I act as Senior Producer and Web Site Manager for FCS. I also record some of the sounds–here are my contributions so far. (Visit the FCS web site to read and listen to the full catalog.)
• The "El"
Many listeners vote the El train as the quintessential Chicago sound. Listener Tony describes his favorite stretch: "...the Blue Line between Jefferson Park and Harlem, where they go as fast as (if not faster than) traffic on the Kennedy...." I recorded a long ride on the Blue Line many months ago–including the segment Tony refers to.
Blue Line to Belmont (2:58)
Blue Line to Jefferson Park (1:18)
My own favorite: people shuffling in and out of the station.
Lake Station 1 (1:10)
Lake Station 2 (:57)
• O'Hare
Listener James writes: "I like the sound of all the Chicago natives as they walk and talk through the terminals of O'Hare.
Those first few voices you over-hear on your way to the baggage claim remind you that these are your people–you're finally home." I pulled these from my archive of recordings at the United terminal.
O'Hare 1 (1:22)
O'Hare 2 (2:42)
• Christmas on State Street
The downtown soundscape is particularly charming during the holiday season. I couldn't resist the singing Macy's window displays, a street musician in Germantown, and bells, among other incidental sounds.
A Spoonful of Sugar (2:02)
Silver Bells (2:14)
• Streetcorner Evangelist
A listener named Fluffy confesses: "You know what sound I don't like? I mean, this makes my ears throw-up...the preacher guy with the microphone that stands at the corner of State and Washington, in front of Old Navy..." At the risk of Fluffy's dismay, I indulged in his performance.
Love Our Neighbor (1:00)
Wipe That Stain (1:11)
Don't Make No Mistake (2:24) |
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Favorite Chicago Sounds is a collaborative web-based project designed to showcase unique audio portraits of Chicago and mirror what Chicagoans think about their city's soundscape.
The FCS web site invites local residents to name their favorite sounds of the city.
FCS recordists then seek out and record selected sounds, which are made available to the public as free MP3s.
FCS is a project of Experimental Sound Studio and operates in partnership with Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ), who auditions FCS-collected sounds for broadcast as part of their ongoing Sonic Soundscapes project.
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