Bachelor [Sound Design] From University of North Carolina School of Arts

First Year

The Sound Design program focuses heavily on practical-based and production-oriented instruction, while at the same time building your knowledge of basic theatrical?elements. In the first year, you will expect to crew the school?s wide variety of student-run performances, including dance, drama, musicals and opera. You will intimately learn about each performance venue as well as the sound facilities, which include a state-of-the-art sound lab and a fully stocked sound shop with the latest equipment. Classes will include introductions to theater?sound, production, computer-aided drafting, and more to help build a solid foundation for the intricate job of sound design.

Second Year

In your second year, you will become the Assistant Sound Designer for actual productions. In that role you will be responsible for maintaining the sound system design paperwork, working closely with the Sound Designer and the Head Sound Engineer. You will also have opportunities to work as a member of the deck sound crew, which handles wireless microphones, intercom and monitoring. Your classes will include theater sound design, sound system design, and rigging, continuing to build on your knowledge of sound design while giving you ample practical-production experience and hands-on laboratory instruction.

Third Year

Your responsibility within productions will continue to progress in your third year as you take on the role of Head Sound Engineer. You will be responsible for taking the preliminary sound system drawings from the Sound Designer and turning that into a fully-assembled sound system. Once the system has been installed, you will operate or mix the sound content for the production while supervising the sound crew. Each performance space is ?stripped? of all sound system technology, leaving a blank slate for the Sound Design program students to create and execute the sound design. Classes this year will cover sound system engineering, theater audio electronics and production.

Fourth Year

In your final year, depending on your specialization, you will assume either the Sound Designer/Composer or Sound System Designer role for a production, managing all that is required of the position and working closely with others in the department to execute your design. View the final sound system specs for a student-run production.