A personal note from Earth.fm curator Melissa Pons

I’m writing because I’d like to pass on how much wonderful feedback we receive from our listeners and Earth.fm members. On top of that, I want to share how grateful the team and I are for your submissions and correspondence. As a result, besides the new friends I’ve made over the past three years of the platform’s existence, I’ve also acquired some familiarity with many Australian soundscapes, fallen in love with the sounds of European forests and gorges, and become intrigued by desert soundscapes. And the list could go on! 

As usual for the region where I live, it’s been a very hot summer. In temperatures of more than 40ºC, going out to record – either on foot or by bike – demands extra resilience.

The physicality of this endeavor can’t be overlooked. All of us who make field recordings endure adverse conditions, one way or another. We may spend days at a time in wild spaces, often alone and at the mercy of the elements. Some of you have plunged into dense rainforest vegetation full of venomous insects and reptiles, or braved Antarctica or the Arctic Circle (or both!). A few have even ventured dangerously close to active volcanoes.

Also significant is nature recordists’ mental dedication, and, dare I say, the spiritual connection many of us feel while in the field (whatever ‘spiritual connection’ means to you). There is something quite profound about this practice. Many times it serves only ourselves – the time outdoors strongly focusing on nature’s elements with their multiple complex textures, to feel the spatiality of the place via the reflections and diffractions of sound waves at a multitude of frequencies in a variety of surfaces. This attentiveness enhances all our other senses in that moment. By heightening our sensitivity to the living world, it increases our awareness of the urgency of fully respecting and protecting all living beings.

But what a gift it is to share that connection to nature with the world! The recordings we have the honor to stream on Earth.fm tell stories, and allow listeners to travel as deeply as you travel when on location (well, minus the possible discomfort and hurdles). Meaning that each recording has the power to become personal to every single listener.

We know that tracks can involve hours of ‘listening care’ – from research, to mental space and the post-production process. I always say that once you commit to nature soundscape recording, you can’t go back – and that speaks tremendously to being involved with listening to our world. 

Thank you to each one of you for sharing your care, your efforts, and your learnings with Earth.fm and our listeners. 🌼

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All photos courtesy of Melissa Pons