With music and therefore sound being at the core of every scene, it is very important to create a design that allows for each scene to breathe within itself with its own style and dynamics, while still helping to connect each piece back to the broader message and aesthetic. The intent is to create a baseline sound through each song that can vary enough to suit each scene, whether it be intimate and folksy or loud, compressed, and layered. It is very important to the director that sound is always engulfing you in some way, either physically through volume and layers or metaphorically through the emotion of more sensitive songs. Building on this is his request for pronounced differences in sound from one song to another, helping to build a sense of suspense and act as a catalyst towards the previous goal of urgency.

My approach to the needed consistency from song to song while still being able to deviate when necessary is largely a product of our production’s minimal instrumentation. By using just two pianos and a handful of percussion elements, each song is then required to use them by necessity, which builds that baseline sound. From there, we are able to supplement and add layers to each song as necessary through the use of effects and processing such as reverb, delay, chorus, and parallel compression. This gives us the freedom to wildly vary between songs while still keeping the intended minimalist and stripped down instrumentation. We are also able to fully cut back on these when necessary, which creates the more intimate moments in the show. Considering that each song is a different and largely unrelated story, they each have their own climax, which we will help to enhance through dynamics and layering.

With music at this show’s core and it acting as the driving force behind each moment of clarity and understanding, sound ultimately plays a critical role in emphasizing the significance of each moment and the variation between each story and person.