Working tirelessly behind the scenes at every school performance in Coral Gables Senior High, there is a team making sure the lights hit just right, the microphones do not cut out and the sound runs smoothly. Acting as the backbone of every major event in the auditorium, from school plays to talent shows and some of Gables’ biggest traditions, like Mr. Coral Gables and Fall Frolics the Audio/Visuals Club transforms performances from behind the curtains. They might not get the applause, but without them, there would not be a show to clap for.
Over a decade ago Gables envisioned an A/V club run by Cavaliers, replacing the adult personnel position of audio visual technician. Seeing that the computer technician constantly did favors to help, former A/V tech, John Bryant, regularly returns to Gables where he has devoted himself to training students in the club every year.
Operating technological aspects for events and performances is a group of five talented Cavaliers. Apart from team leader Lua Lara, who has been a member for three years and oversees both the lights and the sound teams, stands a crew that includes sound vice president Alessandro Frutos, light understudy Emily Garcell, sound understudy Aden Belehssen and additional member Lua O’Brien who is trained in both lighting and sound. This close-knit group spends hours troubleshooting and ensures that every performance runs seamlessly.
“We have wonderful kids this year. Lua’s the leader of the five of them and comes to see me to ask what the events are every month. I give her the dates and she goes to see the person in charge of the event. She went to go see Ms. Van Wyk for the IB Boot Camp, she went to see Ms. Diaz for the Gablettes review and she came to see me for the award ceremony,” Ms. Suarez said.
To kick off the school year, students discovered the club where it was mentioned briefly at their grade level orientations. As the interested party was directed to Ms. Suarez and gained more information, interviews were arranged by Lara. Proving to be a selective process, out of 10 students that applied three students made it into the group. Eager to take on the commitment, members stay after school for long hours all while acquiring basic technical skills ranging from controlling lights, managing sound and operating equipment.
Experiencing extensive organization this year around, the team faced the complexities of lighting changes and sound cues within the interplay of many dancing routines that were being put on stage during the 49th Fall Frolics Show. With the help of the dedicated performers and choreographers, they synchronized all these elements into a captivating experience that brought out the artfulness of each routine, leaving the audience in awe.
“My role is the sound guy. So basically, I’ll be down in the stage, I’ll set up mics, I’ll set up monitor speakers, and after that, I’ll help the performers make sure that they sound good. Then I go to the booth and make sure that they don’t sound either too loud or too low and so that when the audience is listening to them, they don’t sound distorted,” sophomore Frutos said.
Behind the stage during the annual Mr. Coral Gables, the A/V team worked tirelessly. Being a traditional event that features fast-paced and high-energy entertainment, the team runs music cues, deals with spotlight transitions and handles microphone handoffs all throughout Mr. Coral Gables. With the performances changing rapidly alongside the sound and lighting consistently requiring adjusting, the team relies on their close bond when left with almost no time for thought before decisions need to be made.
“Usually we prepare at least a couple days in advance, getting all the audio for the show and organizing it by order in which people are going according to the set/act list. Then we review all the audio to edit it and make sure there are no weird intros, endings, or blank spaces. As well as doing a “color analysis” for the songs and music to plan out the lights before hand, any changes in tempo and stuff to see the best places for color changes,” junior Lara said.
Behind every performance held inside the Gables auditorium lies the A/V Clubs’ commitment. Though they may work in secret, their responsibilities open the doors to the success of every event through the production of a professional show. Any necessary last-minute changes, along with making sure that each technical part is working, bring some of the biggest events and traditions the school has to offer to life.
“I never gave too much thought about the A/V group, but after reflecting on all the events, I feel like they are very fundamental part of the auditorium performances. I think if it wasn’t for them, our students wouldn’t pay as much attention as they do when it comes to student performances, not that they’re not entertaining, but A/V adds something special to the performance,” sophomore Liz Castillo said.
