Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
Fall 12-4-2024
Faculty Advisor(s)
Jocelyn Buckner
Abstract
The world around us has always vibrated with constant sound. That audio provides context for everyday activity, the background against which all life is played. To highlight its significance in the human experience, this study explores the impact of audio on emotion through my sound design for Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' morality play Everybody. Creating and describing the design process, this study seeks to discover how sound influences emotional response, shapes mood, and complements visual elements. Aiming to discern what soothes or incites audiences, the design focuses on a juxtaposition between familiar and unfamiliar sounds. Special attention is paid to base elements like strings, human voices, and synthesizers, which are used to create a soundscape that resonates with both familiarity and novelty. Sonification, the study of turning data into sound, also informs the design of specific auditory elements, allowing for the translation of information to sonic experience that engages the audience on multiple levels. Similarly, exploration of the use of sound in horror genres on radio and film aids in the creation of suspenseful, unsettling soundscapes that can further evoke fear or unease in the audience. Additionally, a deeper look at the psychology of music’s emotional effects informs an understanding of how music affects human brain function, central to designing a soundscape that capitalizes this modern information in order to resonate with the audience on a deeper psychological level. The utilization of several tools such as Ableton Live, QLab, and Logic Pro are essential in the creation of the design. An abstract auditory mirror reflects and amplifies the emotions depicted on stage through the soundscapes and musical pieces that grow and change over the duration of Everybody. The information gained through research deepens our understanding of sound design’s ability to enrich a story, offering valuable insight for the field of auditory aesthetics.
Recommended Citation
Mader, Elsie, "Exploring the Sublime through Sound Design: A Multiplatform Approach" (2024). Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters. 707.
https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cusrd_abstracts/707
Comments
Presented at the Fall 2024 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.