        
  Tweet
  
  Pin It
  
Share

« Hurricane Earl prefers Nova Scotia… | Cowardly swarming attacks around Co… »

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Musicians say Seaport Market fails them

Posted by Hilary Beaumont on Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 4:44 PM

Dammien Alexander sits on the grass outside the Seaport Market, his guitar beside him in its case. No one could hear him inside, he says, and a folk guitarist was being aggressive because he was straining to be heard over Alexander’s percussionist. “This market wasn’t built for musicians,” says Alexander.

The old market’s winding corridors, low ceilings and small spaces amplified buskers’ sound and separated them; the new market is one giant box with high ceilings, meaning musicians compete against each other to be heard over a massive, noisy crowd.

“Back in that corner where Steve O Reno’s is, that is just a beautiful acoustic space, and the traffic was so dense,” Alexander says of his spot at the old market. “Fifty people in that stairway would be the same as if you were playing at Gus’.”

“Those small spaces have their own reverberation characteristics, which serves to amplify the musicians,” Lil Thomas, co-owner of the Sonic Temple recording studio says of the old market. “It’s kind of like the effect of singing in the shower.” Having inspected the Seaport Market last weekend, Thomas says the accumulative noise level of all the market-goers in one space drowns out the musicians. Reflective surfaces along the walls and ceiling add to the mess, resulting in a loud rumble.

A group of buskers in the main entrance, however, played under a low ceiling with three walls to amplify their sound. Another nook on the second floor overlooking George’s Island is a prime spot for musicians.

Thomas suggests a number of solutions: “Some of the energy has to be taken out of the room,” so insulating material along the ceiling would help cut out its reflective characteristics. Acoustic felt curtains hung throughout the space would also break up noise from bustling crowds. However, he says the effects wouldn’t improve the space that much.

Thomas recommends the market operations manager, who was not available for comment, should hire a professional acoustician for the space. He says modifying the space effectively would cost $10,000 to $30,000.

It’s still too early to tell how Alexander’s income will be affected by the new space. It’s a trade off, Alexander says---more traffic at means more pocket change. He’s especially grateful to the people who leave spinach and loaves of bread in his guitar case.

Tags: Seaport Market, Dammien Alexander

Survey Asks

Do you agree with Halifax's school board cutting 152 teachers?

Comments (5)

Showing 1-5 of 5

Add a comment

the last time i was down terminal road it was not a dead end street. It is possible to bike, jog, walk, or drive to Point Pleasant Park from the new market.

report

dislike

Posted by art on 09/13/2010 at 10:49 AM

I had the unfortunate luck to have to go down Terminal Road this lovely Saturday morn !
What a great idea to put a market on a DEAD END STREET !
With limited access the thousands of shoppers are jamed up each others asses, traffic is snarled beyond any thing Rush Hour gives us 5 days a week at the Bridges
Brilliantly planned & executed mess you've created ,people in charge...no wonder this Province is a backwater hole...those who make the planning decissions around here, couldn't change a babies bath water without a child dying !

report

dislike

Posted by More on 09/11/2010 at 8:46 PM

Yeah, the acoustics in the new Seaport Market are terrible, not only for musicians but for everyone else, too. Listening to the buskers has always been part of the experience of going to the farmers' market for me. At the new place you have to be almost right on top of them to hear them, due to poor acoustics and a higher level of background noise.

However, as APOM said, it IS a farmers' market, not a concert hall. One thing I did NOT like about the old brewery market was fighting the crowds. I'd buy my meat and veg while listening to a bit of live music then I'd GET THE HELL OUT. Some Saturdays you'd be packed in there like a sardine.

I guess the move to the Seaport Market is some of that 'progress' that folks always say they want. Hope it works out for them.