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THE OTHER SIDE OF MONITOR ENGINEERING: Exploring the Human Component of Monitor Engineering through Occupational Stress Kimberly Grice Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis April 2018 Degree Programme in Media Music Production ABSTRACT Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tampere University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme in Media Music Production Kimberly Grice: THE OTHER SIDE OF MONITOR ENGINEERING: Exploring the human component of Monitor Engineering through Occupational Stress Bachelor's thesis 59 pages, appendices 54 pages April 2018 Monitor engineering is a profession that is generally regarded as highly technical in nature. Yet at the core of this vocation is a line of collaboration between the artist and the engineer that is profoundly based on intimate human interaction that is rarely acknowledged. The goal of this thesis was to examine the human side of “Monitor Engineering” by delving into the occupational stress that a sound engineer, particularly a monitor engi- neer might encounter and must ultimately overcome if they are to be successful in the field. This thesis does not focus on the subject from the perspective of a particular country or said culture though certain aspects of research study material was drawn from specific countries. Instead this thesis looks at the entertainment field, as a unique sub-culture within any given culture. As it is often the case that a monitor engineer will work in concert with specific individuals, e.g., performers, lighting technicians, pyro technicians, or other sound technicians within the world of live event from various cul- tures. A brief theoretical view of stagehands as related to live performance is given, followed by a brief description of the different audio professions in the live event indus- try. As it is important to understand the differences in the vocations that exist within the technician’s world of “live performance”, after which numerous stress factors were in- vestigated using research studies, tomes, and expert interviews. This thesis explored the following questions by way of looking at the work-related stress that exists within the live event field: 1. Is monitor engineering more people oriented than technical? 2. Should conflict resolution, psychoacoustics, and psychological training be a part of the curriculum for those going into field of monitor engineer? 3. Do monitor engineers contribute to the occupational stress experienced by performers and themselves when they are unable to perceive and contend with the mental and emotional states around them? 4. Can having conflict resolution, psychoacoustics and psychological training help monitor engineers perform their jobs and deal with occupational stress on a personal level? This thesis is not a psychological analysis. Instead this thesis will endeavor to illuminate the elements of stress that are experienced in the entertainment industry by a monitor engineer for future students who are interested in the vocation. Key words: monitor engineer, occupational stress, live event industry 3 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7 2 THE INSIDERS: INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERVIEWEES ..................................... 8 3 STAGEHANDS ........................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Throughout History ............................................................................................ 10 3.1.1 Stagehands: From the Beginning of Time .............................................. 10 3.1.2 Stagehands in today’s music industry ..................................................... 12 3.2 THE SONS & DAUGHTERS OF THUNDER: Sound Technicians ................ 16 3.2.1 Sound Crew Chief ................................................................................... 16 3.2.2 Stage Technician ..................................................................................... 16 3.2.3 Systems Engineer .................................................................................... 17 3.2.4 Front of House Engineer ......................................................................... 17 3.2.5 Monitor Engineer ................................................................................... 18 4 OCCUPATIONAL STRESS FACED BY MONITOR ENGINEERS ..................... 21 4.1 Definition of Occupational Stress ...................................................................... 21 4.1.1 The Human Cocktail ............................................................................... 22 4.1.2 Performers ............................................................................................... 22 4.1.3 Performing Arts Support Workers .......................................................... 22 4.1.4 Peers ...................................................................................................... 23 4.1.5 Fans ........................................................................................................ 23 4.2 Viewing Distinct Forms of Stress ...................................................................... 24 4.2.1 Working with Performance Careerists:Feast or Famine ......................... 24 4.2.2 Threats to Job Security ........................................................................... 25 4.2.3 Butterflies in the Stomach ...................................................................... 28 4.2.4 Difficult Personalities ............................................................................. 29 4.2.5 Competition ............................................................................................ 30 4.3 The Office for Today.. ......................................................................................... 32 4.3.1 Club Circuit ............................................................................................ 32 4.3.2 Tours and Night-Liners .......................................................................... 33 4.3.3 Outdoor Festivals ................................................................................... 36 4.4.4 Television Sets ....................................................................................... 38 4.4 A Taskmaster Called Time. ................................................................................. 39 4.4.1 Travel ..................................................................................................... 39 4.4.2 Swing Shifts: Pandora's Box .................................................................. 39 4.5 The Sound of Music .......................................................................................... 42 4.5.1 Music Induced Physical Stress ............................................................... 42 4.5.2 Music Induced Emotional Stress ............................................................ 45 4 5 PYSCHOLOGY & CONFLICT RESOLUTION ..................................................... 48 5.1 The Submarine Principle ................................................................................... 48 5.1.1 Developing a People Skill Set ................................................................ 49 5.1.2 Psychology ............................................................................................. 49 5.1.3 Psychoacoustics ...................................................................................... 49 5.1.4 Conflict Resolution ................................................................................. 49 5.2 Current Curriculum ............................................................................................ 50 5.2.1 Contingent Answers from Interviwees ................................................... 50 5.2.2 Martin Arnie Annables ........................................................................... 50 5.2.3 Viljami "Viltsu" Haapala ........................................................................ 51 5.2.4 Mika Laasonen ....................................................................................... 51 5.2.5 Olavi Köykkä .......................................................................................... 52 5.2.6 Jarkko Aaltonen ...................................................................................... 52 6 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................... 53 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 55 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 60 Appendix 1. Interview with Olavi Köykkä ............................................................... 60 Appendix 2. Interview with Martin Arnie Annables ................................................. 65 Appendix 3. Interview with Jarkko Aaltonen ........................................................... 71 Appendix 4. Interview with Mika Laasonen ............................................................ 85 Appendix 5. Interveiw with Viljami “Viltsu” Haapala ........................................... 103 5 ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS Archaeoacoustics is the use of acoustical analysis as a methodological approach within archaeology. Circadian rhythms are biological processes that repeat innately on a twenty-four- hour cycle. Classical Antiquity is defined as the ancient Greek and Rome civilizations; also known as the Greco-Roman period. Early Modern