Grant Mackay Reviews

Reviews

Review of Frog Power

"...An amazing accomplishment...Field Recordist Grant Mackay has outdone himself admirably with this recording."

“…What makes this CD so appealing to frog fanciers and naturalists in general, are the calls that are not mentioned on the CD jacket, which only trained ears can pick up. It seems that every time I play this CD, I hear something additional that has emerged vocally to add atmosphere to the CD. So, it isn’t just the stars on stage that give this CD its appeal, but rather, the subtle sounds of the other background actors and extras that mold a complete framework….An amazing accomplishment, to capture all these background sounds of nature while not losing focus on the stars of the show. Producer Grant Mackay has outdone himself admirably with this recording.”

– Terry Sprague, Nature Stuff

Puzzle Lake Paradise

"...He captures the essence of this area admirably in Puzzle Lake Paradise..." "Puzzle Lake Paradise"... it was the numerous wetlands and lakes which formed the stage for the excellent recording - and he captures the essence of this area admirably in Puzzle Lake Paradise..."

– Terry Sprague, Nature Stuff

The Forest Marsh and Point Petre: A Birder’s Paradise

"Grant Mackay has an ear for the sounds of nature."

“Songbirds pleasantly chirping in the cold of winter. Wildlife from the Canadian wilderness in the heart of Los Angeles. Only through the magic of natural ambience recordings can these instances be possible. Grant Mackay has an ear for the sounds of nature. For over a decade, he spent considerable time trekking through the wild regions of Canada to locate pristine environments for his series of nature recordings. “It is not only a question of finding the right spot but making sure you are there at the right time of year and the right time of day,” he explains. “Weather and annual seasonal patterns are a big factor. If it is a particularly wet spring, then the opportunities to record become limited both in terms of access to wilderness and because you need perfectly still, calm, sunny days to get the best recordings.

Mackay got the bug to start recording nature sounds in 1998, after a trip into the James Bay wilderness in northern Quebec. The plan was to move deeper into the wild with each recording – partially for thematic reasons and partially due to the difficulty of finding undisturbed land away from civilization. Although provincial and national parks offer vast areas of solitude, they can sometimes be well-trodden in the summer months.

Grant Mackay has made it part of its mission to venture into completely unexplored wilderness areas. Canada is known by hunters and fisherman both in Canada and in the U.S. to have some of the largest tracts of crown land. Some of these wilderness areas stretch for hundreds of miles at a time. Earthaven has made use of these crown lands as well as special protected wilderness zones that have been designated as scientifically or environmentally significant. We tread very lightly by canoe or foot (only) into these areas, avoiding the use of motorized land or water transportation.

Mackay hasn’t always had to travel far to find natural beauty. His recording, “The Forest Marsh,” came about when he accidentally came upon an oasis of secluded marshland while exploring near his rural home. The artist explains that he was following some of the rough roads used by local farmers for transporting crops. A detour found him in a deep, hidden valley with a serene marsh that he later recorded. His new album, “Point Petre: A Birder’s Paradise,” highlights the symphony of song provided by the area’s avian population.”

– Music Design In-Review Magazine