Paradoxically, I felt both disparaged and vindicated by Schafer's comments.=
=A0
Disparaged in=A0that, even though=A0Schafer=A0may not have=A0been addressin=
g beginning field recordists,=A0people like me who cannot=A0identify every =
creature in=A0an area I have recorded are, at least for the time being,=A0j=
ust "idiots" or a mere "tourists" in the soundscape.=A0 Yet field recording=
has allowed me to listen in a way that was not possible without recording =
equipment.=A0 I'd like to think this=A0an important first step.
Vindicated in that=A0my ears have=A0also been opened in unexpected ways.=A0=
For instance, there is a=A0state park I often frequent.=A0 I have made a f=
ew recordings there as exercises=A0to help me listen.=A0 There is also a vi=
sitor center with a small audio-visual exhibit that I have looked at many t=
imes.=A0 But I had never really _listened_ to the exhibit until recently.=
=A0 That is when I noticed the sound of running=A0water like=A0a stream bei=
ng played over the speakers.=A0 I stopped, turned to the park ranger sittin=
g behind the counter, and asked where the audio had been recorded.=A0 He=A0=
said he wasn't sure.=A0 So I=A0told him I didn't think the audio was from t=
his particular state park, because nowhere=A0can=A0you hear running water l=
ike that in this park and because some of the birds sounded more "exotic" t=
o me than what I have heard in the park.=A0 I later=A0was told=A0that the a=
udio was a=A0composite CD made from all of=A0Colorado's state=A0parks.=A0 S=
o apparently, for
some=A0people (and particularly those responsible for creating some of our=
state park visitor center audio-visual exhibits),=A0one biophony is as goo=
d as another....
-Shirane=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
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