​Can you send me some samples of your work?
​A dreaded question for a Sound Designer.

Sound takes place over time.
Sound takes place in space.
Sound moves.
Sound expands and contracts.
Sound breathes.

Whenever I'm asked to send a portfolio for review, it always gives me some anxiety.  
​In performance, I want my sound designs to interact - with both the audience and the actors -
​ ​in ways which are incredibly difficult to represent in a photo, and image, or even a stereo recording. 

​But, let me see if I can show & tell you how I work as best I can...

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Bernhardt/Hamlet
​Goodman Theatre

Donna Feore's Direction of the Theresa Rebeck Play about a woman taking on a "man's job" -
that was something I (and many of the women on our production) could relate to.

A Suite for Chamber Strings composed in the French Romantic style created the scene shifts for the show.  
​This allowed us to sonically support the classic visual design of the production -
Set by Narelle Sissons, Lighting by Robert Wertzel, and Costumes by Dana Osborne .  

I used a theme and variations structure, ​showing how Sarah Bernhardt's decisions were influenced by the powers around her.
​But, the final moment of the show featured her theme on a solo violin, exposed for all to see.
​This score was Nominated for the 2020 Chicago "Jeff" Award for Outstanding Original Music for a Play.

​Chicago musicians Marin Davids (Violin), Heather Boehm (Viola), and Tahirah Whittington (Cello) performed on the recordings.

Please note:  Sample recordings have been uploaded at a lower sound quality ​with watermark in accordance with copyright and contract arrangements.

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How to Catch Creation
​Goodman Theatre

The world-premiere production of Christina Anderson's work about the intersection of
multiple lives in pursuit of creative passion and legacy.

My collaboration with Composer Justin Ellington wove his original music with a tapestry of ​Jazz, R&B, and
Rap music to aurally convey the rich history of African-American music from the 1950s-2010s.  
Classic recordings were paired with modern music that utilizes their samples,
sonically expressing how we pass our stories down, and how our creations reverberate for future generations.

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Wild Goose Dreams
​La Jolla Playhouse

​This world-premiere work crossed sonic borders between ancient Korean melodies & the sounds of the digital age.  
My design - in collaboration with composer Paul Castles & Korean drummer Anny Hahm - was awarded
​the 2017 San Diego Theatre Critic's Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design.
​
The character of Nanhee - a North Korean defector - has a nightmare where she travels back home thru the river she escaped:
(There was a lot of subwoofer in the production)​

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Sammy & Me
​MusicalFare Theatre, The Hangar Theatre, The National Black Theatre Festival, & The Alliance Theatre

Though this work is an older design, it is a project which I revisit often & continues to be one of my proudest works.  
The extraordinary one-man solo performance by Eric Jordan Young is about the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. & his place -
both good and bad - in the history of African-American culture.  Mr. Young's character is visited by the ghost of
Sammy Davis Jr, and together they tell the history of stage performance for black artists from the
​1920's thru today - opening immense pathways for sound design & storytelling thru music.
​

The end of Act I excerpt:

The Chitlin' Circuit:

Selma Alabama:

The End of Act I:

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Mockingbird
​Nashville Children's Theatre

The stage representation of Kathryn Erskine's children's book about an autistic child dealing with the tragic death of her brother.                We used hyper-realism to show the world thru our heroine Caitlin's eyes.  

​This design was awarded the 2018 Nashville "First Night" Award for Outstanding Sound Design and the
BroadwayWorld Nashville 2020 Outstanding Sound Design of the Decade Award.​
​

The show's Opening Sequence:

Caitlin's 1st episode recounting the story of her brother's death:

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