On being together, alone:

When I was in grade school, after the Walkman's popularity spread and a lot of kids had them, we would use headphone splitters that we bought at RadioShack to share the music that we were listening to. On field trips with YMCA day camp, we would share the sticky plastic school bus seats (legs dangling far above the floor) and plug in, to our cassette tapes and each other.

I am interested in exploring privacy wihin public settings. Where do you go when you put on headphones, and what happens to the people around you?
How can we inhabit each other's private spheres within shared spaces - is it possible?
What does a silent room full of noise feel like?

New technology allows for increased mediation of our privacy, our solace and our participation within groups.
What is it like when barriers to communication are even more present, but invisible?

Are we less responsible for those around us? More?
Headphones on the subway / Silent Raves / Cellphones / Twitter / Bone conduction headphones / Bone conduction lollipops that play music in your head (recently reborn as toothbrushes).

DIRECTIONS

This is a series of explorations into some of the above themes. The first piece is an audio download. Please download it (Ctrl click, or right click to save as) and listen at your computer while you are working. It was recorded at an office in midtown where the staff shares one room, and though they are next to each other, the room is mostly silent. It's short, and begins to illuminate the headspace of the workers. Click Here to listen.