country amongst people of more privileged backgrounds. Because it is at its core
motivated by a desire to level the playing field, there are no prohibitive demands for
expensive production values, nor is there an emphasis on acting as a virtuosic craft.
Practicalities of
The act of visceral creation involved in this mode has more to do with relevancy than
expert skills, and therefore is not limited to success amongst those more well off or
the Surviving Artist
those less well off as a result. We are all human beings after all.
I have attended several workshops and conference sessions that centered on this
By Kevin Lee
mode of making theatre, and can attest to its potential to be immediately relevant as
well as moving. One project I thought particularly effective involved working with
a group of elementary schoolchildren on the issue of bullying in their school. The
The Home Music Studio for
group leader first worked with tableaus, asking for volunteers to come up and freeze
in a pose that exemplified a bully and his victim. He then took a piece of poster
Under $300
board cut to resemble a “thought bubble” from a cartoon and put it above each frozen
Article co-published with the North Shoreian Magazine and BeYourArt.com, a free online
character’s head in succession, asking the students “What is he or she thinking?” In
community and resource dealing with the business of living as an artist.
this way the leader began to establish empathy for both characters and open up a
For a beginning musician, the world is your oyster... if you have the cash. Most of us
discussion about motivation: what makes a bully act out the way he or she does?
don’t; so, for those on a limited budget, I’ll offer suggestions on putting together a top-
The project then built up to acting out scenarios with the children taking on the roles
notch home recording studio for around $300.
of both the victims and the bully and working through possible courses of action
PC users will find a wide variety of sound editing programs available both online and
for each. The students learned not only the practical information about what to do
in stores such as Guitar Center. The hard part is figuring out which one is right for you.
if they felt they were being bullied or saw someone being bullied, but also gained a
There are freeware programs, such as Audacity, which will provide basic-level support for
deeper understanding of the relationship between students in this oppressive situa-
beginner musicians, all the way up to the professional-grade Pro Tools. For those who are
tion.
looking for near studio grade sound on a budget, one would have to turn to a program like
In my class, past scenes have focused on roommate tension, unhealthy relation- Acoustica Mixcraft 4. This sound recording/editing program gives the PC user a great deal
ships, fraternity and sorority hazing, biased teaching, and even wrongful arrest. All of creative liberty.
of these issues are relevant to my students at Stony Brook University and the work Mixcraft 4 is affordable, with a price tag of $65 and allows users to have eight sepa-
has led to some great discussions. I look forward to seeing what this year’s class rate instruments tracks on one master track. The built-in effects are surprisingly good and
will choose to bring to the foreground. Whatever they choose, they will be part allow a guitarist to sound as if he is either in a London flat, recording a loud rock riff, or
of a worldwide movement to create social change and awareness through theatre,
in an open hall, playing an acoustic guitar to the crowd’s content. Some of the best songs
and they will know that there is more to theatre than sitting quietly in the dark of a
I’ve recorded were done on my old Dell Laptop, using Mixcraft.
Broadway theatre (not that there is anything wrong with that)! And maybe, just may-
PC users must always keep in mind hardware restrictions. Before you purchase a
be, the experience will provide someone in my insular classroom with the courage to
sound-editing program, make sure you computer can handle the basic hardware require-
act outside of that room to change the circumstances in their community. Augusto
ments. If not, try to upgrade your RAM, which will prove surprisingly simple, espe-
Boal has left behind a legacy that will live on for many generations to come.
cially if you have a tower with extra memory slots. Once your PC is ready, use a USB
[Check out an interview with Elizabeth courtesy of beyourart.com on YouTube!]
or Firewire interface to connect those lovely instruments to your now capable computer.
There are plenty of choices out there with a price range varying from $30 to over $4,000.
Elizabeth Bojsza is a dramaturg, director, and teacher. She has worked profes-
What matters is your budget.
sionally in New York City, Long Island, and in community-based theatre. Elizabeth
On the low end of the spectrum ($30-$200) are a wide variety of brands offering
currently teaches theatre at Stony Brook University, where she earned her MFA in
countless products. Notable names like M-Audio, Line 6, and Yamaha all offer affordable
mid to low-range hardware, that come bundled with software. A surprising product in this
dramaturgy in 2004, and is the Literary Associate for Young Playwrights Inc, a the-
category comes from Lexicon, with their Omega Desktop Recording Studio. The interface
atre company dedicated to fostering the development of playwrights 18 years of age
features a front 1/4” mono instrument input, two XLR microphone inputs in the back, as
and younger. www.youngplaywrights.org.]
well as 4 1/4” inputs. Connecting via USB, the interface works with PC and Mac.
The studio package found on Musician’s Friend also comes with a free copy of Cubase
LE recording software. This program should work well for most musicians. It has the
standard features one would expect, plus a few additional ones. The number of single
tracks allowed on each master track is so high, you’ll have to try to hire an orchestra to
use them all. The built-in effects are decent, but considering the price, it’s a small price to
pay. The hardware attached can handle your distorted amplifier, so if you need to record
some metal, do it the old fashioned way.
Earlier I said the Omega works with PC and Mac, which is true, however with a Mac,
you have to do a bit of tinkering. This is a product that was primarily designed for PC.
When you first plug it into a Mac, you may notice audio coming from only one speaker, or
no audio at all. Or you may not be able to record. Don’t worry, all these problems are eas-
ily fixed by going into the preferences panel for your recording software. For most middle
class Mac users, the standard recording program is GarageBand. The drivers will auto-
matically change from the Mac audio to the Lexicon device. Simply change the output to
the built-in speakers, make Lexicon your default recording device, and you’re in the clear!
LONG ISLAND PLEIN AIR PAINTERS
Now that you’ve got your computer hooked up to your interface, which is plugged
EILEEN SANGER & ANTHONY DAVIS
into your instruments, you’re ready to rock. Or are you? This may seem basic, but be very
careful where you set up your home studio. Try to avoid spaces near windows or other
MAY 17 - JUNE 19, 2009
reflective surfaces, since sound can bounce into your space from noises down the hall.
RECEPTION FOR THE ARTISTS SUNDAY MAY 17, 2 - 5PM
There are many ways to help dampen sounds from your surroundings. First, make sure
your computer isn’t running hot. That fan can become the bane of your existence. There
are simple ways to keep your computer quiet. Make sure your computer fan is in the open
and clear of dust. A confined space will trap in heat and dust. Another way to keep the
silence is to run as few programs as possible. This will allow for maximum computer
speed. Sometimes keeping doors shut just isn’t enough to eliminate outside noise. Try
hanging a large blanket or comforter over the doorframe. This will reduce the sound from
outside, and prevent local sounds from reflecting onto your next hit single. If you’re not
recording in an actual studio, you may have to get crafty.
Even on a budget, you can still turn out some quality tracks. With the right com-
puter, interface, software and setup you can have professional sound, for less than $300.
Even though your equipment may not be brand new or a brand name, you can still make
it work. Remember that even the biggest stars started out small. Weird Al got his start
with a tape recorder and accordion, just think what you can do with a computer and some
C H R I S T O P H E R G A L L E R Y
determination.
A R T I N T H E H O M E
Kevin Lee has been playing music for over 10 years, most recently with his bands Venom
‘n’ Carnage and The Amalgamus Forum, singing, playing guitar, banjo, mandolin, and
131 MAIN STREET STONY BROOK, NY 11790 (631) 689-1601
piano in the latter project. He is grateful to have been given the chance to let his creativ-
w w w . c h r i s t o p h e r g a l l e r y . n e t
ity flourish, with the support of his loving wife.
ANTHONY DAVIS WILL BE DOING A GALLERY TALK AND DEMONSTRATION
AT THE GALLERY ON SATURDAY MAY 9TH
2
Northshoerian JuneJuly 2009.indd27 27 6/16/2009 1:18:45 PM
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