Soundwalk on Long Island

A soundwalk in my neighborhood might only mirror the experiences of a few students being that I live on Long Island. Long Island lacks the sounds often associated with the "hustle and bustle" of New York but is unique in that every morning I wake up to the sounds of the tides no matter what time of year, these sounds are the ones most associated with Long Island or the soundmarks. I live on the south shore of Long Island, right across the street from the canals leading into the bay so each morning when I go out for my run I hear the tiny waves as they crash against the dock walls, these are the keynotes or background sounds of my neighborhood. Even exactly a year after Hurricane Sandy the sound signals are not what they used to be. What used to be children shouting and playing in the street or cars honking is now construction and the loud cranking sound of houses being lifted from their foundation. As I walk through my neighborhood, the tiding crashing keynotes are amplified as you go closer to the shore and the construction sound signals are amplified as well since the homes closest to the shore received the most damage. Despite these new sound signals that have dominated the community in the past year, we do not forget to listen to calming keynotes that remind us why we love where we live.