I placed my recording device on the window ledge of Classroom 2 facing 67th street. My phone picked up a few cars, a helicopter, and the sounds of construction.
The noise here is a 2/10. In the Bronx it’s an 8/10.
-Ismael
I personally find solace in sitting quietly, especially after a particularly busy day which is why I chose to record this sound.
I asked Ismael about his relationship to silence, or a lack thereof. In our interview, he described the difference in noise awareness during the day and at night. While during the day when one is occupied with other things, noise is not very noticeable, at night, the noise outside the room is very present- dogs barking, the bodega music playing, people arguing, etc.
When asked about whether he prefers the noise or the silence, he said he prefers the NYC noise because he is used to it. He does remember, however, his time in Mali when he had “the best sleep of his life.”
“The noise in Mali is mostly nature, not people like here.”
-Ismael
-Katryna, 2/24, Macaulay Building
