Welcome back to our acoustic consultants interview series. Today we’re interviewing Geoffrey Harris who is a Director at Herring Storer Acoustics in Perth.

Welcome Geoff, please tell our readers a little about yourself…

Hi, I’m Geoff, and I’ve been an Acoustic Consultant (now Director) with Herring Storer Acoustics for 15 years now. I’m the company’s AAAC representative and have an abnormal fondness for Capybaras. Depending on when you ask me have a variety of hobbies that take up my free time that span from playing and listening to music to cooking and eating food to snowboarding or rock-climbing to a more nerdy-type activities like playing video games and board games. Other than that, I spend my time with my partner, friends and my Blue Heeler named Apollo.

What’s the best part of being an acoustic consultant?

The work is varied; one day you might be sitting in the office doing day to day work, another you might be helping commission a speed boat, flying out to work on a mine site or inspecting a new local music venue. Having shorter term projects mean you can break up some of the longer term projects that get can sometimes be a bit slower.

What’s the craziest situation you’ve faced onsite?

I think suiting up to undertake a noise survey of a Sulfuric Acid production plant that wasn’t in the most ideally maintained situation. Full goretex hazmat suit, boots, gloves, face masks. We were sweating in the West Australian heat before we got in there. The problem was that the protection equipment made speech, hearing and vision limited on top of the already noisy and steam filled environment. I’m actually headed back there soon to do the follow up survey!

Which job are you most proud of and why?

We’ve done a lot of work for “The Islands” development in South Coogee, near Fremantle; the preliminary work was a proof of concept of a vibration mitigation technique to allow the development to be built closer to the notorious freight rail line. Lots of site visits, lots of measurements, lots of hurdles to overcome.

What advice would you give to aspiring acoustic consultants?

Depending on where you work, you might end up working on the same type of projects or being pigeonholed into similar work. Try and jump on as many different projects early, whether that’s putting your hands up for something that’s outside of your comfort zone, or approaching your superiors to give it a shot. Anything that’s unique will help you see different aspects of the discipline and help give you new eyes on some of the more bread and butter type work.

If you could take anyone (not family) living or deceased on a yearlong road trip, who would it be and why?

That’s a hard one, a year is a long time and I’d have to get along with them the whole time. I have a few friends that it would be great to travel with, but given I can name anyone… If it was say driving around the US and sight seeing, trying new things, someone like Keanu Reeves would have insight, have great stories and be fun to hang around with. Otherwise, if it was more of an exotic location, Anthony Bourdain has always inspired me with his approach to life, food and experience and travelling with him could lead to some mighty interesting experiences.

Thanks for sharing, Geoff. If you missed our earlier interview with Luke Zoontjens, you can find it here: https://soundmask.com.au/blog/luke-zoontjens-interview/