A Sound Walk

   When given the assignment to take a sound walk I pictured myself drifting by at a place like Washington Square Park on a beautiful, sunny day. However, those days have yet to come and I found myself walking with the company of my lime green umbrella through a grey and rainy day in my neighborhood, Jackson Heights. Although I love my neighborhood, there is something about rain that seems to accentuate the unattractive dog poop and dirt of this diverse place. My first instinct was to focus on what my eyes were seeing; therefore I had to talk myself into putting it behind and focus on the sounds.

     The highlight of the walk was the sound of the falling rain unto the ground, the cars, trees and my umbrella. It was as if each drop made a different sound; some falling heavy, others lighter and together making up a rhythmic beat. For a Saturday in my neighborhood, I found it to be pretty quiet, not as many cars passing by, of course until I reached the main avenue of Roosevelt. Having left my cell phone behind cause me some anxiety. I am so used to running somewhere, and doing something that walking aimlessly without nothing else to do but to listen, was quite the challenge for me.

     As I walked towards the big avenue the sounds grew louder. A woman passed me by and our umbrellas clicked unto one another, then only her fading steps and my steady ones were to be heard. As I reached Roosevelt Avenue and focused on the sounds it was chaotic; the above ground 7 trains, people’s steps unto the wet pavement, baby strollers being pushed, car tires, door slamming, wind, drizzle and  the chit chatting of people in Spanish, English and other languages I could not detect. There is just a lot of sound going on. I did not stay long, I could not. 

     This is a place I walk into everyday and I guess my mind has developed its own mechanism to avoid being affected by this hectic environment. My realization from this experience is that I tend to place a higher value onto images and the visual aspect of all, and that although sound plays a big role, it is not acknowledged as quick and naturally. It gave me a deeper understanding on the importance of sound, and its effect on the human mind and body. Sound absolutely opens up the mind for imagination and interpretation.