Scroll down for the Audio Player to take the self-guided Riverfront Park Soundwalk
that begins at the stairwell at 275 River St. Troy, NY 12180 (at the TROY mural)
The Soundwalk is wheelchair-accessible via the entrance on River St. and Fulton St. and begins at the Number 3 location on the map.
that begins at the stairwell at 275 River St. Troy, NY 12180 (at the TROY mural)
The Soundwalk is wheelchair-accessible via the entrance on River St. and Fulton St. and begins at the Number 3 location on the map.
Riverfront Park Soundwalk is a site-specific, 20-minute artist audio walking tour for mobile phone by sound artist Andrea Williams that was first launched for the public by the Hart-Cluett Museum in 2016 (at the time known as the Rensselaer County Historical Society) as part of her Troy Waterways Project exhibit.
From 2014-2015, sound artist Andrea Williams collected stories from Troy residents and water experts on local waterways along with various sounds and videos. This project was created to get a better understanding of people’s connection to their waterways. The Troy Waterways Project is an online map that acts as a container for various stories and media experiences, highlighting seven local waterways: the Hudson River at Riverfront Park; the Poestenkill Falls; Spring Avenue natural spring; Ingalls Avenue boat launch; the Burden Waterwheel; the Piscawenkill, a small creek in North Troy; and the nearby Cohoes Falls of the Mohawk River that flows into the Hudson River.
The Riverfront Park Soundwalk audio tour is a past, present, and future overview of the Hudson River in Troy, NY, utilizing musical elements and soundscapes that intermingle with the actual environment. In the Soundwalk, truth and fiction are sometimes blurred by local mythology. Stories told by residents reveal the beliefs held by the community that shape their connection to the waterways through generations.
You can take the self-guided tour on your own (scroll down to blue arrows), or sometimes there are artist-led group tours. Please check Andrea's home page for event announcements.
At the end of the Riverfront Park Soundwalk, participants can share a dialogue together on their personal connection with the river or other local waterways and visions of the future of the Hudson River in Troy. Feedback from numerous participant groups became a part of Williams' RPI Ph.D. dissertation, "Soundwalking: Creating Stewardship for Local Waterways" that was published in 2018 along with an article published as part of the Invisible Places: Sound, Urbanism, and a Sense of Place 2017 conference in Azores, Portugal here (pg. 143). Her ethnographic methodology of connection and placemaking has been implemented in other soundwalks at various international conferences. Your feedback on the Riverfront Park Soundwalk is welcomed; please send feedback to her email address here.
From 2014-2015, sound artist Andrea Williams collected stories from Troy residents and water experts on local waterways along with various sounds and videos. This project was created to get a better understanding of people’s connection to their waterways. The Troy Waterways Project is an online map that acts as a container for various stories and media experiences, highlighting seven local waterways: the Hudson River at Riverfront Park; the Poestenkill Falls; Spring Avenue natural spring; Ingalls Avenue boat launch; the Burden Waterwheel; the Piscawenkill, a small creek in North Troy; and the nearby Cohoes Falls of the Mohawk River that flows into the Hudson River.
The Riverfront Park Soundwalk audio tour is a past, present, and future overview of the Hudson River in Troy, NY, utilizing musical elements and soundscapes that intermingle with the actual environment. In the Soundwalk, truth and fiction are sometimes blurred by local mythology. Stories told by residents reveal the beliefs held by the community that shape their connection to the waterways through generations.
You can take the self-guided tour on your own (scroll down to blue arrows), or sometimes there are artist-led group tours. Please check Andrea's home page for event announcements.
At the end of the Riverfront Park Soundwalk, participants can share a dialogue together on their personal connection with the river or other local waterways and visions of the future of the Hudson River in Troy. Feedback from numerous participant groups became a part of Williams' RPI Ph.D. dissertation, "Soundwalking: Creating Stewardship for Local Waterways" that was published in 2018 along with an article published as part of the Invisible Places: Sound, Urbanism, and a Sense of Place 2017 conference in Azores, Portugal here (pg. 143). Her ethnographic methodology of connection and placemaking has been implemented in other soundwalks at various international conferences. Your feedback on the Riverfront Park Soundwalk is welcomed; please send feedback to her email address here.
One can experience the artist audio walking tour by starting at the stairwell at 275 River St. in Troy, NY. Or there is a wheelchair accessible entrance at River St. and Fulton St. and start at prompt number 3. The above map and the numbered prompts below help guide you through the soundwalk. Click on the blue arrow to begin the next prompt. The Riverfront Park Soundwalk is meant to be taken at a meditative pace.
