Music and sound is essential for enhancing any production. Its presence serves two crucial functions. First, it establishes mood. All people have certain reactions to sounds, especially music. For example, upbeat rythmatic tempos have the ability to release adrenaline in a persons body. Slower tempos can tend to depress people. In theater, the use of sound and music is geared towards the extremes. The sound designer=s purpose is to create a moody atmosphere. For example, most moods created relate comedy to gaiety and tragedy to somberness (Brockett 402).

The ease at which the equipment can be used can prove to be very beneficial to the sound designer (Walne 56). Since the field is so highly technical, the easier the system is to use, then the easier it is for the operator to follow cues and to deal with problems that may arise during a performance. An entire system can be operated by a few simple controls and the lesser the controls, the better. Also, if a system is more automated, then the less manpower is needed. This can ultimately save money and the time of head designers and directors.

4. Walne, Graham, AEffects for the Theatre@ Drama Book Publishers, New York. 1995. ISBN 0-7136-3985-7

The durability and exchangeability of the media is a very important consideration that the designer must take into account (Walne 57). There are all types of medium available, the newest technology involving the compact disc. Just as the consumer knows, the compact disc provides better sound quality but less manipulation of sound. The opposite is true for magnetic tape. Manipulation is easier while sound quality is sacrificed. The needs of the production must be analyzed and equipment chosen to suit those needs.

For modern theater, the purposes of sound are identical to those purposes of Greek, Roman, and Medieval drama. Yet, as the other elements of theater have evolved technically, so has sound. The use of modern technology can not only enhance the quality of sound in a particular setting, but it can also ease the responsibilities of the sound designer. The need for a sound designer is an absolute must in any production as a specialist is required with the knowledge of the numerous technical details which go into a modern sound accompaniment.

One of the most difficult tasks of accomplishing the objectives of sound design is using available resources and making decisions on what sounds or music to use and what not to use. The designer has to decide if the sounds will be originated live, recorded off-stage and then played back, or borrowed from a previous source and then played back (Walne 61). The designer has to incorporate his own artistic talent with that of the director in addition to meeting the objectives of the production itself. In addition, the designer must be knowledgeable as far as the technical aspects are concerned. Edmund Hood=s APractical Handbook of Stage Lighting and Sound@ details every technical facet of sound; approximately 150 pages of diagrams and text are devoted to the general science itself and is by no means a complete guide (Hood 33).

The playback equipment is very important because it provides the actual sound heard by the audience. Sound mixers and speakers are part of the playback devices as they provide control over several aspects of the sound and the output of that sound. Things such as tone, bass, and volume are the most basic controls a mixer can provide. Again, having the right mixer for a production depends upon the purposes of that production. Having the correct speaker setup is a science in itself. The size, shape, and reflective qualities of the theater hall all effect the setup of speakers (Hood 42). These are all technical aspects left to the decisions of the design.

The Romans used music even more extensively than the Greeks. In some plays of Plautus, up to two-thirds of his lines were accompanied by music. Music was presented so conventionally that the audience could

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