Part of his world

When it comes to making sure audiences hear every note of big Disney hits, Blake Luman just can’t Let It Go.

Luman is the head of the sound department for the Disney On Ice production Let’s Dance!, which runs at Canada Life Centre from tonight to Sunday. This is the third season with the show for Luman, 22, who has worked more than 60 arenas across America and has travelled to Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada with the company.

The Free Press spoke to the Kansas native ahead of tonight’s ice-dancing performance, which is set to a soundtrack of familiar remixed Disney tunes.

How did you get into sound?

By mistake! I started in high school working in a theatre because of my mom. She worked in the box office, selling tickets. One day they needed someone to fill in a position, so I went, just for that one time, but sure enough, it kept happening.

What is your biggest responsibility?

To make sure everyone in the audience can hear no matter where they’re at in the (arena), to make sure everybody has a fun time and can hear throughout the entire show. You can’t have a show if you can’t hear anything. I have no control over what happens in the actual show, but I can control how it sounds.

Would you say you have a really good sense of hearing?

I mean, I like to think so, but also I like to take all my measurements. I have a little laser system that will take exact measurements for me. I have about eight years of audio experience. It just comes down to the time I put in and the knowledge I have from all my past jobs.

You’ve visited many different arenas, each with its own acoustics. When you first get to a new venue, what do you look for in that space?

All arenas we go to are shaped a little differently. One may have an open roof with a lot of metal in the ceiling, another may be covered … all that affects the frequencies we can hear in that room.

The very first thing I do when I arrive is take measurements of the entire seating capacity, so every angle that I will set an array of speakers for is measured to the exact seating of the venue.

As soon as I take all my measurements, I can program the speakers. Once we’re all set up for the day, I will do one final tuning of the system.

I will walk through all the seats in the entire venue and listen and make adjustments to make sure the clarity and the music come through crystal clear.

Why do you have to measure the seats?

If you’re sitting in the very front row and a speaker is super, super close to you, that’s going to be really loud. But if you’re sitting in the very back row, that speaker may be a long ways away. I take those measurements to even it out so it sounds the same in the front row as it does in the back row.

My system is designed specifically for speakers that I hang in the air. So I take these measurements and put it into my system and it does the math for me.

What are the requirements when designing the soundscape for Disney audience?

One thing I look for besides volume is certain frequencies. Voice frequency is my main concern. One of the frequencies is right where Mickey and Minnie are talking, because they are the stars of the show. I need to be able to hear them over pretty much anybody else.

The second thing that I look at is the low end or the subwoofer. Because this is a remixed Disney show, it has a lot of sub and you can really feel it in your seat.

What would you like people to understand about how sound can shape a performance?

The biggest thing that I’d like people to know is the amount of work and preparation that it takes to go into a show is a lot.

So when you finally do get to the show and you hear this amazing music, my job has already been done. If you watch a segment and you laugh or you cry, my job has been done. I see that happen every single day, and that’s why I keep doing it.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I like to tell people if I’m doing my job correctly, you’ll never know I’m there. If something goes wrong, that’s when the pressure starts. That’s when the timer starts. You have to be very calm, cool and collected for this.

Technology is technology. I had about four speakers go out during the show one time, but we were able to get it back up and running; they just had to be rebooted. Sometimes it is just as simple as that. Technology is my saviour and my downfall.

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca