The other side of monitor engineering : exploring the human component of monitor engineering through occupational stress
Grice, Kimberly (2018)
Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805036354
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805036354
Tiivistelmä
Monitor engineering is a profession that is generally regarded as highly technical in nature. Yet at the core of this vocation is a line of collaboration between the artist and the engineer that is profoundly based on intimate human interaction that is rarely acknowledged.
The goal of this thesis was to examine the human side of “Monitor Engineering” by delving into the occupational stress that a sound engineer, particularly a monitor engineer might encounter and must ultimately overcome if they are to be successful in the field. This thesis does not focus on the subject from the perspective of a particular country or said culture though certain aspects of research study material was drawn from specific countries. Instead this thesis looks at the entertainment field, as a unique sub-culture within any given culture. As it is often the case that a monitor engineer will work in concert with specific individuals, e.g., performers, lighting technicians, pyro technicians, or other sound technicians within the world of live event from various cultures. A brief theoretical view of stagehands as related to live performance is given, followed by a brief description of the different audio professions in the live event industry. As it is important to understand the differences in the vocations that exist within the technician’s world of “live performance”, after which numerous stress factors were investigated using research studies, tomes, and expert interviews.
This thesis explored the following questions by way of looking at the work-related stress that exists within the live event field:
1. Is monitor engineering more people oriented than technical?
2. Should conflict resolution, psychoacoustics, and psychological training be a part of the curriculum for those going into field of monitor engineer?
3. Do monitor engineers contribute to the occupational stress experienced by performers and themselves when they are unable to perceive and contend with the mental and emotional states around them?
4. Can having conflict resolution, psychoacoustics and psychological training help monitor engineers perform their jobs and deal with occupational stress on a personal level?
This thesis is not a psychological analysis. Instead this thesis will endeavor to illuminate the elements of stress that are experienced in the entertainment industry by a monitor engineer for future students who are interested in the vocation.
The goal of this thesis was to examine the human side of “Monitor Engineering” by delving into the occupational stress that a sound engineer, particularly a monitor engineer might encounter and must ultimately overcome if they are to be successful in the field. This thesis does not focus on the subject from the perspective of a particular country or said culture though certain aspects of research study material was drawn from specific countries. Instead this thesis looks at the entertainment field, as a unique sub-culture within any given culture. As it is often the case that a monitor engineer will work in concert with specific individuals, e.g., performers, lighting technicians, pyro technicians, or other sound technicians within the world of live event from various cultures. A brief theoretical view of stagehands as related to live performance is given, followed by a brief description of the different audio professions in the live event industry. As it is important to understand the differences in the vocations that exist within the technician’s world of “live performance”, after which numerous stress factors were investigated using research studies, tomes, and expert interviews.
This thesis explored the following questions by way of looking at the work-related stress that exists within the live event field:
1. Is monitor engineering more people oriented than technical?
2. Should conflict resolution, psychoacoustics, and psychological training be a part of the curriculum for those going into field of monitor engineer?
3. Do monitor engineers contribute to the occupational stress experienced by performers and themselves when they are unable to perceive and contend with the mental and emotional states around them?
4. Can having conflict resolution, psychoacoustics and psychological training help monitor engineers perform their jobs and deal with occupational stress on a personal level?
This thesis is not a psychological analysis. Instead this thesis will endeavor to illuminate the elements of stress that are experienced in the entertainment industry by a monitor engineer for future students who are interested in the vocation.