Soundwalk
Kimberly
Hibbert
A Soundwalk of Union Square
I go to Union Square almost every day because of my job or
grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s. If anyone asked me to name five sounds from
that area off the top of my head, I wouldn’t be able to come up with five
because when I am walking I always listen to music to tune everything out
around me. That’s why I chose this area for my soundwalk location. I sat on the
steps leading to the park right across from Whole Foods and Forever 21 for an
hour for my observations.
Keynotes: Cars driving, bike riders passing, pigeons flying,
high heels, the trains arriving and departing from the station directly beneath,
couples arguing on the stairs next to me (I put this last sound as a keynote
because in the hour I was there, there were a handful of couples arguing!)
Sound Signals: Cars honking, panhandlers, skateboarders that
try to show off in front of anyone that they think is watching, people sipping
their drinks from the Starbucks a block away, and if I really concentrated on
listening to the sounds of specific people, then I could also hear music
playing from their headphones
A majority of the foreground and background sounds are similar
to other parts of the city. When I was walking back to my dorm (which is a 15-minute
trek from the 6 train) I noticed a lot of the same sounds that I heard in Union
Square.
Soundmarks: A soundmark very unique to Union Square is the
conversation surrounding the chess tables lined up by the east side of the park
(if you are facing the street).
I think the layers of Union Square can be categorized into
three parts: people, transportation, and pigeons. Whether it’s people walking
and/or talking, buses, cars, bikes, scooters, or skateboards, and pigeons flying
overhead or walking right next to you, those are the three types are sounds you
will hear. As aforementioned, they come in various forms and the combinations
of sounds you hear will vary based on the time or day or where you are in the
city. Since Union Square is obnoxiously always crowded, then you’re most likely
going to hear a majority of these sounds occurring all at once, at all times of
the day.
Union square’s “soundmark” is probably the most meaningful
sound to me. I’ve never played chess there, but I used to play chess when I was
younger - from kindergarten until 5th grade chess was my life! Chess
class was a part of my curriculum so I learned how to play in a classroom
environment, where there are no sounds other than pieces moving, and the
occasional “Check!” or “Checkmate!” It’s so cool seeing people learn how to
play in such a busy area. There are so many background and foreground sounds
that would drive me crazy if I was learning how to play such a concentrated game,
but for a lot of the people I see play I guess it’s not a problem. I also just
love seeing different types of people interact with one another. What I dislike
strongly about the city is that it is so overcrowded and impersonal at times.
The streets are crowded but you can still feel alone. When I see people who are
rushing out of the train station look at the chess tables and stop and sit down
to play for a few minutes or so, it makes me appreciate the city a little bit
more.
Personally, I believe a lot of the sounds I regard as
keynotes are also considered soundmarks by the community of the area. Every day
when I walk past that park the sounds are the same. Cars, bikes, high heels, and
pigeons. However, the type of street performers in Union Square are different
than other areas because they are usually much more talented than other street
performers I’ve seen, and draw huge crowds. I’m not talking about the people
who jump over three tourists and call that a show and collect hundreds of
dollars that you see in Central Park or in front of the MET. I visited Union
Square during the day to observe sounds, but if you go to the area on a weekend
night, then you will hear some of the soundmarks I’m referring to. Whether it’s
a group of young poets who freestyle verses for over an hour or
the performers there are some of the most engaging.
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