Sound Decisions: Creating Audio for the Stage

When you attend a play, you hear the dialog from the actors. Music might play at the start of an act, and sound effects will set the scene and punctuate the action. 

Creating those sound effects is the job of the play's sound designer. 

On the latest Short Talks from the Hill podcast, Janine Chow, an assistant professor in the Department of Theater and an experienced sound designer, talks about the process and history of creating sounds for theatrical production. 

"Radio, film and television all taught audiences conventions of how to listen," Chow said. "We learn what a sound means based on continued association with a visual, and film and theater sound designers can use this now even if you do not have the visual." 

Chow explains why the sounds we hear on stage might not be the same as what we hear in real life. She tells the history of the way listening has changed over time. And she reveals what are the hardest sounds to recreate on stage. 

You can hear more about Chow's work on sound design by visiting ArkansasResearch.UArk.edu or downloading Short Talks wherever you get your podcasts.  

Short Talks from the Hill  highlights research, scholarly work and economic impact news at the University of Arkansas.