Once the bassist of Vanadzor’s beloved band Clocker, and later a trombone player during his army service, Sevada Hovhannisyan now brings his musical journey full circle as the Sound Design instructor at the COAF SMART Center in Lori.
He first heard about SMART through friends who had worked there before. Their stories left a lasting impression.
“When our band split up, I started job hunting and came across the Sound Design instructor opening. Our vocalist had always dreamt of teaching at SMART, so I forwarded him the job announcement. In the end, he moved to the U.S. and encouraged me to apply instead,” Sevada recalls.
Before joining SMART, Sevada had already gained experience working with children, teaching at a music school and giving private guitar lessons.
“What I enjoy most about working with students is the creative process we share, especially when the group is engaged and motivated,” he says candidly. For Sevada, SMART is, above all, a place for discovery, 21st-century skills, and learning—particularly for children from rural communities.
So far, he’s worked with 38 student groups on all kinds of sound design projects: audiobooks, audio guides (including one for the Odzun Church and a special “blind” audio guide for SMART), film soundtracks, animations, and even Kahoots (learning games about sound design).
“I don’t know how many students will pursue sound design professionally, but when I see their projects, it’s clear they’ve developed real sound editing skills,” he says with a satisfied smile.
“Check, one, two…Can you hear me?” – The process of collecting all kinds of sounds for the SMART sound library in a single frame.
Judging by the look on their faces, it looks like Sevada’s happy with the mix.
It is advised to experiment with recording sounds like this in a proper sound room and under Sevada’s guidance.
Students play with sounds to create new ones with the audio editing software, Garage Band.
Sound Design groups often collaborate with students from other programs, working together to create animations, audiobooks, radio plays, and more.
They literally make sounds out of anything they find. This time, it’s the metal piano stool’s turn to be recorded.
Riddle time! What’s Sevada’s connection to Vanadzor’s famous band “Lav Eli” and these posters? Drop your guesses in the comments on our social media!
To stay in “musical shape,” Sevada and his friends rent a space where they jam in their free time.
Turns out, playing bass guitar also requires some footwork!
On weekends, Sevada loves cycling through the city, playing music, and diving into a good book.
