Goodwin prepares 'sonic painting' for audiences

Musical "Once" sound designer Clive Goodwin / Courtesy of Seensee Company

‘Once’ sound designer brings Irish pub onto musical stage

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Irish indie film “Once” has been one of Korean’s favorite movies since its local premiere in 2007. The music of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova — including the famous “Falling Slowly” — was played virtually all over the place. The story of a male musician (Guy) and a Czech immigrant (Girl) understanding each other through music set in Dublin, Ireland is undistinguished, but acoustic and sincere music breathed a new life into the tale.

A musical production of “Once” was recently brought to Korean audience at CJ Towol Theater of Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The show is currently in previews and Clive Goodwin, the Tony Award-winning sound designer behind “Once,” was busy putting final touches to the show’s sound system.

In “Once,” all actors play musical instruments while acting, singing and dancing as director John Tiffany wanted to create an atmosphere of a Irish pub where musicians improvise and play jam session.

In the Korean production, rocker Yoon Do-hyun of YB is cast in the role of Guy with actor Lee Chang-hee. Musical actresses Jeun Mi-do and Park Ji-yeon alternate as Girl.

Goodwin was pleased with how Korean actors incorporated Irish culture into the show. “They went to an Irish bar in Seoul and sang Irish songs there. They performed in Korean, but it is very interesting to hear the Irish songs in another language. I am trying to draw people into that world as much as possible, making the audiences feel included watching it happening in the bar or street,” he said at an interview with The Korea Times last week.

Rocker and actor Yoon Do-hyun, left, plays Guy in musical “Once” opposite Jeun Mi-do (Girl). In this musical, all cast plays instruments and Tony Award-winning sound designer Clive Goodwin is behind the well-balanced soundscape, providing the best sound for all audiences. / Courtesy of Seensee Company

Goodwin is the resident sound designer at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass., where the musical rendition of “Once” premiered in a workshop and joined the production to supervise the sound in general.

Goodwin has an extensive experience in sound, ranging from broadcasters to concert tours of Radiohead, but he said live theater has an inexplicable charms.

He elaborated the role of a sound designer as “shaping the sound you hear.” “(It includes) shaping the tonal quality of the sound, balancing the sound and designing and making sound effects to help set an atmosphere or enhance a scene. Some sound designers create background music as well. It is also about technical part — what speakers and microphones to use and where to put them. It’s a broad category crossing over to music.”

During the tech rehearsal, the sound team runs the sound as they would do in the show and rehearse the balance. “We fine-tune the whole soundscape. Preview gives us time to work out how to design sonic landscape, which means shaping the sound coming from actors and instruments and blend them in a pleasing way,” Goodwin explained.

“‘Once’ is such a special show in which you can involve yourself. It is more like a play with music than a traditional musical. Unlike traditional orchestra in the pit, all the instruments are on stage and use wireless microphones,” Goodwin said.

An ordinary musical production would use about 40 sound channels, but “Once” has 86 and 70 of them comes from wireless mikes. “There are 11 on guitars, four on the piano, two on violins, two on ukuleles, two on mandolins, one on banjo, two on an accordion and so on. And each actor has two mikes since they are on stage whole time and it is difficult to change in case of emergency. None of these can be wired.”

Goodwin often used the term “painting soundscape.” “For me, (designing sound system) is like painting a sonic picture. Each instrument and voice has own color and I have to find the right place in the picture. What is interesting is it is an ever-changing picture,” he said.

In “Once,” Goodwin tried to recreate the atmosphere of a pub where musicians play jam session. “Once” starts with a pre-show some 15 mintues before curtain time, in which the actor-musicians play jam of Irish folk songs, and smoothly transits into the main part. This is where Goodwin’s delicate balance shines.

“During the pre-show, the audiences are coming into the house, talking. So it sounds more natural, just like people playing over there in the pub. When it blends into the show, it has to be more precise,” he explained.

Sound design is an indivisible part of a musical theater, but its importance is often neglected. The Tony Awards instated Best Sound Design in its category in 2008 and Goodwin won it in 2012, but decided to eliminate it from 2015.

“I think they don’t understand sound design and what it does. A lot of people take sound for granted as it is one of the senses that do not involve any thought process. I think it is a shame (the Tony Administration Committee) just thinks we make sound louder, simplifying what we do,” Goodwin said. “We (sound designers) try to reinstate it, by introducing what is good sound and is not.”

The show opens on Sunday, running through March 29. For more information, visit www.iseensee.com or call 02-577-1987.