How often do you hear birds singing? In downtown Victoria, it can be hard. Buses, sirens and construction fill the air with noise.
This artwork remembers a time when the noise stopped. In 2020, the pandemic made the streets quiet. Kathryn Calder started recording birds near her home. She turned their songs into music using piano, synthesizer, and her voice.
Patched In brings that calm feeling back. Music plays from birdhouses along the mural. The quilt-like design reflects the fabric of a close community. This is a place where you can feel patched into sound, to nature and to each other.
The soundtrack plays weekdays from 5 to 8 pm, and weekends from 10 am to 10 pm.
Collaborators: Created in collaboration with artists Meghan Hildebrand and Jesse Campbell, computer programmers Andrew Schloss and Duncan MacConnell, and musicians Marek Tyler and Eddie Mau. Some birdhouses were painted by students from the Victoria Chinese Public School.
