Audio Postcards was developed by Ruth Farrar from academic research and a residency at Pervasive Media Studio. The project considered critical questions on binaural field recording, sound preservation and an elusive search for soundmarks – an audio equivalent of landmarks. Landmarks such as Bristol’s Suspension Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge regularly appear on visual postcards. However, do soundmarks exist? Ruth joined us in the Studio on 3 May to explain her research into this tricky field and talk us through her project 'From Bristol to Brooklyn.'

'From Bristol to Brooklyn: In Search of Soundmarks'

Ruth explained that a soundmark is defined by an Acoustic Ecology as ‘A community sound which is unique or possesses qualities which make it specially regarded’ (R. Murray Schafer, 1977).

Ruth embarked on her project 'From Bristol to Brooklyn: In Search of Soundmarks' to explore a different method of mapping out a place sonically, to find out if it’s possible to record and preserve soundmarks which are unique to a specific community, and ultimately to find out if soundmarks exist.

To explore if she could create soundmarks, as described by Schafer, Ruth decided to take field recordings of two cities and compare them. She based the study on Brooklyn, New York and Bristol, United Kingdom. She used Binaural Microphones to make the recordings as they are designed to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener. You can check out a brilliant example of how binaural sound works here.

After taking field recordings in both cities and comparing them she noted that the sounds recorded weren’t always unique, noticeable or community sounds. Ruth explained that unique is too specific an aspect to apply to a definition because it applies to every sound we hear. She went on to explain she believes you can’t define an aspect of a soundmark as being noticeable, because it’s too expansive for noisy urban territories, and lastly community is too restrictive an aspect because there is no room for subjective listening, personal memories and context.  

In conclusion Ruth believes an acoustic ecological definition of a soundmark cannot be fixed or preserved because sound itself by its nature cannot be fixed. In the same vein you can’t revisit a soundmark in the same way you would visit a landmark due to sound's constantly changing nature.

Visit Ruth’s project websites to listen to the recordings yourself, to immerse yourself in the sounds of Bristol & Brooklyn and to send your own audio postcard.  

Audio Postcards Bristol:  http://www.audiopostcardsbristol.com/

Audio Postcards Brooklyn: http://www.audiopostcardsbrooklyn.com/