“Sounds Of The Blue Spaces” – The Documentary

A wise person once remarked that observing where an individual spends their time and money is the clearest indication of their priorities.  

Two of my highest priorities are being outside and focusing on my sense of hearing.  Sure, I appreciate the visual beauty of wild places, but for the past 15 or more years my aural senses have commandeered my attention while in these places.  Some of my favorite sounds are birdsong, of-course, but also the power of wind roaring across a mountain ridge, thunderstorms, and the rhythmic sounds of a bubbling stream.  Places in the desert southwest that I have known for years for the purposes of camping, hiking and fishing, I now return with the purpose of listening.  What does this place sound like?  Does it sound different from season to season, and between day and night?  For each visit it’s like discovering the land anew.  I became so enamored with the unique sonic character for each place that I started making recordings.  Purchasing recording equipment that made the quality of recording that I found suitable cost me a nice sum of money.  I have my priorities.

So in the past 15 years, I’ve become somewhat of an evangelist for quiet places and listening to the sounds of our natural world.  I’ve spoken to various environmental conservation groups and shared my recordings with anyone interested in receiving them.  It seemed natural that I would make a short film about my search for quiet places and my recording activities.  During the pandemic of 2020, unemployed and having an abundance of free time, I did just that.  “Sounds Of The Blue Places” is a short film that has played at a few film festivals and was even awarded the Best Nevada Filmmaker Award for the 2024 Dam Short Film Festival in Boulder City, Nevada (home of the Hoover Dam).