Van Pool tot Paradijs

Listen for: This is the start of the story of Jan, bird counter and volunteer, and his experience with the wading birds of Ameland. Listen to how each bird is heard the moment Jan names it, so word and sound meet. When Jan says “oh, can you hear that?”, he invites you to listen with him and draws you into the story. The tour uses binaural sound, placing the birds around you, with the aim of making the information easier to hold on to than in plain stereo. A specially composed theme connects the stories and gives them a sense of adventure. Field recordings made on the island itself keep the sound authentic and true to place.

Listen for: This is the sound that plays on a loop in the exhibition room itself. Before mixing, the room’s acoustics were measured, so the result sounds natural in the space. You hear the five biotopes shown in the exhibition, each in turn, built from field recordings made on the island. There is deliberately no music: only the island itself, so visitors feel as if they are standing outdoors. The setup and hardware were chosen so the museum can work flexibly with the sounds, and can expand the system later. Online you hear a headphone version of the room installation.