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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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Andrea Arenas

Location:
Dubai

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I started studying electronic engineering aiming to relate it with sound because no professional careers in sound existed in my country during that time.  In the middle of my career I got in contact with the recording studio from the university and started volunteering in exchange for mentoring from the person in charge of it at the time Fracisco ‘Coco’ Diaz, who I consider my first mentor.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
1. Volunteer as much as possible, it is the best way to start networking and to get to be known in the field.

2. Collaborate with your friends from other careers, it will give you expertise and will help you build your portfolio.

3. Document everything you do since day one even if it seems basic work, everything is important.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
These qualities may sound exclusive for a sound engineer however I think they apply to most careers:

1. Be passionate

2. Be an active listener

3. Be a problem solver

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
For the musicians: play as you dream it will sound in the final record (including performance, tuning, etc.)

For the recording engineers: record the sound as majestic as it sounds, no shortcuts.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
People who have inspired me the most are the people I’ve known and worked with: Thorsten Weigelt, professor for classical music transmission in the Tonmeister course at the Berlin University of the Arts, who taught me patience and passion to detail when listening to mics, recordings, instruments, mixes, everything.

Stephan Flock, Emil Berliner Studios Recording engineer & producer, who taught me the versatility of being able to create your own gear to achieve what you need in your recordings and productions.

Frederick Vogler, sound designer and FOH mixer for the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, whose approachability taught me we can all get “there” (to the dreamed job)

Tom Lord Alge, who taught me sensibility while mixing goes beyond any labels and is the only important thing to consider in our job.

Sarah Krohn

Location:
Cleveland, Ohio

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I started teaching myself how to produce when I was 14. I spent the next 4 years learning while creating an album I released when I was 18.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
I am in the same boat as you, so I could use advice just as much as you.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
To be a good sound engineer, you have to figure things out for yourself. Pay attention and find your own opinions on what sounds good regardless of what anyone else says. That being said, it is also so useful to get feedback from other people on the way that your work sounds.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Make every second count.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Jacob Collier! He really encouraged me to break the rules and figure out my own opinions. He showed me just how many possibilities there are.

Xarina

Location:
Oakland, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I’ve been an active recording artist since the age of 16. I went to community college, took audio production classes and got an Associate’s degree in Music Industry Studies. Then I started running sessions at the studio I was recording at. After about 6 years of experience, I opened my own recording studio in Oakland called Studio X.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Constantly record yourself and other people. Repetition and constant practice will help you develop your workflow.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Patience, Thoroughness, Detail Oriented.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Just because they know the recipe doesn’t mean the sauce will be the same. Meaning, don’t be afraid to share your process with peers. Exchanging tips and tricks is helpful.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Kuk Harell, Derek Ali, Marcella Araica, Wondagurl

Victoria Cordero

Location:
Santiago, Chile

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I started in a shy way co-producing music from the bands I was playing in, then I started working as a recording assistant, after that I produced my first solo EP (Atemporal by Circulo Polar) in 2015 and from then on I built my confidence enough to work with other artists in the studio.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Don’t rush, it takes some time to get there but it’s worth it. Don’t work with people that make you feel unsafe, insecure, or not enough. Be patient with your own learning process.  If something feels right while you’re mixing or producing, keep going through it, even if it doesn’t feel like the “industry standards”. Consider working for a few months/years to be able to pay for your gear so you’re independent of others. Enjoy the ride!!!

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
I think technical knowledge about consoles, plugins, and sound, in general, makes you work faster, so you can focus on creativity. In my opinion, being kind and keeping in mind that as engineers we’re at the service of art and it’s not about “numbers”, but human experiences have worked pretty well.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Connect with a song and the artist as much as you can.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Susan Rogers, Sylvia Massy, Sheryl Crow, Linda Perry, Suzanne Ciani, Maria Elisa Ayerbe, St. Vincent, M.I.A., Missy Elliott, Marcella Araica

Emily Magpie

Location:
Bristol, UK

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
Based in Bristol, I have worked as a producer + musician for 7 years and my work has been championed by BBC 6’s Tom Robinson, The Line of Best Fit, Mahogany and amassed over 90,000 plays on Spotify. I have formalised this experience by studying at dBs The Sound & Music Institute where I was tutored by Josh Hills (mastering engineer for Sony, EMI). I am proud to be part of the growing 2% of womxn working as music producers.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Reach out to other people, everyone was starting out at some point and there are so many wonderful supportive people in this industry who can help you. Look for networks supporting wxmen and grow together.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Creativity, technical understanding + knowledge, multi-tasking abilities, good ears.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Follow the feeling and capture that.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Grimes, The Sundrop Garden, Kate Tavini.

Jam Phelps at Denk Studios

Location:
Durham, NC

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I have been a musician for 28 years and began realizing I wanted a music career that didn’t involve touring. I was having trouble finding folks to play with locally so I bought some basic recording gear and a cheap keyboard and decided to create my own music. I then found that I was in love with audio. I practiced, found some folks who let me record them for free, upgraded my gear and eventually went full time in recording, mixing, and music production.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
It’s all about building relationships. Join communities and network! The more folks who can help pull you up with them the better.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
You have to have good ears. You have to be able to critically listen to sound. You can learn a DAW and gear but if you can’t hear what you need to do you wont be able to move forward. You also have to have people and customer service skills. You can be the best engineer in the world but if no one wants to be around you, it won’t matter.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
If it sounds good it is good. Each mix has different requirements. There is no “always do this”.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Cinnamon Denise is a great friend and huge mentor to me. I am inspired by all the women in this industry kicking butt every day to pave the way for others. Marcella Araica is a huge inspiration to me also, she is a force!

Rivita

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
I started producing my own music.

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Follow your heart and your instincts, there are a lot of options and the choices you will make will be the ones that feel right to you and give you happiness.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
Patience, it requires a lot of time and energy to sit and listen to little details and it is best suited for those who actually find this kind of work calming.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
Not to be too careful, often times magic lies in the pieces of work that challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
I was very inspired by Kimbra when I first came across her work, it even led me to invest in a Voice live touch 2 that she used for live performances.

Natalia Ramirez

Location:
Miami, FL

How did you become a producer/sound engineer?
Music has always been a part of my life. I started taking music lessons when I was a toddler and played the violin for several years until I realized I would much rather prefer to support my lifetime passion from behind the scenes. I knew I couldn’t live a life without music so I made the best decision of my life: going to school to pursue a career as an audio engineer!

What advice would you give students either going into school or just graduating about getting a job in this industry?
Don’t be afraid to try and always follow your intuition. These two things will help you find what makes you unique in the industry. There are going to be many challenging times, but with hard work and passion, your personal accomplishments along the way will be worthwhile.

What are the major qualities required to be a good sound engineer in your opinion?
To be open-minded and to listen. As audio engineers, we typically tend to narrow everything to the technical aspect, but it’s essential to keep in mind that we’re dealing with the artistic component as well. That other side is not always rational (as you know…), but it focuses on the emotions and feelings, so open your mind and listen to the artist and what they want to make their audience feel. That communication is the key.

What is your recording/producing philosophy?
If it doesn’t make you feel something then it’s not a good job.

What producers/engineers inspire/inspired you?
Definitely Quincy Jones, Tommy Brown, and of course my dear friend and mentor Julio Reyes Copello.

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