Nyshka Chandran is a journalist focused on the intersection of culture, music, economics and politics. You can find her work in publications like Al Jazeera, CNBC, BBC, Resident Advisor and Hii Magazine.

Describe your ideal listening environment.

Anyplace open-air or outdoors where I can zone out. I like being outside because sometimes, what I'm listening to can totally change my surroundings.

What are your favorite sounds?

Wind blowing through trees, flutes and the rainstick. 

Which sound do you most like making?

Bad accents.

Who do you like to talk to most?

Me talking to myself.

What does it sound like in your head?

Mountains. There's something about a majestic peak that opens me up.

What was the first thing you heard today?

I woke up with my dream in my head and the last scene was a friend repeatedly asking me "why." Why??

What sounds do you hear right now?

Reggaeton from a car outside.

On what occasion do you become loud?

When I feel like I'm not being heard.

On what occasion did you most recently whisper?

At a restaurant, while talking about a nearby table.

Are you a good listener?

Yes

What podcast do you listen to the most?

NPR's Planet Money.

Describe your ideal soundscape?

Underwater, including the movement of fish, water gurgling and currents.

What do you consider to be the most frightening sound?

My father yelling.

What do you consider the most overrated sound?

Children's lullabies.

Whose speaking or singing voice do you most admire?

So many but journalist Zeinab Badawi and Nina Simone are two names that immediately come to mind.

Who is your hero of music or audio?

So many, one is definitely Erykah Badu.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you possess?

Asking good questions.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you secretly possess?

None because I don't think I hide my talents.

Which sound skill, talent or superpower do you most desire?

Sounding more authoritative.

What is the most extravagant / furthest length you have gone for sound?

Spending hours listening to the same album & picking it apart for a review.

What is your most vivid sound memory?

Learning French accents.

Which of your possessions do you most associate with a sound?

Computer & tennis racket

Which extinct sound do you most wish you could hear?

Dinosaur noises

What advice did you regret not listening to?

My former editor encouraging me to be a TV presenter.

Describe silence in ten words.

"When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about." -Rumi

When did you feel unheard?

The last time I hung out with my brother.

Describe a sound that troubles you.

Monologues

What will it sound like on the “other side”?

Bossa nova

When and where were you happiest, and what did it sound like?

The most recent time I felt really happy was kayaking down a river in Toronto last week. It was so calm, you couldn't hear anything except for the wind and water.

What was the best thing you heard this week?

The new Joey Badass album!