Education: Making Sound Maps

Sound Maps (13:57) An IslandWood environmental science educator  discusses the techniques and practices  of creating a  soundmap  to document an acoustic environment.

Source: YouTube

Documentary: Music in Nature

Music In Nature (8:13) In this short documentary segment we follow Oregon musicians Deklun and Pace from Mount Hood to the coast as they find natural homes for their unique Electronic/trumpet musical improvisations. With a 1000 watt sound system, a computer and a trumpet, they don’t play for crowds. They play for an audience of nature alone. Produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting

Source: OPB

Interview: Annea Lockwood and acoustic ecology

Annea Lockwood - Interviewed by Arie Altena. (33:35)  In this informal interview with sound excerpts, Annea Lockwood touches on her views about field recording and sound mapping. She is well known for her recording of environmental soundscapes.  Her "A Sound Map of the Hudson" River" and the more recent "A Sound Map of the Danube" are considered as classics of the genre. 

This interview was part of "Session 5 Soundwalks, Acoustic Spaces and Field Recordings" included in Sonic Acts XIII, 2010, Amsterdam.

Source: Vimeo

Lecture: Barry Truax - Sonic Complexity

Interacting with Inner and Outer Sonic Complexity: from Microsound to Soundscape Composition (53:54) It is possible to think of the two extremes of the world of sound as the inner domain of microsound (less than 50 ms) where frequency and time are interdependent, and the external world of sonic complexity, namely the soundscape. In terms of sonic design, the computer is increasingly providing tools for dealing with each of these domains, such as granular synthesis and multi-channel soundscape composition. The models of interaction involved with the complexity of each of these domains are instructive, and will be presented with sound examples. 

Barry Truax teaches both electroacoustic music and computer music and acoustic communication at Simon Fraser University. He was one of the original members of the World Soundscape Project. Produced by Vancouver Computer Music Meetings (VCMM)

Source: Vimeo

Education: Community and Sound Series Video 1: "The Soundmark"

The Soundmark (4:34) "The Community and Sound Series" is a collection of videos designed to educate a community about the sonic uniqueness or character of a place.  Through this awareness, citizens may learn how to promote, protect and take pride in their soundscapes. "The Soundmark" is the first video in the series introducing the public to the principles and key terminology of acoustic ecology. The programs are produced by Kenya D. Williams of AdoreRecordings in Portland, Oregon. 

Source: VIMEO

Documentary: David Rothenberg - Why Birds Sing

Why Birds Sing (15:01) BBC. Inspired by musician and eco-philosopher David Rothenberg's book of the same title, this documentary explores the intriguing, charming, complex and often conflicting theories on why birds sing like they do and why humans are so attracted to the sound.

The film features contributions from musicians including Laurie Anderson, Jarvis Cocker and Beth Orton; enlightening and often startling analysis from some of the world's most eminent birdsong scientists; a literary guide to birdsong in poetry; a bizarre birdsong-themed art 'happening'; the creation of a new musical composition from the Afro-Celt Sound System, entirely made up of manipulated birdsongs; and a strange musical duet at New York's Bronx Aviary, featuring humans and birds.

Filmed in the forests, aviaries, studios and laboratories of England, Germany and the USA, this is a colourful, entertaining, informative and occasionally weird journey through the songs of nature that have enchanted and perplexed humans for thousands of years. Produced by the BBC.

Related Videos

David Rothernberg Interspecies Musician and Philosopher (3:50) NJIT. Dr. David Rothenberg, best-selling author and acclaimed clarinetist, discusses his work researching animal communication, bird song, and music. His interest is in bridging art and science. Rothenberg received his PhD from Boston University and his BA from Harvard University. Produced by the New Jersey Institute of Technolgoy.

Source: YouTube

Bird Songs (2:1) PBS. Scientist and musician David Rothenberg takes discussion of bird songs a step further than biological imperative, and recognizes these tunes distinct to each species as music. Rothenberg is a professor of philosophy and music at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, with a special interest in animal sounds as music. He is also a jazz musician whose books and CDs reflect a longtime interest in understanding other species by making music with them. Reference: David Rothenberg Why Birds Sing: A Journey Into the Mystery of Bird Song (Basic Books, 2005)

Source: PBS

Soundscape Composition: Crane Sunday

Crane Sunday (6:10) By Michael Peters. This is a sonic montage of recorded sounds including underwater insects, planes crossing overhead, and contact microphone recordings from under a bridge. The recordings were mostly made in the same small harbour in Cologne, Germany. The only exception is a pump organ that was recorded in a Stockholm museum. More information online: www.michaelpeters.de

Source: Vimeo

Research: David Dunn's Sonic Beetle Wars

Sonic Weapons Against Bark Beetle (2:30) Forest scientists at Northern Arizona University's  Ecological Restoration Institute are desperate to stop the massive devastation from bark beetle infestation, have recruited a powerful and unconventional force to fight this fierce little bug—Santa Fe musician and composer David Dunn. (Produced by Inside NAU)

Related Video

Beetle Mania. (2:51) The work of Assistant Professor Richard Hofstetter, Research Assistant Reagan McGuire and composer David Dunn has been receiving a lot of attention lately. The trio has been working on a unique approach to controlling bark beetle outbreaks, by turning their own sounds against them. Their work has been the subject of more than 50 stories in newspapers and magazines, as well as on television and radio. (Produced by Inside NAU)

Source: You Tube