SUBMITTED BY OF SOUND MINDS
A new festival devoted to immersive sound and deep listening is set to debut on Salt Spring Island later this month.
Presented by Of Sound Minds, the inaugural SoundGardens Festival runs April 25 to 26 at Beaver Point Hall, bringing together a diverse lineup of artists from Salt Spring Island, Victoria, Vancouver and beyond for a weekend of experimental music, sound installations and participatory listening experiences.
The festival invites audiences into a carefully shaped sonic environment that emphasizes attentiveness, curiosity and the physical experience of sound. Set in a slightly off-grid community hall known for its grassroots spirit, SoundGardens offers an intimate setting where listeners are encouraged to engage deeply — not just with what they hear, but with how they hear it.
This primarily acoustic sound event also makes use of ‘West Coast Radians’, handcrafted wooden resonators that transform the hall into a responsive acoustic space. These sculptural panels amplify and contour sound in ways that can be felt as much as heard, creating a full-body listening experience as vibrations move through the room.
Festival goers can expect a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere. Seating is flexible — from chairs to cushions and blankets — and audiences (including children) are welcome to move through the space, experiencing sound from different perspectives. The events celebrate the natural and accidental sounds of the environment through attentive listening.
Among the featured events is Hours. Minutes. Seconds., an immersive installation by Peter Hatch that explores the perception of time through sound. The collaborative concert Quora brings together Meredith Bates, Arie Verheul van de Ven, Marina Hasselberg and Sam Howard in an improvisation shaped by the listening practices of Pauline Oliveros.
A participatory workshop, Deep Listening into Sounding, will be led by Tina Pearson, introducing Oliveros’s influential Deep Listening® practice. The festival also features Immersive Sonic Delights, an octophonic concert of electroacoustic works by composers including Barry Truax, Hildegard Westerkamp, Sarah Belle Reid, David Eagle, Matt Robertson and John Cage.
Rounding out the program is Secret Sky, a trance-inspired guitar duo featuring Sean Kiley and Brian Desjarlais, exploring repetition and altered states of perception.
All events take place at Beaver Point Hall, with the free-to-attend installation presented in the hall’s classroom and concerts and workshops in the main space. Festival passes and individual tickets are available in advance and at the door.
Organizers note that while accessible parking is available, facilities are rustic, with onsite outhouses. Attendees are encouraged to bring cushions or blankets for comfort, and those arriving by bicycle will receive a complimentary refreshment.
For more information, tickets or volunteer opportunities, visit the Of Sound Minds website: www.ofsoundminds.ca.