Mule Train in the Grand Canyon (1:10) On a hot early fall day, I hiked, with my wife and some friends, about 2 miles down the North Kaibab Trail into the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. We walked down to a place called the Supai Tunnel, about 1400 feet below the rim. On the slow hike back up the dusty trail, a mule train of about a dozen mules carrying tourists down to the Supai forced me to the side of the trail while they passed. The mules' hooves clink against the rock, they sputter, and a few of the riders add their greetings in passing.

Slot Machines at the Imperial Palace, Las Vegas (6:00) Spending any time in Las Vegas is like visiting a foreign country, no, a distant planet. Everything is so different from the way we normally live, so artificial, so opulently fake. The main gambling hall at the Imperial Palace, like all of the other gambling halls in Las Vegas hotels, is a cacaphony of voices, piped-in music, glissandos from slot machines, bells tinkling, and all of the other assorted sounds made by the gamblers at their machines and tables. It is very hard to have a conversation, let alone being able to think clearly in the din, but I suppose that is part of the method of separating the visitor from his money. This 'scape is a stroll through the main hall of the Imperial Palace, starting out by the ice machine next to the second floor elevator, then going down to the main floor in the elevator, walking around for a few minutes, and returning to the second floor ice machine.

Ask Not For Whom (5:00) An experiment in layering, this piece uses a newly recorded clip of a "breathing" steam radiator plus a number of my existing sound clips (some of which are included on this site in their more "pure" forms), with the climax being St. Paul's Cathedral in London striking noon. All of the pieces come together to make a soundscape which is different from the sum of its parts.

Heron Rookery, Oregon (2:50) This was recorded on Sauvie Island, 10 miles northwest of Portland, on May 6, 2007. Walking on the Oak Island trail, I had heard from a distance what sounded to me almost like frogs, but as I got closer it became more apparent that the sound was coming from birds. We slowly worked our way off the main trail and through thickets towards the sound until I felt I could go no further without disturbing the birds. They were roosting in the trees all around me, but the foliage was so thick that I could not see the nests clearly. I believe they were great blue herons, but without a clear view, and without being a true birder, I could easily be mistaken. My presence didn't seem to disturb them -- even planes flying low overhead didn't seem to bother them at all.

Cascade Head Oregon Mix (1:00) On a very drippy day on Cascade Head, just north of Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast, I recorded several clips which I have layered and manipulated. Taking one bird call, I made several slower versions and layered them under the original, and finally adding a burbling brook (recorded nearby at the base of the Nature Conservancy Cascade Head Trail).

Playing Boules in the Arène de Lutèce, Paris (1:06) Behind some buildings along rue Monge in the 5th Arrondissement of Paris is the ancient Arène de Lutèce, the ruins of a Roman ampitheater. One afternoon in February, 2007, a group of men were playing boules in one corner of the sandy playing field, while a couple of boys practiced their soccer kicks in another part of the arena. The echos bounced around giving a nice full feeling. I can safely say that Charles was the undisputed winner of that round.

Tuning a Santoor, Paris (1:11) Passing by an Iranian rug shop on rue Gay-Lussac near the Luxembourg Gardens, I heard the sounds of a hammered dulcimer coming from within. The rug merchant was also an importer of instruments from Iran called santoor, and he was in the midst of tuning a freshly arrived one. Traffic whizzes by outside the shop while he tunes the multiple strings.

Blvd Raspail Market, Paris (1:05) On Tuesday mornings, in the middle of the very busy Boulevard Raspail there is a market stretching along for several blocks. It is a noisy place, not only from the traffic whizzing by on both sides, but also from the salespeople and buyers. One Tuesday morning in February, 2007, this little snippet of the market was recorded. The levels on the recorder were set a little high and there is some clipping, but you still get the feeling of being surrounded by the market.

Accordions in the Métro, Paris (1:35) A pair of accordionists work the Paris metro, staying in a car for a stop or two, then passing the hat before jumping off just before the doors close.

Paris Métro Ligne 3 enters Opéra (1:00) The Paris metro trains have sounds all their own; the buzz which announces the closing of the doors, the click as doors are manually unlocked by the passengers, and the automatic announcements of upcoming station stops. But I always like the rhythms of clacking tracks and the squeal of tight turns, as well as a little extra music as the train pulls into the Opéra station.

Paris Métro enters Havre Caumartin (1:26) The Paris metro trains are extraordinarily quiet, at least when compared with the Boston subway trains. One can actually carry on a conversation in an ordinary voice! But the rhythms and general sounds of the trains are always there, sounding uniquely French.

In the Boston MFA Early American Furniture Gallery (1:01) Down a long back hallway in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is a wonderful collection of early American furniture and silver. The flooring squeaks as if it were as old as the items on display. A couple of ladies comment on what they are seeing, and other people pass by, squeaking as they go.

In the Plaza Bib Rambla, Granada, Spain (1:02) Just behind the great cathedral in the heart of Granada is the Plaza Bib Rambla. In late June of 2006 there was an international handicrafts fair set up in the plaza -- dozens of booths each selling wares from different parts of the globe. In the center of the plaza, the fountain bubbles and gurgles, while all around are the cacaphonous sounds of the vendors and buyers.

Flyway & Flyboy (1:01) This recording was made on Sauvie Island near Portland, Oregon. Millions of birds use Sauvie as a stop-over on their migration routes. The part of the island the birds flock to is protected, so I could not get closer than about a half mile. I thought that I would just get their chattering, but I was surprised to record their competition as well.

3 o'clock in the 'Hood (1:02) While testing out some new microphones, I recorded this innocent little backyard scene. The local church a block away strikes 3, a dog barks, and a neighbor tells it to be quiet.

The Down-Easter Passes (2:19) Amtrak's train, the Down-Easter, speeds through my town, Medford, Massachusetts, on its way from Boston to Portland, Maine. The traffic stops when the signal gate comes down, and starts up again after the train has passed.

French Market (1:51) In Paris, one of the best experiences is going to the open-air markets which are located throughout the city. This recording is a composite of sounds I collected at several different markets (Aligre, Bastille, and others), so although it is not one specific place, it gives a real sense of place. The recordings were made in March, 1995 with a Sony Walkman cassette recorder using a simple stereo mic with very limited windscreening capabilities.

Jackhammers, London (1:14) While walking past St. Paul's Cathedral in London in the summer of 2006, I stopped to record a construction site around the corner. I liked the poly-rhythmic percussion.

Millennium Bridge Sound Project at the Tate Modern, London (1:08) The Tate Modern museum in London is in an old power plant, a huge interior space with fantastical accoustics that used to hold the giant turbines. While we were in London in June, there was an installation of a sound piece in which the Millennium footbridge which connects central London with the museum was wired with microphones and sensors so that the bridge became an instrument. The resulting sound was played in the echoing Turbine Hall. More can be found at the Tate Modern website.

Café in the Arenal, Seville (1:00) Early morning at an outdoor café in the Arenal District of Seville, Spain. Traffic passes, coffee is stirred, and the ever-present chimney swifts wheel and scream overhead.

Smooth Cobblestones, Seville (1:02) Every street in old Seville is paved with stone worn smooth by hundreds of years of traffic passing. At a sharp corner from one very narrow street into another just behind the massive cathedral, turning car and truck tires made a fascinating sound, no matter how slowly they were going.

Storks Clacking, Córdoba (1:02) On the belfry of the small church of San Basilio near the gardens of the Royal Alcázar, storks have made a huge nest. The narrow streets amplified the mysterious noise they made by clacking their bills. "Hi honey, I'm home! How're the kids?" "They're fine. How was your day?" But they were soon drowned out by a van, and they left the nest.

Ladies Talking, Córdoba (1:03) In the small plaza in front of the church where the storks were nesting, two ladies carried on a conversation in the sharp staccato of the Andalusian dialect.

Old Men Talking, Granada (2:52) In the Plaza of Bib Rambla behind the main cathedral, a group of men were sitting on a bench holding a conversation. I never actually saw them -- I had my back turned the whole time I was recording, and when done, just walked away. Again, I was taken with the rapid staccato of their speech, especially the main speaker. The subject? Fútbol, of course! The recording was made during the World Cup, in June 2006.

Neighborhood Cantina, Granada (1:06) In the Albayzín neighborhood of Granada is the old Plaza Larga. Each morning there is a market there -- the usual things, fruits and vegetables, cheap shoes, horrible clothing. But nearby was a local hangout for the residents of the area, where everyone, from 6 to 60 as they say, goes for conversation and churros, a sweet pastry something like fried dough which is dunked into coffee or hot chocolate. A noisy atmosphere full of friends and great smells!

Justice Gate, Alhambra, Granada (0:47) Puerta de la Justicia, one of the main entry points to the walled citadel of the Alhambra, has a massive door which is locked with a huge sliding iron bolt about 6 inches in diameter and about 8 feet long, held in place by iron strapping. Late one night, as 6 of us were leaving the grounds of the Alhambra after a nighttime visit, we went out by the Justice Gate and stopped to "play" the door bolt. Susan Silberberg, architect, was the instrumentalist.

Cistern, Capileira, Spain (1:01) High in the mountains southeast of Granada is the old village of Capileira, one of several small towns built on the steep slopes of the Poqueira river valley. North of the town, on a very steep hillside in an otherwide barren landscape, stood a small white building, about 6 feet square and about 8 feet tall, with an open window at about 6 feet from the ground, through which the sound of the town's deep aqueduct could be heard bringing water down from the higher mountains to the fountains and houses in the village below.

Jungle Train (2:06) While not my own recordings, this is a compilation of some free sounds available with iMovie. I put them together, making a sort of story.

Jungle Foreboding (2:43) Another compilation of sound clips found in iMovie, this uses some of the same sounds as in Jungle Train, but tells a different story.