Composers write music for walks in Portland parks

(NOVEMBER 21, 2020) Many people stay at home because of the pandemic. They cannot go to school. They cannot go to work. But they can visit a park.

So Third Angle New Music -- a local music organization in Portland -- has created a new way to share the experience of local parks. The project is called Soundwalks.

Sarah Tiedemann is the director of Third Angle New Music. She told The Oregonian newspaper, "People are really missing the community of being around a table dining together, of hugging, of sitting in a room full of people enjoying the same musical event. There’s an intimacy there that’s hard to live without."

So her organization began working with composers. Composers are artists who write music. The composers walk through Portland parks. They write music for the walk. Third Angle New Music shares this music on its website.

People can download the audio files. They follow maps to walk along the same paths as the composers. At the same time, they listen to the composer's music. Each person also hears sounds happening around them at that time. That makes each "concert" unique.

“There’s a real intimacy here, a one-on-one experience with the composer," Tiedemann explained.

Each Soundwalk is different. Some have traditional music. Others combine sounds and stories.

Soundwalks are free. They are shared on the Third Angle website. New Soundwalks are posted on the 15th of each month. They are available for three weeks. Each Soundwalk includes an audio file, a map, and other information.

The website is: https://www.thirdangle.org/soundwalks