Live Sound
During my time at Fife College so far, I have been committed to volunteering for as many opportunities as I can in order for me to gain the hands on experience I need in live sound production. The experiences I have had so far have been invaluable and I am relishing every opportunity to better my knowledge and practical skills.
01
Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with St Andrews Chorus at Caird Hall (16th November)
An enormous and ambitious project which demanded all hands on deck! Helped plan and execute a live concert recording of a full orchestra, 140 member choir, pipe organ and soloists in Dundee's iconic Caird Hall. Along with technical responsibilities such as miking up sections of the orchestra and cable management, I was appointed the role of score reader to assist and cue our video director. Click here to view the concert on YouTube and here to listen to an excerpt of my mix.
02
RSNO with Sir Stephen Hough at Glasgow Concert Hall (25th April)
An out-of-this-world piano performance of Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 1 and a stunning repertoire to follow with RSNO. I was put forward by my college lecturers to work with the in-house sound team at Glasgow Concert Hall, responsible for helping transport equipment, setting up mics and cable running.
Click here to see my blog post about the day.
03
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra at Laidlaw Music Centre (6th December)
I spent the day shadowing Mark McKellen, Technical Manager for SNJO for 17 years. I was fascinated to learn about the array of microphones that travelled with the orchestra and the kind of decisions Mark would need to make and hurdles he has faced during touring.
04
Ben Shankland Trio and Scholars St Andrews University Lunchtime Concert at Laidlaw Music Centre (5th November)
In a group of three as part of my HNC, we streamed a live jazz concert from the Laidlaw Centre to the St Andrews University YouTube channel. For the assessment, I provided a report on the acoustic and physical properties of the space, prepared essential documentation such as access and loading requirements and produced a detailed floor plan. After the concert, I completed a mix of one of the songs performed and wrote a detailed report on the post production processes I chose.
To hear my mix, click here.
05
Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra 50th Anniversary Concert at Adam Smith Theatre (1st November)
Part of the production crew required to record and film a live concert celebrating 50 years of FYJO, led by Richard Michael. In the lead up to this concert, our team hit a couple of technical difficulties during the set-up. I was able to put my problem solving skills to the test and together we worked efficiently to remediate the faults. This required strong communication, a calm approach and methodical planning.
Watch the full concert here.
06
Jonathan May, Tom Wilkinson and Louie Scott St Andrews University Lunchtime Concert at Laidlaw Music Centre (28th January)
A second crewing opportunity for St Andrews University providing a streamed recording to their YouTube channel. This provided another opportunity for me to practice hands-on skills such as cable management and mic placement. To listen to my mix of one of the songs performed, click here.
