Do you hear what I hear? No? I didn't think so.

I'd like to send out a challenge; something that requires only a few moments' contemplation for you Waterloovians and Kitchenerites, past and present, out there.

The task I'm about to set out has to do with soundscapes, but with a more listener-friendly approach. It has to do with how we think and feel about this city - how it affects us and how it lives in our memories. It's a difficult task, too, because there isn't likely to be much consensus out there about this task. I'm hoping at least to get an auditory handle on this town.

There are lots of ways to identify a city: architecture is usually a big one, because it lasts and encapsulates creative energy and occupies such a huge part of our visual imagination. Food, too, because we all eat, and because recipes are often passed down through families or ethnic groups and because it has all the improvisational gravitas of live performance. Culture, of course, is another important aspect: from language, theatre, festivals, and conventions (customs, not comic book... although that's culture too), and music.

Music is very much a part of my life. I make it, I listen to it, I think about it a lot. I walk around, like a jerk, with my earbuds in and bop along on my way to work, or the bookstore, or wherever (if you see me, feel free to stop me, but I'll only take out one earbud). The stereo-aural experience shapes the way I engage with my day. I'll hit 'next' on my iPod (set to random) as many times as I have to just to find a song that fits the moment. R. Murray Schafer, who hosted a number of soundwalks this spring at the rare conservation area as part of the Open Ears Festival, would probably hate the idea of moving through space while listening to pop music (or whatever) stuck in your ears, but it led me to wonder:

Does our city have a soundtrack?

Which brings me to the challenge. If you could pick song for Waterloo, what would it be? Why?

I'd like to compile a list for scrutiny and debate and maybe even the making of a mixed tape. It doesn't need to be music about Waterloo, or for Kitchener; just something that fits for whatever reason.

Leave your pick in a comment on this blog post and once there's a decent selection I'll post a top 100 from which we can select the 12 best (because the best albums have 12 tracks, don't they?).

I need your help with this project, too. Link to this blog post anywhere you think is appropriate, tell your friends and enemies, or just spread the word. Let's see what Waterloo sounds like in our collective head.