MUSI 3041 Assignment 2
MUSI 3041 Assignment 2
Chong Tsz Yen Hayley (3035805497)
For this assignment, I chose the theme of Soundscapes of My Neighbourhood. I live with my family in Fortress Hill, a district on Hong Kong Island that has the perfect balance between the urban areas and nature. All 10 locations on the map are places I always visit, yet I have never took notice of their unique ambient sounds. The audio recordings were recorded with my iPhone 11 Pro.
Location 1: North Point Tram Terminus
Normally if I would like to go home from Causeway Bay or Tin Hau, I would choose to take the tram due to its convenience. There is one very special thing about the North Point Tram Terminus, before arriving at the terminus, the tram would have to switch tracks on King's Road to enter Chun Yeung Street. If not, the tram would head straight to the Shau Kei Wan Terminus. In the above sound recording, it was taken when the tram switched tracks and was turning left to enter Chun Yeung Street, making a screeching sound. People often recognise trams by the "Ding Ding" sound they produce, but the screeching sounds the metallic wheels of the tram make when they scrape against the metallic tracks reminds us of the history the Hong Kong Tram. Given that the trams and the rails have been with Hong Kong for more than a century and is a collective memory for all Hong Kongers, we should preserve such an important piece of history.
Location 2: Chun Yeung Street Wet Market
The Chun Yeung Street Wet Market is one of the most iconic markets in Hong Kong and the biggest outdoor wet market close to where I live. On the left of the street, you would find long rows of stalls selling seafood, fresh meat, vegetables and more. On the right, you would find stalls selling women and children clothes. In the above recording, you could hear the hawkers yelling in Cantonese, hoping to draw people's attention. There is also this metallic sound in the beginning of the audio where a butcher was cutting up some meat. In the background, you could hear some domestic helpers chattering, talking about what types of produce they were going to buy. Besides the hustle and bustle of this busy street, another unique characteristic is that trams are able to turn into this narrow street. If the timing is right, you would be able to hear the "Ding Ding" sound of the tram and hawkers panicking to get their products out of the tracks.
Location 3: FIT 24 North Point
This is a very small gym that I always go to for my workouts. In the above recording, it features the sounds of weights at the gym. Normally, when I do my workouts I would have my AirPods on and not pay attention to my surroundings. When I was recording at my gym, I realised that the sounds of the weights actually represents each person's rhythm while working out. Other people working out at the gym also have earphones in, so this rhythm also reflects the beat of the music blasting in their ears. In the background of the music, you are also able to hear some Cantopop playing through the speakers of the gym.
Location 4: Fortress Hill MTR Station
This sound is one of the most well known sounds of Hong Kong, extremely unique yet crowned one of the sounds that locals never pay attention to. I recorded this in the Fortress Hill MTR station when the train doors were closing. This sound is nothing but an announcement and a warning signalling the doors are closing and locals have probably listened to this sound thousands of times in their lives. However, being played so many times and being so easily recognisable has turned this sound into an important part of people's lives, representing the routines and lifestyle of Hong Kong.
Location 5: East Coast Park
The East Coast Park is a newly built park which is part of the project to link up the harbourfront promenades facing Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong Island. There is a rock armour (a rocky infrastructure which extends from land to sea to protect the harbour) where you can walk on. This audio was taken after I climbed down the rocks to get closer to the sea. You could hear the waves of the famous Victoria Harbour, a landmark of Hong Kong hitting the rocky surface. Hong Kong is known for being a coastal city, from being a fishing village to an international finance hub. The waves of the Victoria Harbour witnessed the growth of Hong Kong, at the same time the sounds of waves remind people of the history of Hong Kong.
Location 6: Braemar Hill Peak
The Braemar Hill hike is a hike I always go on with my family since we live so close to the start of the trail, we hike along Mt Butler Road to reach the peak of Braemar Hill. Along the hiking trail you can hear the sounds of cicadas and birds, on windy mornings you would also hear the light breezes. The above audio was taken at 10a.m. on the Braemar Hill Peak, you are able to hear cicadas and how active the birds were in the morning. This sound represents the vibrant ecosystem of the nature of Hong Kong, an aspect of our hometown that we desperately need to preserve.
Location 7: Victoria Park Basketball Court
The walking distance between Causeway Bay and Fortress Hill is only about 20 minutes and sometimes I would prefer walking home instead of taking the Tram or MTR. The route I usually take is walking through Victoria Park, a park that spans across Causeway Bay and Tin Hau, one of the biggest public parks in Hong Kong. At night, especially on weekends, a lot of people gather at the basketball courts to play matches. The above recording features the sounds during a basketball match, a familiar sound if you are a frequenter of Victoria Park. You could hear the sound of sneakers rubbing against the floor, the basketball bouncing off the floor and the voices of players communicating with their teammates.
Location 8: SOGO Crossroad
The crosswalk in front of SOGO in Causeway Bay is one of the biggest and busiest crosswalks in Hong Kong. The sound featured in the above recording is the sound of pedestrian lights when they are red. You are also able to hear the sound of the busy traffic in the background. The sounds of pedestrian lights are unique to each city, being born and raised in Hong Kong, I could say that I am able to recognise this sound instantly with no hesitation. To the Hong Kongers that are now living overseas, listening to this sound would give them a sense a familiarity and remind them of home.
Location 9: Kozy Okonomi-yaki Teppan-yaki at Macau Yat Yuen Centre
This sound was recorded when I was eating Teppanyaki with my family in Causeway Bay and this is a restaurant we always go to. Teppanyaki is a type of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to pan-fry or grill the food. In the above audio, you are able to hear the sound of food being fried and the sounds of the grill griddle scraper hitting the iron griddle to flip the food while frying. A lot of people go have Teppanyaki to see the food being freshly cooked in front of them, however I like hearing the sounds of the scrapers as it reflects the skills and techniques used by the cook.
Location 10: The Starview at Lee Theatre
This is quite an interesting audio as this is not something that occurs regularly. I was having dinner with my family at a Chinese restaurant at Lee Theatre while I recorded the audio. An event was happening at one of the banquet halls in the same restaurant, apparently it was the birthday of a famous Chinese Opera star. In the audio, you can hear some chattering sounds of the regular diners, however in the background you are able to hear Chinese opera playing because of the event. It was a unique experience for me as it is not everyday you would hear Chinese opera while having dinner at restaurants, this reminded me how rich the Chinese culture in Hong Kong is. 
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