Did you Hear the Trains Singing?

The material, spatial, and social conditions of place can be revealed through ambient sound, while awareness of the affects of sound interacting with place can enhance humankind’s understanding of being in place. It was not until I arrived in Montreal that I could know the indigenous sounds of this city: the constant hum of air conditioners and the two-tone sound of the metro trains on entering and leaving their stations. Calling for a refreshed awareness of place, I invited participants of the Art and Cartography workshop to perform a collaborative Montreal Driftsong; a sonic interaction with place. This chapter describes the research undertaken prior to the workshop and the collaborative Driftsong performance of the workshop participants. This includes a reflection on the impact of sound throughout the workshop event, as I pondered the possibilities of sonically mapping place