Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Location: Student Center by the Unispan

Sounds heard: chatter, walking, someone saying “Yes” repeatedly

1- Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 8:30pm, Adams Playhouse

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.

Furthest away from me, you can hear the sound of the tap dancers as they perform their routine onstage in the Playhouse. I’m sitting backstage so the sound is muffled, but their movements can still be heard.

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.

Medium range from me, you can hear the sounds of their accompaniment playing through the speakers.

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).

Closest to me, through the headphones, I can hear the sounds of the sound cues being called by the stage manager and other various people chattering on the sound pack.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.

The sound level of this environment is very scattered. There are many people everywhere and sometimes it can be hard to focus on one sound in particular.

6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”.

Confusing

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment. Note: you need to try and figure out what sounds make up this environment and which of those sounds need to be there for the feeling of the environment to stay intact.

Three sounds that are essential to this sound environment are the sound of the tappers’ shoes onstage as they perform their routine, the sound of their accompanying music coming through the speakers, and all the chatter coming through the headphone into my ear.

Location: Penn Station, NYC

Sounds Heard: You can hear the sounds of the Frank Sinatra wannabe in the background as he sings along to karaoke tracks of the oldies in the station. You can hear the sounds of the other people waiting around the station as they chatter amongst themselves and possibly enjoy the music of the gentleman. You can also hear the sounds of my friend as he starts to talk to me, realizes I’m recording, and stops talking.

1- Thursday April 4, 10pm, on the sidewalk near Popeye’s on Hempstead Tpke

2- Down the road, I can vaguely hear the thumping bass of the club nearby. Someone far away honks their horn.

3- The door into Popeye’s opens, momentarily allowing the chatter of the half-full restaurant to be heard on the street. The noise becomes muffled as the door closes with a small whoosh of air. There is a group of people walking on the sidewalk coming towards us. I can hear their footsteps echoing slightly on the concrete and a pair of girls is murmuring to eachother, but other than that, the group is silent.

4- Cars on the turnpike drive by quickly, sending gusts of air our way. The girls I am with chatter excitedly, someone is playing “I’m sexy and I know it” from their phone and the music is slightly tinny. Someone mentions they want to get some Popeye’s before continuing down the road, and this idea is met with a wave of approval.

5- The general sound level is at a medium high, especially due to the loud cars driving by, though the sound activity is closer to a medium low.

6- Pleasant

7- cars driving by, the chatter of the girls around me, and the song playing on the phone

Location: At the Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne or World Irish Dancing Championships in Boston over spring break, hearing some of the results. My boyfriend’s family is very affiliated with the Irish step world, so I went along to support.

Sounds heard in the clip: Man reading off the scores of the competitors in a very thick Irish accent, random background chatter can be heard. I thought his accent was worth recording and sharing!

1- 3/21/13, 9:00pm, Republic Hall bathroom

2- Chatter of a group of people in the hallway, someone thumps against the wall and everyone laughs, as time passes, their talking gets quieter and they seem to have left the hall

3- Someone walks into the bathroom, the door creaks open and slams shut; I can barely hear them shuffle to a stall and the door bounces shut behind them; the next sound I hear is the door of the stall bouncing open again and the automatic sink clicks on. The paper towel dispenser grinds rhythmically as they pump it and they shuffle to the door and let it slam shut behind them.

4- I am standing in the shower, the water is splashing down around me. The shampoo bottle top clicks as I open and close it. My soft humming echoes slightly in the enclosed space

5- The general sound level is at a medium and the sound activity is at a medium-low

6- Mundane

7- The water splashing down around me, the slamming of the door, the chatter of people outside

Sound Observation 9 – Witches Brew Cafe

Georgia Andre

– Date/Time/Location

– 4.1.2012 / 6pm / Long Island / Witches Brew (Cafe)

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.

–  The sound of jazzy celtic music in the background, chitter chatter of people talking softly

3- Identify and list the sounds at medium range from you

– People talking, tea cups/mugs being picked up and put down

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you.

– My MOM 🙂  !!!!, tea pouring out of tea kettle, tea sipped/slurped from tea cup, scraping of a spoon against a little tin kettle of honey for the tea, low nom-nom sound of a scone being eaten, my breath as I become more full.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.

– Very low level of sound including people chattering, and very relaxed environment with calming music at the perfect volume

6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”.

– RELAXED

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment.

– The Jazzy/Celtic music situation, Tea drinking, Low chatter

1)   3/14/11- 11:15 pm- Student Center

2)   There is a hum from some machine like refrigerator or something, I can kind of hear the HVAC system but just barely if at all, there is distant chatter.

3)   There is medium range chatter, seats moving, pots and pans being moved and clanked together, there is Spanish music playing in the background, many different kitchen noises, a lady calling out numbers, the beep of someone trying to get a soda and the machine not working and keys jingling.

4)   Seats moving, footsteps both high heels and regular sneakers, close chatter, there is a even louder humming behind me from some machine, the noise from a vibration as someone got a text at the end of the table, rustling of food containers, the sound of eating food, the sound of drinking from a straw, and rustling of clothing.

5)   The general sound level is pretty high and loud.  The sound activity is also a lot and very active.

6)   Social

7)   Sounds of the Kitchen, Chatter, low background music or ambient noise (humming)

Location: Hofstra Law School Office Of Enrollment Management; Uniondale, NY

Date: February 10, 2011

Time: 4:45 PM

Clip Includes: Office chatter, Mary Kate and Me talking about the recording, the ‘door open’ sound, various office supplies being set down on the table.