Arts and nature sound
Nov
2
2021
ASRA 2021 Conference – Survival and Revival, Nov 9-11
Australasian Sound Recordings Association
2021 Conference – Survival and Revival
9-11 November 2021
Online Conference
Program & Ticket Registration
https://www.asra.asn.au/asra-2021-conference-survival-and-revival
Announcing this year’s Australasian Sound Recordings Association’s conference Survival and Revival which will be held online from 9-11 November. The conference theme is about the creation, use and preservation of sound recordings during the present time of pandemic, climate emergency and social and political upheaval. The program will examine new and shared challenges, collaborations and opportunities associated with sound recordings. It is aimed at sound archivists, audio engineers, broadcasters, publishers, sound creatives and field recordists.
Of special interest is the inclusion of an afternoon session (Thursday 11th Nov) devoted to environmental sound that will be moderated by Andrew Skeoch. The program includes AWSRG members, Tony Baylis, Mike Fitzgerald, Vicki Hallett and Ros Bandt, who will discuss a range of topics about the use of field/sound recordings in their respective practices. Topics include field recording in remote parts of Australasia, sound art case studies, the four seasons after the megablaze and an interrogation into why we record. In addition, Nat Grant will investigate the kinds of histories and memories that can be shared through making and experiencing field recordings and sound walks, and Alana Blackburn will discuss the collaborative process between sound designer and performer using sound recordings, focusing on her recent work on Regrowth with composer Ros Bandt.
Presenter’s abstracts, session times and ticket registrations are available at the conference website.
Feb
21
2021
South America – A Nature Sound Journey, with Juan Pablo Culasso
Our March seminar will take us to South America, with nature sound recordist Juan Pablo Culasso.
Jan
30
2021
Pied Butcherbird Song with Hollis Taylor
Our February AWSRG seminar will be a talk by Hollis Taylor on her research into the songs of the Pied Butcherbird.
Aug
6
2020
Capturing Wildlife Sounds: A Useful Guide
Some of you will know the ‘Overseas Representative’* on our committee, Roger Boughton. Roger is the co-author of a new book on the art of wildlife sound recording. With decades of hard-won experience, he is a most authoritative and dedicated recordist.
I warmly recommend Roger and Stevens’ book – it is a privilege to be able to share in their wisdom.
Here’s the publication announcement:
Roger Boughton (Lancashire, UK) and Steven Shepard (Vermont, USA) are pleased to announce the publication of their new book, “Capturing Wildlife Sounds: A Useful Guide.” Written primarily for beginning wildlife sound recordists, the book is a comprehensive primer on the craft of capturing the sounds of the natural world.
“We wanted to produce a book,” says Boughton, “that would provide all the information necessary for a beginning sound recordist to get started, in the same way that a nature photography primer does for a budding nature photographer.” more »
Nov
28
2018
Freshwater Listening Concert
Recently, several AWSRG members – Leah Barclay, Bob Tomkins, Vicki Hallett, Melinda Barry and myself – joined interested folks from near and far for a weekend of environmental listening and creative sound making in central Victoria.
The event was titled ‘Freshwater Listening’, an initiative of acclaimed sound artist (and also AWSRG member) Ros Bandt. The venue was Australia’s first – only? – ‘Acoustic Sanctuary’; as Ros has designated her property near the small village of Fryerstown, near Castlemaine.
Jun
19
2018
BBC Radio 4 explores birdsong
The curious cases of Rutherford and Fry is a BBC Radio program in which two scientists explore topics nominated by listeners. This fun program was initiated by a question from a listener in Cambridgeshire who asked “Winter is finally over and the birds are all singing their hearts out at dawn. What’s all the noise about? And why are some songs so elaborate?” The program covers a range of topics about birdsong. It includes a short interview with renowned birdsong researcher Don Kroodsma.
Mar
23
2018
Is Birdsong Music? – book & CD reviews by Michael Hannan
AWSRG member Michael Hannan has written two reviews of recent publications by zoomusicologist, composer, violinist (and fellow AWSRG member), Hollis Taylor.
Hollis’s work presents insights and responses to the songs of Pied Butcherbirds, and essentially poses the question; do birds display a sense of aesthetics? It is an intriguing question!
Click here for Michael’s review of Hollis’s book, ‘Is Birdsong Music?‘
Michael himself is a composer and performer, and had one of his pieces premiered at our recent conference by clarinetist Vicki Hallett (which can be heard here – scroll down to audio file #19)
Mar
13
2018
Is birdsong music?
Birdsong is often exquisitely beautiful, yet many people argue that it is purely functional. It certainly enables birds to attract mates, declare their territories and communicate with individuals of their own species. Musicologist and composer, Hollis Taylor, has spent many years closely studying the songs of pied butcherbirds.
Feb
20
2018
Vicki Hallett attends Sonic Mmabolela
In 2017, Australian composer and musician Vicki Hallett attended the 5th Sonic Mmabolela workshop. Sonic Mmabolela is a residency for sound artists and composers with previous experience in sound recording and experimentation. It is held annually at Mmabolela Reserve in the Limpopo valley of South Africa.
Click here to hear some of the compositions from Sonic Mmabolela 2017
Live at Mabolel Rock from Vicki Hallett on Vimeo.
Jan
18
2018
Huon Peninsula Soundscape, Papua New Guinea Rainforest
The Perspectives on Listening Symposium in Brisbane this last December gave me the incentive to edit up a soundscape from our recent trip to the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea.
Leah Barclay invited myself (Andrew), Tony Baylis, David Stewart, Rod Thorn and Sue Gould to form a panel to discuss the trip and how we approached our sound recording. David, Rod and Sue were unable to attend, but Tony Baylis and I showed images and contrasted our individual field techniques and results. My impression of our one hour session was that many in the audience were particularly fascinated to hear of Tony’s bioacoustic field work.
Meanwhile, I edited this soundscape as an installation on multiple headphones so participants could immerse themselves in the rainforest during breaks in the symposium program.
The edit is compiled from seven sources, each about five minutes in duration, and representing aspects of the various altitude ranges to which we trekked and recorded.
Location sources are:
A – Hill forest (~1100m)
B – Mountain forest (Camp Astrapia) (~2000m)
C – Mountain forest (Midway Camp) (~2150m)
D – Cloudforest (Camp 13) (~2800m)
Timings are for approximate transitions.
0:00 1. Predawn insect chorus with Sooty Owl, Feline Owlet Nightjar and Papuan Boobook (B)
4:20 2. Dawn chorus with Regent Whistler, Lesser Melampitta and Ornate Fruit Doves (C)
10:10 3. Regent Whistler song (B)
16:40 4. Greater Ground Robin song (D)
21:30 5. Huon Bowerbird by its bower (D)
27:10 6. Emperor Bird of Paradise, with Cicadabird and Growling Riflebird (A)
33:40 7. Dusk cicada chorus, with Papuan Woodcock dusk flight calls (D)
I’ll be publishing extended recordings for free listening on our Listening Earth website in the near future, and will post specific links here.