Eight Lawrence University music students got the chance earlier this term to record part of a film soundtrack.
“It was cool to see just how much equipment, knowledge, and expertise goes into setting up a recording session like this,” said bassoonist Iris Hakes, a junior.
Luka & the Lights is an upcoming Dutch short film that aims to teach children about ALS, a disease that gradually weakens muscles and eventually leads to death. The film follows Luka, a robot that is diagnosed with an ALS-like disease. As light bulbs in Luka’s body go out one by one, he and his robot friends learn to cope with the condition as best they can, support each other, and cherish their limited time together.
“They didn’t hide anything,” said flutist Darren Lam, a senior. “They reduced the whole narrative into something that’s explainable to a child, and it visually conveys what a person with ALS goes through.”
The recording took place at Honeytone, a studio in nearby Neenah, Wisconsin. The other six Lawrence students were violinists Mia Kraker and Avery Riel, violist Kelsey Knapp, cellist Arthur Johnson, and clarinetist Emily Dorr.
“I think everyone warmed up to each other pretty quickly,” Lam said.
Responsible for gathering these students together and making this experience happen was Leila Ramagopal Pertl, instructor of music education. She had recently recorded harp on another project at Honeytone, and studio executives reached out to her to ask about hiring Lawrence musicians for the Luka & the Lights project.
Ramagopal Pertl, knowing this would be a great opportunity for Conservatory students, went on a recruiting mission.
“She saw me on the couches (in the Conservatory) one day and was like, ‘Hey, what are you doing on April 1st?’” Hakes said. “I was like, ‘As far as I know, nothing,’ and she said, ‘Block off your whole day.’”
The students were sent the music and the unscored movie to look at beforehand; then traveled to Honeytone for a busy day.
“Just picture a small living room with eight chairs, a piano, and several sound control stations,” Lam said. “It was homey.”
It was both Hakes and Lam’s first recording experience. They said it was revealing to learn soundtracks are recorded separately and are only edited together later.
The students used headsets that fed to a click track. Hakes and Lam said the headsets were a challenge because they prevented the students from hearing themselves directly; they could only hear themselves on the live audio of the room.
“I had to rely on what I’ve been doing at Lawrence for the past four years, learning how to incorporate all the aural, sight-singing, and theory skills I’ve learned,” Lam said. “It’s just about trusting the process.”
Despite the challenges, the students did fantastic work. Engineer Patrick Boland, composer Charlie McCarron, and orchestrator and conductor Marty Brueggemann were all at Honeytone to help direct the students.
“I didn’t feel unnatural or unprepared for recording, even though it was new,” Hakes said.
The Luka & the Lights composers even wrote harp parts for Ramagopal Pertl.
“They were very supportive and excited to hear their music come to life through us,” Hakes said. “There was a lot of mutual appreciation going on.”
Luka & the Lights’ release date has yet to be announced, but those interested in following the film’s progress can visit the Luka & the Lights website.