Take part in unique nationwide project to record the sounds of our shores for future generations. Words: Gabrielle Jaffe
Who hasn’t sat back on the coast, closed their eyes, and enjoyed the sounds of the sea crashing on the shore?
This summer, the National Trust is asking beach-goers to get out their smartphones, tablets and handheld recorders. They want as many people as possible to make audio recordings of the seaside. The aim is to create a sonic snapshot of the entire UK coastline.
The ‘Sounds of Our Shores’ project, which the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland have organised in conjunction with the British Library, will run until September 21. You can contribute by recording your favourite coastal sounds, from bustling piers to the call of gulls and footsteps in the sand.
This crowd-sourced soundscape will be added to the British Library's archives for future generations to appreciate and The Human League's Martyn Ware will create an original piece of music inspired by these sounds.
Writing on a blog on the British Library website, Martyn said, 'I think that the sounds of the coast are probably more important than how the coast looks when you go to the sea. The sound that I love most about the sea is that roar, the roar when it's stormy.'
To take part in this ground-breaking project, upload your audio clips to the audioBoom website or app with the hashtag #shoresounds.
Visit the National Trust website for more information on ‘Sounds of Our Shores’ and see this video with tips for capturing the best quality recordings – including how to deal with those pesky coastal winds.
