Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

2-12-15, 5:35pm, Drama Lounge

So interesting to hear all these voices people, talking over one another (not in a rude way, but because they are so excited about the things they have to say). People discussing whether or not they think Anna Kendrick is hot — being careful not to offend anyone after they express their opinions — and a variety of other conversations going on. I’m going to miss the wacky things people say in the Drounge when I graduate 🙁

(I got the permission of everyone heard speaking in this clip to record and post this).

Drounge, Emily Lowe
Sean, Hayley, and I in the Drounge.  Hayley asks me a question and Sean plays Portal 2 on his MacBook Pro.

1. The Drama Lounge, Thursday, February 20, 2014, 9:26 pm.

2. Identify sounds farthest from me: The outermost door to Emily Lowe makes a raucous slam as students go home for the night.

3. Identify sounds at medium range: Dance Teachers speak softly as they enter the building and go up to their offices. The sound of their footsteps grows fainter as they get further away from the drounge.

4. Identify sounds closest to me: Jess High types swiftly on her Mac and her nails make a soft tapping on the keys. Pedro is beside me, biting into an apple; he is consciously trying to be as inconspicuous with each bite as possible, as he intently watches League of Legends on his iPad. On my right side, Maya, Kristin and Jack are rehearsing a scene for Speech class in standard stage, making sure they’re off-book. Maya says one part of the dialogue, and Jack and Kristin say the other part in unison (probably because they both need to know that part), and they sound like the girls from The Shining.

5. General sound level and activity: It’s noisy in here, as always, with actors acting, others playing on their computer, watching videos, typing away as they do their homework.

6. Word to describe sound environment: Hectic.

7. Three sounds that complete the sound environment:
— The sound of Maya, Kristin and Jack rehearsing lines.
— Pedro’s League of Legends video and his apple.
— The soft tapping of the keys on Jess’s keyboard.

1- DATE-TIME-LOCATION of the sound environment
Thursday, January 30th, 2014. 2:36 p.m. EST. Room 107 Emily Lowe Hall, AKA “The Psibrary”

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.
>The whirring of a distant machine, possibly something in relation to the heating.
>Footsteps from way upstairs, they’re more of a shuffle than a step.
>A professor speaking. The noise is way too muffled to even determine the gender.

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.
>There’s a door that keeps slamming, the slam consists of two very rapid clicks, one for the collision of the door and the other for the locking mechanism.
>Voices in the next room over, students. The voices are orderly, not one speaks over the other.
>A stapler has been being used consistently for almost two minutes at this point. Followed by the occasional ‘Ah, shit’ from Angela.

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).
>The noises nearest myself are very quiet.
>The clock ticks in a manner that makes you feel like it’s working too hard. The sound of a marker on an easel from the updated Act Facts of the day.
>Another clock is ticking, and it’s slightly out of sync with the other.
>A very calm tapping, something just short of a water droplet on the ceiling.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.
The sound level is a few steps above eerily silent. The voices at medium range allow for a relaxing background that isn’t all that unnerving.
The activity can be described as dispersed, free, very thinned out, and passing.

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

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment.
>Out of sync clocks
>Footsteps
>The orderly voices of students

Drounge, 3/22/13, 8:48am

Jack talking, me talking, Jack shaking his jacket, Jack hitting his jacket, me laughing, doors closing.

Drounge, 3/14/13, 4:45pm

Caitlin and Laura singing, then Caitlin and Laura trilling, me talking, Laura talking and laughing, Marina typing and laughing, Geena laughing, a backpack being zipped, papers rustling, breathing, murmurs.