May 14, 2014 - Andra and I sat while we spoke. She was the only artist to suggest that we meet indoors for the interview. Her comments about the potential impacts of still listening are all the more fitting given the context of the conversation.
BIOGRAPHY
Andra McCartney is a sound artist and writer who lives in a highway village in eastern Ontario. From 1999-2015, Andra lived in Lachine and Montreal, where she taught at Concordia University and did several large-scale sound projects. Andra is deeply interested in listening, especially to everyday sounds. Her approach relies on repetitive listening and recording as ways of getting to know places. She goes on soundwalks and listening quests to open up conversations with other makers and listeners. Andra transforms her own field recordings into video, live performance and interactive work, juxtaposing recordings from different but related places, emphasizing slowness and subtlety.
https://www.youtube.com/user/andrasound
https://soundcloud.com/andrasound
https://www.andrasoundblog.wordpress.com
https://www.soundwalkinginteractions.wordpress.com
http://concordia.academia.edu/AndraMcCartney
REFLECTIONS TO WALK WITH
Are there elements of your surroundings that become more focused when you concentrate on listening while you walk?
Does listening to sound differ somehow when you are still from when you are in movement?
Do you ascribe an emotion to walking slowly - perhaps it seems melancholic or introspective?
Are you able to listen to your thoughts and express your emotions more openly while walking?