The Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA) announced their ninth annual membership meeting. On May 18 – 20, 2024, TSDCA will hold three days of public panels and discussions regarding sound design and composition for theatre. The first two days will be held at the Loreto Theater of The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture, and the third day will be held at the Dolby 88 Screening Room. All events are open to TSDCA members as well as the general public (Non-member cost is $25 per person). All events will also be available to stream online by registering at www.tsdca.org.

In its programming, TSDCA continues to explore many topics that are currently at the forefront of the theatre sound community. Highlights include a two-part seminar based around the contemporary string quartet (featuring violinists Marina Kifferstein and Sarah Thomas, violist Martine Thomas, and cellist Irène Han). The first seminar is led by renowned composer Michael Roth and arranger James Lamb on extended composition techniques for string quartet, and the second seminar is various miking techniques for string quartet in various performance settings, led by sound designer Nick Kourtides. Other events include a panel on moving a show internationally featuring Tony Award winning sound designer Jessica Paz and Tony nominated sound designer Drew Levy, and a discussion about alternate careers for theatrical sound designers including Jill BC Du Boff (Yale University), Jamie Anderson (Rational Acoustics), Corinne Carrillo (TechMD Inc), and William N. Lowe (Clean Cuts Interactive).

Plus, TSDCA will be presenting two special interactive performance events: performer Joshua Fried will perform “Radio Wonderland”, and a special headphones-only screening of the critically acclaimed film “32 Sounds”, an immersive documentary by Sam Green.

The event will feature a DigiCo Quantum 852 console provided by DigiCo, Autograph A2D, and PRG, with hands-on training during the weekend.

All events are free and open to the public. To register for any event, please visit: https://tsdca.org/events/annual-meeting-2024/

The schedule of events for the ninth annual TSDCA membership meeting is as follows (all times in EDT): 

Saturday, May 18th (at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture)
11:00am – Session #1 – “Welcome/Mentorship Meetup” – Welcome!  Connect with old friends, potential employers, corporate members, and expand your sound community. Special guest: OISTAT, presented by Apeiro Design’s Brad Ward. Coffee & light bites provided.

1:30pm – Session #2 – “The Contemporary String Quartet” – a deep dive into composing for string quartet NOW: examining extended techniques and many other things, including the innate percussive quality of a great and classic combination of instruments.  Featuring members of the Bergamot Quartet and music by Bartok, Gabriella Smith, and others. Led by Michael Roth and Point Source Audio’s James Lamb with members of the Bergamot Quartet.

3:15pm – Session #3 – “Reinforcing the String Quartet, presented by DPA Microphones” –  Led by Nick Kourtides, we will  listen to a variety of methods of reinforcing a string quartet – everything from a stereo pair, to close mic’ing the instruments. What exactly is off-axis torture?!

Sunday, May 19th (at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture)
10:30am – Session #4 – “Alternate Careers, presented by d+b audiotechnik”. Have you ever wondered about different careers in sound outside of traditional theatre? How about audiobooks, video games, systems design, consulting, etc? Join us for a conversation exploring different careers within the sound community, and learn about the skills and creative challenges faced in these careers. Led by Kyle W. Jensen, with a panel of sound professionals from different aspects of the field:  Corinne Carillo, Jamie Anderson, William N. Lowe, and Jill BC Du Boff.

12:15pm – Session #5 – “DiGiCo Programming, presented by DiGiCo ” – This session will cover the programming of a DiGiCo Console with T Software. Topics covered will be Best Practices, Order of Operations, Channel Sets, Control Groups, Auto-Update (Exclusions and Sections), Global Scope, Midi Safing, Macros, plus other tips and tricks. It will be a great session for anyone looking to enhance their skills with DiGiCo consoles.

3:45pm – Session #6 – “Performance by Joshua Fried” – A Buick steering wheel and old shoes hit with sticks are the controls for RADIO WONDERLAND—the longstanding solo project from New York composer Joshua Fried.  All the sound comes from live commercial radio. RADIO WONDERLAND turns corporate culture into recombinant techno–live. When you start dancing, you’ll feel the empowerment of twisting mass media to your own ends. After the set, learn about the tech and the thoughts in a discussion led by Brad Ward.

Monday, May 20th (at Dolby 88 Screening Room)
10:00am – Session #7 – “Explore Dolby Live” – From movies and TV shows, to apps, music, sports, and gaming, Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences for billions of people worldwide. We partner with artists, storytellers, developers, and businesses to revolutionize entertainment and communications with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, Dolby Cinema, and Dolby.io.

11:30 am – Session #8 – “Dolby For Post” – learn how to use the integration of Dolby Atmos in your Digital Audio Workstation.

2:00pm – Session #9 – “Moving a Show Internationally” – Led by Jessica Paz, with guests including John Leonard and Drew Levy.

4:00pm – Session #10 – “Screening of 32 Sounds” – An immersive documentary and profound sensory experience from filmmaker Sam Green that explores the elemental phenomenon of sound. The film is a meditation on the power of sound to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us.

Other TSDCA members-only events will include the Members-Only Meeting and Member Feedback. For more information on TSDCA membership, please head to https://tsdca.org/membership/.

TSDCA is a professional membership organization of sound designers and composers for the performing arts working in the United States.

Special sponsors for TSDCA’s Annual Meeting 2024 is DPA Microphones, d&b audiotechnik,  DiGiCo, Five OHM and Clear-Com, with special audio support by PRG.

TSDCA Corporate Members include: d&b audiotechnik, Clear-Com, Sennheiser, DPA Microphones, Figure 53, EAW, Meyer Sound, Autograph A2D, Innovate Audio Ltd, DiGiCo, Aviom, Peter E Schmitt, Yamaha, Røde, PRG, Lectrosonics, Rational Acoustics, Point Source Audio, Five OHM, and TiMax/1602 Group.

Further information from the TSDCA: www.tsdca.org