FEATURED AUTHOR

Josh Loar

Professor of Practice
Michigan Technological University

Josh Loar is a sound, lighting, video, and control system designer who has designed projects all over the world, from theaters, to concerts and festivals, to corporate events and conventions, to theme parks. He is an accomplished FOH and recording engineer. He is an educator who has been teaching at the university level for nearly a decade. He is also a multimedia artist, musician, producer, director, and creator of lots of different kinds of weird art.

Subjects: Audio, Music, Theater

Biography

Josh Loar is a sound, lighting, video, and control system designer who has designed projects all over the world, from theaters, to concerts and festivals, to corporate events and conventions, to theme parks. He has worked as a professional designer for more than 20 years. He has designed and engineered systems for clients including Walt Disney Imagineering, Lotte Group, Busch Gardens, and more. He is co-chair and co-author of the upcoming ESET (Essential Skills for Entertainment Technicians) test in audio. He is chair of the USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Sound Graphics Working Group, working on issuing new and more comprehensive documentation standards for theatrical sound paperwork. He is an accomplished FOH (Front-of-House) and recording engineer, having worked with artists including Paul Simon, David Byrne, Mos Def, Rickie Lee Jones, Charlie Haden, Philip Glass, and many, many more (he has genuinely lost count). He is an educator who has been teaching at the university level for nearly a decade, at Yale School of Drama and now at Michigan Technological University. He is also a multimedia artist, musician, producer, director, and creator of lots of different kinds of weird art. He enjoys long walks in the woods, good whiskey, and the company of intelligent people. Check out his work at www.joshloar.com

Education

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

Sound system and content design; music composition, production, mixing, mastering, performance; film mixing/editing; theatrical directing; oral history collection; multimedia art; control system design; video system and content design; lighting design.

Personal Interests

Art, politics, sociology, ecology, whiskey, justice, life.

Books

Featured Title

Articles

Seven Steps to a Theatrical Sound System Design

Published: Mar 15, 2018 by USITT Sound Commission and Conference Proceedings
Authors: Josh Loar
Subjects: Audio, Theater

Texts exploring the discipline of sound system design are too often aimed at the advanced practitioner, and are often over the head of inexperienced designers trying to learn the discipline. This article presents a logical, orderly process for analyzing a production’s sound needs, selecting appropriate equipment, and creating an operating plan. By breaking the process down into manageable and clear tasks, this guide demystifies the essentials of theatrical sound system design.

News

New article about overwork in performing arts!

By: Josh Loar
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Audio, Music, Theater, Theatre & Performance Studies

I wrote a short piece on the culture of overwork in the performing arts. Check it out!

https://www.theatreartlife.com/technical/performing-arts-overworked-staff/

New paper published!

By: Josh Loar
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Audio

I have published a new paper through the USITT Sound Commission, focusing on my work creating an immersive, multimedia gallery installation piece called "Noise Floor". Check it out!