40 George St
Oxford OX1 2AQ
UK
From palaeolithic shamanism to the politics of classical Rome, interpreting the movements and sounds of birds was highly valued as a way of learning what forces might be influencing the events of our world, whether envisaged as gods, the weather or natural laws.
For the second talk of the series, Geoff Sample will follow this idea and its flow through various Eurasian cultures in our attitudes to, and interpretations of, the sound languages of other species; and on to contemporary scientific research and listening with a bioacoustic ear.
Geoff Sample is a field recordist who has concentrated on wildlife and natural soundscapes for the last 30 years. He’s the author and producer of a series of Collins sound guides, including the best-selling Collins Bird Songs & Calls, contributes sound and discussion to radio & TV (Tweet of the Day, Countryfile, the Verb) and collaborates with contemporary artists on installations, exhibitions and performances (Marcus Coates, Hanna Tuulikki, Mike Collier).
Sound I’m Particular is a Pay What You Decide talk series that aims to provide a forum to discuss and interrogate listening as both subject and object, exploring the various guises of contemporary listening practices with talks and demonstrations by artists and academics from all over the country; ranging from topics such as augury and Nan Shepherd, to Gertrude Stein and Virginia Woolf, to field recording and Twin Peaks.