Thinking In Sound: Opening Up the Brain to Sound with Sarah Weck

Sarah Weck has been working in audio post production for over four years, and is based in Brooklyn, NY. She is currently a producer at One Thousand Birds, and has previously worked as a sound designer and mixer for film and TV. She is passionate about bridging the gap between producers and engineers, and finding new opportunities to create through sound.

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Sarah> I began working in audio as a sound designer, where you approach projects in layers - from backgrounds to sound effects to dialogue. I think you can obliquely think of producing a project in the same way. Every project contains its own layers, from the initial partnership level and actual execution of the project and delivery, to maintaining a meaningful relationship with the client. 

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity - what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang - and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Sarah> Working with a crew is the best. I've worked solo a lot and that can be great, but ultimately having different perspectives and ideas is really valuable.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Sarah> Telling our engineers that their work is approved by the client, or just hearing a final spot in general and seeing it out in the world.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Sarah> I think our collective shortening attention span thanks to social media has really changed the way we think about music and sound. A song that goes viral on TikTok becomes kind of like a ringtone, in terms of how it chemically hits in your brain - like it doesn't register as musical, it’s more of a cue for your brain to think about the trend that accompanies the audio. I think those short sound trends will become a common marketing tool, as opposed to longer advertising campaigns with a story arc. 

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Sarah> Michelle Zauner aka Japanese Breakfast, Fiona Apple, and Thom Yorke - I really like artists that are amazing writers as well as musicians. 

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Sarah> I do a lot of writing that has nothing to do with my job, and when I'm writing fiction, I tend to get inspiration from non-fiction. When I'm sound designing, I get inspiration from the world off-screen - I imagine the world beyond the frame, and factor that into the soundscape. That definitely applies to producing as well. Not everything is so straightforward, you have to think outside the box and use your imagination.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Sarah> If it's a really hard task or daunting project, I need silence while I wrap my head around what’s happening, but otherwise I love having a weird playlist in the background.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Sarah> I'm a yo-yo listening dieter - sometimes I only listen to podcasts, sometimes headier music, and sometimes I just need some pop-country to get me through the morning commute. 

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised spotify-er…)?

Sarah> I love vinyl but I'm not very knowledgeable about it. I've been trying to collect more, it’s so fun to go to record shops and pick out things that look interesting. But I feel very personally attached to my Spotify playlists. There's an art to making a playlist for sure.

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music (e.g. history buffs who love music that can help you travel through time, gamers who love interactive sound design… I mean it really could be anything!!)

Sarah> I'm definitely a books and literature person, which can often connect to music. Especially with poetry and listening to others read their work aloud, I find that words are really transformed into something rhythmic and musical when you read them aloud. Last year I read a book by Thulani Davis called Nothing But the Music about her experiences with the jazz, soul and punk scenes in the 70s and 80s. It can be really difficult to write about sound, but she contextualises it really well and it’s a great read if you’re a music and sound fan. 

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do - I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Sarah> I went to Amsterdam for a couple days by myself and ended up running into some friends of friends in my hostel. They took me to a show they were going to, which ended up being a hardcore punk show in a weird little club under a bridge. It looked so sketchy from the outside but it was very cool and I never would have ended up there otherwise.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth - how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Sarah> I feel like my connection to sound has intensified over the years. I went to school for music and then realised I didn’t want to be a musician, so I was kind of ready to tap out of music and sound altogether. But since I love film and storytelling, I decided to give audio post a try, not knowing that much about it. I definitely think about sound now more than I ever did when I was doing music. It feels like my brain has kind of opened up and I can be even more creative now.