Interview with Roger Boughton

Thoughts on using field recordings creatively, connecting with nature, and other stuff….

I’ve been a member of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society (WSRS) for the last couple of years.  Through this organisation I’ve been able to meet fellow field recordists, seek identification of ‘mystery’ bird calls I’ve recorded, gain advice on technical issues and generally advance my field-recording skills.  One person who’s provided such advice is long-standing member Roger Boughton.  Roger started wildlife recording in the days of 20kg reel to reel tape recorders, where one reel lasted 24 minutes (….no pressure!).  He’s amassed a vast amount of experience in the field and captured many sounds from across the continents. Take a listen on his website, where you can hear all manner of wildlife from the past to the present. 

I recently had the chance to be interviewed by Roger.  He explained that he was interested in talking to people who, once having made their field recordings, go on to use them creatively.  In the interview I talk about my own field-recording experiences and subsequent use of recordings as the building blocks for musical pieces.  I also share my thoughts on rewilding and on how field-recording activities and ‘ecological sound art’ can be creative and fun ways to connect people with nature.   

It transpired that Roger had also done some wider background research on me! So the interview also includes me chatting about my work with the creative arts charity Hoot, and with Yorkshire Sound Women Network and its affiliated Calderdale group.  I’ve posted the interview below, and it’s also available as a podcast from Roger’s website.