“Apalachicola” podcast prototype © Lang Elliott, 2016. Length: 20:49. For an amazingly immersive nature sound experience, listen using headphones or earbuds … (my apology for the roughness of my radiation-damaged voice).
Click Here for direct link to MP3.
Hello Friends! I’ve been very busy as of late, producing my first narrated podcast prototype and I’m rather pleased with the result. The name of my podcast is “Apalachicola” and it lasts twenty minutes. The focus is on the extraordinary soundscape of the Apalachicola National Forest, a pine-flatwoods natural area located in the Florida panhandle, just a stone’s throw from Tallahasee. In the podcast, I invite the listener to join me as we go camping along the Sopchoppy River, first experiencing the sounds of dusk and the night, and then awakening early for the dawn chorus.
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Please let me know what you think of this first effort. My voice is still not up-to-snuff, but it’s certainly good enough for prototyping, and that’s why I’ve decided to forge ahead in this arena. My plan is to produce a whole series of podcasts, varying in length from around 4-5 minutes upward to around 20-minutes. I will cover a wide range of subjects, with an emphasis on sharing nearly thirty years of adventures in the field at a variety of locations throughout North America (plus trips to Australia, Peru, and other exotic locations).
Background
Although “Apalachicola” is presented as if it is happening the present, the reality is that it is a fairly faithful recounting of a portion of my very first recording expedition, which occurred way back in 1988, nearly thirty years ago. It was mid-May. I was with my good friend and fellow recordist Ted Mack. After several days on the road, we landed in Apalachicola National Forest in the panhandle of Florida. And what an adventure we had! Below is a photo of Ted and I, taken just before we left on our trip:
Note that in reconstructing the Apalachicola experience, I have drawn upon recordings made by Ted and I during multiple visits to the forest. Most of these recordings are “binaural,” and therefore provide an extremely spacious and immersive experience if listened-to using headphones or earbuds. If I am successful in my story-telling, listeners will feel as if they are actually there in the southern pine woods, embracing the extraordinary soundscape.
Species Covered
Here is a list of the species featured in the podcast, in the order in which they appear:
Bachman’s Sparrow (aka Pine Woods Sparrow)
Chuck-will’s-Widow
Common Nighthawk
Pine Woods Treefrog
Pine Sawyer
Barred Owl
White-tailed Deer
Great-crested Flycatcher
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Blue Grosbeak
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Pig Frog
Red-shouldered Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
What are Podcasts?
Podcasts are a communication format that relies on narration to set the scene and tell an engaging story. If you’re not familiar with the expanding world of podcasts, you might be listening to some without realizing it. How about “This American Life,” which airs on NPR? It is an independently-produced podcast that is distributed in a variety of ways, including via conventional radio.
But radio is not the only mode of transmission. Most podcasts are also distributed via iTunes or Google Play or through a variety of other podcast-dissemination sources. People often listen to their favorite podcasts while driving to work in the morning. In the future, automobiles will make it easy for listeners to subscribe to their favorite podcasts, receiving new material automatically via the car electronics. The podcast revolution is well underway!
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So, I hope you like my first effort at creating a podcast. Be aware that this is a “prototype” in that I don’t consider it to be the final version (at the least, I will probably re-narrate it). Please chime-in below to let me know what you think. I welcome all criticisms because they will help me improve my story-telling technique as I move forward in the podcasting arena.
Friends … if you find that my blog has a positive impact on your life, please help support my effort by making a modest donation.
Consideration is being given to putting 40,000 acres along the Apalachicola River under conservation easement. I plan to share your podcast with area legislators in the hope that they will support these efforts. Thank you for this, it is beautiful.
Wonderful production Lang, including your new, slightly deeper voice. I love the natural sounds *so* much, I would humbly suggest just a little less talking – though I see you’ve had so many comments already, I wonder if anyone would agree with me. But I should add, I do appreciate your narration, as well! Anxious for u to visit SW Fla., where we could help show u around Beth
Magnificent!
I love the “journey together” format…hope you can do this with some future forays! Thanks for all–
This is wonderful, art for ears. In the days before TV we imagined the ‘movie’ from the aural cues, and this is similar but more dynamic. Your voice is compassionately and respectfully intertwind among those of the wildies. This is ‘musical story telling’ all ages. Imagine arriving by car to any destination (work or play) after taking in this wholesome, calming yet enlivening nourishment. We’d all be breathing better, open minded, refreshed and ready to go. What road rage?!
: >)
Congratulations, Lang, listening to this was just superb. Maybe you could make some more, and sell them? Or maybe you could extend your narrations to video footage (and sell those too)? Just saying…
Claudius: I plan to make LOTS more podcasts, but I will also have to figure out how to finance them. Maybe by encouraging support through a patreon.org page? Typically, podcasts are given away for free, in hopes of gaining a big listening audience and then making money through sponsorships or else listener donations.
Yes yes, I’ll contribute! Such good stuff Lang – thanks very much for sharing, Beth
We so enjoyed our camping trip with you! We listened to it at the breakfast table, the whole family was mesmerized, even the dog (he especially reacted to the owl)! It was such a lovely way to start the day, immersed in the sounds of nature and walking together through the piney woods. The podcast was perfectly balanced, weaving the narration, story and soundscapes together! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome Robin!
So awesome! I LOVE this! Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome Andrea!
Wow! Absolutely fabulous Lang. I close my eyes and I’m transported into nature’s ambiance of the forest. The combination of your wonderful story-telling and nature’s soundtrack creats depth and realism to the Apalachicola experience. By the way, your voice is what fully immerse the listener.
Looking forward to more of your podcasts.
Connie
: >)
You nailed it! Nice rhythm of your voice and the sounds and your low pitched voice! I was making my lunch while I turned up the computer volume. Camping and the night sounds with children I have written here before and this is as good as it gets. The narration is perfect because most of us do not know the identities of the sounds. How perfect to get both! Thanks Lang!!!!
You’re welcome Mark!
I found this really enjoyable to listen to. The narration worked well for me, and I like your mellow delivery. It might be nice to end this piece with a longer soundscape kind of recording without any narration; just a thought. I look forward to these podcasts!
Chris: I wonder if podcast listeners would stay around long enough to listen to a more extended soundscape at the end? Though it certainly could be expanded to 20-30 seconds without ill effect. Here’s an idea: why not return at the end to the chuck-will’s and barred owls, with some statement that we’ll be taking pleasant memories with us, of spending the night camped in the pine woods? I think that would work and allow people to feast their ears at the very end on perhaps the most powerful recording in the podcast (which is also the one that is… Read more »
Chris: I’ve fashioned a new ending. Check it out. My outro narration will no doubt change, but the main thing is that I end with the chuck-will’s and barred owls, the same recording featured at the very beginning, and much stronger (I think) than ending with the bluebird.
An excellent bookend, works great!
Absolutely loved this. Was smiling the whole time. I think you have a perfect balance of narration and non-narration. You might think your voice sounds rough, but I thought it was more like, rugged and outdoorsy. Which was good! Speaking tempo was excellent. Really could hear you “smiling” through your voice too and your personality comes through! I think this is fantastic. What a sanctuary from today’s fast-paced, loud and intense visual communications. BTW welcome to Florida! I adored hearing all of “my” species in this podcast. <3
Why thank you Jean … I hope most everyone responds as you have!
I’m delighted to see (and hear) this. Is it available on iTunes, I can’t seem to find it there.
Not yet Trudy. This is just a prototype. I have LOTS of work ahead of me before I am ready to implement an official launch on iTunes. Maybe mid-winter sometime? Until then, I will continue to publish preliminary efforts in order to gather feedback and test the waters. I imagine I will launch with somewhere between 5-10 podcasts.
Thanks for your reply. I look forward to the podcasts whatever format they appear in!!
Prototypes will appear here over the next few months. Then maybe I’ll wangle a major launch … a big outdoor party, with confetti raining from the sky and Adele singing my theme song, “Dream of the Toad”.
Sounds wonderful!!!
Oh Lang, the Bachman’s Sparrow has the most beautiful tune 🙂 The White Tailed Deer almost sounds like a dog, but your dog “Barnell” has a sweet voice (like the Nuthatch) when he is hungry for breakfast.
This was delightful!
Thank you Lang
Thank you Rose Ann!
This is great! I especially liked the Pine Sawyer larvae! Perhaps you can offer two versions, one with and another without narration? Not that your voice is anything but soothing, but it would be nice to just listen to the sounds of nature……
I could potentially put individual recordings at the bottom on the website support page, but that would be a BIG job for me, given the number of recordings featured (about 15). Podcasts are aimed primarily at the alt-radio world, where narration is a must (otherwise, there’s no context). These are programs that will be listened-to as people commute to work, etc. Are you familiar with the world of podcasts? Examples include “This American Life” and “Serial”, the former of which appears regularly on NPR. Each podcast will of course appear on my blog, but the blog is not the primary… Read more »
this very much reminds me of “Birdnote” usually featured on NPR and started by the Seattle Audubon. NPR and other radio stations may certainly be interested in 5/10 or 15 minute fill features
Martha: Yes, I’m very familiar with Birdnote, which is a daily podcast limited to about 1.5 minutes in length (I’ve even provided them with recordings). My podcasts will be longer and more personal overall and will feature superb stereo/binaural recordings throughout, which Birdnote doesn’t have access to (their program is mostly monaural, which is not very immersive when listened-to over headphones or earbuds). My focus will be on the experience of listening, rather than environmental issues or even natural history information. The sensory experience of different locations will take center-stage, information being secondary. My unique resource is my collection of… Read more »