We recently connected with Belle Alatorre and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Belle, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience stems from my family. My mom moved to the states when she was 8 years old from Mexico. She had not seen her mom or dad in years because they came to the US early on. When she saw my grandma she told me she did not recognize her. She would tell me stories of her childhood and I could feel the pain. A middle child of 8, a child of divorced immigrants, and still she is the embodiment of love and care. I think every day about how my mom never let the world taint her light. My dad grew up also a child of divorced immigrant parents. His story is a bit trickier to tell. This is just my parents and barely scratching the surface of their stories as well. My aunt, my dad’s sister, has had muscular dystrophy her whole life. She has been in and out of hospitals constantly. She continues to make art and is one of the happiest people I know. My parents, my aunt, my grandparents, and my younger siblings have been through some of the most gut wrenching things. Yet they continue to cheer me and each other on. My family is the definition of resilience, of love, and of inspiration. All that to say, if everyone in my family can continue to show love for me and to keep going even through their hardships, I can too!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a sound designer and audio engineer primarily in the theatre world. I went to the University of Southern California and received my BFA in Sound Design. Shortly after graduation, I became the sound fellow at Chautauqua Theatre Company. Right after that, I became the sound fellow at Berkeley Rep Theatre. My current projects include being an Assistant Sound Designer to Jake Rodriguez at Berkeley Rep for their last show of the season, Mother Road. A show that is very dear to my heart. I am also currently editing a podcast for Quinan Street Project called The Folklorist. I primarily edit the Spanish version, occasionally I will edit an English episode too. A few things I have done that I am extremely proud of is being the sound designer for The Bleeding Class at Bratton Theatre in Chautauqua, NY. I was an Associate Sound Designer for Palmer Hefferan on KATE at the Pasadena Playhouse. Lastly, I was the Assistant Sound Designer for Galileo at Berkeley Rep. I also just came back from a USITT x Cirque De Soleil training with Meyer Sound. My next adventure will be coming up soon, I am the new sound engineer at McCarter Theatre in New Jersey.
My work is something I am proud of not just because I think being a sound designer and audio engineer is super cool, but because I love the art of it. There is something truly meaningful about carefully crafting the world around. I did this fellow showcase with my peers and there is a moment in the script where we go to a vet’s office for 30 seconds max. Our speaker plot was only 2 speakers, main left and main right. I spent time sending different animal noises at different levels and different times to the 2 speakers to create this short feeling of walking into a vet. I then faded it into a liminal space for the rest of the scene. Even with limitations like resources and in our instance time, I worked to create art. This is my life as a sound designer and audio engineer.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The best quality to have is a great attitude. Theatre is constantly evolving and how you handle it is most important. Another quality would be adaptability. Nothing is ever the same twice and it is important to understand that everyone works differently and you have to be okay with it. Lastly, would be the ability to be okay with failure. The best learning comes from failing and everyone great has failed at some point. It builds character!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My friends and family have been a huge support system for overcoming challenges and developing new skills. I can not count the amount of times I have called my mom sobbing because I failed, and she reminds me we all do and validates my feelings, then gives me a loving pep talk and sends me back into the world. I call my friend Naveen to ask him about how to navigate many situations because he is one of the most level headed people I know. I text my friend Mia questions about how she navigates being the youngest at her job. I ask my friend Glenn, Daniela, Bailey, Mimi, Alysha, Noel, and many more for sound support as well as how to navigate the sound world. Without them, I would not be this far in my career and life. Shoutout to them!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stolenmemory.art/
- Instagram: @stolenmemory
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belle-alatorre-8a836b288/
Image Credits
Jacob Hollens (The picture of me with my stash for graduation)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
