In 2019, we were given the great privilege of having a charrette overseen by renowned scenic and costume designer, Victoria "Vita" Tzykun, at the UMKC campus. The work was to be based on Franz Kafka's "The Trial." The Sound department was invited to participate, and it was a marvelous experience. I chose to design a sound and musical palette for a theatrical version of the story. While I was very excited to get to pitch forth my own concept of the work, the most rewarding experience was to receive feedback from Vita. She worked with me to develop a more refined version of the concept while encouraging my desire to compose my own music (a first for me). I'm quite proud of what emerged from a three day intensive design.
"The Trial" is the story about a man named K and his discovery of a hidden judicial system who arrests him for an undisclosed crime and treats him as if his guilt is apparent. Through his eyes, we are immersed in a strange world where we have little clue as to the rules of this world and why K is being persecuted. In the end, K understands that the system rules over all of society, and he has to submit to and endure his sentence. This is an impressionist work, so the audience views a distorted view of a reality that seems all too familiar.
The sonic journey I hoped to convey uses recognizable instruments for the music that are altered in some way and enhanced by electronics. As we move through the play, the music becomes more ambient and electronically influenced. No music is played over the last scene, which is an uneasy exchange of a knife between two agents that will be the instrument of death for K. As the play concludes, we hear a sound which is meant to bring us out of the darkness and madness of K's world.
The musical track on the sound design home page is a 10 minute collage of the play with themes representing K, the court, the Laundress, and Titorelli the artist. Here are some other files that didn't quite make the collage.
"The Trial" is the story about a man named K and his discovery of a hidden judicial system who arrests him for an undisclosed crime and treats him as if his guilt is apparent. Through his eyes, we are immersed in a strange world where we have little clue as to the rules of this world and why K is being persecuted. In the end, K understands that the system rules over all of society, and he has to submit to and endure his sentence. This is an impressionist work, so the audience views a distorted view of a reality that seems all too familiar.
The sonic journey I hoped to convey uses recognizable instruments for the music that are altered in some way and enhanced by electronics. As we move through the play, the music becomes more ambient and electronically influenced. No music is played over the last scene, which is an uneasy exchange of a knife between two agents that will be the instrument of death for K. As the play concludes, we hear a sound which is meant to bring us out of the darkness and madness of K's world.
The musical track on the sound design home page is a 10 minute collage of the play with themes representing K, the court, the Laundress, and Titorelli the artist. Here are some other files that didn't quite make the collage.