Finding Sound

As the world gets louder, quiet places become scarce. Humans now seek out these places to find solitude in the quiet, but are they truly quiet? From the rustling of leaves and the creaking of trees to the chirping of birds and the flowing of water, when you listen, the sounds of nature can seem almost deafening. I think a better description than quiet, is peaceful. When searching for sound in our local wilderness with Jason Cushing, I discovered what could be heard when accompanied by a trained ear.

Jason is a local sound engineer who, through his company, SoundMorph, has had his audio recordings used by big movie and game studios, many that you would likely find familiar. Beginning his craft at the Art Institute of Vancouver, he has spent decades making sound libraries to share with creators. To say that he hears things differently would be an understatement. His trained ear can focus on minute sounds and cadences that typically go unnoticed. Since what I like to do is go wander around in the woods, I couldn't wait to bring Jason along to find out what he would hear.

The temperature dropped, and the snow began to fall as the day approached when we were set to go on our little adventure. My primary thought was to take him to water, one of the most obvious sounds in nature, but I became nervous as that water began to freeze. Do I reschedule so we can go out on a day when we aren't battling cold fingers and trying to keep snow off the equipment? The idea crossed my mind, but with cold weather forecasted as far as I could see, and a deadline looming, we kept our schedule.

We decided to begin in the most obvious sound spot, at the base of an approximately 120-foot waterfall. Jason taught me the basics of capturing sound as we trekked up the trail. The first point that he made clear was how quiet we would need to be. The microphone he had brought along was extremely sensitive, so while it was directional, meaning it picked up a tight cone of sound where it was pointed; it was sensitive enough to pick up the subtlest sounds. This was Jason's way of letting me know I would need to shut my trap while he was recording. I've been known to be a bit chatty at times. Not talking was obvious, but we would also need to hold still because even the rustling of clothes would sully the sounds of nature.

When I approached Jason about collaborating on this project with me, he said the challenge is finding places where you can't hear road noise. I was fairly certain this location would work, but as we approached, I was nervous that the waterfall would be so frozen that there would be no sound to record. This showed how naive I was about the whole process. I was correct that the waterfall would not be raging, but it was still flowing down its partially frozen face, creating unique sounds only to be found when the temperature drops and the water is crystallized into ice. Jason pulled out his equipment and went to work with great skill.

He first videotaped the scene with a camera placed on a tripod for YouTube or social media content. He then pulled out his microphone. The microphone was in a case to act as a windscreen, and then he added a fuzzy wrap to further protect from wind. He inserted earbuds to hear what the microphone was picking up and signaled to me that he was about to record. I probably didn’t need the signal, as he became still as a statue once he pressed record. He and his microphone focused only on the sound around us. I stood there quietly, and I listened. I could hear sounds come to life that, with my other senses going, typically go overlooked. I noticed the slight changes in the water, creating a subtle but consistent pattern. Occasionally, a bird would chirp, or some leaves would rustle, but on this day, with the snow acting as an insulator, the sounds of the waterfall were the star of the show.

Jason recorded for a few minutes at a time, and once he felt happy with what he had recorded, we moved on to find more sounds. We went downstream and found a spot where the creek was sheeting across the face of a large rock that was attempting to dam the water. Jason again directed his microphone exactly where he wanted it and began recording. Yes, it was still running water, but no, it didn't sound the same as the waterfall. As I stood there listening, I realized that water has infinite sounds varying on flow, fall, and terrain. The shape of the bank and the surrounding trees also influence how the sound is perceived as it bounces its way to the microphone and our ears.

As we made our way to another nearby creek, Jason followed, microphone in hand, capturing the sound of my boots crunching in the snow. Usually when I walk, my eyes are my dominant sense, but my awareness of the microphone made me shift my senses to my ears. I heard the crunching of the snow beneath my boot with every step. The mundane task of walking became a sensory experience. While we walked without speaking, my mind wandered a bit, thinking that the sounds of my boots on the snow could end up being the sound of a character in a movie or video game crunching their way through winter. We didn't discuss it, but I don't think my great snow crunching skills come with a royalty deal.

We stopped a few more times to record the sounds of the creeks and whatever else Mother Nature was providing before embracing the warmth of a car ride to our next destination. We headed to the south fork of the Nooksack River, where I was confident we would have the sound of flowing water. You never know what water level you will experience, but with the snow frozen in the mountains, the water was low, giving us access to a beach and an easy approach to the water's edge. As Jason once again set up his equipment, an eagle soared overhead, saying hello with a dip of the wing. With his microphone on, Jason once again began recording the natural ambience. The river offered a consistent flow of sound, but now less sheltered by conifers and in a less remote location, the challenges Jason faced when trying to capture sound became apparent. Even in a place that felt isolated and quiet, the occasional sound from vehicles on the highway would impede the sounds of nature.

Spending a day focused on sound brought attention to just how rare it is to find a truly quiet place. Human sounds are nearly everywhere, making it a unique experience when one can sit and simply hear what the world used to sound like. Thanks to Jason, I have a new appreciation for sound. I'm more aware of the subtleties and intricacies that exist in what seems obvious, and how important it is to take the time to just be still and listen.

Some of the recordings from our day can be found on YouTube @Naturesleepmeditate or they just might find their way into your next favorite film.   X