The Tech Crew at Townsend Harris manages the technology during every school production, whether that’s FON, S!NG, school concerts, or the spring musical. The club plays a pivotal role in ensuring the quality of performances by managing the lighting, setting up the microphones, and configuring the sound.
With FON season in full swing, Tech Crew members are busy at work preparing for the performances.
Tech Crew leader and senior Mila Servania manages the lighting and projections. She said, “I remember it was my freshman year, and I came in and watched the S!NG Saturday matinee show […] I was like, this looks incredible […] I decided the following year [to join the] Tech [Crew] to see what it feels like backstage, working with all these different technologies and making a show happen.”
Tech Crew leader and senior Kyle Zeng said when he joined the Tech Crew, he gained unique experiences watching the progression of the show from rehearsals to the final shows.“I enjoy FON rehearsals a lot because I get to see a lot of different dances from all of the different cultures all around the world,” he said.
Sophomore Miriam Berman, a Tech Crew member who currently works with sound effects, said, “I was really fascinated with the technology when they did the shows […] that was one of the main reasons why I decided to join tech crew.”
Sophomore Kaylee Oh, another member of the club said, “[I] decided to be in tech crew because I like computers and I wanted to go to the balcony. I thought that was the biggest mystery of Townsend Harris; like, what’s up there?” She added, “We usually meet every Monday and no other days. Sometimes we stay after school when it’s getting closer to the performance days.”
Miriam said the Tech Crew “is a very close-knit environment where everyone really knows each other and it’s a lot of back and forth on what to do and really getting advice from other people on how we can improve our stuff… The live performance and helping set up backstage was nerve-wracking but also rewarding.”
One of the major ways that the Tech Crew enhances school shows is through the use of lighting. Kyle said, “We use the lighting board to program all the lighting cues. We work with all kinds of different lights [from] lights that can change color and [some] lights that can strobe. We also have stencil lights.”
Kyle said they “schedule lighting appointments during specific times [with FON leaders], whether that be in school or after school. I work with them to coordinate an idea of what they want to see for their dances.” He said these appointments are crucial for the tech crew and FON members to cooperate to create a well-developed performance.
According to Mila, the Tech Crew currently has “four or five appointments per week […] but as [FON] gets closer per day there’s [sometimes] two or three [appointments] on the same day.”
Sophomore and Tech Crew member Gabriella Chow said that the work behind FON comes with its own set of difficulties. “There are a lot more groups and a lot more performances, so we have to remember what songs and lighting they [need],” she said.
While members of the Tech Crew are generally happy with the quality of the technology, they mentioned that the microphones are in harsh conditions. According to Mila, there is “a concerning amount of tape on [the mics] and [the] wires.” She said the main reason the mics are taped, is to prevent any performers from getting shocked by the electricity.
Junior Daniel Jagdeo, another tech crew leader said, “During S!NG this [school] year, one of our mics completely malfunctioned. [It was] minutes before the show, and we had to do so many different tests and so many different things to make sure the show didn’t mess up.”
The technology that the tech crew manages is also required for rehearsals. Yugesh Kumar, a junior performer in Bollywood and Korean FON, said, “Technology is essential to allow as many people as possible to learn a dance efficiently–although I think that louder speakers are needed, especially for large groups. More access to a screen or smartboard may also help those who are struggling with their dance.”
The Tech Crew leaders said that they are currently updating some of their technology. “We are in the midst of getting our projector replaced,” said Daniel.
Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee, who oversees FON, commended the club, saying that she admired their “strong sense of immediacy and urgency and [that] they understand that people are waiting in the audience.” She added that in times of distress, “[they] calmly find a solution to make the show still go on.”
“They have nerves of steel…I hope that they understand their value and that other people in the audience appreciate them for what they do,” she said.
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