Nature Recordings

Although I listened to countless nature sound effects in movies as a kid, I did not hear my first nature recording until I was in college. I had never listened to the soothing sounds of the beach or recordings of bird calls in the wilds of the Canadian Northwest. It did not even occur to me that anyone would want to make such recordings, although I was an audio engineer at the time. I figured the only purpose of nature recordings would be for stock sounds in movies. I was surprised by what I found when I started to look closer.

The first nature recording I heard was actually one of loon calls in the Canadian wilderness. I was a big fan of loons, and a fan of canoing in Canada, so it struck a chord with me as you might imagine. It really brought me back to the place in a way I had not anticipated. I would close my eyes, let my mind drift, and suddenly see the things I was hearing. I could suddenly see the miles and miles of clear lakes, the lonely loons calling out to each other across unfathomable distances, and the winds slowly picking up through the pine trees. The nature recordings took me back to a picturesque environ I hadn't seen in years more effectively than a movie would have.

I guess that's what has impressed me so much about nature recordings. I've always been sort of bored by watching nature films. It never seems quite the same as being there. Yet somehow, when I listen to the sounds of nature with my eyes closed, I go there again. It transports me completely in a way that sound and video together can not.

Since I discovered nature recordings, I have begun to use them for a lot of different things. I use them a lot in my movies, of course, but I also get a lot of personal use out of them. I love listening to the sound of the ocean recorded in Hawaii as a way of revisiting that beautiful island chain. I don't have the time and money to visit very often, but I can at least content myself to listen to nature recordings between visits. I miss the ocean so desperately when I haven't gone to see it in a while that it is a great treat to be able to revisit it in my mind.

Summary: Nature recordings are used very much in television shows and movies. The average viewer does not notice exactly how much sound work is involved when creating a work. You can truly appreciate the sounds if you pay attention during a show by closing your eyes and just listening to all the remarkable sounds included.

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