FILMP 160 Wednesday Lab Section 2

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Sound Walk

The sound of traffic is the soundmark of the city. The swelling sound of tires on the road coming closer and speeding away, the beeping of trucks as they back out of a parking spot, and the honking of cars are a few of the sounds that make up the city’s noise. I walked through lower Manhattan, in a neighborhood with a mix of shops and residential areas. The sound of traffic was always present, but sound signals cut through the noise. The chatter between children and adults was fitting with the time of day since students were being dismissed from school. Some children were already at the park, where the sound of basketballs hitting the floor and swings creaking were keynotes that blended together. These sounds were unique to the neighborhood as they reflect the gathering of the community since there were many local parks in the area and outdoor spaces where people could get together.

The dynamic range of sounds caught my attention. At times the sound of traffic was distant, and other times it became loud as I reached the crosswalks. When I was in between streets, I could hear the neighborhood’s softer sounds, like the birds chirping in the trees overhead, and the rustling of a woman’s plastic grocery bags. I passed a restaurant with outdoor seating at the intersection of two quiet streets. I could hear the clanking of glass cups and utensils, and the soft music coming from inside. These softer sounds were meaningful for me since they often get lost in the loud sound of traffic.

soundwalk

link to blogpost

Sound Walk

I decided that I would be up and early for my soundwalk. I had errands to run and also wanted some fresh air to get my day going. I walked from my house all the way to the closest park. It’s about an 8-minute walk from my house to the bus stop and from there I walked to the park. The walk started off fairly quiet and you can mainly just hear the rustling of leaves and the wind. The highway is close by, so you occasionally hear the honks of the irritated drivers who are most likely trying to get to work.

I got to the bus stop and it’s in a very commercial area and also extremely close to a high school so it can get VERY loud. I feel like I’m much more hyper aware of sound early in the morning (part of it probably being that I’m irritable at that hour) so footsteps sound so much louder. I heard students screaming down the block and across the street about being late to class and how they’re going to get Dunkin Donuts before going in. I heard loud laughs also coming from students. Honking becomes much more prominent in this area since parents drive past to get their kids to school and the several different buses that try to get by.

I headed towards the park and the walk became quiet again, at least compared to the loud screaming and honking that was present minutes before. The park was extremely peaceful. The air and noise felt so much lighter. Again, the rustling of leaves and quiet footsteps were noticeable from the elders who do Tai-Chi in the park. You could also hear the harder and faster footsteps from people who are getting in their early morning run.

I’d say all of the sounds I heard were pretty expected considering my neighborhood and the hour. I think the most meaningful sounds to me are probably the rustling leaves just because Autumn is my favorite season and I think it’s such a satisfying and peaceful sound.

Blog #2: Soundwalk

I sat on a park bench in Queens along a busy road. In the background are cars driving down the street and slow footsteps. Construction has been going on for weeks, in the foreground are the workers shouting things to one another and the rumbling of the loud machinery they are using. Occasional car keys can be heard jingling, as well as cars locking and doors slamming since parking is available on this street. I'm sitting in front of a parking meter, quarters can be heard dropping into the machine. It’s a windy day, the leaves are rustling against the concrete and the trees are blowing making a whispering sound almost. The train station is a block away so I can hear it pulling into the station under me. Some cars make a screeching noise when braking at the red light. I can hear the engine from cars idling. There is a hospital a few block down, so ambulances are passing by with the sirens on. Although this description is standard for common NYC streets, it is very unique to this neighborhood as it’s a perfect balance of commercial and residential. The foot steps are sparse yet the traffic is not. The construction sounds are the constant while the sounds of elders walking by with canes become more apparent since it’s less frequent. There is traffic but honking isn’t common because it is a relatively quite neighborhood for NYC. After half an hour someone finally sat near me on the bench, and her phone conversation was vaguely audible. The sounds are also unique to the time of day since it was early afternoon in the middle of the week.

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Soundwalk

Blog Assignment 2: "What I Hear"

Fall is coming to New York City, so I decided to go to central park to find some fall colors while I was doing a soundwalk. It was a windy day at 5 pm. I started on fifth Avenue, where is full of traffic noise. There were not many people walking at the park, but there were a few photographers photographing people and the landscape, which made me hear the sound of releasing the shutter, from their cameras and their phones. As I walked inside the park, I heard less traffic noise and more natural sound- wind, water, and birds. I heard the sound from the wind by hearing the swaying trees. I heard the sound from water when I was walking around the Wood Chip Vantage Point, where there was some running water next to the walkway. I heard the sound from the birds most of the time. Sometimes, there will have sound from the ambulance but with a much lower frequency than what I normally hearing on the street.

When I was walking next to the bow bridge, I heard someone was playing the violin. It was unexpected but I think having people playing instruments in a public place is the culture of the city. I could feel people are enjoying the music, and I heard people laughing, talking and taking pictures on the bridge. It was the highlight of my day because the sound of the violin creates a romantic atmosphere in the park, especially the player was playing next to the bow bridge, where people usually go there and take wedding pictures. As I walked closer to the streets, the traffic noise started hitting me again.