Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

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

February 12, 2021 at 9:00 pm 

Location: On my bed in my dorm room

Far Sounds: Birds flying outside of the building, the wind rustling the tree, the ding of the elevator arriving on my floor, the sound of other residents going in and out of the bathroom, cars blasting music as they drive past, the squeaking of other doors being opened and closed

Medium Sounds: My heater making a continuous low humming sound, the clock on my desk ticking, the electrical hum of my fridge

Close Sounds: My fingers typing the keys on my keyboard, my phone ringing as a sign of a new notification, my breathing, my hair brushing up against the wall behind me as I sit up straighter

Sound Description/Level: Quiet. It’s a mundane environment where you have to listen closely to notice the low noise that usually fades into the background.

Important Sounds: The continuous humming of the heater, my fingers typing on my keyboard, my breathing

FEBRUARY 12, 2021 3:20PM

LOCATION: My boyfriend’s kitchen 

FARTHEST SOUNDS: Cars driving up and down the street, wind whistling, sound of the shower dripping in the bathroom down the hall, the neighbors outside leaving their house and getting into their vehicle. 

MEDIUM SOUNDS: The gurgle of a bong being ripped in the far corner of the room, the hum of the refrigerator. 

CLOSEST SOUNDS: My fingers typing on the keyboard, the low hum of my laptop, Harrison typing on his computer, Ray and Cam chatting and laughing about Tik Tok, the ice rattling in my iced tea glass when I go for a sip. 

SOUND DESCRIPTION/LEVEL: Loud, but not overpowering. It’s a casual environment with friends who have commanding laughs. 

IMPORTANT SOUNDS: The vibrato in Ray’s voice when he tells Cam “Noooooooooo” to some silly joke he made. Harrison quietly giggling as he is not fully present in the conversation, but catching the tail end of the joke. The sound of Ray’s socks shuffling across the floor as he casually dances around the kitchen telling us about how we got to file our taxes. The sound of the heater turning on – THANK GOD! 

Top 3 Sounds: Laughter, typing, bong rip

1. 1/29/2014, 7:30 PM, Starbucks on Hempstead Turnpike

2. Identify the sounds farthest from you:  Sitting by the window, I can hear the muffled sounds of the turnpike, as cars (some with reckless drivers going above speed limit) race past the ice-cold glass.  I can also hear the sounds of the parking lot: patrons getting in and out of their cars and walking towards the doors of the store.  The people sitting on the other side of the shop are talking, but the sounds at medium range mask them enough so that I can still hear that people are exchanging words, without understanding their conversation.  I would definitely be able to tell if the baristas, Doug and I were the only people present.

3. Identify the sounds at medium range: The lovely tunes of the Starbucks playlist seems overly prominent, while I focus on listening to my environment in this familiar coffee shop.  The fun and very flamboyant Chinese barista is having an animated conversation with the Spanish barista (who is in an unusually giddy mood).  He sassily asks her, “Do you understand DECAF???” They then continue pronouncing types of coffee in silly, over-exagerated accents.  I enjoy hearing them laugh, and the sense that their shifts are almost over makes me happy for them.  Of course, I can hear the water running in the sink behind the counter, and the baristas cleaning up, while there are no customers ordering.

4. Identify the sounds closest to you: Doug looking up from his homework and asking me “Why?” when he sees me sitting still, with my eyes closed and voice memo recorder on.  Luckily, he assumes it’s homework, and I can continue listening to his squeaky mechanical pencil and surprisingly loud page turns.  I can hear myself swallow down my soy vanilla latte.  I hear the increasingly hollowing sound of my cup as I place it back on the table.  I adjust my hair, and hear the sound of my fingers on my skin above my ear.

5. General sound level and activity:  With my eyes closed, it sounds like Starbucks is exceptionally loud this Wednesday.  There aren’t even many people around me, but the combination of a few conversations in a setting comfortable for the speakers, playful baristas, the tunes, the bustle of the Starbucks kitchen area, my internal sounds and the turnpike outside combine for a general sound environment that doesn’t come across as the best one to focus in.  Part of the reason why I like doing work here so much is that there is some environmental aural business.  There’s company, even when you are working alone.

6. One word to describe the sound environment: Unapologetic 

7. 3 essential sounds to the sound environment: 

– The sounds of the appliances and utensils behind the counter.

– The exaggerated conversation between the baristas.

– The Starbucks music filling the store.

1. 1/30/14, 9:58 pm, Dorm Room

2. Identify sounds farthest from you:

• Cars passing by outside
• Music coming from the room above mine

3. Identify sounds coming from medium range:

• Swords Clashing from the common room where my roommate is playing Skyrim
• Music from my suite-mates room coming through the wall next to me

4. Identify sounds closest to you:

• The humming of the heater next to my bed
• The humming coming from my laptop fan
• The sound of my bed squeaking as I shake my foot

5. General sound level and activity:

The sound level is very calm and peaceful.  There is definitely a lot of activity but nothing is too loud and overtaking other sounds.  There is a balance.

6. One word to describe the sound environment: Calm

7. Three essential sounds from the environment:

• The swords from Skyrim
• The humming of the heater
• The music from my suite-mates room