TheBulletin.ca Journal of Downtown Toronto
By Will Tremain –
For some, the sound of an airplane is music to the ears, but for Tamara Bernstein it definitely isn’t.
Bernstein is Harbourfront’s artistic director of Summer Music in the Garden, a series of free concerts running Jun. 24 to Sept. 16 at the Toronto Music Garden between Bathurst and Spadina. She’s concerned that noise from Porter Airlines flights in and out of Toronto Island Airport will drown out live concerts being played at the garden this summer, and possibly keep audiences away.
The concert series has existed since 2000, but Porter Airlines started flying from the downtown airport last fall, and this has Bernstein worried.
“We’ve had a respite for several years from Air Canada’s Jazz flights. I’m very distressed that Porter is there now,” says Bernstein.
Two Porter flight departures will overlap each Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon performance in the music garden.
A Porter representative states that their turboprop aircraft generate a noise level of about 73 decibels from 600 m; this is about the distance the runway is from the music garden.
According to The Canadian Hearing Society, 70 dB is the noise level generated by a vacuum cleaner, a hair dryer, or inside a car. It’s less than average city traffic noise, which is about 80 dB.
Porter “has no plans to reschedule flights as they relate to any specific event in the harbour area,” the airline spokesman says, and “worked with NavCanada to install infrastructure at the airport that has improved approach paths, further minimizing any impact on the surrounding area.”
Bernstein says no performers have withdrawn from the outdoor concerts this season citing noise concerns.
“I do find performers are less bothered by it than I am,” Bernstein says of the noise from aircraft. “It’s not totally predictable. It depends on taxi times, and how long they’re idling on the runway.”
Musicians who have played at the Toronto Music Garden are divided on the effects of ambient noise on their concerts, and also the sources of that noise.
Sarah Nematallah of the Cecelia Quartet says noise during last year’s concert was distracting. But the noise did not come from an aircraft.
“We had a boat nearby playing pop music, interfering with Brahms,” Nematallah says, and adds “There’s a limit to what you can do. If it were between movements we might pause.”
“You ruin the effect if you pause right in the middle of a piece. You don’t really have very good options. The show must go on,” Nematallah says.
Kiyoshi Nagata of the Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble, a Japanese taiko drum group, says he isn’t really bothered by ambient noise at the Toronto Music Garden during concerts. He’s played there in the summer for the past three years.
“Being that it’s outdoors, there are some natural sounds in the air. We’re very loud. We distract more people than distract us,” Nagata laughs.
Kimberley Pritchard has performed at the Toronto Music Garden also, and welcomes additional noise with her performances. She plays the accordion and for some pieces adds recorded background sounds.
“I find the sound to actually add to the performance. I had a boat horn go off once. It was quite humorous really. I just kind of smiled and kept playing. I program pieces because I know things like that will happen,” Pritchard says.
“Ambient noise adds to the performance. I enjoy playing there and that’s one of the reasons why,” Pritchard adds.
There are many sources of noise on the waterfront. Pleasure boats, road traffic, and private aircraft all contribute to the ambient noise on the harbour. And occasionally planned events do too, Bernstein says.
“I cancelled one of the concerts this year. I cancelled it because the new Virgin rock festival is on the island that day,” Bernstein says.
“It’s my job to worry about it (noise). In spite of that I think it’s going to be a fantastic season,” Bernstein says.
It seems audiences will need to judge for themselves whether or not noise on the waterfront affects their enjoyment of the Toronto Music Garden. The show must go on.
