Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Poetry of e.e. cummings

Terry, Gary, and Jim

Terry, Gary, and Jim

Gary Roelofs invited me to join him and Terry Rohse at a reading of e.e. cummings poems in the Art Gallery at Chemeketa Community College. This audio was pulled from a video recording that was made from the side of the room. I boosted the volume in Audacity.

We didn’t have time to rehearse. So, this is pretty much a cold reading for us (although Gary knows most of these by heart).

Download – (mp3 file, 16 Mb, 17 minutes, 128 kbps, 44 kHz)

Glockenspiel

Glockenspiel

Glockenspiel

I went to the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel, Oregon and recorded the glockenspiel in this clock tower. I used my Sony point and shoot camera to take a movie. Later I used QuickTime 7 on my iMac to export the audio as an AIFF file. I then used iTunes to convert the file to a mp3.

The cool thing about this is that the figures are carved by local volunteers and everything is performed by people who have a connection with the scene. Braves of the Grand Ronde native tribes sing a song to the Great Spirit. The youngest daughter of Mount Angel’s Zollner Family of the Z Musikmakers plays the violin as her direct ancestors Robert and Katrina Zollner are presented. The Benedictine Monks chant an ancient hymn in Latin and the Benedictine Sisters sing “Regina Coeli Latare”. The village band plays a polka and Mount Angel’s school children sing “Edelweiss” at the end.

Download – (mp3 file, 7.4 Mb, 6 minutes, 160 kbps, 44 kHz)

Pacific Tree Frog

Tree Frog

Tree Frog

This evening I went out to pick up the mail and I heard a tree frog in our front yard. I went in the house, grabbed my Edirol audio recorder and made this recording.

Only 3% of amphibian species live in North America.  In Oregon, we have 12 native species of frogs and toads, and one introduced species.  The Willamette Valley is currently the home for two native species of frogs, and the one introduced species. Pacific treefrogs are the most common frog species found in the Willamette Valley. Their diet consists mostly of small, terrestrial invertebrates. In January, male treefrogs move to breeding ponds and begin to vocalize. I hear these guys around our yard but seldom see them. This one was about 6 cm (2 1/2 in.) long.

Download – (24 seconds, 281K, stereo mp3, 67 kbps (VBR), 22.050 kHz)

Salem Art Fair

Salem Art Fair

Salem Art Fair

Spent some time at the Salem Art Fair. I made this recording with my Apple iPad using an application called Recorder HD.  I had the iPad in my backpack and carried it around in my right hand moving through the crowd. You can hear a vendor playing a hand made flute and catch snippets of conversation.

Later I sat down and painted the above image using the Brushes application on the iPad. Several people stopped to watch me paint and ask questions.

Download – (mp3 file, 2.8 Mb, 3 minutes, 128 kbps, 22 kHz)

Ankeny Wildlife Refuge

Ankeny Wildlife Refuge

Ankeny Wildlife Refuge

Last Saturday I went for a walk in the afternoon at the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge south of Salem, Oregon. I wanted to try out my new Edirol R-09 HD recorder. It has a built-in stereo mic and can record in WAVE onto SD cards.

Here’s a recording I made at the end of the Rail Trail. It includes geese flying over, ducks, frogs, song birds, crows, and insects. It was difficult to get a clean recording because of nearby road noise, airplane overflights, and wind.

Ankeny Geese painted on iPod Touch

Ankeny Geese painted on iPod Touch

Download (8:22 – 11.5 Mb)