a summer day's sound diary

Yesterday whilst cleaning up the website, I discovered my very first blogpost from 2013 (its been 6 years!?!), and was shockingly reminded of one of the reasons I started this blog section in the first place: to create sound diaries - little journal entries of my days and travels, but capturing these moments purely through my ears, rather than my eyes. Acoustic snapshots if you will, to take the place of visual memories. That was also the impetus behind my sound.travels project - an invitation to audiences to be soundscape tourists with us, whether it be through geographical travels, a trip down memory lane, or an exploration of our inner worlds.

Well, I completely forgot about sound diaries, and so here’s my second one, six years on. let’s hope its not another six years before I write a third one. In any case, I am certainly re-inspired! It definitely encourages one to be completely present, in both my travels and in my daily experiences.

Its 5:15PM on a Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting in the garden.

The afternoon summer air is still, and at the same time its literally buzzing with so much life - the zzzzzzs of very busy bees as they frantically dance from one flower to the next, overwhelmed by the neverending all-day buffet that’s on offer. Right now there’s an extremely constant zzzz behind me…verging on the edge of being almost painful. Crazy, how much noise such a tiny being creates by merely vibrating the very air around it. And now, a sharp ZZZ!! fading right away again into ZZZzz…zzzz….zzzz as it very nearly hits my head and makes it just in time round the corner, away into the distance.

Up above, an unknown species of bird goes “kiap, kiap, kiap…” while yet another unknown bird replies, higher pitched: “peeep peeep peeep peeep peeeep peep peep peeeeeeeep”. Almost immediately, from my right, a sudden deep-throated intrustion, almost a croak. And all this while, the bees buzz and buzz….summ summ summ…and the wind gently ruffles and rustles the grapevines. Then, a sudden huge sssswwwshsssshhhhhh, pppplllllpppp, ebbing yet again into gentleness.

My neighbours’ distant laughter and conversations drift over, and somewhere to the right, a slam dunk is scored. I hear the steady beating of my own heart, and the inhale and exhale of my breaths.

All around me, its an agitated symphony of bees abuzz, coupled with wondrous wild whirls of wind.

This is summer in northern Germany.

I would love to experience your personal sound diaries, if you would like to share! feel free to send me a mail, or simply comment. have a lovely remaining Sunday!