Auckland Sounds

Auckland Sounds is a location recording project by Emily Wheatcroft-Snape. It encompasses simple recordings on a Tascam DR-40 of locations around Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland. Emily started the recordings in 2017 as part of her study at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand and now records in her spare time.

The purpose of these recordings are to :

deepen Emily's connection with the area
spotlight hidden gems and special spaces for locals
feature Tāmaki's unique landscape
archive a slice of life in Tāmaki right now

Check out @aucklandsounds on Instagram to see all recordings together.

To listen, click on your chose location and watch the linked YouTube video

Series Three : Craters of Tāmaki

Tāmaki Makaurau has 53 recognised volcanoes over 360km2. The volcanoes frame life for Auckland residents, many of the volcanoes have been quarried or are public parks. In this series I explore a variety of craters around the city, showcasing the part they play in local life.

Locations :

1. Maungawhau / Mount Eden
2. Pupuke Moana / Lake Pupuke
3. Puketāpapa , Pukewīwī / Mount Roskill
4. Rangitoto

more to come...

Series Two : Waitematā Behind the Bridge

In 2020 after lockdown I decided to get back into my location recordings. This time coincided with my moving to Grey Lynn, deciding to go freelance in my work, and a blossoming relationship in which we shared a love of exploring new places around the city. I wanted to explore the shoreline of the Waitematā Harbour on the inside of Auckland's Harbour Bridge to deepen my connection with the area, and spotlight the little beaches, in-lets, and recreation areas that are highly valued by locals but otherwise go unnoticed by the wider city population.

Locations :

1. Sentinel Bay
2. Eric Armishaw Reserve
3. Archibald Park
4. Te Atatu Rotary Reserve
5. Orangihina Harbourview Park
6. Selwood Road
7. Moire Park
8. Hobsonville Point
9. Herald Island
10. Waimarie Beach
11. Riverhead Tavern
12. Manuka Reserve
13. Shepherds Park
14. Charcoal Bay
15. Kauri Point Centennial Park
16. Chelsea Sugar Factory
17. Little Shoal Bay

**No Series

From 2017 to 2020 I worked at a recording studio and didn't have much time for other recording in my life. These are some sporadic recordings I did over this time.

Locations :

1. Stanmore Bay
2. Coxs Bay
3. Little Shoal Bay Reserve

Series One :
Capstone Project 2017

I studied a Bachelor of Audio Engineering and Music Production at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand from 2015 - 2017. For my capstone project in 2017 I recorded the sounds of various spaces around Auckland and artificially recreated those soundscapes in a 5.1 surround sound set-up. The choice of locations was dictated by a variation of geographical features and sounds, as well as a spread of locations across the city. These are the reference recordings of my project. Recorded in Autumn 2017.