If you enjoy this, consider hitting the like button. It feels good for me when you do, like seeing a smile or a head nod when you’re telling someone something, and it lets me know you’re here.

This is the audio version of the Offering for November 2025, “All reality is iconoclastic” & a field recording workshop announcement!”

Attending: A Four-Week Field Recording Workshop (hybrid, with one in-person field trip to Plum Island, MA and the rest meeting virtually on Zoom)

We are immersed in sound at all times. Traffic, birds, fellow commuters on the train, breeze blowing through the leaves, air conditioners, buzzing electronic devices, raindrops. To attend is more than to hear; it is to be affected and to build relationships and associations in our lives with what we’ve encountered. In this four-week class, we will learn how to build our capacities to attend to the sounds around us. We will practice attending in two contexts: through making field recordings, and interviewing one another about what it was like. Space is limited to six.

The devices we’ll use to make recordings operate like sonic microscopes, helping us to ‘focus’ our ears and our perception. Asking one another questions about what we’ve encountered in ourselves and the world serves a similar function; bringing into sharper relief whatever is up for disclosure. Participants will leave with the field recordings they’ve made, knowledge on the technical practices of sound recording and, we hope, a closer relationship to and curiosity about how you attend to the sounds in your life. This workshop will be facilitated by composer and sound artist, Seán Ó Dálaigh and writer, social worker, and amateur field recordist Jessica Dore.

The class will take place over the course of four Saturdays from November 22 (and beginning on November 29 in case of rain) through December 13 (or December 20 with rain date). The first session will be a half-day, in-person field trip to Sandy Point State Park on Plum Island, Massachusetts and the remaining three sessions will be held virtually, via Zoom. For the duration of the month, participants will be invited to make recordings between meetings in their home places that they will share with and discuss with the group when we meet virtually. Zoom sessions will also include basic editing instruction, listening to the works of notable field recordists, artists and composers, and discussion.

Fee:

$225 if you bring your own equipment*

$365 if you would like us to provide equipment for you (which you will take home to keep)

*A handheld recorder and headphones are required for participation. We will be using TASCAM DR-05XP portable handheld recorders & Behringer headphones, both which are available used and new, and go for about $140 new including tax & shipping. If you have other equipment that you are interested in using, please reach out with those details so that we can be sure it will work for what we’re planning to do.

Dates & Locations:

November 22 from 9am - 1pm, first at Sandy Point State Park on Plum Island, MA & then at a second in-person, indoor location for listening & discussion

November 29 from 10am-11:30pm, on Zoom

December 6 from 10am - 11:30pm, on Zoom

December 13 from 10am - 11:30pm on Zoom

Accessibility:

Sandy Point State Park is about a fifteen minute drive from the Newburyport MBTA train stop, likely not accessible via rideshare apps but we are glad to offer ride support to and from the Newburyport train stop if needed.

The in-person field trip will be held on a terrain that is mixed; packed dirt path, beach sand and possibly some boardwalk. Sandy Point is a beach park and it will likely be pretty cold, do dress accordingly.

We will meet from 9-1 which we imagine as between major meal times, but please feel free to bring whatever you need, snacking, eating and sipping on things during the field trip is welcome. In other words: Please do bring any snacks and hydration that you anticipate needing.

There are portable restrooms at Sandy Point, and rustic permanent restrooms a little but up the road at Hellcat Swamp.

As we are meeting three times on Zoom you will need a device in order to do so. All of the software we’ll use to learn how to edit recording will be free and open source but may not be compatible with all kinds of devices. If you don’t have access to a computer, please reach out to us so we can explore possibilities.

To register, send me an email at [email protected].

Offerings is part of a reader- and listener-supported research project examining grief, loss, and mourning. Offerings are accessible in full for paying subscribers and in part for for free subscribers. Paying subscribers also get priority access to live events with limited space, including workshops, and one-on-one sessions. To support this project by becoming a paying subscriber, hit the “subscribe now” button below.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadore.substack.com/subscribe