Hello, I am Hill Hiroki Kobayashi, the newly appointed chair of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. My experience in the acoustic-ecology field maybe relatively young compared to some of the members but my love of, and interest in, this field is very strong. It is a great honor for me to be able to help my beloved WFAE organization. I am currently a board member of Japanese Association for Sound Ecology (SAJ), Research Fellow with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and a Ph.D candidate in the Cyber Interface Lab, Graduate School of Engineering, at the University of Tokyo.

Eighteen years have passed since the foundation of the WFAE and the number of affiliate organizations has rapidly increased around the world because of a growing interest in issues related to the soundscape. Whenever possible, the WFAE will continue to provide “intersections” where all the affiliates and their members are able to interact with one another. Be that interaction through publication of periodical material such as our Journal and this on-line newsletter, or through international conferences. The ability of each member to have the opportunity to “interact” with others is what our society needs the most. As chair, I anticipate future gatherings of international affiliates with each representing different cultural backgrounds and languages - all coming together to share their interests in acoustic-ecology.

In that sense, our June international conference in Koli, Finland finished successfully. We appreciated the many participants who came from all over the world. I believe that the conference provided everyone with a positive experience and increased interest and fresh perspective about our future as an organization - one that can only come about through the meaningful interaction between WFAE members.

My sincere hope is that the WFAE helps each member in some way to seek his/her own unique happiness in daily life. With your help I'll be able to help move the WFAE forward. I appreciate your active involvement and support for our organization. Let’s enjoy a successful year of WFAE!

AMERICAN SOCEITY FOR ACOUSTIC ECOLOGY (ASAE)
Submitted by Andrea Polli

ASAE Symposium and Retreat in Chicago July 9-11, 2010.

Our July symposium is the first-ever national gathering of the ASAE membership and the general public. Hosted by the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology and the World Listening Project, "Listening for the Future" will take place from July 9-11, 2010. We think it's going to be a fantastic three days, with plenty of information and inspiration to go around. We hope you will join us at this landmark event.

Event Highlights

Friday (7/9) - 'Citizen Sound' symposium featuring a wine and cheese reception, introductions to each of the ASAE chapters, and presentations by leaders in Chicago's cultural and advocacy scene. Featured guests include Lou Mallozzi, Executive Director of Experimental Sound Studio and architect Graham Balkany of the Gropius in Chicago Coalition. A media lounge, where guests can sample CDs and peruse publications by participants, performers and ASAE members, will be open all night. Following dinner at a local eatery, we'll be treated to a concert featuring ASAE member composers, performers and special guests.

Saturday (7/10) - Head "out of town" for an afternoon soundwalk in Miller Woods, at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. After the dunes soundwalk, it's back to the city for another group dinner followed by a Chicago nightlife soundwalk. This day’s events should provide plenty of opportunities for informal conversation and networking among members.

Sunday (7/11) - ASAE members lead a workshop for children and families. A late afternoon concert and closing reception will follow. ASAE members from New York, San Francisco, the Midwest, Southwest and beyond will present their works.

The ASAE - Listening for the Future. During the course of these events, the ASAE's governing body and leaders from all the regional chapters will be meeting to brainstorm for the future of the organization. We will be soliciting input from you - our members - as we embark on this important work. Please plan to share any
ideas, concerns or questions about the organization that you might have.

Practicalities - All events, including both concerts, the 'Citizen Sound' symposium, the soundwalks and the workshop are free for ASAE members (current for 2010). All meals are pay-your-own, but we'll be making advance reservations so will ask you to register. Transportation between venues, including the Dunes soundwalk, will be via public transit. These costs are not covered by the ASAE, but we will plan to meet and travel as a group to the Dunes soundwalk.

Additional details will be posted on the Listening for the Future web page. Please bookmark and check back often as we'll be making frequent updates from here forward. Visit the web site for information about events along with locations of all venues, maps, schedules etc.

To commemorate the first annual World Listening Day on July 18th, CASE will co-present with New Adventures in Sound Art an afternoon of events that begins with a SOUNDwalk in the area of the Artscape Wychwood Barns, Toronto, followed by a soundscape concert of works on the theme Ecology: Water, Air, Sound at the NAISA space. SOUNDwalk begins at 1pm. Dress for the weather as this event will happen come rain or shine.

News from our members

CASE member Eric Powell was just commissioned by The Saskatchewan Arts Board to create a soundscape composition for the 2010 Lieutenant Governor's Awards in September. The piece explores the unique aural character of Saskatchewan and will be scored for 8-channel tape and live instrumental performers.

holophon.ca - founded by CASE members Charlie Fox and Eric Powell and other Regina sound artists - is pleased to announce that their third season will include public soundwalking presentations. In addition to presenting soundwalks in both Regina and Saskatoon, holophon.ca is planning a soundwalking workshop series with Hildegard Westerkamp. These events will take place in the Summer of 2011.

Finnish Society for Acoustic Ecology (FSAE)

The Department of Finnish Language and Cultural Research at the University of Joensuu and The Finnish Society for Acoustic Ecology hosted the 'Ideologies and Ethics in the Uses and Abuses of Sound’ conference in Koli, June 15-19. Koli was the perfect site for reflecting upon ideologies, ethics and soundscapes, since it was amongst the key places of the national romantic artist pilgrims in the late 19th century Finland. Here are selected photos from that event. A full post-conference summary will be found on the FSAE web site later this summer.

Click Image a. UKKO Center b. Auditorium c. Helmi Järviluoma d. Nigel Frayne & Hill e. Evening group walk f. Hildi Westerkamp			Photo Credits   a. Eric Lenoardson   b. Meri Kytö   c. Eric Lenoardson   d. Kyoko Tsujimoto   e. Kyoko Tsujimoto   f. Meri Kytö

Japanese Association for Sound Ecology (JASE)
Submitted by Masami Raker Yuki

This year’s annual symposium of the Soundscape Association in Japan (SAJ), which was held in Tokyo on May 29th, focused on an extraordinary world of cultural diversity as represented by Masayuki Nishie. Mr. Nishie is a well-known linguist, cultural anthropologist, and writer, as well as current President of the SAJ. The three-hour symposium was actually designed to be a series of interviews of Mr. Nishie by SAJ members, each asking about acoustic/sonic aspects of one of the following six topics: languages, communication, body, food, displacement, and tubism.

Mr. Nishie’s talk, especially his discussion on the acoustic/sonic significances of languages and communication, was informative and thought-provoking. But what was truly extraordinary was his unconventional perceptions and observations, as exemplified in his analogy between sound and excretion (both having in common the movement of getting in and out one’s body), as well as his manifesto of tubism that everything on the earth—roads, vehicles, trees, bodies, organs, etc.—share a tubelike shape (he mentioned that the Internet is an exception, implying that we are now in a post-tubism era). Mr. Nishie is truly a multicultural, interdisciplinary scholar/traveler/writer, but most importantly he is such an entertaining speaker that all present had a great time learning, thinking, and laughing.

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