Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Date: 3/10/23

Location: the walk from the Student Center to VP

Far sounds: someone singing or playing music (faint), cars driving

Medium sounds: planes overhead, doors to the tower dorms opening

Close sounds: footsteps, jangling keys, stuff in bags rustling, clothes brushing, footsteps, breathing, friends talking

Sound description/level: It’s quiet, which make the quieter sounds like breathing and clothes brushing louder. The general feeling is calm. It’s also nighttime, so it’s dark out, which lends itself to the muted nature of the surrounding world.

One word: muted

Most important sounds: footsteps, jangling keys, friends talking

March 10th, 2023

1:12 pm

Hofstra Gym, second floor

Far sounds – hum of machines surrounding me, weights hitting floor downstairs, muffled conversations as people run by, feet hitting the track surrounding me

medium sounds – rhythmic hum of treadmills as people run, tv above me, music on radio in gym speakers, conversation behind me, pull of the paper towel machine

Close sounds – music pulsing in my headphones, water bottle clanking against the machine, the hit of my feet on the treadmill 

Sound level – full of random clashing background noise, but overall medially mellow. Not too rambunctious. 

one word – focused

Most important sounds —  rhythmic hum of treadmills as people run, pull of the paper towel machine,  weights hitting floor 

1. 03/08/2023 – 1:55 PM – Outside of the Graduate Residence Hall
   Far away: The Hofstra Shuttle moving around, footsteps
   Medium: Very windy, some cars driving, someone locking their car with the alarm
   Closest: Birds, the gardeners trimming the grass and collecting shavings in garbage bags
   The sound level is medium.
   Descriptor: Tranquil
   The essential sounds are: the soft footsteps, the wind, and the gardeners.

Date: 2/24, 5:58pm

Location: Dutch Treats

Far sounds: water running in the kitchen in the back

Medium sounds: rustling of a bag, door opening and closing, beep of the scanner at the register, people walking around shopping

Close sounds: the TV playing loudly (ads, then Star Wars music), the cashiers having a conversation, a staff member answering a phone call, the refrigerated items shelf buzzing, the crinkle of the Uncrustable I’m about to buy

Sound description/level: it’s not a busy time for Dutch but there are a handful of other people so it’s a fairly consistent volume in here. Not loud; you can hear the TV from anywhere inside but it’s not overwhelming, and a few people are talking but when they move away I can’t hear them as clearly

One word: supermarket

Most important sounds: the TV, the cashiers’ conversation, the fridges buzzing

Outside CV Starr

3:36 pm 2/24/23

Farthest sound- cars driving by on the turnpike, honking of said cars, construction truck backing up

Medium sounds- tumbling leaves, rustling of trees around me, brief conversations of people walking by, airplane overhead, lawn mower hum

Close sounds – music in my headphones, wind against the outside of my headphones, rushing of water from drinking of my water bottle, me swallowing, clanking of keys in my pocket, rustling of hands against my jacket

Sound level/amount – the sound levels of this spot ebbed and flowed, but on a general noise scale, there was rather nothing majorly apparent., but enough general background noise to take notice of. 

One word – serene

Three most important noises – 

• Wind against the outside of my headphones
• The rustling of the leaves
• Rustling of trees

Location: 224 Lenox living room  Time: 10 PM

Farthest Away Sounds:

• people talking and laughing upstairs
• footsteps upstairs
• music playing upstairs

Mid Range Sounds:

• sink running in kitchen next door
• plates and bowls clanking in the sink
• bedroom door opening in closing

Closest Sounds:

• roommates sitting around table talking and laughing
• chairs being scooched on floor
• tv playing wii music

Sound Level:

When I started my observation I was the only one in the room and was mostly hearing everything upstairs that was very faint and far away and then as it went on more and more people joined in the living room and then we started playing games and it progressively got louder and more lively

Descriptors: lively but calm

Essential Sounds

• laughing
• music
• wii music

2/9/23, 8:50pm

Couch in the Living room at my off campus house

Farthest sounds – revving car engine, fridge humming, rustling wind in the front trees, plane rumbling overhead

medium sounds – doors opening up the stairs, fire station alarm (from the station behind our house), running faucet, radiator humming, footsteps upstairs, creaking floorboards

closest sounds – clicking of my laptop keys, housemate chewing her dinner, footsteps, styrafoam food container scraping, tin foil crinkling

sound description/level – when I started my observation, it was relatively quiet and the loudest thing was the clicking of my keyboard, sitting in the room by myself. My housemates got home, and the room was flooded with sporadic yet controlled noise levels of everyone doing their own night routines, settling down for the evening. the room really ebbed and flowed.

descriptor – at ease

Essential sounds – chewing, footsteps, clicking of my laptop keys

Date: Feb. 9th, 2023, 6:08pm

Location: A/V office in the Student Center

Far sounds: Doors opening and closing, people talking downstairs and/or outside, a car outside driving by

Medium sounds: Coworker eating his dinner, coworkers typing, plastic water bottle being opened and drunk from

Close sounds: My laptop fan, chairs creaking, my own typing, people shifting positions in their chairs

Sound description/level: It is very quiet in here. The loudest sound to me is my laptop fan at a constant hum, which is not that loud. Occasionally something does happen – a few minutes ago the phone rang – but since I started listening, it’s been extremely uneventful.

One word: quiet

Most important sounds: Laptop fan, people typing, people shifting in their seats

1. 02/09/2023 – 4:22 PM – Emily Lowe Hall Drounge
2. Far away: People talking in a classroom, a small beep, the sound of an air conditioner
3. Medium: Footsteps (some going further and some coming closer), the entrance door slamming, a classroom door being shut
4. Closest: The sound of me breathing due to congestion, someone taking a sip of their drink, typing, someone chewing
5. The sound level started out quite loud, but it has now gone down to barely any sounds that aren’t the ones mentioned in #4. This is the same regarding the sound activity. Originally, it began with hearing #2 and #3 together, and those sounds faded away, which led me to hear #4. Therefore, the sound activity went from high to low.
6. Descriptor: Bustling
7. The essential sounds are: the faraway sound of people talking in a classroom, the sound of footsteps, and the sound of the entry door slamming. 

Date: February 6

Location: LHCOMM Equipment Room

Far Sounds: People walking past, equipment cases rolling in the hall

Medium Sounds: People talking at the window, music playing from a computer, email notification

Close Sounds: Person next to me drinking soda, typing from computer, sliding backpack on table

Sound Description/Level: If this sound were a hypothetical “scene” in a play or movie, it is more casual underlying chatter rather than something too powerful and loud. It’s easy to tune in and out without getting lost in the conversation.

One Word: chill ?

Most Important Sounds: People talking at the window, computer playing music