Field Recording, Community, and Memory

Nat Grant - photographer Keelan Hehir

This paper will investigate the kinds of histories and memories that can be shared through making and experiencing field recordings and sound walks. Whether for creative or archival purposes, field recordings provide a valuable (if subjective) take on historical

events, and can draw attention to political, environmental, and social issues. The current accessibility of recording equipment and digital networks means that field recording, and the subsequent sharing of these recordings is becoming increasingly easy, making

it possible to grow online communities around a shared listening experience. In this paper I will look at the movement towards the use of field recordings as a tool for bringing people together, and the huge uptake in the creation of and participation in soundwalks during 2020/21 lockdowns.

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