Listening Lounge recently partnered with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities to produce Audio Portraits.  Head over to the D.C. Convention Center (N Street NW between 7th and 9th), walk down the street, gaze at the photography displayed on the exterior of the windows, pull out your cell phone and dial in to hear the audio portraits!

Photographs on display were selected as part of the “51 Faces of D.C.: Census 2010 Portraits Contest” curated by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and D.C. Counts.

Audio Portraits Exhibit
Where: N Street NW between 7th and 9th
When: LIVE from Thursday July 29, 2010 forward

Flyer design and artwork by Malaka Gharib

DC Listening Lounge presents Sound Scene: Work & Play, Saturday, May 22! This audio-rich event takes place at La Casa Community Center, 3166, Mt Pleasant Street, NW, Washington DC, 20010. 7pm- 11:00pm; suggested donation $6.

In addition to audio installations, there will be live music from the New Atlantis IVtet, The Torches (http://www.facebook.com/TheeTorches), Black Snake in the Daisy Patch, and Weed Tree.

Flyer design and artwork by Malaka Gharib

Here’s another piece from the body installation at the 2009 Sound Scene. Tina’s niece and nephew consider the guts.

> Listen to Cheerios by Tina Tennessen (1:15)

This is a recording of the call to prayer and rush hour at sunset in July 2007, recorded by DC Listening Lounge member Maureen Loughran. She writes,”This picture was taken by my sister Kate. It is a view of the mosques across the Nile at sunset, when the recording was done. The squiggly lines in the sky are kites that were flown at this time of day everyday, while the call to prayer was happening.”

> Listen to Cairo by Maureen Loughran (4:20)

There was much recent hubbub over Obama’s first 100 days but nothing compares to the first. Listen to a collection of inaugural sounds, from the festive to the entrepreneurial, with a celebrity appearance by Denzel Washington, and more…all for only $40.99.

>Listen to Ohhh-ba-ma! by Ben Bloom (8:53)

In this audio piece, DC Listening Lounge member Vige Millington stumbles across a story of summer love and icy fruit flavors. It was recorded at an elusive snow cone stand in Northwest DC.

>Listen to Ice by Vige Millington (1:40)

This audio piece comes from DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, recorded by DC Listening Lounge members Ben Bloom and Tina Tennessen. “Beer and milk were never more convenient than the three years we had a grocery store in our basement. In that time we struck up a friendship with the store owner, Shital Patel. Every once in a while, we’d find him in a deep slumber behind the counter – but that’s excusable; the man works harder than anyone we know. In this recording we discover his musical tastes.”

> Listen to Lincoln Park Market (2:08), by Ben Bloom and Tina Tennessen

The Third Coast International Audio Festival will be at the SILVERDOCS film fest in Silver Spring for a listening event on Thursday, June 19, 2:15pm. A great excuse to escape the office during the work day, and how often to you get a chance to go to a movie theater and just listen? From the SILVERDOCS website:

“On radio, the pictures are better.” So goes the old broadcast cliché, and for the most talented contemporary audio producers, it’s no joke. For the second straight year, SILVERDOCS partners with the Third Coast International Audio Festival to present a program of remarkable feature and short documentary work in a dedicated listening session. With the best sound available, you can marvel at the textured sonic world inhabited by audio storytellers. More information available here.

AIR (The Association of Independents in Radio) is offering two upcoming intensive workshops on unconventional and creative approaches to sound and storytelling. You will need to apply, and the application deadline is this Friday, June 20. From the AIR website:

AIR, with Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center in New York City, offers two week-long intensives for mid to advance level producers. You do not have to be a member of AIR to participate. This opportunity may be especially appealing to those working in traditional radio formats eager to experiment with unconventional approaches to sound and telling story. Read more and apply here

While you’re on the AIR website, see the recent article by independent producer Neenah Ellis in the online publication Air Blast. She writes about homegrown audio and listening groups that have popped-up across the country. You’ll see that DC Listening Lounge gets a nice mention.