As of March 5, 2003, I am intending to use ALL of the submitted recordings to one extent or another.

The myriad soundscapes contributed have the potential to combine into an astonishing journey, so I am interested in including as many people's work as possible. I can't promise that this will come off, but I'm willing to try.

The compilation should be finished and distributed in the summer of 2003; the recent breaking of my collarbone by a motorist as I biked home may delay things somewhat.

Drifting: walking music is the working name for a proposed compilation to consist entirely of field recordings made while walking, running or otherwise ambulatory (wheelchairs welcome).

Selected recordings will be combined by curating phonographer Aaron Ximm into a seamless walk through the many moods of the world.

The listener with headphones will come along as we collectively explore what happens when we get up, get out, and walk into the world.

the motivation

A majority of [field] recordings are made from a stationary position.

The effect of this convention on the listener are an unremarked, unchallenged presumption of (i) objectivity in the recording, and (ii) the invisibility of the recordist.

Walking recordings foreground the active role the recordist plays, and remind us that as in photography, every recording has a frame.

Walking with the intention to drift (see below) is a particularly liberating experience; reproducing something of the joyous serendipity of such drifting is the goal of the compilation: as is encouraging the listener to get up, get out and listen (and record!) themselves.

Walking is a primary engagement with the world, a universal part of the human experience.

The rhythm of footfalls is perhaps the second we learn (after the beating of the heart), and is hence a progenitor of music: it is no coincidence that many cultures have produced 'walking musics', to be sung or recited or chanted while walking.

Moving in the world, we multiply our frames of reference. Motion roots us in time. Walking grounds us in our bodies. Walking, we hear the world differently.

Listening to recordings made while walking, we are reminded that all it takes to change ourselves is to change our location.

The working title of the compilation derives (pun intended) from the text Theory of the Dérive by Guy Debord of the Situationist International.

The text may be of some interest to field recordists and others accustomed to attending with intention to the world around them. As it is explicitlyfree from copyright and open to reprinting, it will probably be reproducedand included with the CD as part of packaging materials.

Three cult movies immediately come to mind as embodying the theory of drifting: Mondo New York, Slacker, and Waking Life.

Preference will be given to recordings in which some discernible sound of walking or ambulation is present: not on aesthetic grounds, but in the interests of presenting a coherent focus to the compilation. In exceptional circumstances, this requirement may be waived.

Climbing stairs, crossing bridges, etc. are acceptable subject matter, as long as the primary mechanism of movement is walking.

Recordings longer than five minutes should be accompanied by suggestions on where to find the most interesting moments, as I may not have time to listen with full attention to every minute of every submission.

hints

Most important is subject matter and its presentation: the nature of the environment documented, and the approach taken in documenting it. Unique environments have the best chance of inclusion, as a goal of the compilation will be to range far and wide: acoustically, aesthetically, culturally, emotionally, physically.

Recordings made while stationary or riding a mount (mechanical or animal) will not be considered. Wheelchairs are explicitly allowed, but should be noted in submission materials.

Contributions should not be manipulated, edited, composed, or distorted in any way. Minor 'clean up' operations such as normalization, extremely mild dynamics control (e.g. limiting or correction of digital 'overs'), and unnoticeable EQ are acceptable.

I may request assistance composing, editing, producing, and mastering.

The total requested donation and number of copies will be determined by the number of recordings used, but assume something on the order of US$20 donation per person, each person receiving twenty copies (assuming 60 participants).

Copies may be withheld for distribution through distributors and for reviewers, reducing the number of copies each participant receives; in this case any and all proceeds will be distributed equally among participants.

Grants and angel investors will be pursued, but should be considered unlikely.

Donation is not a requirement for participation, but without donations duplication may not be possible.

The final composition will in all likelihood be posted in MP3 or equivalent form in effective perpetuity on the Quiet American website, with full credits and links as desired provided for all participants. Radio play will be pursued avidly.

Recordings will remain the property of the submitting recordist; by submitting, however, you agree to allow use of your recording in this compilation, and agree that it may be distributed with no renumeration.