What I Hear Around Brooklyn Heights
by:Hasnah Farraj
On March 22, 2014 the Brooklyn Heights Promenade at 1:15 was sunny and very windy. The walk to the Promenade was indeed sunny, but it was still colder than the temperature that was initially stated on the weather channel, because I am going near water. I am about to enter the Promenade through the side that has a park area. I walk along the gated area where the swings and jungle gym are located. Kids are bundled up on swings, and are repeatedly taking on and off their coats to run around. As I continue walking, I can hear the swings squeaking. I also hear young children yelling, “You can’t catch me,” and “I am on base. Your still it!” and “No the slide is base so your it!” These sounds I would classify as a sound signal because the sounds of children joyfully yelling, would indeed attract attention. Although I would classify the swings squeaking as a soundmark because in many parks there are swings present.
As I walk away from the park, a few couples have passed by, where there have been children crying in a stroller. As of right now not very far from me, a young woman and man have sat down, what I assume to be, their daughter, to speak to her. Also I hear her mother, assuming she is her mother, saying, “No you were wrong! You have to learn that when you don’t listen, you are going to be punished.” Her voice is smooth like water, but stern like a rock. She does not sound like she is going to let her daughter not learn her lesson, despite her soft voice. The young girl has still not stopped crying and is crying very loudly. Her voice is very loud and shriek, like, however she has now taken deep breaths and began screaming in a deeper manner from her throat. She takes many deep breaths which cause her voice to get louder and deeper. The young girl crying and children crying in strollers I would classify as sound signals, because these sounds would most certainly attract attention. I would also classify the soft, yet stern women’s voice as a sound signal because she stood out to me, despite her child’s yelling. Usually some people might look towards a parent’s reaction to help stop the child from yelling. This women stood out to me.
As I walk onward farther away from her screams, I hear dogs barking and scooters making a rolling sound that makes a bump, and bike bells. The sound that the scooters make are a rolling sound against a smooth pavement where occasionally there is a crackling gravel sound, because the entire Brooklyn Promenade does not have a smooth pavement. I am also hearing parents yell “Stop at the trash can!” or “Stop riding right now!” I bend down to tie my shoes and also hear a person bouncing a basketball, and the sound of various peoples conversation. Some bits of conversation that I hear are, “The deadline is Monday, and don’t be late!” His voice has a moderate tone but is a little deep. His voice is indeed loud, stern and with annoyance present. After I am done tying my shoes, I continue walking and notice that the air is getting softer. I am coming to the near end of the Brooklyn Promenade strip but I am only hearing bits and pieces of conversation. I can not decipher every word but I do hear bits of conversation and laughter, because there are less people than when I started this walk, but there are still some present. The sound of a dog barking, a parent yelling for their child to stop riding, I would classify as a sound signal because, these sounds do stand out. I would classify the mans voice as a keynote sound because had I not been able to focus on his conversation, while tying my shoes, I would have not noticed him. The basketball bouncing I would also classify as a sound signal because it was easy to notice and classify. Scooters and bike bells I would classify as background sounds because it would be easy to not notice them, intently. I was paying close attention to the sounds around me. In addition I would classify the sounds of people’s conversation that I could not her closely and clearly as keynote sounds, because I could not clearly understand what they were saying and they do not attract a lot of attention.
I begin to leave the Promenade and being walking towards the area of deadman’s hill. The unofficial entrance towards Brooklyn Bridge Park. Walking down that hill the walk was smooth and I did not hear a lot of distinctive sounds coming from my shoes. I do not hear children’s screams down this hill. The wind is blowing gently and softly, it is not whistling harshly. It was not loud, like a coyote howling. I do not hear other people talking because no one is walking in my direction. The wind here I would classify as a keynote sound, because it does not attract a lot of attention. Usually noises that fade and do not attract a lot of attention, I would classify as a background sound.
As I am walking towards Brooklyn Bridge Park, I am no longer on Deadmans Hill, and do not hear other sounds but when I finally enter the beginning of the park’s walking path, I hear a bikes bell and move to the side. There are a lot of people, so I also hear bits and pieces of people’s conversation and laughter, but I can not hear anything specific. I continue to walk and stop for somebody to finish taking their photo, and once they are done, I hear a blurry exchange of no problems, and thanks you’s. As I continue to walk, I quickly come across the rickety wooden bridge, called the Squibb Park Bridge, that is above Furman Street. I hear people saying “oh my god,” and “it’s moving,” in a loud shocked manner. I hear the sound my feet makes against the wood. It is like a vibrating, banging, sound. Other people who are walking, also make this vibrating, banging, sound. I hear the traffic down below, the cars making the whoosh sound, and a truck honking. These sounds are very loud and not hard to ignore/unnoticed. I hear a larger banging, vibrating, sound, because people are trying to get the bridge to move more, by jumping up and down. I end the walk at the end of the bridge into a large basketball area where, there are many benches and a waiting area. It is very quiet and peaceful the wind is also not howling, but continues to blow softly. Like a whisper.
Finally, the bikes bell the blurry conversations, and the blurry exchange of thank you’s, I would classify as keynote sounds because it would be easy to not hear or pay attention to these sounds. The reactions of people on this bridge, I would also classify those sounds as background sounds because had I not been paying close attention I would have not noticed them. The sound my feet and others make against the bridge I would also classify as keynote because it was also a sudden sound. The whooshing sound of cars, and a truck honking its horn are very distinctive and can easily be identified as traffic and therefore I would classify that as sound signals. The sound of traffic is very hard to ignore and I believe it would attract a lot of attention. The whisper of the wind at the end of my walk is very peaceful and calm. I would classify that sound as a keynote sound because while it was calming and peaceful, it generally would not attract a lot of attention.
As I walk away from the park, a few couples have passed by, where there have been children crying in a stroller. As of right now not very far from me, a young woman and man have sat down, what I assume to be, their daughter, to speak to her. Also I hear her mother, assuming she is her mother, saying, “No you were wrong! You have to learn that when you don’t listen, you are going to be punished.” Her voice is smooth like water, but stern like a rock. She does not sound like she is going to let her daughter not learn her lesson, despite her soft voice. The young girl has still not stopped crying and is crying very loudly. Her voice is very loud and shriek, like, however she has now taken deep breaths and began screaming in a deeper manner from her throat. She takes many deep breaths which cause her voice to get louder and deeper. The young girl crying and children crying in strollers I would classify as sound signals, because these sounds would most certainly attract attention. I would also classify the soft, yet stern women’s voice as a sound signal because she stood out to me, despite her child’s yelling. Usually some people might look towards a parent’s reaction to help stop the child from yelling. This women stood out to me.
As I walk onward farther away from her screams, I hear dogs barking and scooters making a rolling sound that makes a bump, and bike bells. The sound that the scooters make are a rolling sound against a smooth pavement where occasionally there is a crackling gravel sound, because the entire Brooklyn Promenade does not have a smooth pavement. I am also hearing parents yell “Stop at the trash can!” or “Stop riding right now!” I bend down to tie my shoes and also hear a person bouncing a basketball, and the sound of various peoples conversation. Some bits of conversation that I hear are, “The deadline is Monday, and don’t be late!” His voice has a moderate tone but is a little deep. His voice is indeed loud, stern and with annoyance present. After I am done tying my shoes, I continue walking and notice that the air is getting softer. I am coming to the near end of the Brooklyn Promenade strip but I am only hearing bits and pieces of conversation. I can not decipher every word but I do hear bits of conversation and laughter, because there are less people than when I started this walk, but there are still some present. The sound of a dog barking, a parent yelling for their child to stop riding, I would classify as a sound signal because, these sounds do stand out. I would classify the mans voice as a keynote sound because had I not been able to focus on his conversation, while tying my shoes, I would have not noticed him. The basketball bouncing I would also classify as a sound signal because it was easy to notice and classify. Scooters and bike bells I would classify as background sounds because it would be easy to not notice them, intently. I was paying close attention to the sounds around me. In addition I would classify the sounds of people’s conversation that I could not her closely and clearly as keynote sounds, because I could not clearly understand what they were saying and they do not attract a lot of attention.
I begin to leave the Promenade and being walking towards the area of deadman’s hill. The unofficial entrance towards Brooklyn Bridge Park. Walking down that hill the walk was smooth and I did not hear a lot of distinctive sounds coming from my shoes. I do not hear children’s screams down this hill. The wind is blowing gently and softly, it is not whistling harshly. It was not loud, like a coyote howling. I do not hear other people talking because no one is walking in my direction. The wind here I would classify as a keynote sound, because it does not attract a lot of attention. Usually noises that fade and do not attract a lot of attention, I would classify as a background sound.
As I am walking towards Brooklyn Bridge Park, I am no longer on Deadmans Hill, and do not hear other sounds but when I finally enter the beginning of the park’s walking path, I hear a bikes bell and move to the side. There are a lot of people, so I also hear bits and pieces of people’s conversation and laughter, but I can not hear anything specific. I continue to walk and stop for somebody to finish taking their photo, and once they are done, I hear a blurry exchange of no problems, and thanks you’s. As I continue to walk, I quickly come across the rickety wooden bridge, called the Squibb Park Bridge, that is above Furman Street. I hear people saying “oh my god,” and “it’s moving,” in a loud shocked manner. I hear the sound my feet makes against the wood. It is like a vibrating, banging, sound. Other people who are walking, also make this vibrating, banging, sound. I hear the traffic down below, the cars making the whoosh sound, and a truck honking. These sounds are very loud and not hard to ignore/unnoticed. I hear a larger banging, vibrating, sound, because people are trying to get the bridge to move more, by jumping up and down. I end the walk at the end of the bridge into a large basketball area where, there are many benches and a waiting area. It is very quiet and peaceful the wind is also not howling, but continues to blow softly. Like a whisper.
Finally, the bikes bell the blurry conversations, and the blurry exchange of thank you’s, I would classify as keynote sounds because it would be easy to not hear or pay attention to these sounds. The reactions of people on this bridge, I would also classify those sounds as background sounds because had I not been paying close attention I would have not noticed them. The sound my feet and others make against the bridge I would also classify as keynote because it was also a sudden sound. The whooshing sound of cars, and a truck honking its horn are very distinctive and can easily be identified as traffic and therefore I would classify that as sound signals. The sound of traffic is very hard to ignore and I believe it would attract a lot of attention. The whisper of the wind at the end of my walk is very peaceful and calm. I would classify that sound as a keynote sound because while it was calming and peaceful, it generally would not attract a lot of attention.
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