Alex Berner-Coe has been affectionately known by her initials, conveniently ‘ABC’, since she was just a toddler. Raised in the quiet mountains of Tennessee, she currently resides in Brooklyn where, among other things, she is currently undertaking the rich spiritual journey of fighting cancer at age 26. At One Thousand Birds New York, ABC produces sound for clients such as Spotify, Squarespace, Coca-Cola, Don Julio, Chanel, Peloton, CoverGirl, Mercedes Benz, and more.
Alex Berner-Coe has been affectionately known by her initials, conveniently ‘ABC’, since she was just a toddler. Raised in the quiet mountains of Tennessee, she currently resides in Brooklyn where, among other things, she is currently undertaking the rich spiritual journey of fighting cancer at age 26. At One Thousand Birds New York, ABC produces sound for clients such as Spotify, Squarespace, Coca-Cola, Don Julio, Chanel, Peloton, CoverGirl, Mercedes Benz, and more.
Photo by Austin Nelson
Describe your ideal listening environment. In my car, playing CDs or skipping around radio stations
What are your favorite sounds? A distant laughing Kookaburra (29:00), the Apple M0110 keyboard, a nice granular crunch
Which sound do you most like making? Sauté sizzle
Who do you like to talk to most? My best friend of 20+ years. We met in kindergarten, talked on the phone yesterday
What does it sound like in your head? Affirmations, observations, questions, and memories appearing and dissolving, catching and releasing
What was the first thing you heard today? Air conditioning, then I switched it off and could hear the familiar faint rumble of the LIRR over Atlantic Avenue
What sounds do you hear right now? Brooklyn morning traffic, the Weeknd/Ariana Grande playing on car radio, Uber driver humming along softly
On what occasion do you become loud? When I’m alone in my house I like to yell about things I wouldn’t normally yell about
On what occasion did you most recently whisper? To self-soothe
Are you a good listener? 90% of the time
What podcast do you listen to the most? Who? Weekly, which is dedicated to highly specific D-list celebrity gossip. I’m obsessed with microcelebrities and think they play a powerful role in informing and shifting cultural tides. I love that the hosts can always articulately explain who a person is and what makes them relevant without being snarky or cynical
Describe your ideal soundscape? Tennessee on a late summer evening sitting on my parents’ porch — breeze, windchimes, tree frogs, cicadas, thunderstorms
What do you consider to be the most frightening sound? A sharp gasp
What do you consider the most overrated sound? Music from a Bluetooth speaker in a public park or on a beach.
Whose speaking or singing voice do you most admire? I love the way SZA sings. Once I saw a tweet saying she sings in cursive and it’s true.
Who is your hero of music or audio? Noah Lennox
Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you possess? Whistling.
Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you secretly possess? Picking out harmonies when singing along to songs
Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you most desire? Playing guitar
What is the most extravagant / furthest length you have gone for sound? In college I studied abroad in Spain and traveled to the Basque Country out of curiosity to hear the native language euskera, which does not share an origin with any other existing language. It’s thought to be the only remaining linguistic descendant of the pre-Indo-European languages of Western Europe, all of which are now extinct. There are only 750,000 native euskera speakers in the world!
What is your most vivid sound memory? I can perfectly hear my childhood swim coach’s voice echoing around pool tile to this day.
Which of your possessions do you most associate with a sound? A BIC lighter.
Which extinct sound do you most wish you could hear? My sister’s baby laugh.
What advice did you regret not listening to? Go easy on yourself! It’s not that serious
Describe silence in ten words. Nighttime snowfall, quietly blanketing all surfaces until everything is mute
When did you feel unheard? Sitting across from a gynecologist
Describe a sound that troubles you. Catcall, iPhone alarm
What will it sound like on the “other side”? Loving whispers from the universe
When and where were you happiest, and what did it sound like? Having a snowball fight with a ton of my best friends in January 2020. It was one of those magical rare times as an adult where you truly feel like a kid again. It was exhilarating and blissful! It sounded like over a dozen 20-somethings wreaking havoc on a snowy yard, snowballs whizzing through the air and smacking their targets, endless shouts of glee and betrayal! The best.
What was the best thing you heard this week? My friend sent me this video of Rosalía getting ready for her day and her speaking voice is utterly enchanting
