Soundwalk Celebrates the History of the Hill District

The Soundwalk in the Hill District spotlights the era (the 1930s-1960s) during which longtime activist Frankie Mae and her gospel composer husband Charles Henry Pace were well-recognized community leaders and music entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh. 

Created as part of Assistant Musicianship Professor Dr. Nicole Vilkner’s Soundscape class and in partnership with the Historic Hill Institute, the Soundwalk is located in Frankie Mae Pace Park. The exhibits encourage visitors to interpret the environment, culture and history through sound. Using a smart device, visitors can scan QR codes found on signs at each location that link to the project’s website.

The course included many instances of experiential learning. In January, Vilkner and her 15 students walked to Frankie Mae Pace Park and completed soundscape reflections in the current space. The class then reviewed historical maps of the area, and took a bus tour to neighborhood landmarks with Terri Baltimore, activities coordinator at Macedonia FACE Active for Life Center in the Hill District, who served as a community partner on the project.

Additional community partner Dr. Kimberly Ellis, founder of the Historic Hill Institute and niece of playwright August Wilson, co-taught a class on the soundscapes depicted in Wilson’s plays. Students also studied archival records from the Charles Henry Pace and Frankie M. Pace Gospel Music Collection thanks to community partner Dr. Christopher Lynch, head of the Theodore M. Finney Music Library at the University of Pittsburgh.

Students in the class develop their own exhibit concepts and discuss them individually with Vilkner. 

“As the exhibits take shape, I help students with research approaches and editorial support,” she said. “In class workshops, students give each other constructive feedback. Those with more audio editing experience helped their classmates create polished audio clips. It was a team effort.”

Thoughtful exhibits on the new Soundwalk cover compelling topics such as How did social life sound at the Loendi Club?, Jitneys: Sociable or Silent Cab Rides? and How did marching bands energize baseball crowds?

This marks the third Soundwalk created by students of Vilkner.

Visit the Soundwalk in the Hill District website for more information, including photos and topics of the exhibits as well as backgrounds on the student creators.