New Topics at 2010 Broadway Sound Master Classes

Delving deeper and deeper into the realm of Broadway sound design, the speakers at the 2010 Broadway Sound Master Classes have quite a few interesting topics up their sleeves for the eighth annual BSMC on May 21-23 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in New York City.

Among the highlights are:
Brian Ronan on the sound design for American Idiot, the new Green Day musical that all BSMC attendees will see on May 21, and about which he says: “American Idiot is a perfect blend of concert and musical. It has all the infectious spirit of a Green Day concert where you’re there to hear the music in a large room with people you don’t know-to feel part of something bigger than your own personal experience. However it also has a moving storyline to follow and characters to connect with which can only be experienced individually. I wanted my system to serve both sides this duality. To do this I concentrated less on imaging and transparency, qualities very important to me when designing a more traditional piece, and more on harnessing the strength of the show’s inherent volume.”

The ever-entertaining and informative Jonathan Deans responds as “A British Idiot,” discussing his recent sound designs from Viva Elvis! for Cirque do Soleil in Las Vegas to the upcoming Broadway revival of La Cage Aux Folles.

Bob McCarthy on Complex Simplification: Management strategies for the design and tuning of complex multi-channel sound systems, exploring the fact that rising expectations of audiences for expansive sound field experiences has created a need for more speaker locations around the room. As system complexity rises, the need for reliable strategies to control the acoustic chaos is vital to the success of the audio program.

Robert Kaplowitz tackles sound design in Speaker, Schmeaker - Conceptually Driven Sound Design: A focus on Fela!, as well as other musical and straight play experiences, in which the design approach centers on the dramaturgical and dramatic needs of the play, and the way those needs, rather than the needs of the venue, the budget, or traditions, lead to the core of the design, from both content and systemic points of view.

John Taylor of d&b audiotechnik takes A Fresh Look at Some Sound System Fundamentals: Revisiting some of the fundamentals of basic acoustics, specifically the Frequency/Wavelength relationship and also Addition and Subtraction of Sound Waves and a look at how these phenomena crop up everywhere in our lives as working sound engineers.

Full details on the 2010 BSMC Schedule

Registration is now open for the 2010 Live Design Master Classes, including the Broadway Sound Master Classes (BSMC) May 21-23, the Broadway Projection Master Classes (BPMC) May 24, and the Broadway Lighting Master Classes (BLMC) May 25-27. Register by April 15 and save on prices at professional, union/association, and student levels.

Related articles:
Concert or Musical: Brian Ronan on American Idiot

Sound System Design and Alignment