Soundwalk
Headphones in. Headphones out. This was going to be a different walk, a walk with no repetitive sounds, a walk with no rhythm, a walk with no singing voice, a walk where I would observe scenes and the matching sounds.
The first thing I hear is the hiss of a bus, I've heard that before. Then there's a clang, the sound of the engine, a different, deeper hiss, and a revving sound as the bus passes me. I've never heard that before.
I see a bike, I already know what a bike sounds like. Except now, I really hear it, I see the chains moving and I hear it. There's a bike across the street, I can't hear the turn of the chain, but I do hear the bell, a small ting. I thought I knew what a bike sounded like, but these two bikes sounded completely different.
A women passes, her heels clicking and clacking against the cement. My mind remembers the sound of her heels as I hear the familiar click-clack sound of heels again, but this time from behind me. I start comparing the two sounds in my head, the first women must have been wearing higher stilettos, the sound of her heels had a higher tone. The women behind me is likely wearing boots, or shoes with a wider heel.
My eyes move to the ground, I start looking at shoes and listening to the sounds of people walking. The man in front of me steps on the metal trapdoors.The sound is a distinct clang, I wait to approach the same spot to repeat the sound. My foot makes a lighter sound, but I do notice the sound echoing across the trapdoor.
This was a different walk, a walk with repetitive sounds, a walk with rhythm, a walk with many voices, a walk with its own kind of song.
The first thing I hear is the hiss of a bus, I've heard that before. Then there's a clang, the sound of the engine, a different, deeper hiss, and a revving sound as the bus passes me. I've never heard that before.
I see a bike, I already know what a bike sounds like. Except now, I really hear it, I see the chains moving and I hear it. There's a bike across the street, I can't hear the turn of the chain, but I do hear the bell, a small ting. I thought I knew what a bike sounded like, but these two bikes sounded completely different.
A women passes, her heels clicking and clacking against the cement. My mind remembers the sound of her heels as I hear the familiar click-clack sound of heels again, but this time from behind me. I start comparing the two sounds in my head, the first women must have been wearing higher stilettos, the sound of her heels had a higher tone. The women behind me is likely wearing boots, or shoes with a wider heel.
My eyes move to the ground, I start looking at shoes and listening to the sounds of people walking. The man in front of me steps on the metal trapdoors.The sound is a distinct clang, I wait to approach the same spot to repeat the sound. My foot makes a lighter sound, but I do notice the sound echoing across the trapdoor.
This was a different walk, a walk with repetitive sounds, a walk with rhythm, a walk with many voices, a walk with its own kind of song.
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