This in-person course hosted by Open City Docs is for beginners looking to work creatively and develop their skills in field recording to produce their own soundscape composition. We will look at fundamental theoretical and conceptual debates in the area, the basics of field recording, acoustic ecology and soundwalking, how to get started with Reaper and how to creatively compose with environmental recordings. At the end of the course, you will have a collection of your own field recordings to work with in the future and a completed soundscape composition. This course engages with and intersects art, climate change, ecology, soundscape, field recording and musical composition.

• Participants are required to bring their own headphones and are welcome to bring any field recording equipment if they have any
• No previous experience is required but some basic audio knowledge would be useful
• Participants will be expected to complete small listening and practical tasks outside of class

Learning outcomes:

• Gain confidence using field recording equipment through practical sessions
• Engage with a new way of listening and working with environmental sounds
• Gain an understanding of fundamental theory and history of soundscape composition
• Learn how to use the DAW Reaper
• Learn useful skills and methodologies in creating an engaging soundscape composition that are transferable and can be used in the context of soundwalks, performances, radio, film, installation and more

Course outline

The following topics are only indicative:

Session 1

Field recording

Microphones

Soundwalking

Session 2 

Soundscape Composition

Acoustic Ecology

Session 3

Getting started with Reaper 1

Session 4

Getting started with Reaper 2

Session 5

Soundscape Composition (creative composition)

Session 6

Tutorials and sharing session of final works

This course takes place across 6 Tuesday evenings (28^th February to 4^th April 2023), from 7 to 9pm.

Booking closes at 12pm on Monday 27th February.

We reserve the right to cancel or postpone this course in case we don’t receive enough bookings.

If you have any enquiries regarding this course, please contact [email protected] or call +442031084774.

Image: Anyox (Jessica Johnson & Ryan Ermacora, 2022)

Course location: Open City Docs, 4th Floor, 40 Bernard Street, London, WC1N 1LE

Led by award-winning sound artist Nikki Sheth, learn how to create your own soundscape compositions through this practice-led, audio-based course.