We do not as a society pay attention to ambient sounds. We are much more focused on the visual over the auditory. My goal is to articulate the ambient sounds as an instrument and a sonic geographical browser so that people can be provoked to realize an importance of the infrasonic soundscape. Because of the physical behavior of sound, my investigation also includes the focus on the notion of space by using New York City as a stage for my project. I chose New York City for its unique architectural nature to use the city's space as a potential sonic platform which clearly frames the design of the project's interface. We tend to ignore what we hear in our typical life because we have learned not to acknowledge them. Therefore, the sampled sounds from the city are a series of low frequency sounds that we do not normally perceive, so that by experiencing the interface the users are able to actively involved with an unusual sonorous interaction.

As I described my interest toward the sounds that are difficult for us to notice, the interface utilizes diverse infrasonic sounds collected from the distinct locations in the city. Each of these sources is a specific individual object and carefully chosen in a manner that we do not consider as an object noticeably making sound. High-rise skyscrapers such as the World Trade Center Buildings are vibrated because of the wind. Similarly, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge both generate sounds because the suspension cables vibrate by traffic movements. Also, I sampled a number of infra-sonic sounds such as footsteps produced from the massive circulation at the Grand Central Terminal's marble floor, water lapping against a wooden pier on Hudson River, and a movement vibrated inside the Staten Island Ferry. We spend years and years in our soundscape; however, most of us are not conscious of the existence of the low frequency noises.

Since my project deals with the hidden sounds and the urban space, the interface is designed on a radar method because it is a system and an interface detecting and visualizing things that are difficult to be notices in space. The two domains, instrument and browser, are simultaneously expressed while the interface is running. The users view the coordinates of the sounds located in a simulated space and navigate within a planemetric environment by dragging the viewer indicated on a map of New York City. The location of the users and the arm which sweeps in the scope dynamically determine the volume and the pan of the sounds produced from each of the sound objects. Also, the radar manner is considered as an active score that translates a traditional horizontal music score into a new form of music score as well as the sound objects as music notations in order to enhance the idea of instrument. To clarify the notion of browsing tool, the users can toggle each of the sound objects and obtain textual information explaining the background of the sound objects. Influence by John Cage and Tom Johnson, both composers, the project gives the users opportunities to perform and browse the urban soundscape by using the noises.

It is true that most of us are unfortunately not conscious of the soundscape and do not even know what is heard. I excavated the infrasonic sounds and amalgamated them with an interaction within a simulated urban space. The interface targets an interaction between the urban soundscape and the users. It serves as an instrument taking advantage of a radar manner as its score whose playhead communicate with the sounds and a tool managing the structure whose radar system sweeps the sound objects sonifying the urban environment. I raised a supposition that the users are actively able to commit to the interactive experience and be given a chance to pay more attention to our soundscape as a contribution of this project to the society. Moreover, I want to appeal to the users how precious and rare an experience living in the soundscape is by presenting my project.