# Solitudes

Solitudes is a Canadian record label and brand of music founded by Dan Gibson, a Canadian photographer, cinematographer and sound recordist.
During the late 1940s, he took photographs and made nature films, including Audubon Wildlife Theatre. He produced many films and television series. It was through this film-making that Dan learned how to record wildlife sound. He pioneered techniques of recording, and also helped design equipment to optimize results, including the “Dan Gibson Parabolic Microphone”. Some of his early recordings of the 1950s and 1960s were released on LP Records, and start of his Solitudes series, which was introduced in 1981. In 1994, Dan was awarded The Order of Canada for his environmental works. In 1997, Dan was awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Juno Awards ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2004, he released his first DVD, Natural Beauty, which was originally shot in High Definition. It is part of the new age genre. Many CDs have been released over the years. The music was originally designed to capture the sounds of various natural environments; sounds common to most albums include the wildlife, noise from swaying vegetation, and streams on water from a certain destination, usually indicated or implied through the theme of the specific album. In the 1990s, instrumental music was integrated into the nature sounds to create a whole new line of albums with thematic elements based on the type of music played and the instruments used.

## Major Productions

* Wings in the Wilderness – Feature Film (Narrated by Lorne Greene)
* Audubon Wildlife Theatre – 78 episode TV series
* Wildlife Cinema – multiple episode TV series
* To the Wild Country – 10 episode TV series (Narrated by Lorne Greene)
* Wild Canada – multiple episode TV series

## Film Awards

* Whitethroat – Golden Gate Award – 1965 San Francisco Film Festival
* Land of the Loon – Best TV Film of the Year and Certificate of Honour for outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography from the CSC, 1967 Canadian Film Awards
* Adventure Trent Severn – Award of Merit, 1967 Canadian Film Awards
* Winter Potpourri – Michigan Outdoor Writers Award of Merit 1969
* Sounds of Nature – Etrog for Best Sound in a Non-theatrical Film, 1971 Canadian Film Awards
* Fly Geese F-L-Y – Blue Ribbon Award for Best Children's Film, 1972 American Film Festival
* Golden Autumn – Teddy Award, 1973 U.S. National Outdoor-Travel Film Festival
* Dan Gibson's Nature Family – Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1972 Canadian Film Awards
* Return of the Giants – Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1973 Canadian Film Awards
* Land of the Big Ice – Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1974 Canadian Film Awards
* Wings In The Wilderness – Etrog for Best Sound in a Non-theatrical Film and Certificate of Honour for outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography from the CSC, 1975 Canadian Film Awards
* Return of the Winged Giants – John Muir Award for Best Ecological Film, 1977 National Educational Film Festival, US and Best Wildlife Film, 1977 Saskatchewan International Film Festival

## Album Awards

* Solitudes albums have sold over 20,000,000 worldwide
* 15 Solitudes albums have been Certified Gold (50,000 units sold) in Canada
* 11 Solitudes albums have been Certified Platinum (100,000 units sold) or multi-Platinum status.

## Discography

Until April 2012, about 223 studio albums were released by Solitudes. The years of release are according to Solitudes' official website. The albums released within the same year are listed randomly since no exact release date can be found. This list is incomplete.

### Studio albums

* 1980 – Walking through the forest
* 1981 – Calming sea
* 1981 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume One: By Canoe to Loon Lake, Dawn by a Gentle Stream
* 1981 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Two: The Sound of the Surf
* 1981 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Three: Among the Giant Trees of the Wild Pacific Coast, Spring Morning on the Prairies
* 1982 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Four: Niagara Falls, the Gorge and Glen, Among the Ponds and Streams of Niagara
* 1982 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Five: Dawn on the Desert, Among the Mountain Canyons and Valleys
* 1982 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Six: Storm on Wilderness Lake, Night on Wilderness Lake
* 1983 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Seven: Night in a Southern Swamp, Don't Feed the Alligators
* 1983 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Eight: Sailing to a Hidden Cove, Hiking Over Highlands
* 1983 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Nine: Seascapes (The Changing Moods of a Wild Coast)
* 1985 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Ten: Tradewind Islands (A Caribbean Adventure in Sound)
* 1987 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Eleven: National Parks and Sanctuaries Edition
* 1988 – Environmental Sound Experiences Volume Twelve: Listen to the Loons
* 1989 – Exploring Nature with Music: Harmony
* 1990 – Exploring Nature with Music: Breaking Through the Mist
* 1990 – Exploring Nature with Music: Pacific Suite
* 1991 – Exploring Nature with Music: Great Lakes Suite
* 1991 – Exploring Nature with Music: The Classics
* 1991 – Nature Trails: Teach Kids to Identify Wildlife by Sound
* 1992 – Exploring Nature with Music: Christmas Classics
* 1992 – Exploring Nature with Music: Algonquin Suite
* 1992 – Exploring Nature with Music: Atlantic Suite
* 1992 – Exploring Nature with Music: The Classics II
* 1993 – Exploring Nature with Music: Rocky Mountain Suite
* 1993 – Exploring Nature with Music: Strauss Waltzes (In Concert with the Sea)
* 1994 – Exploring Nature with Music: Appalachian Mountain Suite
* 1994 – Exploring Nature with Music: Christmas in the Country (Twelve Traditional Carols)
* 1994 – Exploring Nature with Music: Southwest Suite
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: The Nature of Canada
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Angels of the Sea
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Journey with the Whales
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Legend of the Wolf
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Nature's Ballet
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Raindance: Impressions of a Native Land
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Rhythms of the Sea: Eight Piano Moods
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Pachelbel: Forever by the Sea
* 1995 – Nature Sound Collection: Thunderstorm in the Wilderness
* 1995 – Nature Sound Collection: Ocean Surf: Timeless and Sublime
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Songbirds at Sunrise
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Arctic Echoes
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Australian Odyssey
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Christmas Wonder
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Florida
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Forest Piano
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Island Paradise
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Spirit of Africa
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Voices of the Land
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Celtic Awakening
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Lullabies & Butterflies
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Stream of Dreams
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Thunder Spirit
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Whispering Woods (Guitar for Relaxation)
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Beethoven: Forever by the Sea
* 1997 – Exploring Nature with Music: Sunshowers: Solo Classical Piano
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Mozart: Forever by the Sea
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: A Celtic Christmas Story
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Bach: Forever by the Sea
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Grand Canyon: A Natural Wonder
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Guardians of Atlantis
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Heart of Summer
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: In the Midst of Angels
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Dance of the Hummingbird
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Piano Cascades
* 1998 – Music for Your Health: Natural Sleep Inducement
* 1998 – Music for Your Health: Natural Stress Relief
* 1999 – Emerald Forest: A Celtic Sanctuary
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Land of the Loon
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Caribbean Dream
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Discovering the Wild World
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Emerald Forest: A Celtic Sanctuary
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Jazz by Twilight
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Niagara Falls: A Natural Wonder
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Mountain Sunrise: Peaceful Pan Flutes
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Nature's Glory: Inspirational Hymns
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Secrets of the Jungle
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Shorelines: Classical Guitar
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Stargazing
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: Yoga
* 1999 – Exploring Nature with Music: La Nature Du Quebec
* 1999 – Nature Sound Collection: Songbirds by the Stream
* 1999 – Music for Your Health: Natural Concentration
* 1999 – Music for Your Health: Natural Massage Therapy
* 2000 – Birdsong II
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Where Eagles Soar
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Classical Romance
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Moon River
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Pacific Grace: Spirit of the Killer Whale
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Piano Cove
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Colorado: Natural Splendor
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: The English Country Garden
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Woodland Harp
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Woodland Flute
* 2000 – Nature Sound Collection: Waterscapes: The Therapeutic Power of Water
* 2000 – Music for Your Health: Natural Meditation
* 2000 – Music for Your Health: Natural Relaxation
* 2000 – Wildlife Identification by Sound
* 2000 – Exploring Nature with Music: Angel's Embrace
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Echoes in the Glen: Celtic Aires & Ballads
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Wild Wolf: Mysterious Beauty
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Alaska: A Wild Wonder
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Rolling Thunder
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Woodland Strings
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
* 2001 – Exploring Nature with Music: Spring Awakening
* 2001 – Nature's Spa: Classical Bliss
* 2001 – Nature's Spa: Zen Escape
* 2001 – Nature's Spa: Stress Free
* 2001 – Nature's Spa: Soothing Massage
* 2001 – Fountain of Youth
* 2001 – Nature's Spa: Nurturing Rain
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Songbird Symphony
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Debussy: Forever by the Sea
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Forest Guitar
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Garden in Provence
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Lakeside Retreat
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Memories of Summertime
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Morning Has Broken
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Peaceful Classics
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Seaside Retreat
* 2002 – Exploring Nature with Music: Siesta Beach (Spanish Guitar)
* 2002 – Nature Sound Collection: Windsong: Wind Chimes in a Gentle Breeze
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Piano Songbirds
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Angelsong: Choral Classics by the Sea
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Classical Garden
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Country Retreat
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Deep Blue: Discovering the Coral Reef
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Island Retreat
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Lullabies: From Nature's Nursery
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Wind Beneath My Wings
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Pachelbel in the Garden
* 2003 – Exploring Nature with Music: Canada: From Sunrise to Sunset
* 2003 – Music for Your Health: Natural Stress Relief II
* 2003 – Gentle World: Celtic Reverie
* 2003 – Gentle World: Native Spirit
* 2003 – Gentle World: Tibetan Wonder
* 2003 – Frog Song (Nature Sound Recordings by Dan Gibson)
* 2003 – Listen to the Mockingbird (Nature Sound Recordings by Dan Gibson)
* 2003 – Mellow: Relaxation for a New Generation
* 2004 – Tranquil Cove
* 2004 – Gentle World: Andean Dreams
* 2004 – Thunderstorm: A Surround Sound Experience
* 2004 – What A Wonderful World (Sentimental Clarinet Quartet with Natural Sounds)
* 2004 – Asian Spa
* 2004 – European Spa
* 2004 – Polynesian Spa
* 2004 – Bliss: A Natural Chillout Experience
* 2004 – Forest Cello
* 2004 – Piano Classics
* 2004 – Homeward Bound
* 2005 – Oceansurf: A Surround Sound Experience
* 2005 – Brazilian Breeze
* 2005 – Celtic Serenity
* 2005 – Moonlight Sonata
* 2005 – Natural Grooves
* 2005 – Rocky Mountain Retreat
* 2005 – Songbirds at Sunset
* 2005 – Desert Spa
* 2005 – Luna Y Mar: Latin Love Songs for Guitar
* 2005 – Yoga at Dawn: Music for Wellness
* 2005 – T’ai Chi: Music for Wellness
* 2006 – Gentle World: Santorini Splendor
* 2006 – Call of the Loon: A Surround Sound Experience
* 2006 – Beyond the Sea (Sentimental Clarinet Quartet with Nature Sounds)
* 2006 – Sleep Deeply: Scientifically Designed
* 2006 – Songs for Sunset
* 2006 – Calm the Mind
* 2006 – Dock of the Bay
* 2006 – Dolphin Dreams
* 2006 – Central Park: A Peaceful Oasis in the City
* 2006 – Nurture the Soul
* 2006 – Relax the Body
* 2006 – Zen Relaxation
* 2007 – Gentle World: African Glory
* 2007 – Gentle World: Heavenly Hawaii
* 2007 – Songbirds: A Surround Sound Experience
* 2007 – Rejuvenate Naturally: Scientifically Designed
* 2007 – Relax Peacefully: Scientifically Designed
* 2007 – California Dreaming
* 2007 – Caribbean Spa
* 2007 – Evening by the Lake
* 2007 – Flute Dreams
* 2007 – Home: Peaceful Bluegrass
* 2007 – Illumination: Peaceful Gregorian Chants
* 2007 – Mystic Sky: Relaxing Native Flutes
* 2008 – H2O: A Solitudes Ambient Experience
* 2008 – Peace in the Valley (Instrumental Hymns with Nature Sounds)
* 2008 – America's Great National Parks
* 2008 – Blue Sky Classics
* 2008 – Cabana
* 2008 – Precious Earth
* 2008 – Seaside: Solo Piano
* 2008 – Tahiti: Voices of Paradise
* 2008 – India: Inner Peace Through Music and Nature Sounds
* 2008 – Costa Rica: An Eco Journey from Rainforest to Coral Reef
* 2009 – Ocean Odyssey
* 2009 – Relax Naturally: Scientifically Designed
* 2009 – O2: A Solitudes Ambient Experience
* 2009 – Mediterranean Spa
* 2009 – Island Spa
* 2009 – Breathing for Relaxation
* 2009 – Feng Shui: Living in Natural Harmony
* 2009 – Rejuvenating Rain: A Solo Piano Portrait
* 2009 – Dreaming by the Stream
* 2009 – Sentimental Moods
* 2009 – Mysterious Places
* 2009 – Natural Wonders of the World
* 2009 – Desert Spirit
* 2009 – Celtic Seashore
* 2010 – Shimmer: A Solitudes Ambient Experience
* 2010 – All Things Bright and Beautiful (Instrumental Hymns with Nature Sounds)
* 2010 – Sleeping Under the Stars
* 2010 – Canada: Naturally Beautiful
* 2010 – Gentle Harp
* 2010 – Moose Country
* 2010 – Native Harmony
* 2010 – Canoe Country
* 2010 – Wildflowers
* 2011 – Aria: A Gently Operatic Solitudes Experience
* 2011 – Serengeti: A Natural Symphony
* 2011 – Bali: An Exotic Escape
* 2011 – Southwest Spa
* 2012 – Classical Spa: Music for Relaxation
* 2012 – Songbird Suite
* 2012 – Ocean Spa: Relaxing World Flutes
* 2012 – Tranquility Bay
* 2012 – Sunshine on My Shoulders
* 2012 – Amalfi: A Peaceful Natural Escape
* 2012 – Zen Harmony: Music for Relaxation
* 2012 – Woodland Rain: Gentle Nature Sounds
* 2013 - Appalachian Mountain Suite
* 2016 – A Mid-Summer's Evening
* 2016 – Evening by the Lake
* 2016 – Lost in a Daydream
* 2016 – Moonlight Shadows
* 2016 – Morning by the Sea
* 2016 – Morning in Cape Cod

### Compilations

* 1984 – Sampler Album
* 1993 – Exploring Nature with Music: Favorite Selections
* 1995 – Exploring Nature with Music: Loon Echo Lake
* 1996 – Exploring Nature with Music: Favorite Selections II
* 1998 – Exploring Nature with Music: Christmas Wish
* 1998 – Natural Beauty: Pachelbel – Beethoven – Mozart
* 1998 – Sampler CD Vol. 2
* 1999 – Fields of Summer
* 2001 – The Best of Solitudes: 20th Anniversary Collection
* 2004 – Nature's Many Moods: Soothing Soundscapes
* 2006 – Solitudes 25: Silver Anniversary Collection
* 2008 – Guitarscapes (The Best of Solitudes)
* 2008 – Pianoscapes (The Best of Solitudes)
* 2008 – Gentle World
* 2008 – Spa
* 2008 – Relaxation
* 2008 – Inspiration
* 2008 – Classical
* 2009 – Native Spirit: A Relaxing Flute Collection
* 2009 – Exotic Escapes: The Peaceful South Pacific
* 2010 – Exploring Nature with Music: Loon Echo Lake
* 2010 – Majestic Alaska
* 2012 – Journey to Loon Lake: A Nature Sound Experience
* 2012 – Seascapes: A Relaxing Nature Sound Experience
* 2012 – Dream Waters: Soothing Ocean Surf and Gentle Rainstorms for Relaxation