SoundGirls.org: This month’s blog will go over some basic music theory concepts that I have found useful in my work as a musical theatre mixer. Full credit for the title goes to Professor Thomas W. Douglas of Carnegie Mellon University, who taught a class by that name when I was an undergrad. I know that not everyone working in theatrical sound has a formal music education (and I am not suggesting that it’s a requirement) but I think that being able to understand what is going on in a score, follow along in the music, and in some cases, line-by-line mix from the score, are good skills for anyone in this field to have.
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I was first drawn to this article because most of my theatre experience is in musical theatre. I have always loved singing, so I was in my first show, The Wizard of Oz in second grade and continued to perform in musicals and plays, (but mostly musicals) since then. I have also been a part of various choirs for many years. From fourth grade to eighth grade, I sang with Young People's Chorus of New York, and in high school I began singing with my school’s choir. I was also the president of my school’s acapella group from 2021 to 2023. Due to being involved in all of these activities, I know how important and valuable music theory knowledge is, as well as how difficult and complicated it can be. I thought it was so fun that the author credited a CMU professor for the knowledge she writes about. I thought that learning how this all influences how one mixes a musical is very interesting since I don't have experience in music tech.
I really, really, needed to read this article. I really love busking and lighting concerts, so I should really learn some basic music theory to better be able to perform the job of guessing what the artist will do next. It also would really help me when running musicals, as I could follow along the score better, especially in places with no words. Learning at least music notation is an essential skill for anyone who wants to run a concert gig or anything of the sort. This article also introduced me to some musical terms I had never heard before and so when I’m communicating with a musical artist or a stage manager I will have a better understanding of what they want in the set. For a while I’ve wanted to learn some more advanced music theory, as I think it would also help me relate to the art more.
Personally I have a huge passion for music, so when I saw this article I had to open it to see what it said. I was very interested to see what they recommended knowing for a drama technician. Whether or not it was about reading music, writing music, music theory, how to hear the changes etc. I have been reading music, playing instruments and singing in choirs for as long as I can remember so it was almost nostalgic reading the article. I think that the article provided a lot of great basic information about how to read music at a glance. It was almost like reading an basic in-depth glossary of music. Which I would imagine would be very helpful and handy to have around for reference. I especially enjoyed the end where they related a little bit of what they talked about to an actual score when they were talking about mixing. Personally I would like to see more of their scores and notations.
This article makes me so so so happy. I genuinely just needed to read this article. I’ve never been a fan of being IN an actual musical as an actor, but I LOVE music. I didn’t read this article to get a better understanding of music and what it means to read sheet music. I read it because it reminded me of how much music has impacted my life in high school especially after taking music theory and getting to understand what the technical aspect of music is. I love how a Carnegie Mellon University professor is mentioned in this article. As someone in technical theater, it is super important to know how to understand music. ESPECIALLY if you want to stage manage, lighting / sound design a musical. Understanding where cues are in the music due to dynamic, rhythmic, tonal changes make or break how the audience perceives a production.
I adore this website. I feel that I always learn something new when I read their articles and this time was no different. As someone who is currently taking music reading for production, I understand how important it is for a technician anywhere in the process would benefit from a little music comprehension. While music reading may not be a primary skill for all drama technicians, it can be beneficial for those who work in theater productions with musical elements. Understanding musical terminology will help you communicate more efficiently with the musical director, conductor, and other members of the music team. It comes down to being able to collaborate fully with those working around you on the production team to ensure a seamless integration of technical and musical elements. If they are basically speaking another language it may be hard to support them to the fullest extent if you get lost. It allows for better communication with the music team and contributes to a more cohesive and well-coordinated performance.
This post and website as a whole (soundgirls.org) is one that I will definitely hold onto as I continue my journey in theatrical design. Music is such a huge part of designing for any show - not just sound. Finding beats in a song to match the lighting cues and knowing when to call “go” is based on musical understanding. I am fortunate that I’ve practiced classical french horn and piano for eight years which has given me an understanding of how to read music, however, having this resource from the sound design perspective is super beneficial. I find that my passion for music infiltrates a lot of my design. I hear beats and changes in music easily and it really guides how I designed lights for my high school musical. At some point, I would love to take a class in the School of Music. The interdisciplinary of music, dance, and theatre is an important one that I look forward to delving into as more electives become available in my schedule!
As someone who has been practicing music almost all their life(am I good? surprisingly no), this seemed like a quick review for me, as I knew all the information in this article already. While there is a conductor, it is still very difficult to get everyone to be singing/performing at the exact same tempo, and especially with (what I’m more familiar with), bowing and breathing. Practicing the breathing for singing is one thing, but once you add in the choreography, you often have to adjust for the intensity of the choreography, or to better fit the steps in the choreography. This is definitely a website I will share will all my friends, especially those who still can’t read music, despite doing theatre for years. I also know some technicians that use a stopwatch and time their cues, and while that is more accurate for recorded soundtracks, when people are performing live, it is impossible to time cues.
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