Geoff Buff
Technical Director
geoff@rocktheatreproductions.org
I started playing with audio and creating sounds at a very early age, with mixed results. But my fascination never wavered, and throughout grade school I was always involved in the stage productions in one capacity or another. As I entered high school my proficiency in production work for the stage and in a makeshift recording studio improved. Much to the dismay of the faculty, I missed classes because under the headphones I could not hear the bell.
During this time I started to work with the sound designers and carpenters at The American Stage Company, which really opened my eyes to the way things were done in professional theatre. Imagine a 17-year-old high school student interviewing with the executive producer and hearing, ìYouíre hired. Letís go to New York.î Thank you Ted Rawlins and James Singer for the years that I spent with you. I had a tremendous amount of fun while working my tail off and learning more than I ever imagined I could. So began my love of lighting (although my first love will always be the art of sound design). After high school I attended the Institute of Audio Research for a year while working for a mobile remote broadcasting facility, followed by a year in the technical departments of several recording studios. Disappointed by my career in the recording industry, I left.
I went back to school to study electronics. Hark, I had a new passion in life. I wrote specs for several years before becoming disenchanted with the work. Still in search of my niche, I found work at Crest Audio. What a place ñ I could combine my two passions into one career. Over time, Crest gave me the opportunity to visit the Tokyo sales office, where I developed an appreciation for Asian art and culture. I attended Kabuki theatre and other types of shows, and met the producers and engineers, thanks to a translator (I never quite mastered Japanese). Ever captivated by sounds, I was curious to know how they amplified a Taiko drum without the booming quality. They graciously demonstrated how to mic one, as well as some native stringed instruments, properly. Being the technical geek I am, the overwhelming desire to acquire new and interesting audio gear was squelched only by the realization that anything I bought in Japan would be useless at home.
After Crest Audio, I spent two years an independent engineer before working for Crestron Electronics, where I became re-acquainted with Mark Durstewitz. I ran sound for *The Children of Children* at 12 Miles West and became not only the sound man for Madmen and Dreamers, but an engineer for and a member of MadElf Productions, Inc.
Now, as Technical Director for Rock Theatre Productions, Inc., I anticipate great things in the future and Iím excited to be a part of it.