https://soundcloud.com/nypl/to-see-an-underground-show?in=nypl/sets/missing-sounds-of-new-york

Blogpost #5

Since the advent of this year’s pandemic, I have not commuted in trains yet. It is surreal to think that taking trains which has been a major part of my life in NYC has come to a complete halt. Our daily commute revolves around the sound produced during that commute hour. The sound of the train’s engine, the announcement being made on the platform and in the train were once a noise to me. I used to take refuge in my headphones where I direct my attention to songs and podcasts that I play on my device. After listening to and closely analyzing Krukowski’s podcast episode on Noise where he mentioned that signal is a sound that you are paying attention to and noise is the component of that sound which you are not paying attention to, I realized that the sound that I once used to consider a noise is slowly evolving into in a sound that I want to pay attention to. It feels different when the sound that I have once considered noise is slowly evolving to a signal that I am longing to hear. I am so used to hearing it every day that it has become a part of my life. This noise has actually been normalizing my daily life in New York. During this difficult and quiet time at home, the noise at subway platforms is what my ears are longing to hear. The compilation done by New York Public Library of daily sounds in NY has been particularly helpful. It takes me to my space where I was happy with my normal lifestyle. We didn’t have any fear of contracting any disease in any mass transit mode. So, this realization is applicable to Krukowski’s idea of sound being associated with space. A sound that can let you travel in time. So, when I return to my daily commute in trains, I think I will embrace those noises as a signal to my ears until it becomes bothersome again.