What skills do you need to master as a sound designer for therapy projects?

1 Sound aesthetics

The first skill you need to master as a sound designer for therapy projects is sound aesthetics, which is the study of how sound affects our perception, mood, and behavior. Sound aesthetics can help you choose the right sounds, tones, and textures for your project, depending on the purpose and audience of your therapy. For example, if you want to create a soothing and calming soundscape, you might use natural sounds, such as water, birds, or wind, and avoid harsh or loud noises, such as sirens, alarms, or traffic. On the other hand, if you want to create a stimulating and energizing soundscape, you might use rhythmic sounds, such as drums, claps, or chants, and avoid dull or monotonous noises, such as white noise, hums, or drones.

2 Sound editing

The second skill you should master is sound editing, which is the process of manipulating and modifying sound files using software tools, such as Audacity, Reaper, or Pro Tools. Sound editing can help you enhance, adjust, and polish your soundscape by applying effects, such as reverb, delay, EQ, or compression, and by editing parameters, such as volume, pitch, pan, or loop. For example, if you want to create a realistic and immersive soundscape, you might use reverb to add depth and space to your sounds, and pan to create a stereo or surround sound field. On the other hand, if you want to create a surreal and abstract soundscape, you might use pitch to alter the frequency and tone of your sounds, and loop to create repetition and variation.

3 Sound synthesis

Sound synthesis is the process of generating and creating sound from scratch using hardware or software tools, such as synthesizers, samplers, or plugins. Becoming familiar with sound synthesis can help you expand your sonic palette and create unique and original sounds for your project by combining different waveforms, filters, envelopes, and modulators. For example, if you want to create a futuristic and sci-fi soundscape, you might use synthesizers to create electronic and synthetic sounds, such as beeps, sweeps, or glitches. On the other hand, if you want to create a organic and natural soundscape, you might use samplers to record and play back acoustic and environmental sounds, such as instruments, voices, or animals.

4 Sound mixing

Sound mixing, the process of blending and balancing multiple sound sources using software tools, such as DAWs, mixers, or faders, can help you achieve a clear and cohesive soundscape by controlling levels and frequency ranges of your sounds. For example, if you want to create a balanced and harmonious soundscape, you might use levels to adjust the loudness and intensity of your sounds, and dynamics to control the range and contrast of your sounds. On the other hand, if you want to create a contrasted and dramatic soundscape, you might use frequency ranges to separate and emphasize different elements of your soundscape, such as bass, mid, or treble.

5 Sound psychology

Sound psychology is the study of how sound influences our cognition, emotion, and behavior and can help you understand the theories of how sound affects our brain and nervous system. For example, if you want to create a relaxing and soothing soundscape, you might use sound psychology to choose sounds that have a low tempo, a low pitch, and a smooth contour, which can reduce stress hormones, lower heart rate, and increase alpha brain waves. On the other hand, if you want to create a motivating and uplifting soundscape, you might use sound psychology to choose sounds that have a high tempo, a high pitch, and a sharp contour, which can increase dopamine levels, raise blood pressure, and stimulate beta brain waves.

6 Sound ethics

The final skill you need to master as a sound designer for therapy projects is sound ethics, which is the practice of using sound responsibly and respectfully for the benefit of yourself and others. Sound ethics can help you avoid potential issues that come with using sound for therapy projects, such as copyright infringement or privacy violation. For example, when using sound for therapy projects, you should obtain permission and consent from the sources and subjects of your sounds, give credit and attribution to the creators and owners of your sounds, respect the cultural and personal meanings and values of your sounds, avoid harming or offending anyone with your sounds, and evaluate the impact and outcome of your sounds.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?