MusiCares – More Than Emergency Assistance – A Lifeline for the Music Community

When most people hear the name MusiCares, they think of emergency grants, disaster relief, or support during a personal crisis. While MusiCares has helped thousands of music professionals navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives, its work extends far beyond emergency assistance.

Since 1989, MusiCares has served as a safety net for the humans behind the music, providing financial assistance, health services, addiction recovery support, wellness programs, and preventive care for music professionals across every sector of the industry.

What makes MusiCares unique is that it recognizes a simple truth: the people who create, support, and sustain music often work in unpredictable environments without traditional workplace benefits. Whether you’re a songwriter, engineer, stagehand, touring crew member, manager, bus driver, or artist, MusiCares exists to help when life happens.

Financial Assistance During Difficult Times

The most widely known MusiCares programs provide financial assistance during times of hardship. Support may be available for rent, mortgage payments, utilities, medical expenses, dental bills, funeral costs, disaster recovery, and other essential living needs.
For many music professionals, a canceled tour, illness, injury, or family emergency can create an immediate financial crisis. MusiCares helps bridge those gaps, providing relief while individuals work toward long-term stability.

Mental Health and Addiction Recovery

The music industry has long struggled with mental health challenges, burnout, substance use disorders, and isolation. MusiCares offers one of the most comprehensive support systems available to music professionals, including financial assistance for therapy, inpatient treatment, recovery services, and ongoing support programs.
In addition, MusiCares hosts ten free weekly online emotional support and addiction recovery groups led by licensed professionals, ensuring that help is available regardless of where someone lives or tours.

Health and Wellness Services

One of the lesser-known aspects of MusiCares is its commitment to preventive healthcare.

Throughout the year, MusiCares hosts One-Stop Health & Wellness Clinics that provide services specifically tailored to music professionals. Depending on the event, participants may have access to hearing screenings, custom ear molds, vision screenings, mental health support, chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy, movement coaching, and mindfulness resources.

For an industry where hearing, physical endurance, and mental well-being are critical to career longevity, these services can be invaluable.

Hearing Health for Music Professionals

For audio engineers, musicians, production managers, and crew members, hearing is one of the most valuable professional assets they possess.

MusiCares partners with Tuned to provide virtual consultations with music audiologists. Participants receive a hearing screening, personalized education and recommendations, and even a pair of filtered earplugs designed for music listening environments.

This proactive approach helps music professionals protect their hearing before problems become career-threatening.

Financial Coaching and Budgeting Resources

Financial instability is common in creative industries, particularly for freelancers and touring professionals.

MusiCares offers complimentary one-on-one financial coaching sessions to help music professionals better understand budgeting, savings, debt management, and long-term financial planning.
In addition, eligible participants can receive a free one-year subscription to YNAB (You Need A Budget), a financial management platform that helps users build sustainable spending and saving habits. The program also includes access to workshops, blogs, and community support resources.

Nutrition Coaching for Life on the Road

Anyone who has spent time touring knows how difficult it can be to maintain healthy eating habits.

Through a partnership with OnPoint Nutrition, MusiCares offers one-on-one nutrition coaching with registered dietitians who understand the realities of life in the music industry. These professionals help clients develop practical, sustainable nutrition strategies whether they are at home, in the studio, or on the road.

Women’s and Family Health Resources

Recognizing that healthcare needs evolve throughout life, MusiCares now partners with Maven Clinic to provide virtual healthcare support focused on fertility, pregnancy, postpartum care, parenting, menopause, mental health, and family wellness. Participants receive access to providers across dozens of specialties and languages through a virtual platform available wherever their careers take them.

This type of support is particularly meaningful for touring professionals and freelancers who may not have access to traditional employer-sponsored healthcare programs.

Smoking Cessation and Long-Term Wellness

MusiCares also offers structured smoking and tobacco cessation support through a partnership with Optum Quit For Life. The program helps eligible music professionals quit smoking, vaping, and other forms of nicotine use through evidence-based support systems.

Who Qualifies?

Many people assume MusiCares is only for famous artists. In reality, eligibility extends across the music ecosystem.

Songwriters, musicians, engineers, stagehands, tour bus drivers, managers, agents, live crew members, label personnel, publishers, and many others may qualify. Generally, applicants need either five years of paid music industry work history or credits on at least six commercially released recordings or music videos, along with demonstrated financial need.

Check out the GET HELP PAGE

Anyone working in the music industry is encouraged to contact MusiCares for help. This includes musicians, songwriters, engineers, producers, live crew, tour bus drivers, managers, agents, A&R, makeup artists, costume designers, music video creatives & technicians, and anyone whose livelihood depends on music or makes music happen.

Those requesting financial assistance must possess documentation of employment history in one of the following areas:

A minimum of five years employment in the music industry, does not need to be consecutive (three years for disaster relief), OR

Six commercially released recordings or videos (singles) – does not need to be attached to a major label

A Resource Worth Knowing About Before You Need It

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about MusiCares is that it isn’t only there for emergencies.

Yes, it can help during a crisis. But it can also help prevent one.

Whether it’s financial coaching before debt becomes overwhelming, hearing screenings before damage becomes permanent, therapy before burnout becomes debilitating, or nutrition coaching before health issues arise, MusiCares is investing in the long-term well-being of the people who make music possible.

In an industry built on passion, creativity, and resilience, MusiCares reminds us that taking care of ourselves is just as important as taking care of the work.

Charae Degrow – Giving Her Younger Self a Chance

For Charae Degrow, the path to audio engineering began with a leap of faith. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Charae is the founder of Rhythm With Rae and works primarily in live sound as both a front of house and monitor engineer. She also provides audio workshops for local high schools and community organizations and occasionally offers recording engineering services throughout Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area.

What makes Charae’s story especially compelling is that audio was not her first career. Before entering the music industry, she earned a Bachelor of Psychology from McMaster University and built a successful career in mental health. By many standards, she had achieved stability and security. Yet despite her accomplishments, there was always something pulling her toward music. At age 29, she made the difficult decision to leave that comfortable path behind and return to school. She enrolled in the Music Industry Arts program, knowing she wanted to be involved in music but not yet knowing exactly where she fit within the industry.

Everything changed in November 2024, through mentor Wayne Hawthorne, Charae was invited backstage at a Marianas Trench concert at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Until that moment, she had never considered the people behind the console responsible for shaping the audience’s experience. Like many concertgoers, she assumed a great sound simply happened. Standing backstage and watching a large-scale production unfold, she experienced something profound. As she observed the crew, the technology, and the artistry involved in creating the show, she felt the same rush of excitement she had always felt as a performer. At that moment, a voice inside her said, “This is just the beginning.”

That experience transformed the way she saw her future. For Charae, audio engineering offered something she hadn’t known existed: the opportunity to create powerful emotional experiences from behind the scenes. She became fascinated by the role of the engineer—the person responsible for crafting how audiences experience music in real time. Suddenly, she wasn’t asking whether she belonged in music; she was asking how she could become the person behind the console.

Music had always been a central part of her life. Growing up, her mother taught piano lessons from their family home, and all four children were required to complete Royal Conservatory piano training and music theory studies. While her upbringing included strict limitations around what music she could listen to, those restrictions only deepened her curiosity. She discovered new artists through friends, hidden CD collections, and her own determination to explore sounds beyond the boundaries of her childhood environment.

Long before she knew audio engineering existed as a profession, Charae was already creating music. At twelve years old, she began composing original piano pieces, often finding herself more interested in writing music than practicing scales and exercises. Creativity, experimentation, and musical expression were always at the center of her relationship with sound.

Today, Charae brings a unique perspective to the industry. Her background in psychology and mental health gives her a deep understanding of people, communication, and resilience. Combined with her growing expertise in live sound and education, she is helping create spaces where both artists and audiences can connect through music.

Perhaps most importantly, Charae sees her journey into audio as an opportunity to honor a dream she carried for years but never felt able to pursue. She often speaks about giving her sixteen-year-old self a chance—the chance to explore music fully, without being limited by expectations or the opinions of others. That determination continues to drive her forward as she builds her career in live sound and inspires others to pursue their own passions, regardless of where their journey begins.

For Charae, stepping behind the console wasn’t just a career change. It was the beginning of becoming the person she was always meant to be.

Photo credit_ Ben Jold

Did you see anyone who looked like you working in audio when you were younger? If not, how did that impact you?

No, I didn’t. I grew up moving around a lot. I’ve lived in four different provinces throughout my life and moved more than ten times. Because of that, I was part of many different churches, communities, and music programs growing up. In all of those environments, the people running sound were almost always men. Usually they were middle aged or older men. Occasionally some younger guys would help out, but I don’t remember seeing women in those technical audio roles.

The women I saw involved in music were usually the teachers, the singers, or the performers. They played instruments that were often viewed as more traditionally feminine, things like piano or violin. I remember being the only girl interested in percussion when I was involved in a band. Even today, I’m actively searching for that community, which is one of the reasons I’m so grateful organizations like SoundGirls exist. Finding women in audio has been an important part of feeling like I belong in this industry.

It’s also one of the reasons I started Rhythm With Rae. Part of my motivation is wanting to help lower that barrier for the next generation. I want more people to be able to see themselves in these roles than I was able to when I was growing up.

What was one of the biggest challenges you faced when starting out in audio, and how did you work through it?

One of the biggest challenges I faced was simply getting into the room and learning what I needed to learn.

I went through some really uncomfortable interviews and situations where it became clear that being a woman in audio was still unusual in certain spaces. There were times when I was told things that made it clear I was being evaluated differently than my male peers. There were also moments where I found myself having to navigate questions and conversations that had nothing to do with my ability to do the job.

The way I worked through it was by studying harder than I ever thought I would have to. There were many gigs where I would cram and study the night before so that I could walk into a venue and confidently operate a console I had never touched before.

I also volunteered countless hours of my own time shadowing respected technicians in Ottawa. I wanted to learn from them, earn their trust, and demonstrate that I was serious about the craft.

The other thing that helped was choosing not to focus on the doors that closed. I try not to dwell on the rejections. Instead, I focus on the people who opened doors with me. The allies who helped me get into rooms. The people who advocated for me, encouraged me, and treated mistakes as part of the learning process rather than something shameful. Those people made all the difference.

Can you describe a moment when you felt proud of yourself in your audio career?

One of the moments I’m most proud of happened very early on.

One of the first venues I started mixing in was a small venue where I had a really rough night. It got to the point where I needed to call in the senior technician, who drove from home to come provide support. The show ultimately went well, but I left feeling embarrassed and discouraged. What I feel proud about is that I picked myself up afterward and went back to the same venue and tried again.

I’ve realized that many of the moments I’m most proud of in my career aren’t necessarily tied to “success”. They’re tied to resilience.

I felt proud of myself when I became the first female technician hired at Ottawa’s Hard Rock Cafe, where I continue to mix bands from across Ontario.

I feel proud of myself for starting Rhythm With Rae and building something that supports emerging audio technicians while creating opportunities for women, gender-diverse people, and other underrepresented individuals in audio.

Most recently, I felt incredibly proud when I was nominated for Sound Engineer of the Year. I’m not even a full year into working in the music industry as my full-time career, so to receive that recognition this early in my journey was something I never expected.

But if I’m being honest, the thing I’m proudest of is that every time I’ve been knocked down, I’ve gotten back up and kept going.

What advice would you give to young women or gender-diverse people who are interested in pursuing a career in audio?

Take the time to figure out who you are. There are going to be a lot of people who tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing. People will offer opinions whether you asked for them or not. It can be confusing trying to sort through all that noise while pursuing something you’re passionate about.

Know yourself. Know your values. Know what matters to you…

I also love the imagery of building your own table. Not everybody is meant to sit at your table. Rejection or closed doors are not a reflection of your worth. The right people will recognize something in you without requiring endless convincing.

So take up your space. Ask your questions. Be bold. Speak confidently. Trust that you belong there.

And finally, this is hard work. From the outside, the industry can look really exciting and glamorous, but there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes. There are long hours, difficult learning curves, mistakes, setbacks, and moments where you wonder whether you can do it. But… It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

What do you hope to see change in the audio industry over the next few years?

One of the biggest things I’d like to see is more support for people who are in that middle stage of their careers.

There are a lot of beginner resources available, and there are incredible opportunities for people who are already established. But there seems to be a gap in between.

I’d love to see more pathways that help emerging professionals make that transition.

I’d also love to see more women and diverse engineers throughout the industry, especially in leadership positions and high-level professional circles where they can help open doors for the next generation.

I’d like to see more accessible pathways into major conferences and industry events so that emerging professionals who may not have significant financial resources can still participate.

I’d also love to see mental health discussed more openly. This industry can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also demanding. More resources and support would benefit everyone working within it.

Looking toward the future, I’m excited about immersive audio and emerging technologies. I’d love to see immersive experiences continue to grow. I am obsessed with the idea of immersive concerts and virtual reality performances.

And finally, I’d love to see more apprenticeship opportunities on major tours so emerging engineers and technicians have clearer pathways into touring careers.

What has been the most rewarding part of your journey in audio so far?

The thing that comes to mind first isn’t an award or a specific achievement. It’s when I show up to mix a show and a band already knows who I am before I know who they are.

There have been moments where artists arrive excited to work together before we’ve even unpacked a single piece of gear. Every time that happens, it reminds me that people are noticing the work I’m putting in and, more importantly, remembering how I made them feel. When someone shares that I made them feel supported, encouraged, comfortable, confident, or excited about their performance, it inspires me all over again.

Another incredibly rewarding part of the journey has been watching my community grow. The first time I attended industry events in places like Toronto or Los Angeles, it was intimidating. I didn’t know anyone & nobody knew me. I had to push myself far outside my comfort zone.

But something amazing happens when you keep showing up… One day you realize there are people excited to see you again. You realize you’ve built a community in a place that once felt completely out of reach.

The most rewarding part of this journey has been realizing that this industry isn’t just something I admire from the outside anymore. Little by little, it has become a community that I’m actually part of.

What are some projects you are currently working on or excited about?

One project I recently completed was creating the soundtrack and theme music for a small indie video game developed by a group of graduating college students. I wrote, produced, and developed the music from beginning to end.

I’m also working on my own artist project. I have an original song called Overlap that will likely be released next year. I’m collaborating with Canadian animator Robyn Lightwalker to create a fully animated music video.

On the live audio side, I’m overseeing audio production for an outdoor summer concert series in Ottawa. Through Rhythm With Rae, I’ve been hired by the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition to support a series of outdoor performances and community events throughout the summer. I’m also running a summer camp workshop for youth with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I’m super excited about this collaboration!

Looking a little further into the future, I’m also excited about developing educational opportunities within the audio community. Earlier this year, I attended a Women in the Studio workshop in Hamilton, Ontario, and it left a huge impression on me. One of my long-term goals is to explore bringing a similar experience to Ottawa.

How can people connect with you or learn more about your work?

The best place to learn more about my work is through my website and Instagram.

My Instagram gives a day-to-day snapshot of what I’m working on, whether that’s live audio, recording projects, artist work, events, or behind-the-scenes moments from my journey.

I also publish a newsletter called Along the Way with Rae. It’s a more personal and vulnerable look at the ups, downs, and everything in between as I navigate a career in music and audio. Alongside sharing stories from my journey, I also include resources that are useful for people working in the Canadian music industry.

People can also reach out to me directly through my website or by email. I genuinely enjoy connecting with others in the industry and hearing about the projects they’re working on.

I’ve traveled across Canada for industry events and projects, and I’ve also attended events in the United States, including a trip to Los Angeles earlier this year. Always down for an adventure!

Learn more about Charae Degrow

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Website

Charae Degrow is up for a Capital Music Reward for Sound Engineer of the Year: You can vote here

Erika Pursiainen: Building a Career One Tour at a Time

For Erika Pursiainen, a career in live music wasn’t something she discovered early in life—it was something she found through determination, curiosity, and a willingness to reinvent herself. Today, Erika works as a tour manager, merchandise manager, and stage manager, bringing more than a decade of experience to the road while helping artists and crews navigate the countless moving pieces that make live performances possible.

Originally from Finland and now based in Long Beach, California, Erika’s path into the music industry was anything but traditional. Before stepping onto a tour bus, she built a successful career in sales, marketing, communications, and international business. She earned both a bachelor’s degree in International Business-to-Business Management and an MBA in Service Innovation and Design, developing skills that would later become invaluable in the fast-paced world of touring.

The moment everything changed came when Erika was working for UNICEF and spending time in New York. A lifelong music fan, she attended a concert by her favorite band and struck up a conversation with the merchandise manager. That chance meeting led to an invitation to shadow him on tour. While standing backstage in an arena in Pennsylvania, watching a crew member swap drum kits during soundcheck, Erika experienced a powerful realization: this was where she belonged. At 33 years old, she discovered her true calling and immediately began charting a new course toward a career in live music.

Determined to make the transition, found her entry point into the industry through merchandise management before moving to Los Angeles. Her long-term goal was always tour management, and after threel years of working merch, she landed her first tour manager position. Stage management followed unexpectedly when an internship quickly evolved into a full-time role after just two shows. What began as an opportunity to learn more about the technical side of production became another key part of her professional identity.

Erika’s work today is shaped by a unique combination of business expertise, operational leadership, and hands-on touring experience. She believes strongly in lifelong learning and credits much of her growth not only to formal education but also to the countless lessons shared by fellow crew members, drivers, technicians, and managers she has encountered on the road. Whether learning from industry professionals, studying technical theater production, earning a Music Business certificate through UCLA Extension, or simply listening and asking questions, Erika approaches every day as an opportunity to expand her knowledge.

Music has always been at the center of Erika’s life. As a child she immersed herself in music videos, artist interviews, and discovering new bands. She developed an early love for drums and guitar, later returning to music as an adult by studying drums more seriously and eventually learning bass guitar. While her career ultimately led behind the scenes rather than onto the stage, that passion for music remains the driving force behind everything she does.

What makes Erika’s story particularly inspiring is her willingness to pursue a dream later in life. She didn’t grow up knowing that careers in touring existed, nor did she see many women working behind the scenes in live music. Once she discovered the possibilities, however, she committed fully to making her vision a reality. Her journey serves as a reminder that there is no single path into this industry and that sometimes the most rewarding careers begin with a chance encounter, a backstage moment, and the courage to follow an unexpected opportunity.

Today, whether she is managing a tour, overseeing merchandise operations, coordinating backstage logistics, or solving the countless challenges that arise on the road, Erika brings a rare blend of business acumen, adaptability, and passion to every project. Her career is proof that it’s never too late to find where you belong—and that sometimes the road less traveled leads exactly where you’re meant to be.

Career Beginnings

How did you get your start in live music and production?

I was in my early 30s when I started changing careers. I didn’t want to waste any time so I had to find the fastest way to kickstart my new career as a tour manager. I have never shied away from big goals or challenges and I decided that instead of trying to get my foot in the door in the small country and music industry of Finland, I should shoot high and move to the land of opportunity and the entertainment capital of the world: Los Angeles. However, not being a US citizen, I set myself a huge challenge with that decision.

I returned to Finland after my time with UNICEF in New York. The easiest way for me to get the ball rolling without any industry-specific experience was to get booked on tours and one-offs as a merchandise manager or seller through a merchandising company. Beyond management experience from other fields, my expertise at the time lay in sales and marketing and that fit merchandising perfectly. I started touring on the weekends and working one-offs in the evenings after my full time office job at a makeup school. Sometimes I worked my office job remotely on the road.

Soon, I sold pretty much everything I owned, packed a couple of bags, and moved to L.A. to study music business at UCLA Extension. The certificate studies gave me a base overview of the industry I was getting into and specialized my existing business management skills. I took as many internships as I could to get exposure to the real world to reach an even wider understanding of the many sides of the music business. With that, four months after moving to Los Angeles I was on tour as a tour manager!

The internships built on my experience, opened up new connections in the industry, and eventually led me to paying gigs and where I am today. My previous career and know-how as a manager was the biggest factor that solidified my expertise, proved my potential to the hiring parties, and accelerated my career growth. I didn’t have to start from scratch with my new

career but instead, I widened my existing skills by uniting them with specialized knowledge in a new field.

What were your first jobs, gigs, or internships like?

I still remember stepping on the tour bus in Finland for the first time and the magical feeling of the tour bubble. It hooked me instantly. I loved (and still do) the challenge of creating attractive and clean merch displays in different types of venues and settings. The enthusiasm and energy of the fans was contagious. Many times being the only person from the touring group who was in direct contact with the fans gave me unique insight into the fan experience. I quickly realized that, although often overlooked, merch would offer me great specialized knowledge as a tour manager to make sure the artist is balancing expenses and making money on the road. That’s one of the reasons I never let go of this first role after I became a tour manager.

When it comes to the internships during my music business studies, I wanted to learn about many different sides of the industry closest to touring and artist relations. That made me choose internships in artist management, tour management, record label operations, and stage management. Even if some of them only indirectly applied to my new career, I did learn something from all of them and have been able to use the information until this day in some shape or form.

The internship in tour management when I led a support band around the country, was very valuable because it taught me a lot through practical hands-on work. Traveling in a 12-passenger van with four guys and sleeping in a shared Motel 6 room, I saw what it was to be the first band out of a four-band lineup on a club tour. I noticed the struggles and I remember that every time I deal with support acts on headliner tours. I want to make sure they are taken care of also. Now, after years of working with different types of artists on different types of tours, I’ve learned how tour management varies based on many factors and apart from some basic commonalities, there isn’t really a fit-for-all formula.

The internship in stage management was valuable in a different way. I not only learned a ton about technical production as was my goal for the internship, but it also very fast led me to more opportunities as a stage manager. And the opportunities haven’t stopped since! I’m so grateful for the employers who continue believing in me and how I manage their stages.

What skills or lessons did you learn early on that still serve you today?

I learned that some of the most valuable information in this industry lies in people and not written sources. You can learn something from every single person you encounter or work with. And it’s not based on hierarchy or seniority. Even a person in a junior position can offer valuable and eye-opening views. As a tour manager it’s important to know a bit about everything and rely on your team’s specialized expertise for the rest. Sometimes, a specific piece of information can impress your artist, literally save the day, or even help you get booked for more work!

Early on, I also noticed that some industry veterans can be stuck in their ways and don’t necessarily recognize how times are changing. I’ve always been a believer in working with

kindness and valuing every person in the team. At the beginning of my career, a few people literally advised me to be an asshole in order to be a good tour manager. Every time that happened, I winced internally. It’s important to me to find a team that has similar values and approach to work than me. People who support and respect me and value my work. Who let me be myself and do my job without micromanaging. I know this can be easier said than done when first starting out and you may feel pressured to say yes to any opportunity. But you can always evaluate if it’s worth continuing to work with a certain camp or not.

Did you have a mentor or someone who significantly supported your growth?

I’m so grateful for having had multiple people throughout my career who have supported me along the way. I’ve received valuable knowledge and tips on how to go about certain things. People have connected me with others. I have been hired continuously by some since the beginning of my career. Some of the first connections I still reach out to this day to ask a question or guidance if I need it! This is a great example of the nature of the industry and how important networking is.

What barriers did you encounter early in your career, if any?

I think the main barrier early on was to find consistent work that I could live off of. I was on a great trajectory after completing my internships and having a good understanding of the industry as a whole. I was ready to conquer the touring world with my specialized skills.

Then the pandemic hit and we all know what happened to live music and touring. Fortunately, I had established some very important connections in the industry before the pandemic and was able to bounce back once the industry opened its doors again. My various roles definitely helped with that when I wasn’t tied to just one role or specialty.

Related to finding consistent work, what could be normally seen as a barrier is that my visa allows me to work in certain roles and positions only. But for me that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It pushed me to fully embrace my expertise and boldly seek the roles I wanted to work in. I literally couldn’t derail from the path and it kept me focused. Now, after many years of proactively educating myself beyond my studies and putting my all into my new career, I can see how much specialized know-how I have gathered. What was seemingly a barrier actually helped me achieve my goals much faster and more efficiently.

Your Career Today

What does a typical workday look like for you now?

This really depends on the role I work in and even the artist or event I work for. But I can give a simplified understanding of my main role as a tour manager.

I have very different workflows depending on if I’m prepping for a tour at home or if I’m actually on tour. At home, I start working on tour prep usually a couple of months before the first show. What I’m concentrating on also changes the closer I get to the tour.

The first step of pre-production is to get the show contracts and itinerary from the band’s booking agent to know the schedule and routing. The show contracts also act as the basis for show advancing. Nowadays, I usually work for the headliner, which makes me the main contact for all the acts on a specific tour when it comes to what happens daily on the road. So, I gather a bunch of information from all touring bands for advancing, incl. the headliner and all support acts. Based on the information, I then draft the advance that I send out to each venue to agree on everything around the show, from load-in to load-out. Once the ROS has been locked for each show (which is usually the same for all shows on tour for consistency), I plan our lobby or bus calls and everything else that is related to travel. I book flights and hotels or other accommodation. I prepare for any border crossings if international travel is included. And finally, I enter all of the information into Master Tour for the artists and crew to see.

Not all tour managers deal with merch as heavily as I do. One of my main strengths is my interconnected roles and my artists rely on my specialized knowledge to make sure merch is also being taken care of. Planning tour merch also starts several weeks or sometimes months in advance. This includes defining the merch line and items, choosing merch designs, making sales estimates, printing merch, defining pricing, sourcing sales accessories, advancing merch with the venue, and shipping merch to the first venue.

And then the hands-on work starts. I hop onto the airplane and step into the tour bubble. On a day-to-day basis as a tour manager I:

Lead the travel to the venue and any daily or urgent chores on the way ● Coordinate load-in with the venue
Liaise with the local tech crew as needed
Direct parking with the venue crew
Allocate backstage facilities and green rooms for the bands
Make sure hospitality is in order
Assign merch areas to the bands
Take care of credentials and the guest list
Communicate with and support any media representatives
Catch up on work on my laptop as pre-production extends to the road ● Attend the security meeting before doors
Place set lists, stage towels, and waters on stage and make sure everything is ready for the headliner on stage after the changeover
Settle the show at the end of the night
Load out, and
Travel and check-in to a hotel (if not on a bus).

Accounting and managing money is an ongoing task before the tour starts, on tour, and post-tour. As is being available for everyone on tour as the leader of the full tour group, incl. support acts, as any questions or needs arise.

How do you stay organized and manage the demands of your work?

I have created certain workflows, tools, and systems for myself for tour prep and for the work on the road. And it

makes all the difference when I don’t have to invent the wheel every time I start working on a new tour or with a new artist.

I use Google Drive with Google Docs and Sheets for planning, notes, and data organization. I do this so that I can access all of the information at any time in real time on any device (phone, laptop, iPad). I don’t have time on the road to pull out my laptop all the time and I have to be able to check the needed information fast on my phone that I carry with me everywhere.

Within the Google tools, I have created templates for tour planning and advancing. I have a dedicated Google Doc for every artist I work for with their important information and a current to-do list. I have another Google Doc for advancing templates that I adjust to every tour and artist. To manage the full tour and the many details within it, I use a Google Sheets template that I update with different colors as the planning progresses.

Master Tour is the industry standard when it comes to communicating with your team on tour. I use it not only to share information with my artist but also to share the bits of information the support acts need to manage their own tours. I use the visibility settings within the app to manage who sees what information. I’m sure I share the struggle with many tour managers that not all of the artists check Master Tour (that’s why I now wear t-shirts and a hat on tour that say Check Master Tour, ha!) so the secondary purpose of using the app is to keep all the information I need on tour in one place for myself to see. Again, I have to access the information I need in a fast and easy way at any given time.

To complement all of the tools and systems, I use my phone reminders for certain things I tend to struggle remembering on the road. One of those things is submitting the guest list. I don’t know why I struggle remembering that – could be because it happens so close to doors that I have my mind heavily on other things at the time.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love being part of creating something memorable for the fans. What initially pulled me into this industry was my own passion for music and concerts. I know how live music can make you feel at its best and I absolutely love the idea that I am part of creating unforgettable memories for the concertgoers. Many times, I find myself just watching the fans dancing and having a great time. Hearing their stories and what the artist and their music means to them makes the hard work all worth it.

What aspects of the job are the most challenging or least enjoyable?

I really struggled balancing work and taking care of myself at the beginning. I almost worked myself into a burnout. After I found myself working on my laptop around the clock at home or noticed I hadn’t eaten or had a break all day on tour, I realized it was time to do something about it. It pushed me to better structure my days and workflows and to let go of some things that weren’t a priority. I had discussions with the artist to agree on new ways of working. Even today, sometimes I have to remind myself that I can do something a little bit later and take a break and eat first.

Balancing work and personal life at home can also be challenging. It’s easy to bury yourself in work as a tour manager even when you’re not on the road. I solved this by restructuring my week and placing myself as priority while still getting everything done. Just more effectively. I also moved close to the beach so that I could properly relax in between tours. And it makes all the difference being able to walk to the beach, put my feet in the sand to ground myself, and breathe in the ocean air!

What do you enjoy most about touring?

I love living in the tour bubble. Where nothing else exists except for what is happening each day on the road. I guess it helps my busy mind to concentrate and focus. It doesn’t hurt to wake up in a new city every day and be able to explore either (whenever I have time for that)! I also love working with musicians and creative people. It’s intriguing and inspiring to be close to many different personalities and artistic minds.

What do you find most difficult?

Taking care of myself on the road. Both of my touring roles of tour manager and merchandise manager (or the combination of both) require so much every day that I work pretty much non-stop from load-in to load-out. I try to plan my meals (which in itself can be a challenge as a vegan on tour) and daily organization when it comes to both my work and personal belongings before the tour so that it would allow me the most amount of flexibility with time. Even the simplest tasks like making myself a smoothie with my portable blender or taking my vitamins can become too much on the road when I don’t have any extra time. Throw in some kind of an issue or two and there goes all of my extra time and suddenly catering or the bus with my special food in its fridge is too far away!

Also, coming home from a tour is always hard. The change from a hectic work day on the road to a sudden stop of everything leaves me restless for a while. That restlessness makes it hard to give myself the much needed rest after the tour. I’ve noticed that it takes me a week to start feeling balanced and normal again after I come back but having the patience to wait that out is never easy.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off or time away from work?

By being in nature in some shape or form and moving my body. On tour, I check the map for any parks, hiking spots, or other areas with some nature. Being in nature away from the hustle and bustle of cities grounds me instantly. If I have the energy I run, and if I don’t I just walk or hike. I also started doing yoga at venues on my last tour whenever I had the time. Yoga makes my body feel so good after hard physical work and sleeping on the bus.

At home, I do the same in between work on my laptop. I have structured my weeks in a way that includes dedicated days for some nature and exercise time. I bike, run, and walk on the beach and along the two rivers that flow on both sides of Long Beach. I also do yoga almost daily and I’m always on the lookout for new hiking spots.

Challenges, Growth & Perspective

What obstacles or systemic barriers have you faced in the industry?

One clear issue is that formal pay structures don’t exist beyond those who belong to a union. Some managers and productions take advantage of that.

I have been fortunate to get paid very well for some of my work but especially in the past, there were instances where some parties took advantage of me. I think this is pretty common unfortunately and the recent rises in expenses and touring costs are pushing many productions back toward that. I personally think that internships and entry-level opportunities that offer experience and at their best, open doors to bigger opportunities can be very valuable. But sometimes, the tour could actually pay the crew their worth when instead, they refuse to do so because the managers or artists want to make more money themselves. Not to mention the pay imbalance between some men and women working in similar roles of the industry.

Many unofficial power structures and sneaky behavior exist in this industry and it’s hard to fight it when tours don’t have an HR department or there aren’t unions for all roles. This extends beyond pay to the lack of benefits such as health insurance or pension plans as compared to industries that offer better job security. The music industry is an anomaly in many ways and has its own ways of operating, in good and bad.

How have you navigated or pushed through those challenges?

I realized that I have to find people who believe in me and value what I bring to the table. They are willing to pay my worth because they can see how my expertise can add value to their tours and operations. Those are the people I want to work with and give my all anyway, and that creates mutual trust and respect and ultimately leads to better job security.

I have also learned to be brave enough to stop accepting low paying gigs that clump multiple roles in one. I acknowledge that that can be hard when first starting out and still building your reputation and credentials in the industry. And I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I got when I was new to the industry. But knowing your worth and not pricing your services too low eventually leads to people respecting you more and offering you what you should be paid.

Have you seen the industry change during your career? If so, how?

I’ve noticed a change in people and how they treat newcomers in the industry. When I first started out, some higher-level people were not very approachable or willing to let me in. They felt distant and some even behaved like they were better than me. This fortunately seems to be changing and I have noticed a shift in people’s attitude over the years.

At the beginning of the year, I attended an industry conference called Live Production Summit (LPS) and felt a clear change in that atmosphere. People genuinely wanted to help and proactively shared their knowledge and resources. LPS has been working on supporting the next generation for years now through their Future Forward program that sponsors young people attending the conference. I’m sure that is a big force behind this mind shift.

Beyond the conference, I’ve seen more people mentoring young guns on and off the road and a lot of related programs popping up. I’ve seen programs directed at women and non-binary people and also young people of color. Some formal education and production training programs have even been launched inside the industry. I love seeing these kinds of opportunities being offered to people who otherwise might not have the chance.

What still needs to change to better support women and marginalized genders in live music and production?

I noticed during the pandemic that industry pros and people who have prominence in the field started talking more about inclusivity and well-being on tour. It’s been six years since then and I think some of that is unfortunately still on the talk level and never properly spread all the way to the working level. Once the industry opened back up the pros got busy again and had other things to concentrate on. But just the fact that a lot of people were and still are talking about it seems to have spread to the younger generation in the industry who are now driving the change on their part.

I love that the power structures are slowly changing, especially now that there’s a big shift happening in the workforce. The pandemic already either forced or prompted a lot of people out of the industry and now, there’s a bunch of industry veterans on the brink of retirement. This changes the balance in the industry and opens up more opportunities to newcomers and with that, can lead to new approaches and ways of thinking. It’s been great seeing more women and non-binary people entering the industry and getting opportunities to reach respected and leading positions locally and on tours.

However, there’s still a lot of work to be done. As live music and production has been and still is male-dominated, the industry doesn’t always properly accommodate other genders. Just to start with basic facilities on tour. On my last tour there were a couple of venues where the only shower facilities were clearly designed for men, with a row of shower stalls closed off by shower curtains. This is something I want to actively help change through my own positions in the industry. I take every opportunity to hire and involve more under-represented people on tour whenever I can. And push those structural and everyday venue-related changes in my show advances.

I’ve seen that initiating change through show advances – in a kind and respectful way – can make a difference. Once the venue reps see something pop up repeatedly in advances they start reacting. As a non-related example, for four years I advanced water refill stations for my main artist because they are an environmentally conscious band and don’t want to contribute to the huge amount of plastic waste that single-use plastic bottles create. Slowly, I started seeing the change. When at the beginning there was one venue within a tour that had a water refill station, the number of venues that had added or were in the process of adding those stations to their venue started slowly climbing. Making a change can be slow but it will happen through persistent and respectful efforts.

Together with Live Out L!ve Foundation and their amazing founder Candace Newman, I held a session about inclusivity in live production and touring at LPS earlier this year. Our aim was to gather information from the conference attendees to construct an inclusivity rider template that can be used when advancing shows to initiate that change in the inclusivity landscape.

Especially the younger generation eagerly participated in the discussion and the industry veterans were very open-minded about the reality of the need for change. This makes me believe that we can create real change when we collaborate on important topics and approach the discussion in an open and respectful way.

Finally, one very visible (or audible) sign that there is still work to be done is the job titles that many times directly imply that the person is a male. Sound guy is probably the most common example. And from the other point of view, certain roles can be implied through feminine words such as tour mom (tour manager) or merch girl (merchandise manager). This issue doesn’t apply to only our industry but also to many other male-dominated fields. Language is another thing that often takes time to change.

Advice & Looking Forward

What advice would you give to women or young people interested in entering live music and production?

I have already sprinkled a lot of these tips in the previous questions but I’ll bring them together in this part.

Be very proactive about networking. Create a network of people around you who share your values and believe in you and who you genuinely believe want to help you. Ask questions, grab a coffee with them and pick their brain, let them connect you with their network for further opportunities. Those who want to help you, will. And the rest you can let go of as they were never meant to be.

Act as a sponge. You can learn something new every single day. Follow industry groups and people you look up to on social media, sign up for industry newsletters, and listen to the advice from those who work in the industry. Reach out and ask to shadow the roles you want to work in at your local venues or when tours come through your city. There are even programs that help connect with mentors (such as Live Out L!ve Foundation’s programs that I have been part of myself as a mentor). I repeat myself but don’t be afraid to ask questions. Every time my mentees ask me a lot of questions, I can see that they really are interested, are willing to learn, and have passion. That makes me notice them.

If you have the opportunity, attend industry conferences and level up your networking. Find a mentor if you can. Connect with groups for women in the industry (such as WILM – Women In Live Music) and people who have created their own tutorials to help more women and non-binary people enter the industry (I recommend checking out Claire Murphy’s book and workshops about the topic). Be humble and grateful for every opportunity.

Find a partner or peer to lift each other up. You don’t even have to share the same passion but just progressing and growing together can give so much inspiration. I do this with a friend of mine from Finland who is a cinematic composer and producer. We started changing careers at the same time and have been supporting each other and seen each other’s growth throughout all these years. We have weekly co-creation calls as we call them to work on our personal and professional growth or whatever project is priority at the moment. It’s incredible how much more you can get accomplished when somebody else is working side-by-side with you and cheering you up!

No matter the age (I started this career in my 30s) or gender-identity, I always want to encourage people to follow their dreams and passions. If you want it and it’s your calling there’s nothing that can stop you from reaching your dream. Finally, always be yourself and follow your heart. You can’t go wrong with that!

What skills—technical or otherwise—do you think are essential for success?

Considering my various roles in the industry, this is such a wide question and somewhat depends on the role.

When it comes to tour management, it’s important to be organized and detail-oriented, be able to hold many strings at the same time, and understand the bigger picture. Planning is literally half of the job. If not more. Pre-prep and advancing is super important in order to have flexibility to effectively solve any issues on the road. Part of that is knowing a bit about everything and having a wide network of people to connect to if needed.

Depending on the level and what is expected of you, a tour manager is not usually a technical role per se. However, having at least a basic understanding of technical production and especially your artist’s production is important. Especially if you’re advancing the tech yourself you need to be able to confirm with the venue that the technical starting points are in order and you will be provided with what you need once you get to the venue to execute the show according to its integrity.

The tour manager is the leader of the group (or groups) on the road and has to be confident in their decisions. Teamwork between all parties involved in the production is essential and it’s vital to recognize that. It’s not just your band and crew but also the other bands and their crew on the same tour, the venue and their crew, the promoter, and the wider teams behind the bands that together make the show. The tour manager is the one who is in contact with all of them and requires a welcoming attitude to create an environment where all teams want to give their all for mutual success. The TM is the glue between all people on tour so getting along with different types of personalities and being able to bring groups of people together to cooperate successfully is important.

What long-term goals or aspirations do you have?

I’ve been working hard to find a balance between all of my roles and between my work and personal life. I feel that I can give my all when I’m balanced and can get enough rest in between tours. This has required some heavy restructuring and replanning of my schedules and workflows and I can see it paying off. With that, I’m ready to take on even more responsibility and higher-level tours in all of my three roles. My interconnected management skills and the ability to see the bigger picture from many angles after working in various roles on tours and at venues give me great starting points to reach higher. In fact, that next step is already around the corner! After working as a merchandise manager for HammerFall, a veteran band in the heavy metal scene, I will be stepping into the shoes of their tour manager on the next headlining tour. Along with leveling up, I want to use the opportunity to continue my contributions in making live music more inclusive and advocate for greener touring to create real change in the industry.

I am also developing my own business, Your Crewness, that is a virtual crew room created by and for live production and touring professionals. It’s a long-term project that has been in development in the background for some years now and it’s finally getting closer to a proper launch. Building from my own experience, Your Crewness will be a community and a marketplace that connects crews working in live music and touring. I want to weave in the things that matter to me in everything I do and with that, Your Crewness will also support underrepresented people in the industry.

Is there something you wish you had known earlier in your career?

How to take care of my finances as an independent contractor! I had to learn so many things when I moved to Los Angeles from the point of view of being a foreigner in a new country and everything that brought along, including learning to manage my money. So many things related to life management are so different here compared to Finland. I wasn’t used to irregular paychecks and taking care of my own taxes either. I’m finally better with it but it definitely took way longer than it should have to figure it all out.

Favorites

Favorite or most-used gear

I would say a lot of software solutions. Google Drive with Google Docs and Sheets, phone reminders, and Master Tour of course. All of those accessible from all of my devices in real-time is essential to me.

A piece of gear you can’t live without

My phone and a Sharpie! I need to access all information in a fast way in real-time whenever I need to. And every great tour manager always carries a Sharpie – whether you need it to mark food in the fridge with your name, label gear with gaff tape, or offer it to an artist who came across a fan who’s asking for an autograph.

A moment in your career that made you feel proud or affirmed

Beyond the fact that I have been able to build a successful career in a new country, what makes me proud is when the artist or their management thanks me for great work and shows me their appreciation by hiring me for more tours and shows. I am grateful to have several examples of that.

On one tour, I was able to help out the artist in a way that nobody – even me – was expecting. I was the merchandise manager on that tour. I ended up helping the band cross the border to Canada after they encountered some problems and the tour manager didn’t know what to do. It was not my job as a merch manager but I couldn’t not intervene because I knew what to do. It’s important to not step on anybody’s toes and I made sure I helped in a respectful way. The tour manager was very happy that I was able to use my knowledge from my role as a tour manager to save two shows on that tour. I felt very proud when the tour manager, other crew members, and the artists were impressed by what I did and thanked me. Later that same day my boss asked me if I wanted to do more tours with them.

Another example is from my recent tour with Beast In Black, a power metal band from my home country. They were the special guest to a German metal band named Helloween and I worked as their merchandise manager. During the third show, the Helloween merch rep had to leave the tour unexpectedly and I stepped in to wrap up the show for them. Being the only merch rep on that tour now, they asked me if I could help with the next shows until the rep came back and with the permission from my own band, I did. The rep had to leave for the second time shortly after he came back and we decided it would be the easiest for me to manage both bands’ merch for the rest of the tour as I was now familiar with it all. My workload suddenly tripled and it shifted the whole tour experience for me. However, I was happy to help out the headliner because I knew from experience how hard it could be to find a good replacement rep mid-tour or rely on local sellers only. After my actions impressed many people on that tour and some even talked about potential future work, I felt affirmed and respected as a skilled merchandise manager.

I’ll use my main employer for four years – a horn-percussion band called Moon Hooch – as the last example. Not only did I feel very proud and affirmed as a tour manager when the band continued to hire me to the point where I, as their 22nd tour manager, ended up being their longest serving tour manager of all time by far, but also how they accepted me as part of their tour family. I developed a personal relationship with all of the guys and we’re still in regular contact after the band started a break from touring. Usually, bands have very structured shows to keep the integrity of the show throughout the tour. What started as almost a joke related to the band’s environmental efforts to raise funds and plant trees around the country, suddenly had me involved as a part of their show. I ended up performing a poem I wrote in Finnish on stage every night to an American audience. This is at the same time the most ridiculous and meaningful thing I’ve asked to do as a tour manager and makes me feel affirmed about my personal skills on the road.

All of these examples also show the importance of pulling together as a team. If you see someone struggle and you are able to help, do it! And remember to have fun in the process.

Gabi Belle: Musician, Producer, and (yes!) YouTuber

It has become increasingly common for YouTubers and other online creators to pivot to music—some for a brief season, to sing their heart’s song and experience the joy of bringing an original composition or two into the world, and some for a long-term shift (Addison Rae being, perhaps, the most famous example of someone pursuing this path). In many of these cases, the common, perfectly acceptable practice is to find a producer to work with who can midwife songs along with each artist to help them to live out their musical dreams. But this is not how Gabi Belle does things.

While most of her content can be classified as “commentary,” as she analyzes films and consumer products with her characteristic humor, chic style, and colorful decor, there has always been an instrument or two peeking out from behind her in her videos—a keyboard here, an electric guitar there—and a Beatles album is always visible (to my delight). This is not just an aesthetic or affectation. Gabi frequently brings her musical chops into her work, whether she’s exposing seemingly “live” TikTok videos as having been secretly auto-tuned (her channel’s most viewed video) or demonstrating concepts through Logic Pro X, as in a recent upload showing how tracks sourced from Suno can be used to fake a production workflow. Thus far, she has written and released some singles of her own, with videos and physical merchandise to accompany them, as with the bossa nova-style “Brigadeiro” on retro-inspired vinyl complete with a recipe for the delectable subject of the song on the back of the record’s sleeve. On June 5th, though, she is releasing her first full-length album CITY GIRL, tracked and produced entirely by Gabi herself along with her close friend, collaborator, and fellow content creator Josh Dare. We spoke virtually about her process in creating it as well as the challenges of being taken seriously as a musician, songwriter, and producer after having first achieved success creating content for the internet.

Meredith Hobbs Coons: What is something that you wish people understood about your background in music?

Gabi Belle: In general, when people hear “YouTuber doing music,” it’s kind of an eye roll. That’s a completely understandable reaction, but it’s interesting to see that because not every YouTuber is the same. That’s the beauty of YouTube: we’re all different. So I think people are gonna be surprised when they hear my album. People expect garbage—I don’t know how to phrase it better.

With my channel, specifically, my audience completely understands that I am a musician first. I have made that really clear in my content since the beginning, because I’ve had [pursuing music] in mind the whole time. I need people to know that I was a musician before YouTube.

Meredith: What did that look like? Before YouTube?

Gabi: I was so annoying. I loved High School Musical—I was, like, six, probably. I was just constantly singing. I would intentionally learn both parts of the duets for HSM so that I could learn how to do harmonies on my own. My mom plays bossa nova, so we always had a nylon guitar at home, and when I was 11 or 12, I became more interested in learning [myself]. She taught me how to play a few chords, like, A, E, and C, and from there, I spent the entire summer, and onward, learning how to play music. I’d start with Taylor Swift and the most accessible songs, then learned “Teardrops on my Guitar”—that kind of stuff. I love Lady Gaga. I’m a pop girlie at heart.

I also taught myself piano. My mom put me in vocal lessons to have me sing with technique, and my teacher was more of a contemporary theater person, so she had me sing in that fashion. It was cool to learn mixed voice and actual vocal training. That’s where I started [musically].

With DAWs, when I was 12, I would just plug in the aux cord of, like, a USB microphone to record into Audacity, or Windows Movie Maker, and it was probably the worst thing you’ve ever heard. Then, in early high school, I would download any free DAW that was around to figure it out. That’s also when I got my first microphone.

Meredith: What’d you get?

Gabi: I actually still use it. It’s a blue AKG Perception 220, and it is dented to hell. I’ve dropped it so many times, but it has never broken. It has never failed me. It’s awesome.

Meredith: That’s amazing. What were the free DAWs you were using and how were you learning to use them?

Gabi: When I was trying to learn DAWs and music production, it felt like you needed to have preliminary knowledge of music production, or a family member who already had a studio and could actually teach you things—I didn’t have any of that. YouTube tutorials were fine, but I feel like information is so much more accessible now. I didn’t have GarageBand or anything back then; I didn’t know that you needed an interface. I was like, “Where am I supposed to plug in this microphone?” I was stumbling my way around until I figured it out, which sucked.

I looked up a ton of microphone comparisons, information on a female voice and what would sound best with my voice, and only now that I am doing YouTube, do I even have access to [those mics].

Meredith: A lot of people have to work a day job—or be independently wealthy—to access materials to make their music sound the way they want it to. In that sense, YouTube seems like a day job in the way that anything else would be.

Gabi: Yeah, it was a means for me to be able to do music, essentially. I still love doing YouTube, but it can also fund my music endeavors.

Meredith: Yes. Prior to YouTube did you pursue gigging? Do you have experience in a local scene or anything like that?

Gabi: Yes. Oh my gosh. At first, I was doing any talent show that would take me: YMCA talent shows, any school talent show. I would also do open mic nights at my local library. That’s where I got a lot of experience gigging and singing live. That was especially important to do, because I didn’t have enough musician friends to actually perform with me. That’s always been the through line: having to do things myself. Even right now, I could hire someone else, but I’m like, “I think I’ll just do it myself.”

Meredith: That is such a gendered experience, too.

Gabi: That’s been my only experience. When I’ve worked with a producer, it has been nearly impossible to find someone who has the same vision, who will actually listen. I’m the only female producer I know. That’s why I look up to artists like PinkPantheress who are producing their own stuff. In almost every experience I’ve had with a male producer, they have not listened or understood my vision at all.

Even on this recent album, I sent a demo to a male producer—-a male drummer, actually. I just wanted the drums recorded. I explained exactly the kind of drums I wanted, had the MIDI drums recorded. I was like, “I basically just want this with extra fills,” and he took my demo, and was like, “Hey, me and my bros are really excited about this. Can we flesh out the song? Can we flesh out the demo?”

Meredith: That makes me so mad for you.

Gabi: Thanks. It gets worse. I was like,

“Okay, maybe it’ll be awesome.” I sent him the original chords. Then he sent me back something that was completely reharmonized. He changed all of the chords. He completely misinterpreted the sound I was going for. I had sent him examples of the sound that I was going for, reference tracks, and he sent me something that was completely different, that didn’t sound anything like what I was going for.

That’s why I was just like, “I’ll just do it myself,” so I’ve been working with a close friend, Josh Dare, because he completely understands the vision, and he trusts me to make the right call. We have equal level conversations about what will serve the vision of the song and album best. He actually respects and trusts my creative vision. He’s like, “It’s your album. You make the last call.” And we have similar taste, which helps a lot.

Meredith: It sounds like you’ve found an incredible collaborator for this stage of your career.

Gabi: Yeah, it’s hard to find someone who gets the creative vision and believes in it and your ability to do it. It has been demotivating, and has made me a little cynical, growing up in that producing space where it feels like no one gets it, no one thinks I can do anything right, no one believes in my ability to make music.

Also, the genre of the album is city pop, which, compared to general pop, or country, is kind of niche. A lot of people don’t get the sound. A lot of city pop inspiration is jazz fusion artists from the ‘70s, like Masayoshi Takanaka. That’s something I’m incorporating into the album, but that means there’s a lot of genre crossover that most people don’t fully get. A lot of the chords are complicated, a lot of the string parts are complicated. I’ve personally been playing the flute on the album, so there are a few flute solos on it, too, which is really fun. There’s a lot of key changes in the songs, 7 bar phrases, time signature changes, some phrases that are 6 bars before it goes into the next chorus—a lot of fun stuff that I think music nerds will enjoy, but that people who just like music will also like.

Meredith: Who are some of the other people who come to mind as influences?

Gabi: Well, Paul McCartney and Wings has been a big one. ABBA has been a big one. Lamp (a Japanese duo group) has been an inspiration, as well as a lot of bossa nova artists: Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, “Girl from Ipanema”—bossa nova classics.

Meredith: It seems like that’s been meaningful for you too, because your mom plays bossa nova.

Gabi: Exactly. She has been really enjoying all of the songs that I’ve been showing her for that reason.

Meredith: Does she do that professionally or for fun?

Gabi: Just for fun. She grew up playing guitar. She plays at church, and she plays Brazilian, bossa nova stuff. She sings also. She grew up playing with her family, with friends. At Christmas, we have family jam sessions, just me and her. My dad will sit by and kind of sing along and have a good time.

Meredith: Oh, that’s nice. I grew up in that kind of environment, too, so I’m rooting for human musicians, always and forever.

Gabi: Always. Yes. No AI whatsoever involved on this album—not even close to a little bit.

Meredith: In a recent video, you pulled apart songs created in Suno in your own DAW. How good did it feel, after making that video, to see the AI video company Sora crash and burn?

Gabi: Oh my God. I mean, it’s nice, but it’s also like whack-a-mole. They’re not done. It doesn’t actually stop the greater the bigger picture of everything that’s happening. Just because Sora’s done, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ten other AI companies that are excited to take its place.

Meredith: You have done videos on the return of physical media. Is that something that you want to have as a part of this release?

Gabi: Yes. Vinyl, CDs, and we really want to make it a point to include digital so people can have a high quality download that they can keep forever with the full art and album package. I think people will really like all the avenues of accessibility. And it’s hopefully something where people will want to look through the little booklet again or something, even with CD booklets. It doesn’t have to be vinyl, but vinyl is so satisfying because you can include so much in a vinyl release. I love seeing physical products like that returning—within the last 10 years, especially.

Relevant links:

Website – https://gabibelle.com/

Bandcamp — https://gabibelle.bandcamp.com/

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@itsgabibelle

YouTube music – https://www.youtube.com/@gabibellemusic

TikTok – tiktok.com/@itsgabibelle

Instagram – instagram.com/itsgabibelle

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/35XGyNw5Q7bvcF8BWWXbom?si=uCmakuPVQO6x0VFX2sO9rQ

EARPEACE: Protecting the Tool You Can’t Replace

As audio professionals, we spend our careers protecting everyone else’s listening experience. But how often do we protect our own hearing?

Our friends at EARPEACE are offering an exclusive discount for SoundGirls members. Use promo code SoundGirls20 at checkout to receive 20% off your purchase (minimum order of $10 required). Whether you’re working FOH, mixing monitors, recording in the studio, or attending shows, EARPEACE’S high-fidelity hearing protection helps preserve the sound you love while protecting your most valuable asset—your hearing.

Hearing loss and tinnitus don’t happen overnight. They develop gradually from years of exposure to loud environments. The good news is that much of this damage is preventable.

A few habits that can make a big difference:

Wear hearing protection whenever possible
Take listening breaks during long rehearsals and show days
Keep a pair of earplugs in your workbox, backpack, or pelican case
Schedule regular hearing tests to establish a baseline
Pay attention to signs of hearing fatigue and ringing in your ears

What we appreciate about EARPEACE is that the company was founded by music lovers who understood that traditional foam earplugs often sacrificed sound quality. Their mission was simple: create hearing protection that people would actually want to wear by preserving the listening experience while reducing harmful sound levels. Their products are backed by multiple U.S. patents covering both their design and acoustic technology, reflecting years of development focused on comfort, fit, and sound quality.

Many engineers avoid earplugs because they worry about losing clarity. Modern high-fidelity hearing protection is designed to lower volume while maintaining the detail and frequency balance that audio professionals rely on every day.

Protecting your hearing isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of professionalism, longevity, and respect for your craft.

Our friends at EARPEACE have put together excellent resources on hearing health, safe listening levels, and noise-induced hearing loss.

Learn more:
• Hearing 101
• Our Story
• EARPEACE Patents & Innovation

Your hearing is your career. Protect it today so you can keep listening, mixing, and creating for years to come.

The Foundations of Audience Psychology in the Music Industry

These foundations explain why music feels personal, why listener attention shifts so fast, and why emotion drives connection. As emotional beings, audiences rely on fast experiences and engaging stories that pull them in before they ever stop to think. These are the patterns that help us understand why songs can instantly click with us and leave lasting emotional impressions in our memory long after they have faded.

Throughout history, people have formed their identities through the groups and communities they connected with. Values and behaviors have been adopted, and we have started acting like those around us. In the music industry, the same thing happens. Fans connect with artists because they see something of themselves in them. Whether it is their style, personality, or melodies, it hits subconsciously, leading fans to view the artists as part of their own identity.

So, how does this connect with attention in music then? Well, they are linked: If identity shapes who you are, the attention pull is what gets you.

Attention behavior is the intersection between what we intend to focus on and what ends up pulling us away. In music, nearly half of listeners skip a song before the 30-second mark because something else creates a stronger hook. And social media platforms – which are designed to tap into what feels good to the brain – often keep fans scrolling for the next quick stimulation, preventing them from sticking with a single song until the end.

Nonetheless, the real spark happens way deeper. This is the part I consider the heart of the whole framework: the emotional connection.

This powerful sensation begins in the body long before our minds can make sense of it. When we hear a song we like, our biology reacts at once, producing a physical shift that acts as a magnet.

With time, those sensations become the emotions that influence our memory and help us remember how something made us feel. We then associate that moment with an emotional anchor that stays with us.

By understanding the intrinsic ways these subjects work together, we can interpret their patterns and guide our choices when designing experiences for our audiences. As we have seen, each one of us has something that mirrors the melody we love; a part in our hearts that recognizes itself in the music, and when that happens, the real understanding of audience psychology truly begins.

My Reference Mix of all Reference Mixes

Why Does This Sound So Good Vol III: Adventures in Paradise by Minnie Riperton

When you think of solid Soul records, Adventures in Paradise by Minnie Riperton will always be on that list for me. This album was first introduced to me by a voice teacher who had me transcribe Minnie’s Lament. With that study, I developed an incredibly high appreciation for Riperton’s lung capacity and diaphragm, and I also found myself falling in love with the project as a whole. The instrumentation typically includes a rhythm section (bass, drum set, guitar, piano, auxiliary percussion), a string section, and a horn section. The engineers and producers of this album somehow found a clear placement for each instrument. Each instrument played a part in this album’s meaning and brings it to deeper depths. Adventures in Paradise has multiple stellar reference mixes and also pushes us to feel at deeper depths, be adventurous, and lean into the intimacy of this life. For its 51st anniversary on May 22nd, I thought it would only be right to break down why this project sounds so good by taking a look at Feelin’ That The Feeling’s Good, Adventures in Paradise, and Inside My Love.

Feelin’ That The Feeling’s Good

In a lot of ways, this album utilizes classic mixing techniques that we all can learn from as engineers. The music producers on this song are Minnie Ripperton, Leon Ware, and Richard Rudolph. For me, as an engineer, tracks like this serve as a fruitful reference mix because of the drum production in particular. The stereo image is quite wide, and each part of the kit has its own space in the mix. And as for all the instruments, the reverb’s tail is short yet fills the space beautifully; it is heard and felt in a way that adds greatly to the mix. The space in the mix feels like the sun starting to peak out on a cloudy day.

Ripperton is able to convey how we are in control of our feelings and how we are able to not only feel sunshine but create it. In this track, they created sunshine. It starts with the introduction— guitar strumming panned left, the drummer answering the strums, the reverb tails hinting at the sunshine to come. Then at 0:42, there’s a cascading melody that is heard in multiple instruments and is yet another peak of the sunshine coming through. As we are propelled into the chorus, the steady groove of the rhythm section and the answer of the strings, paired with Minnie Ripperton’s lyrics, bring the full sun into frame. The lyrics link up with the brightness of the production at 1:50, especially, in a way that lets us as listeners know that if we can “push it back and turn around the feelin.” Sunshine that “seemed so hard [can come] so easily” for us if we let it, if we choose it. This song’s lyrical content, steady groove, and use of space and reverb combine to remind us that clouds are needed, but that we can reach our own metaphorical sunshine with a mindset change.

Adventures In Paradise

The title track of this album, produced by Ripperton, Joe Sample, and Rudolph, is truly an adventure within itself. The song starts with an infatuating groove that does not cease but is only increased as textures and instruments are added. Horns punctuate the second verse in a playful way. Ripperton herself explores her highest and lowest parts of her voice; she plays with grunts and growling in her singing around 1:35. The adventure, the play expressed in the lyrics, is expressed in the performance and arrangement of the instruments too.

Inside My Love

Inside My Love was a standout single of the project and was often misinterpreted. Some radio stations refused to play it for its graphic nature because they thought Ripperton was referencing sexual relations in the lyrics, but she was actually speaking about something much different— the true intimacy of knowing someone deeply as a human, wanting to discover what makes them them. Like they do for the entirety of the album, Ripperton, Ware, and Rudolph underscore the meanings of Ripperton’s lyrics through their production choices. Sparse string pluckings patter across the song’s introduction and interludes that can serve to represent the uncertainty and interest that is often present when connecting with a person you know you will grow to love deeply. As the pre-chorus approaches, two guitars widen the stereo image. I have noted in previous blog posts that bass particularly speaks to me; the bass in this song is played quite simply in verses and erupts into funky low-end support as the song soars into the chorus. The strings match this, creating an amalgamation of energy on this chorus that truly embodies the ethereal feeling of learning someone on a deep, intimate level and allowing yourself to be known intimately at that level.

Intimacy Is Our Language

For me, Minnie Ripperton’s Adventures in Paradise is one of many albums that embody deep intimacy— with yourself, with adventures, and with others. And it is not only reflected in lyrical content but also in production and engineering. I am forever greatful to my voice teacher who had me transcribe Minnie’s Lament and introduce me to an album that is the blueprint for my artistry and many others. As we close out May, celebrating this album’s 51st anniversary, I hope you all continue to reflect on how much magic can truly be created from our DAWs to inspire, to make people feel seen and heard at deeper depths.

SoundGirls Members Exclusive – From W. A. Production

From June 1 through June 15, SoundGirls members can receive two free products from W. A. Production plus 30% off storewide.

Founded in 2014, W. A. Production has grown from offering professional-quality audio samples into a globally recognized developer of audio plugins, DAW templates, music production courses, and creative tools for electronic music producers worldwide.

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One thing that stands out about W. A. Production is their commitment to real human-to-human customer support and creating a positive experience for users. Their team continues to innovate, push creative boundaries, and develop new tools for modern music production while staying focused on one core question: “What about making your sound better?”

Exclusive SoundGirls Offers

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These codes are only good starting June 1st to June 15th.

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Thanks to W. A. Production for supporting the SoundGirls community.

The Best Things In Life Are Free

I just worked my first session as a paid engineer at a historic studio where I’ve been working for free for two years. In honor of that milestone, here are my thoughts on working without monetary compensation.

Getting started in audio engineering involves a good amount of working for free. It sounds like a drag, but it can be a great experience. Audio is something you can’t learn without doing, and so there’s a tradition of “shadowing,” of finding situations where you can follow an engineer around on the job. They don’t have time to explain what they’re doing, but some will teach you to help them and give you the time to build understanding. You can meet some great people by shadowing, because it’s usually the more generous souls that welcome novices.

Another great reason to work for free? Community! I love to volunteer for no- or low-paid gigs where I feel like I’m among my people and we’re all working for a shared goal. I’ve done live sound effects for all-volunteer theater to raise money for charity, I’ve worked for negligible amounts to help bring music and vibe to a community center pumpkin patch, and I’ve recorded local bands for nothing, spending trade time that I had worked for. I felt great after doing those things; it was good for my soul, I had fun, and I met wonderful people.

More formally, there are also internships, a commitment between an organization and a novice to provide training in exchange for labor. Sometimes these are unpaid. It’s easy to call that exploitative, but the exchange can be satisfactory to both parties, which is more than you can say for some paid jobs.

The trick with working for free is to start thinking in terms of work-trade rather than the traditional employer-employee model. You’re putting your energy into something, and you should get something back, even if it’s just happiness, or else you’ll end up feeling like you’re throwing the best of yourself down a hole. Shadowing and volunteer service is fairly easy to understand, but the culture of internships can be varied.

The best internships will maintain a fair balance of work to education, foster a sense of community, and acknowledge the financial reality that there are only a certain number of hours in a week, and a certain amount of money you need each week to live. A true work-trade will make you feel a level of basic respect. You’re still a novice, but you’re also a human being, and you’re there because you want to learn. They will be as appreciative of your presence as you are to be there.

The worst internships will have a culture of dominance and competition. If a mentor is jealous of your success, you won’t succeed. If they treat you with derision because you don’t know something, you know they have no interest in mentoring you. After all, you’re there to find out the things you don’t know, and you’re providing work in exchange for finding out those things. Someone who makes you feel dumb is a bad mentor. Someone who makes you feel like giving up is someone to get away from.

Deciding what’s worth your time is a very subjective and personal task, and that is completely okay. While I was still in school, my band recorded with an engineer who was interning with the same studio that I intern with today. She was dissatisfied with the experience, and said that they intentionally left lots of dishes for her to wash because she was a woman, and she didn’t feel welcome. When I interned there, I did occasionally come in to find a sink overflowing with dishes, but because of my own experience with beloved (but lazy) family members, it didn’t feel insulting to me. I stayed for two years, learned a lot, and felt like part of a community.

All this is leading up to a couple of questions. When is it a good idea to work for free? And, when is it time to stop?

Only you know the answer to those questions for yourself. You know what you want to gain from a situation, and what you have to give, and those things should feel balanced to you. Even if you’ve been in a situation for a while that felt good in the past, once something starts to feel unbalanced, it’s time to ask yourself again. And, something that feels okay to someone else may not feel okay to you. What matters is how you feel; it’s your life and you’re choosing a path that you’ll be on for a while, so choose one that feels sustainable.

The ability to work for free is a privilege: some people can never afford to work for nothing. The one thing we all have in common is that we should always be asking ourselves those questions, and seeing how they fit into our lives. And, when we get in a position to mentor others, let’s not forget to ask those questions for the people working for us.

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