David Bouchard listens and records the surrounding sounds. Photo by Mary Anne Funk
“I can relive it as much as I want. Sometimes I just like listening to the different sounds and enjoy those and just focus in on those and other times I just like to relive the whole memory and remember what kind of happened.” David Bouchard
Listen to our first immersive audio story together. Throughout this interview, you will hear binaural audio recordings made by David.
Wear headphones for the full experience.
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David Bouchard listens as he searches his computer for his personal binaural audio recordings
David Bouchard has been blind since birth. He uses apps on his mobile device to navigate his way through the community and to help read textual and visual data. Through his story we gain a deeper understanding of what it is like for someone who relies on his hearing to get by in this world.
Through his story we also find common ground on the importance of memory and how we relive those memories through what we document. For David, that is through audio. David has traveled to other countries and throughout the United States. Through his travels he has recorded moments via his binaural microphones. When he listens to them, he is able to relive the memory.
By illuminating David’s penchant for recording binaural sounds, we provide a deeper understanding about what it has been like for David all of his life: relying on his ears to see what is around him.
David has been recording music since he was a child. He was always interested in sound design in movies. As an adult, David learned of people who were recording binaural audio. “ I kept hearing about the binaural microphones and then I learned that these other people, other blind people were using these recorders and I finally at some point decided to just get them” said David. “I started to do a little bit more traveling and I wanted a way to document.”
David Bouchard listens and records the surrounding sounds. Photo by Mary Anne Funk