by Jarrett Hoffman
It’s uncomfortable to be inside a small space. What about being in a large space that’s often full of happy people, except it’s the middle of a pandemic, and you’re there alone?
“It was kind of spooky,” Andrew Tripp said during a recent conversation. Tripp is co-director of the Recording Arts and Production program at Oberlin Conservatory, as well as the associate director of Audio Services.
In early April, he made his way from one performance venue to the next on the mostly vacant campus. Armed with a two-way speaker, omnidirectional microphones, and a portable recorder, his goal was to “sonically document” each space, which involved the playing and recording of both music and a 30-second frequency sweep.
It was an idea Tripp had been cultivating for a few years, but one that was now more relevant than ever: with students unable to visit Oberlin’s halls, the halls could come to the students.