THE WORLD OF“field recordings” is cinéma vérité for
the ear: the sounds of natural phenomenon, occa-
sionally from far-flung places, documenting the
unreachable, the unexpected and the heretofore
inaudible. Listening to these recordings of chattering
animals, bustling ecosystems and roaring weather
systems can be an experience that blurs the bound-
aries of music and chance, documentary and art, new
age and noise, the real and the imaginary. Though
often bolstered by studio trickery, Irv Teibel’s pio-
neering “Environments” albums in the 1960s and
’70s helped popularize the idea of lapping waves,
rustling leaves and chirping cicadas as a relaxing
slice of audio tourism. Since then, the world of field
recording has grown downright hallucinogenic. Here
are six essential recordings that help bring the out-
side to you.SONGS OF THE HUMPBACK WHALE
ROGER PAYNE (1970)
This staple of every new age-friendly home in the
’70s and ’80s was actually a pioneering work in field
recording. Using underwater hydrophones, the biolo-
gist Roger Payne recorded the beautiful communica-
tions of these mighty mammals. The album sold
100,000 copies and helped kick-start the “Save the
Whales” movement that helped end much of deep-
sea whaling worldwide. “These sounds are, with no
exception that I can think of, the most evocative,
most beautiful sounds made by any animal on Earth,”
Payne once told NPR.DAWN AND DUSK IN THE
OKEFENOKEE SWAMP IRV TEIBEL (1974)
Between 1969 and 1979, Teibel released 11 volumes of
his “Environments” series, a collection of seashores,
thunderstorms and creaking sailboats — often edited
and manipulated for optimum therapeutic effect (his
“wind,” for example, was a synthesizer). His work
has been appreciated anew thanks to Numero Group
reissuing his catalog on the stand-alone “Envi-
ronments” app, and a recent New York Times article
that showcased one of his rainstorms from 1970. The
best of the “Environments” series is “Dawn and
Dusk in the Okefenokee Swamp,” a journey to the
center of a wetland on the Florida-Georgia line where
frogs, bugs, birds and even the occasional alligator
have their daily and nightly commune.OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE OF FIRE
CHRIS WATSON (1998)
“There is no audio equivalent of a zoom lens,” Chris
Watson told BBC News in 2013. “So I became inter-
ested in getting microphones very close — into
places, a lot of the time, where you wouldn’t be able
to, or wouldn’t want to, put your ears.” On his second
album, Watson — a veteran of recording sound for
TV — allows the listener to get up close and personal
with the wildlife of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Costa Rica.
A pulsating cheetah, some honking hippos and a
trumpeting deer all get their turn, but nine vultures
and a brigade of flies exploring the rib cage of a zebra
carcass is a three-minute Hieronymus Bosch.ELDFJALLJACOB KIRKEGAARD (2005)
The recording locations of the Danish sound artist
Jacob Kirkegaard are especially poetic: His albums
have revealed the empty rooms of Chernobyl, the
inside of morgues and the otoacoustic emissions of
his own inner ear. The deep and moody rumbles of
“Eldfjall” document volcanic activity underneath the
surface of Iceland.ENERGY FIELD JANA WINDEREN (2010)
“In the depths of the oceans there are invisible but
audible soundscapes, about which we are largely
ignorant, even if the oceans cover 70 percent of our
planet,” the Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen
told The Times. On her breakthrough album, “Ener-
gy Field,” she uses hydrophones and omnidirectional
mics to capture the darkly ambient sounds of the
freezing Arctic: ravens, winds, fish, thunder, crus-
taceans, the insides of glaciers and all sorts of alien
strangeness.SLOT MACHINE MUSIC ADRIAN REW (2013)
Life is not just ponds, birds and volcanoes. The Amer-
ican sound artist Adrian Rew captured the euphoric,
psychedelic, ping-ponging din of three Midwest casi-
nos on “Slot Machine Music,” presenting the familiar
plunk and buzz as an ecstatic noise symphony.NADINE REDLICHExperience
Nature’s
Soundtrack
Albums of chattering animals
and roaring weather systems
blur the boundaries of music.
BY CHRISTOPHER R. WEINGARTENTHE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 D 5THIS YEAR,Fourth of July revelers
will have to swap many traditions
— peppy parades, large family
reunions and patriotic concerts —
with low-key celebrations. But
there are plenty of safe ways to
commemorate America’s birthday.
Here are some suggestions.
Watch fireworks, in person
or onscreen.
Many cities have canceled their
festivities, and with that, the main
draw: fireworks. But some are
moving forward. Your best, and
safest, bet is to watch either in
your backyard or on a TV or com-
puter screen.
In New York City, Macy’s fire-
works show, a spectacle that
usually beckons residents to
rooftops and parks on July 4, will
take place on several unspecified
nights from Monday through the
holiday, with each display lasting
only five minutes. They will be set
off from unannounced locations
across the five boroughs — a strat-
egy meant to prevent New Yorkers
from congregating in public
spaces. A special presentation
featuring a recap of the fireworks
will be televised nationally on July
4 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC.
Fireworks will light up Wash-
ington during “A Capital Fourth.”
The event traditionally takes
place on the West Lawn of the
Capitol, but this year viewers are
encouraged to watch from home.
The presentation features re-
corded performances by stars
such as Patti LaBelle and Renée
Fleming; the actors John Stamos
and Vanessa Williams will host.
Tune in to PBS, PBS.org, Face-
book or YouTube at 8 p.m. East-
ern.
Other cities haven’t guaranteed
fireworks, but they will salute the
country in different ways: Start-
ing Sunday, Philadelphia’s week-
long virtual “Welcome America”
festival features cultural program-
ming, fun lessons for children, and
family-friendly workout sessions.
It culminates in a concert by the
performers Cynthia Erivo and
Jason Derulo.
On the Fourth, Los Angeles is
still having an annual block party
— this time, the block is onscreen
— hosted by Grand Park and the
Music Center, a performing arts
venue. There will be musical
performances, a poetry reading,
comedy sketches and more. The
first hour can be streamed on
ABC7.com beginning at 10 p.m.
Eastern; the rest of the event
continues on Grand Park’s web-
site and Facebook page, and
MusicCenter.org.
And the Boston Pops Orchestra
will pay tribute to front-line work-
ers in a celebration airing on
Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg
Radio and Boston’s WHDH-TV at
8 p.m. Eastern.
Depending on where you live,
you may be able to get off your
couch and watch firework shows
at drive-ins, a new alternative that
at least a few cities have an-
nounced in response to the crisis,
among them North Port, Fla.;
Auburn, Ala.; and Loveland, Colo.
Plans are subject to change, so
be sure to check for updates.Take a virtual tour
of national landmarks.
If you typically take this time to
visit monuments or educate your
children about American history,
the internet has plenty of re-
sources. The website Architect’s
Virtual Capitol is an immersive
look at the heart of federal govern-
ment. Choose from several videos
about the history of the U.S. Capi-
tol, a virtual walking tour of its
campus or an interactive map of
other key sites in Washington.
Or visit Philadelphia’s Inde-
pendence National Historical
Park, home to Independence Hall,
the Liberty Bell and the Benjamin
Franklin Museum, through educa-
tional videos, photo galleries and
more on the National Park Serv-
ice’s website.
While there’s nothing quite like
getting an up-close-and-personal
look at the Statue of Liberty, an
interactive virtual tour by the
National Park Service comes
close. It offers panoramic views of
the statue’s exterior and interior,
saving you the strenuous climb.
You can also take a virtual tour
of St. John’s Church in Richmond,
Va., through its website, or watch
educational videos about the
Second Virginia Convention, the
weeklong meeting in 1775 where
Patrick Henry delivered his fa-
mous “Give me liberty, or give me
death” speech to more than 100
delegates who had gathered to
discuss the future of the colonies.
The Founding Fathers certainly
excluded many from their vision,
so consider exploring key mo-
ments in the fight against slavery
by clicking through “The Struggle
for African American Freedom,”
an online exhibition on Google’s
Arts & Culture platform from the
Henry Ford museum complex in
Dearborn, Mich. And, while not a
national landmark, the Gilder
Lehrman Institute of American
History in Manhattan also has a
virtual exhibition on Google’s
platform titled “African-Ameri-cans in the U.S. Military,” detailing
African-Americans’ roles in Amer-
ican conflicts, starting with the
Revolution. (Go to g.co/arts.)Watch a movie about the
country’s founding.
If you prefer a dose of drama with
your history lesson, settle in for a
movie night. And if you have a
backyard and a projector, you can
set up an outdoor theater and
catch the fireworks as an inter-
mission.
A live recording of “Hamilton,”
the acclaimed Broadway musical
from the writer and its star Lin-
Manuel Miranda, and the director
Thomas Kail, arrives on Disney
Plus on Friday.
Or “1776,” a 1972 movie that is
also based on a musical, follows
the debates at the Second Conti-
nental Congress that led to the
drafting and signing of the Decla-
ration of Independence. (Mr.
Miranda has said that “1776”
paved the way for “Hamilton.”)
Stream it free on Pluto TV, or rent
or buy it on Amazon, Google Play,
iTunes, Vudu or YouTube. It will
also air on July 4 on TCM at 2:30
p.m. Eastern.
“Drums Along the Mohawk,” a
1939 adventure based on the novel
of the same name, follows a young
settler couple (played by Henry
Fonda and Claudette Colbert) on
the frontier in central New York
during the American Revolution.
The movie was nominated for two
Oscars. Rent or buy it on Amazon,
Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or
YouTube.Revisit the Declaration
of Independence.
For the past 50 years, the National
Archives in Washington has
hosted a reading ceremony of the
Declaration on its museum’s
steps. This year, the event is mov-
ing to its website and Facebook
page. The reading starts at 4 p.m.
Eastern and is hosted by the
broadcast journalist Soledad
O’Brien. Another tradition contin-
ues on NPR: Reporters, hosts,
newscasters and commentators
will perform their own reading of
the Declaration, which will air on
“Morning Edition” on Friday at
6:10 a.m. Eastern.Celebrate in the kitchen.
If all this time at home has helped
you find your inner chef, consider
trying a New York Times Fourth
of July recipe, like gochujang
barbecue ribs with peanuts and
scallions or lemon potato saladwith mint.
Or invite your children to help
you prepare some classic patriotic
treats. Think of red, white and
blue ingredients, like marshmal-
lows, whipped cream, cherries,
blueberries, strawberries, jam or
colored candy. Of course, the
simplest approach never fails:
Bake your choice of dessert, hand
over some red, white and blue
frosting or sprinkles, and let your
little ones go crazy.Get together (safely).
If you plan on seeing friends or
family, keep the fun outside, as
experts have said indoor gather-
ings pose a huge risk. You could
host a barbecue in your backyard.
Space chairs six feet apart, if you
have room, and make it a potluck,
so you won’t have to share meals.
If you want to serve food, make
sure it’s hot off the grill.
Or if space is tight, spend the
day on your porch or stoop and
organize a block party with your
neighbors. If you have a car, make
it a tailgate party. All it takes is a
few chairs, a table and a grill.
Another option is to have a
picnic in the park. All you need is a
blanket, some food and good
company. (And masks, of course.)Play outdoor games.
While team sports can be danger-
ous, playing baseball with those in
your household is on the safer
side. Wear face coverings and
gloves, stay six feet apart from
strangers and be sure to wash
your equipment afterward. For
more guidance, Little League has
released a list of best practices for
teams considering returning to
the field.
Or have a water balloon fight.
Play with a small group of friends,
wash your hands before making
the balloons and don’t aim for
anyone’s face. (Always a good
rule, regardless of health con-
cerns.)
You could also try cornhole.
Wear gloves to avoid spreading
germs through the beanbags and,
if you’re playing in teams of two,
wear a mask.
For a quieter time, test your
knowledge of American history
with some trivia. PBS has a quiz
on its website. You can also create
your own and challenge your
friends and family.YEONG-UNG YANG FOR THE NEW YORK TIMESYou may not be able to congregate for parades or fireworks, but
there are other options when it comes to having a festive Fourth.
BY SARA ARIDI
Honor America’s
Birthday, Safely
Above, the Macy’s Fourth of July
Fireworks, captured here in 2017,
will be spread out over the course of
several nights, and launched from
unannounced locations across New
York City, to prevent crowds.