Sonic Fields #1

A fortnightly collection of articles and links related to field recording and soundscapes.

The earth reaches for the sky. Random image from my distant past... somewhere in Alberta.

Welcome to the first edition of Sonic Fields, which will be a fortnightly collection of links to articles related to soundscapes, field recording, and other audio-related subjects that I find engaging. This first edition features some older pieces that I stored away in my Notes app. for future reference, but are still worth taking a look at. Don’t miss the last entry!

In no particular order:

- A new tourism initiative hopes to entice even more people to Northern Ireland by using the online phenomenon ASMR - or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

See how sound therapist Tessa Ann has contributed to this project in this BBC article: Creating an ASMR soundscape for 330 million-year-old caves. And visit the Marble Arch Caves website for more information on this location.

- One of the greats in field recording, George Vlad, shares some terms and techniques at Earth.com in the article: Defining and redefining terms in field recording. Yes, trees have ears, and he has triggered me for another microphone construction project…

- A few months ago, Jessica Groenendijk caught my attention by introducing a book with the curious title, “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating”.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

I have watched (with the aid of a magnifying glass) the actions of an aquatic snail’s mouthparts on the glass of an aquarium, but at the time, it never occurred to me that sound might also be produced. So now, I have another audio recording project ahead of me that includes trying to record both aquatic snails and slugs as they eat, and perhaps even the sound of their slime trails being laid. And I am now 10th in line for the sole copy of our public library’s edition of the book, which Jessica has made sound totally irresistible.

- Who, who, who doesn’t have an interest in owls? In my mind (and in my ignorance), owls have always been northern birds—never colourful, always drab (except for in the eyes, or in the plumage of the snowy owl), but thanks to John Moore, I have been enlightened. Honestly, while these tropical owls are still drab, they do have some fascinating vocalizations. Check out the owl calls from Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the following post, and scroll down that page to explore more of his work:

Owls in the woods and in music

- John Moore has also been sharing snippets of his collection of ethnic folk music that he has collected in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. It all starts in the episode below. These are rapidly vanishing—if not lost —styles of music, and the series is well worth listening to.

Snakes have swallowed the singers 1

- And I can’t think of a more fitting way to end this first edition of Sonic Fields. Melissa Pons has an article at Earth.fm that shares the quieting effect that simply being observant and listening to Nature (field recordings included) can have on a person’s life. Forget formal styles of meditation, and visit Homeostasis, and ponder why she isn’t writing and sharing on Substack.