Behind the Scenes

Matt Corey

Name:   Matt Corey

Birthplace:   Manchester, New Hampshire

City of Residence:   Fort Lauderdale

Occupation:   Recording Engineer by day, bassoonist by night

Credits and awards:
I have designed each of the shows at GableStage for the last two seasons…Golda’s Balcony is my 10th show there.  I just recently won a Carbonell Award for the sound design of The Pillowman, at GableStage.

How long have you been a sound designer?
I feel like I have been a sound designer ever since I first got my hands on a synthesizer in high school, but it has only been a couple of years since anyone has actually wanted to pay me to do it.

What got you interested in sound?
As a musician, you have to be interested in sound -- it is a prerequisite!  So I guess you could say the saxophone did…which led to the bassoon…and to the synth….

Lisa Morgan in Golda’s Balcony, the current show at GableStage, for which Matt designed sound

What is involved in creating the sounds in a show?
Joe (Adler) is very music-oriented as directors go, and I love that.  I try to first come up with a theme that fits the mood of the play, and work from there.  Some shows, like Fahrenheit 451, would be impossible to do by myself, so I have to call in some favors from friends and family.  I have recorded my girlfriend Dina, a violinist, for several shows, including the music (Albinoni and Bach) for Golda’s Balcony.

How much of your direction for sound is in the script and how much is of your own design?
It depends on the play.  Most of the staple ‘effects’ (like telephones, thunder, etc.) are called for in specific places, obviously.  But there is a good amount of freedom in most plays.  Music between scenes is almost never referred to in a script, but it can almost always be used to help set a mood, or even change a mood, so I try to do that.  ‘Designing’ also has to do with the localization of effects and music (maybe by hiding speakers) and dealing with microphones for sound reinforcement, etc.

How do you incorporate your music into a show?  Do you compose new pieces or fit existing ones?
I try to compose, or at the very least arrange and record something new for each show.  I always admired Mike Hoffman, the sound designer at GableStage before me, for that reason, so I am sticking to that tradition.  Usually, I will record some kind of sketch for an opening theme immediately after I read a script for the first time.  Most of the time, this is the idea that will fuel the music for the rest of the play.   I tend to forget these ideas if I don’t hash them out quickly.

What shows present the biggest challenges?
I honestly can’t say that one show is more challenging than the next.  I haven’t been doing this long enough to say that any of them are more or less challenging, because they are all challenging to me.

What was the biggest challenge in designing sound for Golda’s Balcony?
In Golda’s Balcony, there are plenty of times where the script lends itself to some musical underscoring.  Using the right music in the right place is always a challenge, and knowing when not to use music is also important.  Joe has a real knack for this.

Paul Tei and Antonio Amadeo in a moment from The Pillowman, for which Matt won a Carbonell Award for Best Sound Design

What inspires you?
This one is easy.  Great scripts with great actors and a great director and a great technical and design team.  These are hallmarks of GableStage and there is never any shortage of inspiration there.

What are the hallmarks of good sound?
In the theater, 95 percent of the time, the sound is not the focal point, so good sound should always be supportive and not distracting.  For the other 5 percent of the time, all bets are off.

What show or project have you most enjoyed working on and why?
Wow, toughest question so far.  Brooklyn Boy was special because it was my first at GableStage, but my favorite was probably my second show, Address Unknown.  There were a ton of sound cues, superior acting, and it always sticks out in my mind as a favorite.  The Pillowman is right up there too---incredible cast and lots of fun opportunities for sound and music, plus it was the first show that we did not use a CD player on.  Everything is computer-driven now.  A milestone!

What is the best thing about working in South Florida theatre?
Working in South Florida theatre!  So many talented people.

Current and Upcoming projects? 
Golda’s Balcony is now playing at GableStage, of course.  Smut is next up, and I can’t wait.  It is the first ‘world premiere’ that I get to be involved in as a sound designer.