Meet the Sound Designer : Mary Rapp

March 11, 2019

We spoke with sound designer Mary Rapp about creating sound for our upcoming production of Grounded.

What drew you to Grounded?

I am passionate about working with a contemporary female narrative. I am also excited about working with the creative team and the extraordinary actor (Emily Havea).

The audience will get a look into something that most have heard of but have never seen or interacted with.

What is your process when it comes to creating sound for a production?

I like to explore ideas before coming into the rehearsal room so I have a sound palate to work with. I then like to mix and improvise with those sounds throughout the rehearsal process, finding cohesive moments for the world to reveal itself.

Tell us about your previous experience

My work as a sound designer has been showed in the USA, Europe and the Middle East. I have been a professional musician for 13 years. I study and teach acoustic and audio design at Sydney University.

What have you used for inspiration for the sound for Grounded?

Classic American artists like Chris Stapleton have been a big source of inspiration.

BOOK NOW Grounded  14 – 23 March 2019

“Rapp had an instinct for being taciturn and pithy; for making the music gossamer light or adding phenomenal weight and vigour, using extraordinarily few notes” Sydney Morning Herald

MARY RAPP
Mary Rapp is a multidisciplinary musician whose distinctive approach integrates jazz, experimental, and regional music traditions. She plays double bass, cello and is a vocalist trained in the Korean Pansori singing tradition. Mary’s work as both performer and composer is regularly featured in a range of settings from solo to large ensembles, she also composes for theatre and creates sound installations. She has worked with many acclaimed musicians and ensembles including Australian cultural icons Matthew Keegan, Jon Rose, Ensemble Offspring and the Australian Art Orchestra. She has performed nationally and internationally as a part of festivals such as the Sydney Festival and at venues such as the Sydney Opera House. 2018 has seen her sound designs featured at the Sydney Observatory and Haus der Kulturen in Berlin. In 2017 the ABC New Waves music show broadcast a solo performance and interview with Rapp. Perpetually curious, Mary’s practice defies categorization: indeed, she works in the spaces between categories, between genres, and between cultures.