"What I Hear"

I decided to spend my sound walk at Chelsea Piers where the overall experience was nothing but serene. I listened to the soothing sounds of the water crashing which is the biggest sign of being at a pier. The water meant the most to me because it isn’t something I see everyday living within one of the largest cities in the world. I often find myself getting consumed by all the hustle and bustle of urban life so natural elements such as this are a relief. From where I was sitting, I could still faintly hear cars whooshing by, but it sounded more like background noise. Some of the cars had music blasting through the speakers that I could even make out the vibrations of the songs that played. The wind picked up later that night, causing the leaves on the trees to brush against one another forming a rustling noise. A ladies heels clicked against the wooden boards of the floor as she tried to keep up with her daughter whose scooter echoed thumping noises as it went over the wooden boards, some of which stuck out. Over by the court I heard the sound signals of the grunting of a couple who were competing against one another in a tennis match. A pop sound was let out whenever the ball made contact with the racket which contained a steady rhythm for a few hits until one person missed and let out a breath of relief for they finally had a break from all the running. On the water, a cruise ship playing salsa music passed by. I could barely make out the laughter and chatter of people partying on deck. There was the soundmark of a man clicking his camera trying to capture the view of the city while his friend tapped his thumbs on the keyboard of his phone which rang every other minute. The camera was a common sound in this particular area being that it is considered to be a tourist attraction. All in all, despite the fact that my ear could still pick up movement, the experience did not feel rushed. No cars honked, conversations were quiet than loud, and I could pick up on all the aspects of the Earth that often get overpowered by the city that never sleeps. It was the quietest I’ve ever heard my hometown be.