the sounds of construction: the changing sonic landscape of a city trying to revive itself and survive in the wake of the shutdown of the steel plant and the coal mine, and reinvent itself as a historic landmark.
In May of 2014, I connected with several families based in the Toronto area and put together an exhibit of photos and sound recordings I found in private collections, many of which came from Shirley Chernin. The Centre for Imaginative Ethnography, York University graciously hosted the event, which coincided with the Canadian Anthropological Society Conference. The event brought together a diverse group of people: anthropologists, folklorists, ethnomusicologists, scholars of Jewish studies, members and former members of the Jewish community from Cape Breton. This exhibit is the site of my inquiry and curiosity. The space was not meant to be entirely self explanatory, nor complete, an invitation to discuss the growing historical account of Jewish life on the island. Dr. Marcia Ostashewski gave attendees a glimpse into the experiences of East and Central European communities on the island, with more similarities than differences amongst them. -Ely Rosenblum
In May of 2014, I connected with several families based in the Toronto area and put together an exhibit of photos and sound recordings I found in private collections, many of which came from Shirley Chernin. The Centre for Imaginative Ethnography, York University graciously hosted the event, which coincided with the Canadian Anthropological Society Conference. The event brought together a diverse group of people: anthropologists, folklorists, ethnomusicologists, scholars of Jewish studies, members and former members of the Jewish community from Cape Breton. This exhibit is the site of my inquiry and curiosity. The space was not meant to be entirely self explanatory, nor complete, an invitation to discuss the growing historical account of Jewish life on the island. Dr. Marcia Ostashewski gave attendees a glimpse into the experiences of East and Central European communities on the island, with more similarities than differences amongst them. -Ely Rosenblum
Host Wendy Bergfeldt of CBC Radio 1 Mainstreet Cape Breton on location at the Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science (The Lyceum) for the launch of the exhibit.