The session

I went to Hilly Fields on [date] at [time], in [weather]. I recorded from [spot] for [length of time], then did a soundwalk along [route]. I used [recorder, microphones and settings]. [One or two sentences on how it felt to be there with the intention of recording.]

What I expected versus what I heard

Before going, I had written that Hilly Fields sounds like [from your memory-soundscape]. In the session, I heard:

• [sounds that matched your memory]
• [sounds you didn’t expect, or hadn’t remembered]
• [sounds you expected but couldn’t find]

The biggest surprise was [what]. [A sentence on why it surprised you.]

Listening back

When I listened to the recording at home, [what stood out]. The microphone picked up [things you hadn’t noticed on site, e.g. distant traffic, a plane, wind on the mic], and missed [things that mattered to you]. [Does hearing the recording change what you think you remember? Say how.]

What went wrong or didn’t work

[Be specific: wind noise, handling noise, a spot that was too busy, settings you’d change.] This matters because [what you’ve learned], and next time I will [change].

Connecting to other work

Listening back made me think of Luc Ferrari’s Presque rien n°1 (1970), where a morning at a seaside village is condensed into one continuous piece. My single session is much shorter, but it raises the same question of how much a recording shows of a place and how much of the listener’s choices. [Add one sentence on how this relates to what you noticed, e.g. your choice of where to place the microphone.] I’d like to try [for example combining several sessions into one “day” at Hilly Fields] to see how that changes the result.

Next step

For session 2 I will [change, e.g. record at dusk, use a windshield, try a different spot]. I will also [other next step, e.g. start testing processing on this recording].

References

• Ferrari, L. (1970) Presque rien n°1 (Le lever du jour au bord de la mer) [Sound recording]. [Add label details after checking.]