Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Time: 5:05

Location: Drounge

Sounds closest: Air conditioner, music

Sounds in medium distance: keys clacking on the other side of the room and the door opening and closing

Sound furthest: people talking down the hallway

One word: studious

Sound level: medium

Three important sounds: AC, Talking, Music

1. 04/20/2024 – 3:38pm – The Playhouse.
2. Sounds farthest away from me: dancers/crew members whispering to each other, crew members talking/responding in the distance, somebody coughing.
3. Sounds at medium range: the choreographer giving directions/counting followed by the dancers moving around on stage.
4. Sounds closest to me: typing on my computer, a dancer wrapping their ankle in tape next to me, the crew members near me occasionally adjusting themselves or moving items, a constant faint buzzing.
5. The general sound level is subdued but passionate. The amount of sound activity is very particular and arranged.
6. Description word: precise.
7. Essential sounds: counting/directing, stage movement, hushed whispers/humming.

Location: Room 320 in Guthart Hall
Identify the sounds heard in the clip: Firefly by Childish Gambino, my roommate singing along, me typing, the ice in my cup moving around as I take a sip, laughing

Location: Davison #101

The sounds heard in this clip consists of background chatter that gradually gets louder, backpacks/chairs/papers moving around, occasional laughter, typing on a computer, and the closing of a computer as the clip ends.

1. 03/05/2024 – 9:09pm – Calkins Dance Studio.
2. Sounds farthest away from me: the wind outside of an open window, the buzz of the overhead lighting, the occasional sink/toilet outside of the room.
3. Sounds at medium range: the door occasionally opening and closing, quiet side conversations, the occasional bang of a foot or a phone, people sniffling/moving around.
4. Sounds closest to me: contemporary music playing, my fingers tapping on my phone, the occasional buzz of my phone, the choreographers teaching/counting to the music.
5. The general sound level is a little above average at most times, but back to average/quiet when the music/dancing is paused. The amount of sound activity is mostly sporadic, but constant and usually unchanging when the music/dancing is happening.
6. Description word: active.
7. Essential sounds: movement, counting, and contemporary music.

Date: 2/22 11:15, backrooms of Bits and Bytes

Farthest away from me: The blender whirring at Red Mango

Medium range: People typing and talking in the next room 

Closest to me: Two guys at the table next to me talking about their math homework 

The sound level is just above a murmur. When the guys at the table stop talking, my surroundings are very quiet. 

One word: Buzzing  

3 essential sounds: Quiet chatter, typing, and the blender in the food area

2/22/24 – 12:51PM – The Student Center

Sounds farthest from me: People talking at different volumes across the Student Center, the workers making drinks, kitchen noises from other food places.

Sounds at a medium range from me: The music playing from the speakers, chairs moving, wrappers crinkling.

Closest to me: My friends’ conversation, keyboard clacking, my friend’s jewelry clanking as she writes.

Sound level: The sound level is medium to high – there is a lot of high volume volumes happening around. There are a lot of people at the Student Center at common hour all talking loudly. The metal dishes at Starbucks are loud as well.

Sound activity: There is a lot of sound activity. There is a lot of people talking and a lot of general physical activity happening that creates a lot of noise.

One work description for the sound environment: Noisy

Three sounds that are essential to the sound environment: Starbucks noises, my friends talking, music playing in Starbucks.

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: April 30th, 2022

Location and Time: Blackbox Theater, 10:30am

Far Sounds: Door to the scene shop creaking, someone walking around backstage, audience platform creaking, AC going

Medium Sounds: Someone getting up from their chair, Tom typing on his computer, George walking down the stairs, someone walking across the audience platform, Ashley walking around on stage, moving lights moving to light up the tree

Close Sounds: Rych asking Mystery if lighting is okay, Royston talking to Mystery, the shaking of the platform, sounds playing in the speakers

Sound Description/Level: Chaotic, loud

One Word Description: Chaos

Most Important Sounds: AC blowing, the shaking of the audience platforms, door to the scene shop

Date: April 3rd, 2022, 

Location and Time: My bed, 7:57pm

Far Sounds: The dryer running, the tv going downstairs, an ambulance driving by, plane flying overhead, car honking

Medium Sounds: Housemates talking downstairs, people walking by my window talking, typing, housemate moving chair in their room

Close Sounds: Housemate laughing, the shower running upstairs, housemate slamming fridge, pouring water from a britta filter, Mishka running down the stairs, Harry Styles playing

Sound Description/Level: low, mostly quiet

One Word: comfortable

Most Important Sounds: Mishka running down the stairs, housemates laughter people walking and talking