ARTISTS TALKING

# 3 [15 May 2008]

6 May 2008

Wollaton Hall Gardens and Deer Park, Nottingham

As soon as I stepped out of my car I knew I had to immediately set up my in-ear microphones and record the sound of two guys laughing and throwing a whistling rugby ball back and forth, cars tyres crunching over the gravel as they moved behind me and an old couple moving towards me and arguing about how far away the car was parked from Wollaton Hall.

I had forgotten just how big Wollaton Park was, walking up towards the main entrance I could hear my sandals dragging against the grass, birds singing in the trees, muffled talking and the odd shout from groups of teenagers sucking at each others faces, parents and their children throwing balls and Frisbees back and fourth, hard core walkers and a lonely old man asleep on a blanket with his dog.

The museum gift shop offered plenty of history on Wollaton Hall, its residents; restored rooms and exterior building work and more interestingly ghost hauntings.

# 2 [30 April 2008]

At the moment I’m looking for locations in both Nottingham and Leicester to record the surrounding environment using binaural audio.  The binaural audio can then be edited into an audio walk or installation that will present the listener via stereo headphones with a 360- degree experience, which can confuse listeners as to what is recorded audio and what is live sound.

The presence of a certain location or building together with its purpose, physical presence, ambience, character, history and the individuals that occupy it are the starting point to produce the audio walk/installation…

# 1 [28 April 2008]

Just a short drive to Trentham to see 140 Barbary Macaque monkeys.

This short visit was documented through the use of in-ear microphones recorded as a binaural soundtrack. 

The recording was a little disappointing because the monkeys didn’t make any sounds at all, although I did capture the tour guide giving a talk, as well as a video explaining how the monkeys survive the harsh British winters, as well as the general ambiance of the place (birds singing and rivers flowing).  There was also a lot of audio involving people talking, laughing and getting frustrated with their children, which I’m sure I will be able to use for future binaural audio tracks!