Soundwalk (aural exercise)

I started my soundwalk at the corner of 5th and 68th St. along Central Park. It was around 3:30 p.m., so traffic was starting to ramp up as everyone was leaving work. Personally, I thought this would be a great time and place to do the exercise because there could possibly be a mix of natural and industrial sounds.

As I walked down 5th Ave., I heard typical New York City noises- idling buses, car horns, emergency vehicle sirens, etc. However, I tried to focus on the noises that I often ignore either because the city's industrial sounds are too loud or I'm listening to my iPod.

Passing by many groups of people, I heard bits of conversations in different languages ranging from Spanish to Italian and other languages in between. I could also hear the soft jingling of dog leashes from people walking their dogs. Focusing even more, I could hear the faint sound of chirping birds in Central Park's trees.

I made a right on 59th St. walking towards Columbus Circle and heard the clopping noise of the horse-drawn carriages as well as continuous sound of bicycle pedals from pedicabs. I also heard some music, one instance was the radio of a street food cart vendor and the other was a boombox playing hip-hop in time with a breakdancer.

Once I reached Columbus Circle, I entered the park and became aware of the sound of my own footsteps. I was stepping in some dead leaves and heard others' stepping in them too. The park also had music but from actual performers with instruments like the guitar and violin.

By the time I reached the middle of the park, the city's industrial noises were very faint, almost non-existent; it felt like I was not even in the city anymore, all the sounds I heard were typical of any other park. There was the sound of children playing in the playground and babies cooing or crying.

These sounds were interrupted by the sound of an engine starting coming from one of the park crew's carts. It reminded me that I was still in a city with industrial sound; I had just found a part where the sound was almost natural.