As I took my soundwalk through the upper east side of
Manhattan on an early Sunday evening, I noted the array of sounds that flooded
my open ears. I walk along 83rd street and Lexington Avenue for a
while, before heading to 3rd Ave.
During the walk, I hear the soundmarks that are most often
affiliated with New York City living. For example, the aggressive horn honking
of the taxi drivers or that of the construction that bellows in the distance.
Sound signals that I instantly became aware of are the vendors, namely hot-dog carts,
fruit-and-vegetable stands and Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine trolleys. The
enticing aromas lured me closer toward the carts, but I decide to keep on and
focus on the project at hand.
I am mostly taken by the cacophony of keynotes. All kinds of
background noise zipping by, whether it is sirens, children at play, adults barking
into their cell phones, dogs snarling, clicking and clacking of stilettos,
boots, and so much more. I reach my destination and analyze my experience.
The exercise was relaxing; it was fun to consciously become
sonically astute in a city that never sleeps. What I found especially
interesting is how I am used to this exercise: more often than not I remove my
headphones or poke my nose out of my book to peak above and look around and
listen to what is going on all around me in subways or city streets – here in
New York, and definitely when I am travelling. Here, though, I love the sites
and sounds of city living. Out in the country, you hear things differently.
Often times, it is significantly easier to end up in a trance-like state,
absorbed in one’s own thoughts in harmony with the humming of crickets, the
wind and other such various aspects of nature. But a city sound — NYC in
particular — involves a whole other level of listening technique. This slightly
more challenging practice involves being able to separate the very many layers
of sounds all around us that act like instruments, and to thoroughly digest and comprehend
these individual sounds before allowing them to form into their own unique orchestra.
Wanjira.
