“I Was Made to Make A Sound”: on Rachel Zucker’s multimedia “SoundMachine”
By Hannah Ho
You are sitting in a subway car on your way to work. This early, people are either clutching coffees with blank stares or are resting, eyes closed, sinking into themselves for just a little longer before having to face the day. Virtually everyone has headphones. Some absently nod along to music; you hear the muffled beat of the person next to you and, frowning, turn up your own podcast. Once above ground, you are greeted by the street’s cacophony of honks and sirens, brakes, and rumbling bus engines. A passing cyclist blasts rap from a speaker strapped to his backpack. You increase the volume another notch. Work: phones ringing, clattering keyboards, the ding of a microwave. On your way home, more sirens. The clamor of happy hour more fervent by the minute. You fall asleep to Netflix or maybe a guided meditation, depending on your mood.