Service Learning: November 13th 2011

Band: GWAR
Genre: Heavy Metal
From: Richmond, Virginia

Today I worked with a crazy band that's been coming to The Glass House for many years. They're very theatrical and bring all of their own props and stuff. I spoke with lead singer Dave Brockie (middle) and he said "All the props are made of furniture stuffing. Like the stuff that's inside couches and pillows. You just cut it into whatever shape you want and then put liquid rubber over it and then paint it."We loaded in at 12 p.m.  since it was such a high profile show.

Aside from their insane props, one thing GWAR is famous for is spraying the audience with "blood", a mixture of water and powder food coloring. The audience members wear white shirts in preparation for that, but the stage and floor must be covered in carpeting.

Next, we worked on setup. Since this band had so many inputs in the system, the supporting bands had to work with them and share lines and cables. Due to their intricate set design, I had to climb on top and around a lot of stuff to be able to plug things in. 

After we finished setting up, we went home for a break before the show started. GWAR went on at 10 and they were a huge success! The show was very close to being sold out and it was a bloody mess afterwards :) 

I've been going to GWAR shows for a few years now and they're definitely one of my favorite bands to work with. I had some great conversations with Dave. They've been going through a rough time because one of their band members, guitarist Flattus Maximus, passed away while they were on their way to Canada during this tour. They had to cancel 2 shows, but they couldn't stop the tour. That just goes to show some of the things that can go wrong during concert production, but the show must go on! 

R.I.P. Cory Smoot a.k.a. Flattus Maximus

Self Reflection

1. How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why?
I think I deserve a P or an AE so far. I've done everything that has been asked and I've also done extra research. I have more than half of my service learning completed as well.

2. What is one thing you have done well on and why?
I would say service learning. I've learned a lot while working with the guys at the Glass House and I'm excited to continue that. I've also been working on updating my blog with photos and information about it.

3. What is one thing you would like to improve on and why?
The quality of my interviews. I think I should ask more follow-up questions since I'm going to have to get used to making up my own questions for the next couple interviews coming up.

Service Learning: November 5th 2011

Today I worked at The Glass House with a band called The Aquabats!
They were going to be filming for their new TV show, The Aquabats! Super Show, so when we got there at 3 p.m., they already had everything set up. Their television crew had been there since 11 a.m. setting up. They had some awesome lighting going on.

Since everything was already set up and they had their own audio engineer, there wasn't much for us to do. My dad usually just "babysits" when the band has their own engineer. He just makes sure they're familiarized with the system and then lets them do their own thing. We watched them do their soundcheck.

After soundcheck, there really wasn't anything for me to do with my dad, so I worked with Cameron Corp. He's the manager and also the guy I interviewed for my second interview. We looked at all the stuff we would need to go out and buy. He doesn't only buy snacks, but also all the cleaning supplies for the venue. We went to Smart & Final and bought 8 cases of water, some candy, soap for the bathrooms, floor cleaner, nacho chips, monster, gatorade, and ketchup :) When we got back, I made the pretzels and the corn dogs that would be sold. It's 8 p.m. and it's SHOW TIME!

The show went really well. It went about half an hour longer than normal since they were recording for their t.v. show. It was a lot of fun! I didn't get home until almost 1 a.m., but it was worth it!

*Fun Fact* :)
The top selling candy bars at The Glass House are:
-Snickers
-Twix
-Peanut M&M's

Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your hypothesis?
If material form and sound absorption are related, then the thickest and most texturized materials will absorb the most sound

2. Identify the dependent, independent, and control variables.
dependent=sound, independent=soundproofing materials, control=alarm clock

3. What is the connection between your science project and your senior project EQ?
One of my answers to my EQ is going to be "having good acoustics in the venue". This connects with soundproofing, which is exactly what my experiment is.

4. How will you perform the experience?
I will build a small room by using wood and plexiglass for the front so you can see through. I will put and alarm clock (or other loud noise-maker that can be set off) inside and use it as the sound source. I will line the inside of the room with various materials. I will then measure the amount of sound that is emitted by the alarm by using a dB (decibel) meter.
various materials will include: cloth, sponges, acoustic panels, and egg cartons.

5. Which category will your project be listed under?
Engineering Research & Applications

What I've Learned So Far

What have you learned to do since you started working on your senior project?
I've learned the fundamentals of setting up a live band in a concert venue.

before:

during:

soundcheck:

after:

What research helped you to do this and how?
Note By Note: A Guide To Concert Production by Redwood Cultural Work because it breaks down everything you need to know about setting up a concert whether it be pertaining to sound, lighting, or business.

Independent Component I Plan Approval

1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.
For my independent study component, I will be working an additional 30 hours at The Glass House. This will include, but is not limited to, set-up and break-down of live concerts, working with Rene Contreras on promotion, and learning the fundamentals of live sound mixing and venue acoustics.

2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours of work.
If I help with the set-up and break-down of shows and learn about mixing, that's about 8 hours, so I could go to a few of those and work with my dad. Since he's not at The Glass House all the time, I can use one of my other options to complete whatever hours I don't do with my dad.

3) How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?
My independent study component will show me some of the different jobs that go into the whole concert production business. I have a variety of people at The Glass House that are willing to help me with it.

Defining the Essential Question

1. What is your EQ?
What is most important in producing a successful concert?

2. Define the words in your EQ:
important: distinct, successful: not only going well technically, but also making a significant amount of profit.

3. What are some possible answers to your EQ so far?
-A significant amount of promotion through all sources possible.
-Organization and clarification of information.

4. What has been your most important source and why?
The book, Note By Note: A Guide to Concert Production by Redwood Cultural Work because it's the perfect overview of everything that goes into concert production. It goes over not only the technical aspects, but the business and promotion ones too.

Second Interview Questions

For the second interview, I will be using the sample questions:

1. What is your educational background?   And how has it helped you in your job?

2. What is your work experience?  And how has it helped you in your job?

3. What is the most important thing you have done in this job and why?  

4. What is some background information about the organization or company you will be working with? 

5. How many years have you been in the field and why do you like the job you have?  

Presentation Reflection

1. In what way did the first interview affect your presentation?
My first interview affected my presentation in a good way. The person I interviewed, my dad, gave me a lot of useful information about the setup of different size concerts that I ended up using in my presentation. He told me all the different departments of concert production and what they do. We talked about how they differed in small, medium, and large scale concerts.

2. What would you say stood out about your presentation performance and why?
I think my props stood out in my presentation performance because I had two of them and I think I effectively explained how they pertained to medium and large scale concerts and also how the differed from each other.

3. What was most challenging to do and why?
The most challenging thing I faced in this presentation was choosing what to present on. I thought about it a lot, but I didn't come up with anything until the night before the rough draft was due. I had a few options, but I couldn't pick one to use.

Presentation I

Objective: Students will learn the difference between high production concerts and low production concerts
Procedure: 1. Ask students: "How many of you have ever been to a concert before?"I will then choose 3        students and ask them "Which artist did you see and where?"
2. Explain the difference between a high production concert and a low production concert.
Check For Understanding: I will ask 2-3 students to give me 1 difference between the two kinds of concerts.
Resources/Materials: I am going to bring a box of concert wristbands from past Glass House shows and some of my Dad's backstage laminates to show a difference between high production and low production.

Interview Check

For my first interview, I will be interviewing my father, Dennis Thorbourn. I want to interview him because he has worked in concert production for several years and he can offer me his perspective on how to produce a successful concert. In addition to the five required questions, I could ask him:
-In all of your years of concert production, what are the top three most successful concerts you have seen?
-On a scale of 1 to 10, how important do you think the audio engineer is in the production process?

Concert Production

The topic I have chosen to focus on for my Senior Project is Concert Production. I chose it because concerts have been a part of my life since I was a baby and I've always had a passion for music. I've always been interested in all the aspects that go into making a concert successful and fun for the bands, the audience, and even the venue. I've been behind the scenes at concerts and I see all the work that goes into them, which always made me wonder how everything together. After studying this topic, I hope to acquire all the knowledge that I need to get be able to either help my dad when he works at The Glass House or even get a job there myself.