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ARVIAT
A visiting professional sound engineer accomplished more than anyone could have expected in Arviat this past month.

Arviat Film Society president Eric Anoee gets a little one-on-one instruction from sound engineer Ed VandenDool in Arviat this past month. - photo courtesy of Eric Anoee

Ed VandenDool is a songwriter and musician who also owns and operates Edzent Audio in Brantford, Ont., with his son, Jo.

VandenDool was brought to Arviat by the Tarralijaarvik Arviat Film Society with funding from Economic Development and Transportation.

He spent a little more than two weeks in the hamlet working with the community hall, John Arnalukjuaq High School (JAHS), film society, churches and local musicians to provide sound-system and recording-technique training.

VandenDool said the film society was to have been the main benefactor of his trip, but his time was divided among the different groups.

He did, however, spend a fair amount of time with society president Eric Anoee.

"We worked primarily on recorded audio and a bit of live audio," said VandenDool.

"I introduced him to a software program for multi-track recording that will give him a little better recording quality for videos.

"We did a bit of videotaping, simultaneously recording multi-track onto a computer, and then integrated that recording into the video."

VandenDool said he enjoyed recording throat singers Lois SulukLocke and Maria Illungiayok.

He said the video-and-sound recording they did of the two performing at the community hall was wonderful.

"We placed two microphones between them without hindering the process of throat singing, which requires some resonance to happen between the voices.

"It was also quite delightful working with Gord Billard and his gang at JAHS.

"Gord's pretty enthusiastic and works very well with his students.

"I helped do sound for The Nemesis of Dracula, but the school really needs to upgrade its microphones to take things to the next level."

VandenDool conducted a live-sound workshop with the students, showing them the proper way to use a small mixing console.

He also talked to them about equalizing a system, and microphone and speaker placement.

"We had kids on ladders hanging mikes, as well as setting a couple of others right on the stage itself.

"Some of the same crew helped me run sound for a little concert we held at the school at the end of the week.

"A number of people in Arviat were very eager to learn more about doing sound.

"A few of them were very, very keen and actually learned a lot about it."

VandenDool said he was quite surprised by Arviat's active social scene.

He said there's a huge desire for artistic interaction in the community.

"I met a lot of talented people in Arviat who are very interested in the arts.

"They were eager to learn what they could from me, but, when leaving, I felt, in some respects, I'd learned far more than I'd taught.

"I found throat singing fascinating.

"Although I found myself wishing I could take more meaning from what they were doing, a couple of songs provided a real sense of where this kind of performing originated from and I found it just amazing."

VandenDool said a lot was accomplished during his time in Arviat.

He said the time went past too quickly, and he found himself wishing he had more time in the community.

"I made sure I had people's e-mails and they were on my Facebook page before I left, and we've been communicating ever since.

"I found myself trying to fit 32 years of audio experience into two weeks and it just can't be done.

"We really just scratching the surface.

"But the need and desire for information was great enough in Arviat that people came away with some very valuable stuff they learned, so it was very worthwhile in that regard."

A number of people VandenDool worked with were eager for him to return.

He shared the sentiment, but also realized resources would have to be found to enable him to do that.

VandenDool said a fair amount of time was spent trying to improve the sound system at Arviat's community hall, which was desperately in need of work.

He said they managed to reconfigure it to the degree they could, given the resources available to them.

"We're talking about putting together a little package of supplementary equipment and shipping it to Arviat.

"I'll either have the guys at the hall install it, with my guidance over the phone, or, if we get the chance, I'll come back there and help install it myself.

"We improved it a great deal, but there's still plenty of room for more.

"So, there's good reason to return and I would absolutely love the chance to go back."

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