What do you get when a group of Digital Audio students heads to the theater? A little bit of music, a lot of technology, some behind-the-scenes learning, and plenty of Trolls.
Students from Mr. Griffin’s Digital Audio classes at the Killeen ISD Career Center recently visited Central Texas Theatre at Vive Les Arts Societe to see Trolls Jr. The Musical and experience firsthand what happens behind the curtain to make a live production come to life.
The visit began with a warm welcome from Jami Salter, Executive Theatre Director, who greeted the students and helped kick off a special educational experience designed to introduce them to the technical side of live theater.
Rather than simply taking their seats and watching the show, students got the opportunity to explore the theater from a completely different perspective.
The Digital Audio students received a specialized tour of the theater’s audio sound board and production equipment, giving them an opportunity to see professional audio technology in action. They also observed the cast and crew during sound check, watching as performers and technicians prepared the audio for the morning’s performance.
For students accustomed to working with recording software, microphones and audio equipment in the classroom, the experience provided a chance to see how those same concepts translate into a live production.
Microphones. Sound levels. Cues. Signal flow. Communication. Troubleshooting.
All the things’ students have been learning in class suddenly had a stage—and a cast of Trolls—to put them into practice.
Once the technical preparations were complete, it was time for the students to become audience members and enjoy Trolls Jr. The Musical.
But the learning didn't stop when the curtain closed.
Following the performance, students had the opportunity to meet several of the actors and congratulate them on their performances. The encounter had an especially strong Killeen ISD connection, as most of the actors in the production are KISD students.
For the Digital Audio students, seeing fellow KISD students performing on a professional stage provided another reminder of the many opportunities available within the performing arts and entertainment industries.
The experience also reinforced a major goal of the Digital Audio program: helping students understand that audio careers extend far beyond the recording studio.
Students in the program develop skills related to radio broadcasting, live sound, recording, podcasting, voice acting, multimedia production and entertainment technology. A professional theater provides a perfect example of how many of those skills come together in a single production.
From operating a digital console and managing microphones to coordinating with performers and troubleshooting equipment during a live show, professional theater requires the same technical knowledge, communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills that students are developing in the classroom.
“Audio production goes far beyond recording in a studio,” Griffin said. “Our students need to understand that the skills they are learning can lead to careers in live sound, theater, concert production, touring, broadcast engineering and entertainment technology.”
The trip gave students an opportunity to see those career possibilities firsthand and perhaps inspired a few to consider what might be waiting for them behind the next curtain.
For one day, the Digital Audio classroom moved from the recording booth to the theater.
There were sound boards to explore, sound checks to watch, performances to enjoy and KISD students to cheer on.
And, of course, there were Trolls.
A special thank-you goes to Jami Salter and the team at Central Texas Theatre for welcoming our Digital Audio students and giving them an inside look at the technology and teamwork that makes live theater possible.
The experience proved once again that sometimes the best classroom isn't a classroom at all.
Sometimes, you must go behind the curtain to see where the sound really comes from.
Story & Photos provided by: Benjamin Griffin