Sound Art

Sounds For The Tree Hotel

On June 15th 2024, I collaborated with artists Nina Porzucki and Laura Nova to create “Sounds for the Tree Hotel” at the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden, in the Lower East Side of NYC.

This was an interactive listening event in which we led deep listening exercises to connect participants with the sonic environment. Participants shared sound memories and we facilitated a discussion about how to care for our acoustic space, as well as the trees that care for us in the garden. Inspired by the work of experimental composers R. Murray Schafer and Pauline Oliveros, we asked participants to close their eyes and listen to the soundscape, giving them prompts to tune into specific sounds, such as those from the natural world, from human bodies, and from technology. Framing the world as an endless musical composition, we tuned our ears to the music all around us and composed a concert together.  Click here for video documentation of the project.

Essex Market Audio Tour

The original Essex Street Market opened in 1940 in the Lower East Side of New York City. It replaced an outdoor market of pushcart vendors that had operated in the area since the 19th century. In 2019, as part of the Essex Crossing redevelopment project, the market was moved across the street and rebranded as Essex Market.

In 2019 I collaborated with Feed Me A Story to create an audio walk through the new Essex Market. The 20-minute audio tour introduced listeners to people who work and shop at this unique public market and community gathering place. While walking, participants learned about the evolution of this market in one of New York’s oldest and rapidly changing immigrant neighborhoods.

The tour is still available and free to do by streaming the audio on SoundCloud. Start the tour on the southeast corner of Delancey Street and Essex Street in the Lower East Side between the hours of 10 AM and 6 PM. Bring your headphones! For the best experience, download the SoundCloud app before doing the walk. Note that some signposts and vendors have changed since 2019.