Guo Ningru is the talented senior sound designer at the Music & Drama Company (MDC) behind many productions, and is part of the team behind the Music & Drama Company (MDC) 50th anniversary concert, the recent RSAF filmlet “I have Control”, and the HOMEGROWN music festival.
Working mainly behind the scenes, her job involves working with the creative vision, producing sound elements and musical pieces, editing and mixing tracks, and creating soundscapes and custom sound effects. It is her responsibility to help establish the mood and tone of a production, communicate the story, and create an immersive experience for the audience.
Ningru brings more than 15 years of experience to her current role within the Music Production department at the Music & Drama Company (MDC).
Growing up with music
Ningru has loved music since she was a child. When she was in school, she played the piano and sang in the choir – two extra-curricular activities that sparked her interest in the craft.
“Then, after finishing my A-Levels, I found myself uninterested in a conventional career path and decided to pursue something more creative while continuing my education,” she adds. “I discovered LASALLE’s Technical Theatre Arts programme, which felt like the perfect blend of arts and science.”
In 2016, Ningru received the National Arts Scholarship from the National Arts Council. She later furthered her education at the University of California Irvine, where she pursued a Masters in Fine Arts in Sound Design. She graduated from the course in 2019.
An unconventional career path
Sound design is not a career many people are even aware of, let alone would pursue. Ningru says that she wouldn’t have known such a profession existed, either, had she not started out in technical theatre.
“Many people associate a career in sound with roles like sound engineering or music production,” she points out.
“I see sound design as an additional layer when added to music and performances. It bridges the gap between song numbers, adds context to the narrative and ties the musical journey together, creating a more immersive experience.”
Besides her love for music, it’s her passion for creating – and the creative process itself – that drew Ningru to her profession. Another motivator was her desire to “be in control of everything”.
“It intrigues me to be able to see a performance come together in that magical moment, where the storyline, the performers, costumes, choreography, and technical design combine to create a cohesive and encompassing production.”
Ningru’s job is an intricate blend of creative artistry and technical expertise. She works with a range of equipment, like microphones, headphones, speakers, mixing consoles, outboard hardware, and a variety of computer hardware and software and plugins, but she adds that her ears are probably the most important “tool” of them all.
Hard work always pays off
Working on a production, especially a big one, can be challenging and often involve tight deadlines, long hours and late nights. However, Ningru says that when she sees and hears the results of her hard work, she feels immense satisfaction.
She explains that the pre-production process consists of a range of steps.
“At MDC, we usually start with the conceptual discussions with the creative team and producer, then we come up with the music arrangements, and eventually go into recording, mixing and post production. We may also have to create soundscapes to complement the tracks or bridge between moments in the production. After which final edits are made and sequenced for the content to be ready for the show.”
Since joining MDC, Ningru has been the project lead for the National Day Observance Ceremony (NDOC) 2024, designed for various short films, and was part of the Music Production team for MDC50 Concert, HOMEGROWN and other productions. She was most recently involved as project lead for an immersive audio showcase that combined the cutting edge L-ISA Immersive Audio Technology with the brilliant talents of the MDC NSFs, creative team, performers, and the Show Production team.
She enjoyed being a part of these productions, especially since they were created in appreciation for, and in support of, our NSmen.
“I was honoured to put my talent and skills behind these important events, knowing that my efforts, no matter how small, played a meaningful role and contributed to the bigger picture,” she says.
While her job at MDC is challenging, Ningru says that it’s always manageable, thanks to her colleagues in the Music Production department.
“They’re a great team and we all share the load. We take turns handling the big tasks and always support one another when faced with strict deadlines.”
To help her de-stress and balance the demands of her job, she tends to her garden and indulges her other love – coffee.
Ningru feels especially satisfied when people tell her that her work made a positive impact on their enjoyment of their performance.
“It makes all our hard work worthwhile, and it feels so rewarding to hear that we helped make the production sound great,” she says.
“When a show looks and sounds ‘correct’ and leaves an emotional impact, we know we have done something right.”
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