Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Waiting for my caffe mocha at Starbucks before city class on Saturday. Milk being steamed, coffee being poured, people chattering away, and announcements for the LIRR heard in the distance. Dirty, pretty, New York City!

1- Saturday, March 29, 2014, Penn Station, NYC

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.

Furthest away from me, I can hear the sounds of the subway Frank Sinatra crooning away in his tuxedo and top hat. He’s singing some oldies to the crowd standing in the train station.

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.

At medium range from me, I can hear the sounds of all the train passengers holding conversations as they wait for the announcement of their track and listen to the guy sing.

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).

Closest to me, I can hear the sound of my friend talking to me while we wait for the train to arrive.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.

The sound level of the train station is very loud. There’s always something going on and excitement happening everywhere.

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

Musical

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment. Note: you need to try and figure out what sounds make up this environment and which of those sounds need to be there for the feeling of the environment to stay intact.

Three sounds essential to the sound environment are the sound of the old man singing his oldies into the microphone, the hustle and bustle of the train station, and the sound of my friends voice next to me.

1- 02/04/2013
9:40pm
Mineola Train Station
I am sitting on a bench near a curb under a bridge. Many streets surround me.

2- Sounds farthest away: A clicking noise that sounds like a cricket chirping but clearly is not, must be a far off machine or an alarm that refuses to turn off. A solitary laugh, the slightest hint of conversation which lasts very little.

3- Sounds at medium range: Occasional car slams and honks, random squeaks and sputters from driving. Nothing consistent or constant.

4- Sounds closest to you: Cars whiz by and start off relatively far away but then reach middle range and eventually become the sounds closest to me when they pass behind me.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity: It would be completely silent if it were not for the cars and alarm. The sound level is hauntingly low and any sound activity only occurs in sporadic spurts. The lack of sound creates a solitary environment that is extremely unsettling. Very much like what I would imagine the sound environment to be like in a scary movie before something horrible is going to happen.

6- One word description to the “sound environment”: Eerie.

7- 3 sounds essential to the sound environment: Clicking alarm, cars whizzing past, the solitary laugh.