NomaDic sounD resEArch Co.

Example Project

The following is how soundscapes could be used in a campaign:

Over the next five years, we will conduct a project focused on recording sounds in various biomes worldwide, with a primary emphasis on drawing attention to the deteriorating coastlines facing a "total loss" crisis due to climate change. The captured audio, termed "soundscapes," from these vanishing seaboards, beaches, and shorelines will serve for observation, study, analysis, and to experience raw wild habitats, both thriving and unhealthy.

Our goal is to document these endangered areas before climate change stressors render them uninhabitable, preserving their unique sonic signatures for future generations. Additionally, we aim to document the movement of sounds in and out of distressed areas, assessing the impact of human-generated noise pollution. The effects of rising oceans, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and seas are still unknown, and we seek to contribute to understanding this phenomenon.

Furthermore, we plan to create a sound bank for mindful meditations during our global travels. What sets our soundscapes apart is their perspective on climate change effects, serving an educational purpose. Our diverse sound library includes sources like waterfalls, offering a comprehensive collection representing various habitats worldwide. This approach aims to elevate the mainstream listening experience and establish a foundation for mindful listening.

Approach:

We adopt an "Ethnographic Film" approach in our soundscape recording, merging this unique method with the acoustic dynamics between living organisms and the earth to create a soundscape habitat presentation. Our field recordings are guided by the principles of reality, analysis, improvisation, depth, insight, comprehensiveness, and context, aiming to preserve vanishing environments. Our sound approach centers on the delicate boundary where marine and terrestrial organisms blur, experience stress, and face disappearance. Over the next five years, we'll travel by boat to various locations, recording the unique aspects of oceans and examining the impact of noise and physical pollutants on marine life in our target study areas.

About the Soundscaper:

With over 25 years of experience in ethnographic sound production and a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, a branch of cultural anthropology focused on discovering unique sonic signatures, Dave is adept at recording interactions between nature and humans. His expertise lies in qualitative research and emotional intelligence, forming the core of his process. Dave conducts in-depth interviews and evidence-based observational research, immersing himself in diverse environments to craft captivating soundscapes that unveil patterns and potential new discoveries. Additionally, Dave collaborates with a team of academically trained experts to create soundscapes in distressed coastal biomes.

Approach and Technique:

We'll categorize distressed locations into three areas for soundscape documentation:

1. Anthropophony – Human sounds:
  - Controlled: Organized sounds
  - Uncontrolled: Considered noise, chaotic, derived from machines and technology

2. Geophony – Earth sounds:
  - Non-biological or non-living sounds

3. Biophony – Animal sounds:
  - Sounds from living organisms, both individual and collective, at a specific place and time

Soundscape:

The combination of the above categories.

With this breakdown of natural sounds and our ethnographic approach, our goal is to draw attention to the coexistence of human, earth, and animal sounds. By doing so, we aim to promote mindful awareness of the natural soundscape in and around distressed coastal areas.

How do we identify distressed areas for documentation, capture, and study? We rely on research-based insights from top scientists, including NASA, and collaborate with organizations like Waves for Water and projects such as Al Gore's climate reality project, working to understand the front-line impacts of climate change.

What criteria are we considering when formulating questions about the target audio areas?

In assessing the environmental sound sample (with a focus on the fading call of nature), we plan to conduct field interviews with locals to identify areas that have been lost or are currently under threat along the coastlines we visit.

Key Questions to Ask:
1. What makes the sound(s) unique in that environment?
2. Is it Primitive, Visceral, and Savage, or Fundamental, Innate, and Ancient?
3. What is indicating the habitat’s health and the value of the wildness, the untamed, and uncompromised nature?
4. How do we define the sonic signature of the biome or the voice of that area’s natural world?
5. Is there an impact of human sound that has compromised the habitat?
6. What is intriguing about the sound(s) that will help define the endangered area?
7. What is the relationship between nature, earth, and human?
8. Are there any hidden sound(s) that would otherwise go unnoticed?
9. What is the importance of audio archives in understanding the crucial role in our ability to grasp global trends within expanding infrastructure, climate change, and habitat loss?
10. How will we capture the sounds, ensuring our footprint is minimal? (Opting for a "fly on the wall" approach) How will we document the wild soundscapes to define the past, present, and future?

Additionally, we are developing recording equipment to enhance our capturing technique.

How will we assess the quality of the captured soundscapes?

We will evaluate the interaction among the three primary sound categories: earth, nature, and human (1 & 2). Our focus will be on illuminating the intricate acoustic relationships occurring in our target environments. By observing the interactions among these three elements and their correlations, we aim to enhance our interpretation of the soundscape quality in distressed areas. This analysis will enable us to utilize the soundscape as a proxy for comprehending ecological attributes, habitat health, and biodiversity indicators before the loss of land.

Equipment:

In addition to standard field recording practices, we will employ a cutting-edge technique called "Sound Lapse," inspired by the time-lapse visual effect found on most smartphones today. We are currently designing a recording device with the goal of minimizing our impact on the documented area and obtaining a more accurate representation of the soundscape.

The concept involves placing a recording device in an area devoid of human interaction and programming it to record at predetermined intervals over a chosen period. For instance, the device could record for 60 seconds every 30 minutes within a 6-hour time frame or record 10 seconds every hour over 24 hours. Developing a sound device with sufficient battery life has posed challenges, but we are making progress. Collaborating with companies like Roland and Zoom, along with engineering colleagues at the University of Waterloo, we are working towards a solution.

Conclusion:

This project is a travel-to-learn initiative, and we will share our discoveries weekly, and sometimes daily. We believe that sound, often overlooked, has the potential to teach and inspire us to explore beyond the ordinary sounds of everyday life.