What Exactly Does Canada Sound Like? A New National Project Wants To Find Out
If you had to describe the sounds of Canada, what would they include? A loon’s lonely cry across the lake? A puck dropping in the freezing cold? Transit bus wheels spinning out in a winter storm? A new project called Canada Sound wants you to submit all those and more to a national database in celebration of the big 150.
Users can submit their sound clips on the Canada Sound website. All of the sounds are on display on Canada Sound’s interactive virtual database, and can be used by Canadian musicians in their works. For example, Walk Off the Earth has already recorded an Arcade Fire cover using some of the sounds. Other Canadian artists like Digging Roots and The OBGMs are also signed on to collaborate, with the CBC launching a weekly podcast dedicated to featuring DJs and artists mixing the sounds into music. A few selections of the songs will even be compiled into an album, with proceeds benefitting MusiCounts charity.
The submitted sounds are all being saved by the Department of Canadian Heritage in a national database, in the hopes that future Canadians will have a sonic reference of the country during its 150th year. Even the closing of streetcar doors in downtown Toronto is an example of a sound worth preserving, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
The entire database can be viewed right here, with new sounds constantly being added from across the country. There’s even an interactive map so you can see exactly what sounds are coming from where – in case you needed a little more inspiration. The great Canadian sound bank is taking submissions all year long, so be sure to check periodically to see what sounds citizens are coming up with…and what artists are doing with them!
