Museum Soundscape Curator

"The background sound of the ocean is really a distorted version of the trickling water from the university's waterfall, and the end of the sound clip has a bicycle clip played in reverse to represent the movement of going back in time, to a time when the style of bicycle that the soundscape is based off of would have existed."

"Your dreams of becoming a forest-dwelling hermit come true. It's pouring outside, so light a fire and put on a record."

You can find these wooden floors throughout the exhibits on the third floor of the museum.

"A walk through a damp mine. You find something that shouldn't be there."

You can find the mine in the Industry exhibit.

"A variety of recordings of industrial equipment; compiled, arranged, and lightly processed in order to construct an ambiguous soundscape symbolic of labour in North America. This soundscape represents the "voice of industry": the shared characteristics of industrial sounds throughout history and their ubiquity in industrial spaces."

You can find the mine in the Industry exhibit.

"This is the soundscape for the medicine shop in the Chinatown marketplace. Listen to the soothing sounds of the guzheng accompanied by quiet chatters, amongst other sounds."

You can find this medicine display in China Town in Old Town.

"I chose the china tea set because I have always loved china tea sets.
When I see these tea sets it always makes me think of extravagant dinner
parties with live music. Through this soundscape I tried to represent a
dinner party with the soundscape ending with the string quartet ready
to start the music."

You can find this china set in a display case across from the Livery in Old Town.

"This is a short sound piece following the journey of a salmon getting caught, canned, and sold. From the perspective of the salmon we travel from the Salish Sea, through the canning process, and into a local general store where the can of smoked salmon is finally opened."

You can find the Cannery near the Tremblay Homestead, in the Industry exhibit.

"The inspiration for this soundscape came from an old boating float made from blown glass wrapped with rope. In the soundscape I choose to bring out the sounds of water, rope tying it together with a methodic bass line to create a distorted track that invokes a mellow interpretation of what it could be like floating along the water."

You can find this Japanese glass fishing buoy across from the salmon cleaning table in the Cannery in the Industry exhibit.

"Throughout this project, I attempted to capture the relevance of water in our daily lives. While listening to this production, one should appreciate the fragility of water in all its majesty. This soundscape provides the listener with a figurative breath of fresh air swept from the surface of salty tides."

Find this nautical diorama in the Naval collection in the Becoming BC exhibit.

"The year is 1794. . . The soundscape begins outside of the docked Discovery. The weather is gloomy and Sea Lions are heard near by. A crew member enters the quarters, sits down, and spins the globe several times. A haunting melody creeps into the soundscape, representative of things to come."

You can find this globe in Captain Vancouver's chambers inside the HMS Discovery in the Becoming BC exhibit.

"This soundscape is meant to evoke feelings of nostalgia and curiosity for people in modern society as many, if not all of us, will never experience an ocean crossing in a boat such as this one. we also wanted to add some muffled voices and other sounds that might not be as familiar to listeners that could still be present in this context."

You can find Captain Vancouver's chambers inside the HMS Discovery in the Becoming BC exhibit.

"This soundscape is about the impact of time, and how it can serve as a reminder for us. Time is studied in both cultural and social contexts, and there is something special about being transported to another time or place through music."

You can find the watch and clocks display on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"This two minute long soundscape is an ominous piece about time, speaking to the distance of the past and the uncertainty of the future."

You can find the watch and clocks display on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"Upstairs in the Grand Hotel in Old Town there's an abandoned office that was once full of activity. Listen carefully and you will hear sounds made by the people who worked there 100 years ago; impressions of past lives and old memories. Ghosts of former office employees float through the room and go about their business."

You can find this Office diorama on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"America is seemingly a country that allows people to gain fortune, wealth and achieve success. However, what measures do they need to take in order to bring their dreams to fruition? . . . It can offer many great things however there are hardships, barriers, pitfalls and uncertainties along the way."

You can find this American flag to the left of the HMS Discovery at the entrance of the Becoming BC exhibit.

"This soundscape was created for (and about) the woman who lives in this kitchen. Special thanks to Oona Vaughn for lending her voice."

You can find the Kitchen diorama on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"This soundscape represents a quiet afternoon of brewing tea and appreciating time spent alone. It explores the process of tea making and the sense intimacy it evokes."

You can find the Tea Room diorama on the first floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"This piece chronicles the evening of a person or group of friends attempting to find the washroom as they get increasingly more intoxicated. On their way, they drop cups, get accosted by fellow patrons, and are distracted by bright lights and sudden noises. Their journey is fruitless, however, as they eventually give up and exit the saloon."

Find this beer and brewing display on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"A glimpse into the sonic world of an importer, hard at work in an office in the early 1890’s."

Find the Office diorama on the second floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

You can find this bicycle leaning against the stairs near the Majestic Cinema in Old Town.

"'Lost in Space' is designed to transport its listener into the mind of a blind person. In general, people who are blind or visually impaired tend to be more in tune with their other senses, including sound. Our intention with 'Lost in Space' is to emphasize the importance sound and the important role sound plays when interacting with the world."

This soundscape is inspired by Old Town.

Find Chinatown to the right of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

You can find the Majestic Cinema across from the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"When was the last time you sent a letter? Let’s use sound to take us on a journey. Please close your eyes and imagine yourself writing a letter to someone you care about, and walking to your neighbourhood mailbox to drop it off!"

You can find this mailbox near the train station diorama in Old Town.

"The ambient noise of a bar on a rainy evening. Rain on the windows, companionship, cards, and smoking. Follow the sound from left to right as the imaginary subject shakes off the rain, acquires a drink, and joins a friend for an evening of gambling."

Find the Saloon on the main floor of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"This soundscape is an interpretation of the stairwell through the medium of sound. In its interpretation it attempts to give new life to old heads."

Find this stairwell and the preserved animal heads in the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"Descend into the chaos of a prophetic vision. Wandering through the moss and between dystopian schisms."

Find the Livery diorama to the left of the Grand Hotel in Old Town.

"The slide projector encapsulates a family gathering, a shared experience. Every clunk of the slide loader takes viewers to another time and place - a projection of the past."

Find this slide projector in the 1970's display case in Century Hall.

"This​ ​ soundscape​ ​is​ ​intended​ ​to​ ​marry​ ​the joyous​ ​sounds​ ​of​ ​​ ​music​ ​with​ ​the​ ​battle​ ​sounds​ ​of​ ​World​ ​War​ ​II. ​ It​ ​aims​ ​to​ ​encapsulate emotions​ ​of​ ​both​ ​ happy​ ​and​ ​heartbreaking​ ​while​ ​highlighting​ ​the​ ​ever​ ​timeless​ ​importance​ ​of music."

Find this clothing in the 1940's display case in Century Hall.

"My soundscape lets you listen to the 1980's and all the main highlights of it, focusing in on the Western world. It goes from one event to the next to the next ending with the rise in technology and the sounds that accompanied it. Hope you like it!"

Find this 1980's and 90's display case in Century Hall.

"The forest is home to many sounds and many creatures. This soundscape
tells a story of human engagement with nature, oriented around the
Canadian Lynx."

Find this preserved lynx near the 1940's display case in Century Hall.

Find this large wooden clock mounted above the entrance way near the 1980's and 1990's display case in Century Hall.

"Imitating nature only limits nature according to human nature. The imagination acts as you like it. A perception of nature is dubious; it is beyond our control, incessantly shifting from our influence, and its own. 'Ascending Makeshift Mountain' is a reflection of such an obscure paradoxical relationship."

Find this soundscape by Reed Langen at the mountain portage diorama in the fur trade exhibit in Becoming BC.