Drop the Beat

The Media Arts Committee invites proposals for original sound art compositions under the theme of “Drop the Beat.” This year's call asks artists to think beyond traditional song structure. How would a dance track sound if it used the rhythm of drums without the drums themselves? What does this sound like to you? How would you interpret a sound piece like this sonically? 

Alternatively, how would you shape a sound piece to be free of the constraints of rhythm and timing, quantization, and kick drums altogether? Sound art can open the pathways to sound exploration; how would you embrace this opportunity? 

Possible techniques used can include: layering of software instruments and/or field recordings, drones, non-traditional instrumentation, or experimental use of traditional instruments, replacing drum pattern MIDI information with sampled audio or field recordings, etc.

The selected proposals will ultimately result in an eight-week residency, with the completion of stereo compositions that will be presented as a group compilation of all artists selected for this call.

View our previous residencies.

Eligibility requirements:

• artists must be based in Canada
• artists must have access to equipment to complete high quality sound recordings and compositions
• artists must be able to attend an initial and a final gathering (both online)

• Media Arts Committee centers BIPOC / LGBTQI2S and artists with disabilities

Requirements for audio submission of final works:

• final pieces must be between a minimum of 1 minute to a maximum of 10 minutes
• all compositions must meet audio recording quality standards (no clipping or extraneous noise that is not part of the piece)
• all pieces must be submitted as 24 bit 48kHz wav files

Application Deadline: Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm PST

Artist Fee: $980

Successful applicants will be notified by late November/early December.

We note composing rates for electroacoustic works via the Canadian League of Composers and as such, we invite artists to determine the length of their piece as you see appropriate for your work and effort.