Is it a seagull’s squawk, the gentle sweep of a wave along a sandy beach or your children jumping joyfully into the hotel’s pool? In this post we’ve asked our sound artist and advisor Rick Blything about his ultimate sound of the summer this year.
Summer of Sounds
This year more than any other summer Rick has been in the right location to eagerly await the arrival of the Swifts. For those less familiar with its features, the Swift is a short-legged very fast flying animal that can spent most part of the year in continuous flight. Apart from childhood memories of hot dry summers and the sight and sound of them high above his garden, Rick’s not been in the right place.
Photo credit Joyce Huis @ Unsplash
Summer Tunes
This year however, in early May Rick was thrilled to hear them arrive from their long journey from Africa to the UK. Rick placed his microphones out of his bedroom window for a few mornings and created this miniature soundscape.
Can your hear how the high pitched screams come and go. First they appear almost hesitant, then suddenly they become louder and more forceful. As they come and go their sounds are interspersed with the everyday city sounds like that of a police siren. A summer of sounds enjoyed in the urban environment can be as beautiful an experience as capturing birds in their natural habitat. It’s one of those moments in which you pause and let the acoustics delight your senses; a way to simply let sounds inspire your everyday life.
Screaming Summer
Since then the screamers have been screeching and wheeling above and over his house throughout the days of summer. Mind you, these feathered creatures are known to form proper ‘screaming parties’. For Rick however, this peculiar calling right above his city centre house has really become his favourite sound of summer. How about your favourite sound of summer? Instead of birds, have the sounds of water along a local or far flung coastline created the perfect summer sound for you?
Photo credit Eduard Militaru @ Unsplash
Soundtrack Your summer
Whichever sound it may be, we hope to have encouraged you to get out into the open and record your favourite everyday sound of summer. You’ll have to be quick to catch the Swifts though as most have already left for France or Spain and they tend to reach central Africa by mid August. Not sure how to start recording? We’ve got you covered. Simply download the Aroundsound app for iOS or Android and check out our short guide to get the best out of capturing the sounds of your everyday.
Photo credit Bruno Martins @ Unsplash
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