The Soundwalk

I decided to complete my Soundwalk around my hometown of Glen Head and Sea Cliff on Long Island. I took a walk by the beach front, directly parallel to a busy road, I knew this location would provide an array of mixing sounds. In the general background the sound of car tires on the pavement in most notable (the way the sound changes as the car moves toward and away), there are also many bumping sounds as the cars hit pot holes. Also in the background is the sound of the wind rushing by my ears. It’s odd because I feel like this is a sound which my mind would usually edit out, however I was actually aware of it on this walk. Since the beach front was in a bay the water was still and shallow and didn’t make much of a noise, except for a soft rushing sound as the wind rolled over it.

In the foreground, there were many people walking dogs, so the sounds of jangling dog collars and the tapping of the dogs’ nails on the sidewalk stood out. Occasionally there would also be planes flying over head, not close enough to be loudly heard, however the rushing sound of engines were audible whenever one flew overhead.

My favorite sound occurred as I moved off of the main road and down a suburban street towards a quiet boardwalk. The background of the cars could not be heard, and instead the wind pushing the leaves in the bushes and trees took over. While walking down this road there was the sound of a wind chime, in what seemed to be a minor key, “soundmarking” the entry to a quieter area.