In our previous two segments we covered a little bit of Ben's biography and revealed a bit of his theatrical life now with that background we can delve into Ben as a theatre educator.
Have you studied any pedagogy?
Woah. I had to look that one up...No, I haven't, and so I've been learning as I go.
What is the easiest class to teach for you?
Any class in which the students are interested, motivated, and excited about the topic and/or work.
What is your least favorite part about teaching?
Grading, Telling students they're failing...
What is the one thing you want all your students to know when they leave BU?
How to learn.
What do you find is more effective learning in class or learning by doing?That depend on the topic and the individual. I would say in terms of Theatrical Sound Design it's probably a mix, weighted towards learning by doing. There are some things, like to process of design, that can be discussed and taught in class, but others, like the practice of design, really can only be learned by doing it.
Technology moves so fast and budgets are so small even in schools like BU. How do you keep up with the latest technology and still remain within budget?We don't. Unfortunately, what that means is that we don't keep up with the technology. Having the Huntington in residence has made a huge difference in this regard. Now, with our current Dept. Chair, we're getting a lot more alumni interest (we're in the 3rd year of a 5 year $300,000 alumni grant for Studio 210) and we're catching up in some vital areas, but our studio, for example, is still based around the same Pro Tools Mix24 rig on a G3 Blue and White that we had when you were here.
Why did you start teaching in the first place?There is a tremendous satisfaction when you see a student suddenly 'get it'. Seeing those 'aha' moments, watching students make some of those intellectual and artistic leaps, those are the things that make teaching rewarding.
How is BU different from the Sound Department at the University of Maine and Lafayette?Well, for one thing, BU has a Sound Dept. At Maine, I was the 'Sound Dept.' At Lafayette College, I was fortunate enough to be there with a group of faculty who really pushed my limits, and helped me to begin to define myself as a Sound Designer. Since there really wasn't even a Theatre Dept (it's a drama program) there was not the same kind of performance pressure, but rather we pushed ourselves and challenged each other as a group. It was a really fun time, and made for some significant growth. At BU, we're working in a professional model, which brings a measure of restraint as well as a style or working that, while better preparing people for the theatre profession doesn't always provide the same off the wall challenges that I saw at Lafayette.
Talking to other recent graduates in sound, they did not know BU offered a design degree in sound. What is your plan to get BU's sound design school better and more widely known?I'm getting ready to go to USITT for the 3rd year in a row. I've had a chance to talk to a LOT of prospective students as well as some high school faculty at USITT and I'm hoping that's getting the word out. We're also changing and expanding the program in response to what we see happening and what we see students needing, so in the long run we're developing a program that is flexible enough to respond to changing times. Hopefully this will become a hallmark of the program that will set us apart from other programs.
It feels like not all students stick with sound design or even theatre what are the signs that a student won't stick with it? What are their reasons behind changing? Can you predict it at all?
I don't try. In fact, I've been working to expand this program beyond theatre. The more experience students get the better. There was a day when people entered a career and stuck with it throughout their lives. This is increasingly rare, and I feel it's more important to give the widest relevance possible to an education.
How has your experience at USITT influenced your teaching? And how has it influenced you as a designer?
There's a wealth of informations, and a great deal of sharing of ideas. We've been implementing the Sound Commisiions' Graphics Standards for our system diagrams, for example.
Have you seen an increase or decrease in sound design students?
It comes and goes. Right now we're in a bit of a decrease, but it's like any other discipline, there seem to be cyclical shifts in enrollment. Some years we get a lot of interest, others we get much less.
Where do you want the BU sound design department to be in 5 years? and Where do you see it going in 10 years?
I'd like to see an interdisciplinary program that can be tailored to fit the needs of different media, offers exposure to a larger variety of opportunities, and incorporates course and paractical work in many different departments and programs.
How has teaching sound design changed since you started as a professor?I use multimedia elements such as PowerPoint a lot, and since so much of our work is done on our laptops I can bring more of it directly into the classroom. Of course, since technology has changed so drastically, it is also increasingly difficult to keep up.
And that is Ben Emerson. I'd like to thank Ben for agreeing to this interview. I hope he had as much fun doing it as I did. I plan on doing many more of these in the weeks to come so please keep checking back or subscribe to the RSS feed on the right side of the page. If you would like to see someone interviewed please feel free to comment below or send me an email.
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