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INEZ

Location:
Pittsburgh, PA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I convinced my dad to buy me FL Studio 6 under the guise of it being necessary for a school project. It had a half truth that started me on the path of beat making and sampling. Through beat making I discovered mix engineering. After a few years at a college that didn’t align with my dreams of music, I found my way to Berklee (c/o 2018). It was there that I learned so much of what I use today as an audio engineer, producer and singer-songwriter.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Don’t worry about the money, it’ll come. Focus on your strengths, always be coachable, lead with love and ALWAYS do good business.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
A good engineer is prepared yet flexible, personable yet professional, and is someone who trusts their ears to make the choice. I also think that engineers who allow themselves to always be a student, and who open themselves up to learning from even the youngest of engineers are the ones who see the most success.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
I’d rather have an imperfect take with soul, than a perfect take that lacks it.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Marcella “Ms. Lago” Araica, Missy Elliott, John Kercy, Dmile

Annie Elise

Location:
Boston/NYC

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I initially went to music school to study violin performance, but halfway through my first semester I was diagnosed with focal dystonia and lost the use of my left index finger! I decided to pivot towards learning production since it didn’t require ten working fingers. Fell in love with it and never looked back.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Trust your instincts! Whether it’s about a person, a project, or an artistic decisions, you can trust your gut to make the best choice. Make choices boldly and don’t second guess yourself, and you’ll find yourself around people and projects you love.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Creativity, attention to detail without losing sight of the big picture, and communication! I think that to be a good sound engineer, you only need to replicate what you were taught or what you saw someone else do – but to be a great sound engineer, you need to take risks for the sake of the song. That’s why communication is so important – aligning the vision will tell you exactly which risks to take! In my opinion, there’s more to good engineering than just getting a clean recording, and taking those risks will elevate the record.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
My philosophy is that the best tracks (and decisions to make them!) come naturally. If you’re thinking too hard about it, that will reflect in the final product. Let the track speak to you and guide your decisions from there, and they should come easily.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
I’m super inspired by so many female producers/engineers who are absolutely killing it – SoWylie, Bad Snacks, Pom Pom, Tiger Darrow, Kesha Lee, Emily Lazaar, Piper Payne, etc. – but also some of the producers/engineers who I feel I’ve learned a lot from just by listening to their records. Andy Williams (Relient K – Forget And Not Slow Down), Benny Blanco & Cashmere Cat (Ariana Grande & Cashmere Cat – Adore), Charlie Puth (Charlie Puth – Voicenotes) are some of my favorites.

CK Barlow

Location:
Baltimore, MD, USA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I grew up playing in bands, branched into experimental electronics improv, and later hit the academic side with a master’s in composition. Around the same time, I also got into sound design and music for live theater. All of those influences came together, and boom… I started producing music for TV/film. I learn constantly from any trustworthy source I come across.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Two main things:
(1) Be kind and reliable. You might get your first gig by being great, but you’ll get every gig after that by being great to work with.
(2) Pay attention to what you enjoy most, what really sparks you, and see if you can work your way to a job doing that. You’ll need that juice to get through the tough days.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Beginner’s mind, to keep learning. Honesty with oneself – specifically, self-assessment, for which reference tracks are invaluable. Constantly check your work against commercial releases in the same style. To write it as music, ||: Get Better | Get Pickier :||

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Same as my life philosophy these days: Fewer things, better things. Piling more and more stuff onto a production that you’re insecure about won’t hide its flawed foundation; it’ll just make your mix harder.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Well… I think artists inspire me more than producers, and I love so many styles and genres — from Pretenders to Swardy, Radiohead to Taylor Swift. And think of all the songs that conjure magic, elicit goosebumps, or bring us to tears despite a comparatively modest studio and/or production!

Trish Complete

Location:
London, UK

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
After & years of djing in London clubs, I wanted to up my career by getting into production and start making my dream tracks so I joined a three year degree program at Point Blank Music School which is afflicted by Middlesex University. So I currently hold BA(Hons)- Music Production and Sound Engineering Degree. It’s dream come true for me to have become a music producer and sound engineer.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
If you are really passionate and true to your art then consider going to your nearest music school to chase your passion further in whatever field of music that you might be interested in.  There are many things that you can do in this industry. Also, consider school as your very first stepping stone to success because after that there is a long way to go by yourself building your own identity and brand to the pool of talents around. Also getting a job as an intern will give you practical hands-on experience which is another good option too. Listen to yourself and help inspire other women in music. Communication and being kind is key in this industry. Lastly don’t forget to network.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
1) Firstly one should have good ears
2) Never stop learning
3) Knowing what plugins actually do and how to use them wisely
4) How to manage a team that is working together to get a song done. It’s down to a sound engineer to create the vibe and set the foot in the studio.
5) Knowing your headphones and monitors well

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Since I love my drums – I get the drums and bass to work together first because that’s the basic of any track and everything else falls into place after that. Later I change the key of bass according to the vocals, melody, etc.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
For me it has been Ben Remember, D Ramirez, Aubrey Whitfield, Piper Payne

Dresage / Keeley Bumford

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I wanted the power of sculpting my sound and not having to rely on anyone to move projects forward. I also studied music production & engineering at Berklee in Boston.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
I would say to make sure your home recording/demo ability is super efficient and pro-sounding. I was able to have so many doors open for me just by being a vocalist who knew how to record myself when I first started out. Also, collaboration is key for community building!

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
The ability to take the foundation of proper techniques you have and break rules in the name of creativity.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Always be recording or you might lose the melody/take/idea!

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Susan Rogers was a mentor of mine while I was in school, I admire her very much. My community of women in audio/production rising together are who keep me going. Folks like AG, Little Monarch, Rachel K Collier, Bad Snacks, Mini Bear, LP Giobbi, Ebonie Smith, Jett Galindo, Jasmine Chen, Tori Letzler, and the list goes on!

Juliet Lyons

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I learned from producer/engineer friends, and watched a lot of youtube tutorials!

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Get out, meet people, and cultivate true friendships (not just saying, “listen to my music!”). The music industry is about relationships, but it also just makes the journey more meaningful and fulfilling.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Creating a really clean mix. And in terms of production, finding sounds and samples that sound current or even better, timeless.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
A/B it! Make sure your track’s production and mixing are up to par with what’s getting used/what’s charting. If it is, I’m good to go. If I’m not the person to take it there, I have no shame in taking my music to someone who can. It’s not a hobby, and excellence is the priority.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
My girl CK Barlow, the other half (and producer) of our band project – Famous to Silence. And a ton of other friends, too many to name here.

Angela Sheik

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
As an artist I had a difficult time explaining what I wanted to accomplish in the studio, so I started making demos. Ableton felt like a very natural fit with my work on loop pedals. This lead to online classes and then private production lessons. I’ve improved a lot with mixing by sharing mixes and receiving feedback in mixing forums like Mix Me and Mixing Is Cake.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Don’t just network, volunteer. It’s the best way I’ve found to build trust with community leaders/organizers and rise above the crowd in this industry. Treat people like they’re your best customer. You never know who will be a life-long ally. Be curious about people. Ask questions. Ask for advice. Politely share what you want and need, and ask others what they need and how you can help them. Set goals, break them down into measurable steps, and review regularly.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Curiosity, humility, determination. You have to be willing to be a beginner (aka suck at something new) and then constantly get better by asking questions, receiving critique, learning.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Make it yourself. Perfect is boring.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Bad Snacks, Wendy & Lisa, Imogen Heap, Bink Beats, Bjork, Sevdaliza, Karrie Keyes, Barbara Adams, Kemana Otosi

Catharine Wood

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I attended the LA Recording School in 2005, graduated #1 in my class and was approached by Santa Monica-based, PLAY Studios owner, John Bolen (now Formosa), to join his engineer staff; audio post-production engineering on high profile commercials (the first iPhone commercial, the “Get A Mac” campaign, Geico “Caveman”, etc.)…After a couple of years there, I returned to my first love (music) and began mixing and mastering singles and albums – subsequently writing/producing/recording/mixing/mastering my own instrumental work for sync…landing an ESPN theme song among over 500 commercially released (original and client) songs with millions of streams and airing on major networks. My Los Angeles-based facility, Planetwood Studios, LLC, specializes in production and composition services for the film and tv industries & music mastering…with notable recent custom and score recordings for Perry Mason (HBO) and The Planters (Amazon).

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Even though assistant engineer may be your first job title, part of that may be getting coffee and helping tidy the studio. Be humble and ready to learn. Engineering is constant learning – whether it’s for a new job or doing as a client wishes. Never forget this is a service industry. Have fun and enjoy the journey. A confident and positive, “can-do” attitude goes a long way.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Perseverance, patience, attention to detail, positive attitude, good communicator, fast (for major industry jobs), deep knowledge of computers and troubleshooting skills are a must. Reliable, careful, confident, respectful and diplomatic. Grace under pressure.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
It depends what the recordings are for – but generally speaking, I believe in best serving the song, artist, show, or whoever’s hiring me…by honoring the work and performing at the highest level I am capable. Quality and integrity are everything to me. I trust my ears.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
I’m constantly inspired by many of my peers, but (again) generally speaking – and in no particular order and for different reasons: George Martin, Leslie Ann Jones, Brian Wilson, Al Schmitt, Linda Perry

Rie Daisies

Location:
Jackson, Michigan

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
For myself, there hasn’t really been a very direct path. I come from a very musical family and music has always been a huge part of my life. I’ve worked as a songwriter and session vocalist/musician for about 15 years and when it comes to my own music, I’ve always enjoyed creating full length albums… trying to tell a story over the arc of the songs that comprise this bigger picture that I’m trying to create. And as you might know, it’s really expensive to create a worthwhile record. So for me, learning production was a necessity, I needed to figure out how to create in a more polished and expansive way for myself because I couldn’t afford to hire anyone else. So honestly, it was the necessity that pushed me into this other side of music. Once I knew that I really wanted to learn more about production, I just started listening and asking questions and taking notes whenever I was around anyone who knew more than me on the subject. I was in a very lucky position to have so many friends in audio who were willing to answer my questions, listen to my crappy demos, and who were willing to help guide me in the right directions. From there I took some online classes on production and started diving deeper into songs that I had always loved, breaking them down and trying to figure out all of their components.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Surround yourself with positive people who are just as driven as you. Work on creating a team that you feel comfortable creating with. A collective of writers, musicians, and audio professionals that you know you work well with, who support the same vibrations you register with. Always listen to what people who know more than you have to say, there is always something to learn. And most importantly, find a mentor who is really invested in you. Someone that you can trust as an educator and as a human. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mentors. They have encouraged me to realize my potential and to actualize my goals. Listen, Learn, experiment, explore, and most importantly be authentically yourself because there is only one you, and what you have to offer is unique and magical.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
I think two major qualities pop into my head when it comes to being a good producer or engineer; being a good communicator and being intuitive. Being able to understand the needs of your songs, projects, and clients. Being able to listen and ask the right questions. And being able to catch onto the vibe of both the music you’re working on and the clients/artists you’re working with.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
I try to trust my gut, not everyone is going to connect with what I’m doing, but at the end of the day, my goal is to create things and work on projects and ideas that I’m proud of. Pride, in my opinion, comes from knowing I’ve accomplished something meaningful while staying true to myself and trusting my own intuition.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
I would say that I’m most inspired by my mentors, Ainjel Emme and Corey DeRushia. They have truly been two of my biggest cheerleaders and have really invested their time, talent, and their love into my journey.

Mary Mazurek. She is an actual genius and is out there in the field doing her thing, helping to create some beautiful works. She’s also doing amazing work as an educator, helping people like myself, who are trying to hone their craft.

Lastly, I would also say that I’m super inspired by Audrey Martinovich, She is absolute goals! Her knowledge and drive and all around fabulousness are qualities to aspire to.

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