Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

4/12/2024, 5:29PM. My room

Sounds farthest away from me: cars driving down the street, music playing a few houses down

sounds at medium range: birds chirping outside my window, people walking around the house

sounds closest to me: my fingers tapping the keys on my computer, my stomach growling, my own breathing

The sound level is quiet and the sound activity is consistently low

One word description: peaceful

Essential sounds: Footsteps, cars, birds

1- 4/10/24 – 12:35 – Tables outside of Bits ‘n’ Bytes

2- People talking on the other side of the quad, cars driving down the turnpike, shuffled steps on the concrete.
3- Birds chirping, someone’s heels clacking on the cement as they walk, leaves rustling in the wind, someone’s keys jangling as they walk.
4- My friend typing at the computer next to me, an airplane flying overhead, someone laughing at the table next to me, the ice in my drink shifting as I pick it up and take a sip, the sound of someone’s skateboard as they skate by my table.
5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity – Sound level: low and quiet; Sound activity: relatively high, there are a lot of different noises and sounds outside.
6- Peaceful.
7- The birds, the ambience voices throughout the quad, and the steps and general movement of the people passing by.

1. 04/10/2024 – 12:30pm – Bits Tables.
2. Sounds farthest away from me: cars driving by, buzzing, the occasional honking.
3. Sounds at medium range: people talking as they walk by, birds chirping, somebody on a skateboard, the wind.
4. Sounds closest to me: people talking at the table next to me, typing on my computer keyboard, drink sipping and swirling, bags crunching.
5. The general sound level is quiet and controlled. The amount of sound activity is constant, with occasional peaks or gaps.
6. Description word: tranquil.
7. Essential sounds: nature, people, and general movement.

2/23/2024, 10:17 PM ET, Hempstead Turnpike/California Avenue

The sound furthest away from me is the rumble of cars much further down the road, just loud enough to be noticeable, getting louder as they come towards the red light.

A sound a bit closer to me is the incessant chirping of the birds that sit in the trees and on the powerlines en masse above California Avenue. It’s a fast, high-pitched trilling that verges on being scary.

The sound closest to me is that of a car passing by about 2 feet to my right. It’s a quiet car, not one with a loud engine, so most of the sound comes from the soft rumble of its tires on the ground and the woosh of the wind as it passes me.

The sound level isn’t extremely loud, there not being many cars at this very moment while the cars going straight on the highway have the red light.

The word I would use to describe the sound environment is puttering.

Three sounds essential to the sound environment are the sound of a car braking, the high-pitched screech of a bird, and wind wooshing.

February 8, 2024. 1:20. My Backyard.
The sounds that are furthest away from me: Truck beeping, distant cars, a plane.
The sounds that are a medium distance from me: Neighbors footsteps, squirrels shuffling in the trees, occasional car on my street.
The sounds that are closest to me: Birds, music coming from my computer (Sugar Magnolia- Grateful Dead).
The sound level of the space: Low. A lot of different quiet sounds.
One word description: Peaceful
Three sounds that are most important to the environment: Birds chirping, wind in the trees, hum of planes from nearby airport.

Location: my front porch

Sounds Heard: many talkative birds, lawnmowers next door turning on and off, a slight breeze.

April 12th, 5:34pm, Hofstra Pride Park.  

Furthest: Distant cars on Hempstead Turnpike, tree branches/leaves swaying in the wind. 

Medium: Birds chirping/singing, car doors slamming, car motor very loudly speeding down the road, people holding conversations. 

Closest: Me breathing, moving my feet in the grass. 

Sound level is extremely varied, ranging from distant and peaceful sounds of bird calls to very loud, souped up cars. Amount of sound activity is at a medium range. It’s not too quiet but not too loud all the time which cuts it down to a “medium”. 

One Word Description: Animated.

Essential Sounds: 

1. Birds chirping 
2. Cars moving 
3. People talking

Location: my backyard

Sounds Heard: various bird calls, wind in the trees, rain, water hitting metal gutter, cars driving by, wind blowing into microphone.

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.

1. 02/24/2023 – 5:16 PM – Outside of Vander Poel Hall
2. Far away: A car honked, some kind of radio music playing
3. Medium: Cars driving by, a car driving very fast, leaves on trees blowing in the wind
4. Closest: People having conversations passing by, a cat meow, some birds tweeting
5. The sound level is quite low when it is closer to me, but things like the car driving are loud. 
6. Descriptor: Busy
7. The essential sounds are: the car honking, the sounds of cars driving by, leaves blowing in the wind, and the birds tweeting.