Meeting our nature sound colleagues in the US and Canada
Jul 8th, 2013 by andrew skeoch
Have you ever done internet dating? We haven’t, but sometimes it felt as if we were; setting forth across north America for three months to meet some of our nature sound recording colleagues.
In all, we met over a dozen professionals who, each in their own way, share our deep passion for recording the soundscapes of nature. Most we only knew from talking online or by phone. But with an optimistic sense that we would have a nice connection in person, we’d turn up on their doorstep with a “Hi, we’re here!”.
Invariably, we received a heartfelt welcome. We were invited into homes, time was made for us in busy lives, and we were introduced to favourite local nature haunts. We’d openly discuss this specialised work we all love (which often entailed going out recording together), and more importantly, find ourselves deepening new friendships.
It has been such an enriching experience for us.
I don’t know whether I can explain, but for the last 20 years, we have felt a lack of peers in Australia. Whilst there are excellent recordists and naturalists here, there has been no one working with soundscapes as we have. Even worldwide, there are only a handful of us who have this focus, and most live in either Europe or north America. If soundscape recording has a history, that is where it has been most developed.
Hence our recent journey. Sarah called it a ‘do-it-ourselves conference’.
As with any professional gathering, one is tempted to think of ‘outcomes’. What can we say? We feel so much more affirmed in what we are doing with Listening Earth. In many ways we have a new sense of ourselves and what we can achieve. We have learned a great deal. And we have arrived home utterly exhausted!
Most exciting are ideas for the future; collaborative projects, new recordings… to be honest, we’re not sure yet. But with such a talented and open-hearted group of folks as colleagues, we’re positive exciting things will evolve.
In the meantime (and for those of you who haven’t been following our American trip via Facebook), here is a collection of Sarah’s images from our journey; people, critters, and those extraordinary American landscapes.
To set the scene: From Las Vegas we hired a campervan and began a circuitous route which took us through Utah and the southwest deserts. Along the way we met up with Earth Ear editor Jim Cummings in Santa Fe, Bernie and Kat Krause of WildSanctuary in Glen Ellen, plus the lovely Gina Farr and esteemed Dan Dugan near San Francisco.
Just for fun, we accepted an invitation to assist at Martyn Stewart’s nature sound workshop in Seattle (and meet a whole bunch of keen recordists in the process). Ah well, it was only a few day’s drive out of our way…
Sarah’s ‘Ansel Adams’ moment; overlooking Yosemite Valley with approaching snowstorms
Rugged up for an icy morning; Andrew and Bernie Krause out nature recording together near Bernie’s home in California
At least we could find it in a car park! – the hand-painted campervan we hired during our first 2 months in western USA
Serendipity – finding ourselves at Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, at the time of the full moon. This is a 5 minute time exposure.
They really ARE huge! – Andrew dwarfed by mighty Sequoia trees
An alert Lodgepole Chipmunk in California’s Sequoia forests
3 grams of delight; a tiny Broad-tailed Hummingbird in the Utah canyonlands
Sunset over the Mojave Desert
Sarah had always dreamed of sleeping in the desert under Joshua trees. So we did.
The most beautiful cactus we’ve ever seen – the vivid Claret Cup/Hedgehog Cactus of the Mojave region
Moon setting over the iconic Monument Valley in Utah
Ancient petroglyphs adorn the walls of Canyon de Chelly
A ‘pinch ourselves’ moment; Sarah taking in the vista of the Grand Canyon
Furious winds lift dust over a basalt dyke leading to Black Butte, an ancient volcanic plug
With Gina Farr, exploring wild Point Reyes near her home in Marin County.
Andrew speaking at the annual nature sound workshop arranged by Martyn Stewart in Seattle
Seattle workshop participants looking far too serious, as Andrew introduces his SASS microphone head
The mighty Redwood forests of the California coast
Sea fog drifts through the Redwood forest in the first hour after dawn
A Stellar’s Jay patrols the forest understory
From the west of the US, we flew to the northeast, meeting up with musician Lar Duggan for a couple of day’s canoeing on the lakes of Vermont (here’s the story of how we came to know Lar).
Canoing the lakes of Vermont from Listening Earth on Vimeo.
We then crossed the Canadian border a few times, visiting Mark Brennan in Nova Scotia, and our compadrés Lang Elliot and Doug Quin in upstate NY. On our last day in The Big Apple we lucked a brief get together over a bagel with David Michael.
Andrew and Mark listening to morning birdsong at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, while their microphones record the proceedings
Dawn over the taiga bogs of upland Cape Breton
Moooooooooooose!
Ravenous after an early morning recording session in the Adirondack mountains, Doug Quin and Andrew explore the nutritional potential of a furry windjammer
A juvenile Great Horned Owl peeks out from its roost in the boreal forests
Dr. Goofball. One of the best naturalists we know; Lang Elliot with his beloved (and somewhat scruffy) SASS microphone
The deepest jungle; New York, our final destination
Andrew faces off with one of Henri Rousseau’s tigers at the Museum of Modern Art
Established in 1993 by nature sound recordist Andrew Skeoch and photographer Sarah Koschak, Listening Earth offers a range of beautiful nature sound recordings from around the world.
"Our albums feature only the sounds of nature as you would hear in the wild - no music or other distractions. Recorded in often remote and pristine locations, they bring you the relaxing and beautiful sounds of our living planet. Listen, and let our recordings take you there."
Don’t forget you met us, too!
Love, Dan
In Tokyo today
Welcome home and thanks for sharing…not too sure about your development of possible envy however.
Forget? – of course not!
Yourself and Sharon are right up there Dan, we just didn’t have any photos to prove it! Text humbly amended to include you. Did you get my email of a week ago? – no rush replying; when you’re back from Japan.
Dear Andrew and Sarah,
As an American living in Australia (five years now) ; it is so great to know you two have been to the SouthWest and NorthWest. Unforgettable places. And as for Vermont, and Nova Scotia; those places resonate with my own experiences as well. I am eager to spend an afternoon perusing your recordings on site.
Sarah, i so enjoy your images. Andrew, the clarity and sense of being there during the recordings I’ve heard thus far are superlative.
Keep learning and growing and journeying through this planet of ours.
I wait with Great Expectations.
Will there be an American sound-album forthcoming?
Hi Roger,
Yes indeed! Although we weren’t primarily recording this trip, we did nevertheless end up doing quite a bit. And we were fortunate with weather and amazing opportunities. We think that we have returned with material for maybe 8 albums. I’ll begin listening the next few days.
That is so nice of you to say Carol Anne. To be honest we were so surprised with landscapes and wildlife in America. Everything from the Grand Canyon to a hummingbird, things you think you know about until you’re there and see for the first time. And then it is – oh, wow! And of course folks are just so darned friendly
Have fun browsing and listening when you’re ready.
Hello! I just opened your mail on my email, and enjoyed the wonderful vision and sounds related to your website! I feel sure you have taken what you wanted to achieve in life and made it very successful: you must be in a very good place in spirit to have created this wonderful inroad into something that previously lacked any such option! I salute you and warmly welcome the news each and every time – Wishing you all the best with your continuing efforts and wonderful results!
Thanks you two for sharing your journey…loved the pics and just wonder what you REALLY felt about America and the big USofA… would love to hear about the differences and similarities both in the natural wild and cities. Glad you’re back home safely…looking forward to more in your blogs. SGMKJ
Great images! Glad you had a meaningful and thoroughly enjoyable time away. Thanks for sharing your trip. xxx
moc,moc krásné foto a velmi děkuji přeji vám všem hodně dalších krásných fotek a hodně ůspěchů v natáčení JIŘÍ SIRNICA
(Google translation from Czech: very, very beautiful photos and thank you very much. I wish you all a lot of other beautiful photos and much success in shooting)