how can i get more involved with smc?
The best way to learn about our workshops is to follow us @sound_museum_collective on instagram! Have a workshop idea? Want to propose a meet up? Need an answer to a tech problem? Want to barrow a synth? Email, DM or text us anything! We are incredibly interested in supporting you and your sound dreams! It’s why we’re here! If you want to teach a workshop, we’ll find space and money to pay you, or if you have a workshop idea, we can find someone to lead it. If you have a wild build idea or experiment, we can pull together resources. We are here to collectively learn and explore the resounding nature of sound. Please just hit us up.
Do you do programming for kids?
Yes! Most of our workshops are designed to be intergenerational. We have experience working alongside Girls Rock Philly and have taught soldering workshops for children at Portside Art Center. We are always interested in finding new ways to engage kids! Feel free to reach out with specific requests.
What makes Smc different from other organizations in Philadelphia?
Sound Museum Collective is fluid with our practices and is always welcoming people into leadership positions. Within holding space for women, trans, and nonbinary individuals, we work to create a platform of resources to support anybody’s sonic quest. We are here to learn, build, and experiment together and are actively working to enhance technical literacy and imaginations for people who have faced barriers to entry when it comes to audio engineering and sound art. We’re here to find gear and answer questions and challenge our understanding of sound together.
What does SMC do to be accessible?
SMC recognizes that a lot of us face barriers to entry when it comes to audio engineering and sound exploration. GEAR IS EXPENSIVE and we do what we can to try and provide tools and equipment. We have a modular synth that is available for very cheap rental (we are hoping to get some $ to keep building on it), and are working on building up a component library to go along with all our soldering irons.
We also acknowledge that there is a lot of gate keeping when it comes to learning about engineering and sound synthesis. Through our free workshops and our new youtube channel, we hope that we can unpack basic audio concepts in a way that is easy to follow.
Where is SMC located?
Sound Museum Collective lives through out Philadelphia. We currently do not have a public space, but tend to hold most of our events and workshops in West Philadelphia. We have also held workshops at The Rotunda, Globe Dye Works, A-Space, Girls Rock Philly and residential South Philadelphia. For specific workshop addresses, you can always message us on Instagram. We also live on Youtube, where we post tutorials and inspirational sound experiments and performances.
how can i contribute to smc?
Feel free to donate your gear (broken or working!) by emailing us at soundmuseumcollective@gmail.com. We also accept financial donations via paypal.