Today, I was traveling in NYC without headphones, trying to take in all the sounds I had spent so long trying to block out and ignore. When I started listening I began to discover the fascinating sounds and noises that encompassed the city.
While walking through the winding
paths of Central Park I encounter first notes of the
"soundwalk" symphony. It is the sound of the park itself, humming and
buzzing with activity. It is a rather windy day at the park and the wind
whistle by softly and infrequently. The soft lull emanating from the faint
thrum of the bugs in the grass, is interrupted by the loud sudden blare of an
ambulance siren.
The cacophonous noise rises immediately to the foreground
demanding attention and spreading warning in sharp drawn out wailing blasts
that immediately draw focus to it. The ambulance’s siren then fades away as the
emergency vehicle passed on its way uptown. A small steady beep emanates from a
box by the cross walk, persistent yet muted, it is intended to assist the
visually impaired with an audio cue.
All the while, the dull roar of car engine
rolling by create an ambient background hum that most New Yorkers tune out
after a while as it becomes white noise in the . Layering over street hum are
the scattered bits of conversation and footfalls of nearby pedestrians create a polyphonic melody to
accompany the bass lines of the passing cars.
Near the end of the block a
massive 18 wheel tractor trailer pulls up to the light, its lumbering sound
adding a new layer to the encompassing "soundscape". The light turns
green and the truck rumbles past noisily honking its deep bellowing horn at the
SUV in front of it. The solos of cars and sirens provide an interesting
addition to the orchestra of the New York City street.
