Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Location: Wall St. & Broadway, NY City

Sounds: Talking, footsteps, cars

 

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.

3/29/24 – 10:10 PM – My dorm room

Sounds farthest away from me: My friends talking in the other room, cars driving by, someone talking loudly outside

Sounds at a medium range from me: My fan, a door opening and closing in the other room

Sounds closest to me: The podcast I’m listening to, my keyboard clacking, my bracelets jangling

Sound level and activity: the sound level and activity are both low – my fan and podcast are on a lower volume, everything else is in the background. Also, everyone is winding down for the day, so there isn’t as much movement and activity within my dorm.

One word description: Chill

Three sounds essential to the sound environment: The podcast, my fan, my bracelets

1. 03/26/2024 – 11:04pm – My House.
2. Sounds farthest away from me: scattered cars driving by and an airplane flying by.
3. Sounds at medium range: my housemates talking downstairs, the wind outside of my window, a dog barking next door, my housemate’s car pulling in the driveway, and the front door opening and a short greeting.
4. Sounds closest to me: my heater blowing, my fridge buzzing, and my stomach growling.
5. The general sound level is quiet. The amount of sound activity is a constant buzzing/hum, but other than that it is low.
6. Description word: soft.
7. Essential sounds: wind/cars, quiet chatter and barking, and buzzing/humming.

Location: Colonial Square
Sounds: Footsteps, generator, grass, car beeps

2/23/24 – 11:33 pm – my friends dorm
Farthest Sound – the farthest sound from me is the cars racing down Oak Street, honking at other cars that are going “too slow”
Medium Sound – the sound that is in medium distance from my friend’s air purifier, a white noise background noise if you will
Closest Sound – the closest sound from me is my besties ranting about the newest tea in around campus and a song playing on my friend’s tiktok
The sound level – the sound level continues to vary like the shape of a wave due to the people around me getting really into what they are explaining
One word – drama
Essential sounds – talking, white noise, honking, cars driving quite fast

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.

1. 02/21/2024 – 4:28pm – My House.
2. Farthest Sounds: the cars on the turnpike, occasional honking, a very faint police siren.
3. Medium Range Sounds: somebody doing lawn work next door, cars driving by, birds chirping, occasional indiscernible talking.
4. Closest Sounds: one of my housemates’ playing videos on their phone, one of my housemates cooking in the kitchen, the buzz of our security system, the occasional readjusting of blankets or pillows on the couch that I’m sitting on.
5. I would describe the general sound level as quiet and static, and the general sound activity as frequent but unpredictable.
6. Description: cozy.
7. Essential Sounds: cars, cooking, and phone videos.

2/9/2024, 7:03 PM ET, My dorm room

The farthest sound from me is the dull sound of cars speeding by on the road close to my dorm. It’s a dull roaring sound that starts just loud enough to be noticeable and fades quickly as they get further away.

A bit closer to me is the loud rumble of my air conditioning system that turned on a few seconds before I started typing. It’s the loudest thing in my room, incessant and powerful.

The closest sound to me is the Sims idling music, a happy little tune playing from my computer while it waits for me to return my attention to it.

The sound level, in general, is a relative quiet, only broken by the air conditioner when she decides my room is not yet cold enough. As I type currently, the sound of my dorm is peaceful and relaxed.

The word I would use to describe it would be calm.

Important sounds: the hum of my computer as she works oh so hard, the dull, heavy rattling of a truck passing by, and the click the air conditioner makes to signal she’s turning on.