I recorded a quick chat with a runner in Central Park and I asked Katryna how she interacted with other New Yorkers, whether she preferred New York be more communal, and finally what she recommended people do to meet new people.
The recording:
Katryna does not speak with strangers often because of the negative events that occur in the city regularly. By minding her business, Katryna feels safer but this does not mean she feels isolated. By engaging in different extracurriculars and church Katryna is able to have her own community.
During our workshop, I spoke with Erika, a fellow Macaulay student. We started off by listening to each other’s audio recordings, and Erika’s consisted of the sounds of birds chirping and streetlights signalling the right of way for pedestrians.
She had chosen to record on a street corner near a farmers market that she had passed on her way to the Macaulay building this morning. Additionally, she thought she might be able to capture the sound of conversations, as people often walk through the area she was in.
In her free time, Erika likes to color, though she doesn’t like to draw very often. She also used to play the flute in her middle school and high school band, preferring to play music she could recognize such as themes from movies rather than classical music.
After graduation, she hopes to go to grad school to continue studying environmental science. One of her current urban studies classes is helping her learn more about environmental sustainability, a subject she’s interested in exploring further in the future.
This audio was recorded outside of the Macaulay Honors College Building (35 W 67th St, New York, NY 10023)
This interview was conducted with participant (Khadija Fall) in regards to the audio visible above. The following interview observed relation between atmospheres within New York City in comparison to experiences one experiences within their own neighborhood.
The interview was documented and transcribed below:
Q. Which aspect of the audio stood out to you the most?
A. I could hear the birds chirping the most. Despite all of the conversations and noise, the birds stood out to me.
Q. What Emotions arise when you listen to the audio
A. Despite the noise, there was peace. I found the audio peaceful and natural!
Q. Was your experience recording in New York reflective of what you might hear in your own?
A. Honestly, no— it is more quiet in my neighborhood. My neighborhood is not as heavily populated as New York City, and so while familiar, the noise in the audio didn’t resonate with the experiences within my neighborhood.
In summation (and in the words of Khadija), although familiar, much of NYC differs in regards to perception of audio, space, interaction, and experience. The beauty of NYC lies within the subtleness of the resident, each person finding something new within a similar space.
For any questions, please contact through email: danielleashurov@gmail.com,
This interview is based on the audio attached below which was recorded nearby the Macaulay Honors College. It was conducted by Emma and the interviewee was Lina.
Why do you think that this audio is most-encompassing of the sounds of NYC?
“Memories, walking around the hustle and bustle while still focusing on the conversation. As a New Yorker you get used to talking loud and laughing; the nature of New York is fast-paced, “1000 miles per minute”, and all New Yorkers experience this. “
– paraphrased from Lina
Did you feel it was necessary that the recording was in a crowded space rather than a more tranquil one?
“Its not necessary in the sense that this is the New York City environment. As New Yorkers, we adapt to different parts such as a quiet part or here by Lincoln Center which is a loud arts center. As New Yorkers, we take in the space no matter where we find ourselves”
– paraphrased from Lina
How did these sounds make you feel?
“Happy. The laughter of two friends talking and the excitment and bright life of New York City. There is so much life. The traffic light sound was very comforting, this is home and these experiences cannot be taken away. It is nostalgia and happiness.
– paraphrased from Lina
This was recorded near a small street market close to the Macaulay Honors College building.
While Sabrena and I were walking around together, we both captured different and various sounds of New York City. While interviewing Sabrena she told me that she took sounds of people walking and talking and she said that in New York City you constantly hear different sounds. Hearing people walking around and background conversation is just an ordinary sound to hear in NYC and we don’t notice it or internalize it until we’re reflecting on it. Hearing different voices and walking reminds her of the diversity of NYC and how we’re all different from each other and we all talk differently. I liked how she mentioned that people’s different shoe wear also contributed to the sounds and how individual style is something very alive in NYC culture.
Out of the four audios Melissa captured, she chose to show me two: an audio of the train and an audio of the crosswalk beeping. Her choices were a result of wanting to capture the essence of New York City. Of course, one of the most important parts of New York City is transportation. Melissa captures the sounds of two of New York City’s most common forms of transportation: the subway and walking. She talks about how hearing the train and the crosswalk beeping is “very New York.” As New Yorkers we don’t recognize how much noise takes up the city because it’s almost always noisy.
I recorded this walking down the street two blocks from the Macaulay Honors College building.
When doing my interview with Amber we discussed what noises that were picked up by our recordings. Some of the noises we recorded were similar and had their own way of representing what it is like in the city. Specifically mine had people talking and bicycle noises while Ambers had cars beeping.
I recorded this near Lincoln Center. I then did the interview with Amelie, who described her experience in New York City, based on the recording. Amelie’s answer to one question stood out to me, which I want to share:
“One thing that Amelie loves about New York City, was that its always moving and there’s always something to do in the city. Amelie also mentioned that no matter who you are and where you came from (tourists, etc), you can always move and find different attractions to your interests. You can always stay entertained in the city, for example, even taking a public transportation can be a fun thing, since anything can happen there, from different situations, people or you could even end up in a “movie type” dangerous situation, which can increase your adrenaline.”
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