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How to produce a Tri-Lingual Radio Show

When deciding to create my student radio show, I knew it would be different from the majority of others. I wanted to do a one-hour evening show, with a range of music genres and for it to be presented in a mixture of English, French, and Spanish. Thus, Sobremesa was born.

The technique I used to plan my show was introduced to me by Chris Sawyer (BBC Radio 1 producer) at the Student Radio Association conference (SRACon) in 2015. Chris explained that using a pie chart image to prepare a radio show is a simple and effective technique. It splits the show into separate timings and allows you to appropriately plan an adequate number of songs and features. You can divide the pie chart into as many different sections as necessary.

For example, a standard one-hour show would consist of the news being played on the hour, followed by an ident specific to my show. I would then play an energetic, well-known song to lift listeners’ moods. I would introduce myself and the topics to be covered and some of the artists to be played, followed by some international music. Various idents and promos would be played throughout the show, advertising the station and other programs. I had many features, including one called ‘Concertation’ in which I would discuss in French a live concert I had seen and rate it out of 10. The chats and features were organised into segments of 20 minutes in English, 20 minutes in French and 20 minutes in Spanish. This was adapted depending on guests and my general confidence for a specific language on the day! There would be a handover and a news bulletin at the end of the show.

I would plan the playlist the day before my live show. Checking lyrics for profanity and offensive language, especially in languages other than English was key. Song length variations also had to be meticulously noted to be able to have enough time for a hand-over at the end of the show. Often when switching between languages and genres of music, seamless transitions can seem impossible. It is also challenging to contribute to the consistency of a radio station when the shows are so different. However, I think this adds diversity and interest when there are many shows with different themes. For example, a Tuesday evening on XpressionFM went from a country music show to a language-based program, to the Tuesday Night Sports panel. This considerable variation certainly made for an exciting Tuesday evening on Exeter’s student radio.

I mixed up my languages many times on air, forgetting a word in one language, therefore trying to say it in another. I found that explaining my faults, laughing off errors and reiterating that I am not bilingual made the show welcoming, friendly and encouraged others to practice their language skills. I learnt how to change and adapt conversations based on the language level and experience of guests.

Planning ahead was incredibly important. You can’t make up content for a radio show on the spot, or you can, but it’s much harder! This format tested my language skills, and one of the reasons I chose to produce and present a multi-lingual show was to practice speaking French and Spanish in a more fun and exciting way. Lots of students at Exeter study languages, therefore it is appealing to listeners, and I love discovering new music in languages I both do and don’t speak

I tried to find new music each week, asking friends for recommendations, talking with international students, using YouTube and researching soundtracks from European TV shows. I also played music from Spotify playlists and new album releases. The genres ranged from old school classics to throwbacks, to feel-good music and I alternated between male and female artists. This was not a huge focus, but a general rule followed at the BBC is to alternate voices and sounds. If I ever found myself playing four boybands in a row…I knew I needed to change it up

 

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

 

Mix With the Masters Scholarships Available

SoundGirls Members have the chance to receive a 1000 euro scholarship provided to SoundGirls members from Mix With The Masters. There are two scholarships available for the week-long session with Leslie Braithwaite (Cardi B, Rick Ross, Pharrell Williams..)

This is a week-long seminar valued approximately at 4,000 euros and includes lectures and workshops, accommodation within the mansion, catering (breakfast, lunch, dinner) the fitness room, swimming pool and shuttles from Avignon to the studio.

You must have an advanced understanding of audio and work as producer/mixer/engineer to attend Mix with the Masters.

Session Dates: April 16 – April 22

Apply for the scholarships here

Deadline to apply is March 30th

You are responsible for Travel to France.

Session Includes

  • private bedroom, on site within the mansion for 6 nights
  • Full-board accommodation with meals prepared by gourmet chefs on-site
  • Return shuttle services from Avignon to Studios La Fabrique
  • Unlimited drinks and snacks throughout the week
  • Approximately 50 hours in the studio with the guest speaker
  • One-on-one time between you and the master to assess and work on your own material
  • Professional photography done throughout the week, including portrait shots of you with the Master
  • Hundreds of full-resolution photos shared with you afterwards via download link, to keep and use as you please
  • A certificate of completion issued on behalf of Mix With the Masters and Studios La Fabrique, signed by the Master if you wish
  • Exclusive MWTM merchandise given only to seminar attendees: embossed Moleskine notepads, pens, mugs, t-shirts, USB keys and stickers.
  • Use of the La Fabrique swimming pool, garden, fitness centre, and scenic walks
  • Nearby access to the enchanting town of St. Rémy de Provence

About Leslie Braithwaite

Leslie’s impressive list of GRAMMY awards include TLC’s Fanmail (Best Rap Album), Brandy and Monica’s single, “The Boy is Mine” (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group), Outkast’s Stankonia (Best Rap Album), Pharrell Williams’ G I R L (Best Urban Contemporary Album) and “Happy” (Best Pop Solo Performance, 2015) . He’s still based in Atlanta today, where he continues to craft his signature sound and grow his admirable résumé.

Credits:
Pharrell Williams, Outkast, Björk, TLC, Jay Z, Madonna, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Akon, T.I., Monica, Michael Jackson, Cher, Mary J. Blige, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., GRAMMY Awards for Best R&B performance by Duo or Group – Brandy and Monica The Boy Is Mine (1999), Best R&B Album – TLC, FanMail (2000), Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group – TLC, No Scrubs (2000), Best Rap Album – OUTKAST, Stankonia (2002), Best Urban Contemporary Album – Pharrell Williams, GIRL (2015), Best Pop Solo Performance – Pharrell Williams, Happy (2015)

Program

The process of greatness fostering greatness has long been recognized and is the reason why master classes are organized. The Mix With The Master’s seminars is part of this tradition, offering an exchange of in-depth first-hand studio experience and knowledge that is unparalleled and not available anywhere else. Each seminar is conducted by one of the world’s top music mixers and producers, ready to share their professional secrets with a select group of a maximum of 14 carefully-screened, professional-level participants, who come from all over the world.

One factor that contributes to the enormous success of the seminars is that all tutors support the general MWTM ethos, which is about the love of music, music technology and wanting to help others. Participants also are in part selected on displaying similar, positive attitudes. The fact that the seminars last a full week is another major contributory factor because it offers tutors the time and space to go into real depth, and the participants the opportunity to spend a prolonged time watching a master at his peak, and to ask any question they can think of.

The tutors share exclusive, insider-information on any subject: detailed technical knowledge, how to run sessions, how to handle artists, how to manage a career, the right attitude, how to remain successful, and more. The tutors also assess the work of the participants, by listening to their mixes and mixing recording sessions that they bring, and providing extensive feedback to each participant on where they are at, and how they can get to where they want to be. This is invaluable and offers participants wanting to become world-class professionals in their own right a unique advantage.

Another primary factor in making the MWTM seminars exceptional is that they take place at La Fabrique, a large, comfortable, high-end recording studio located in a picturesque historic building, surrounded by huge, lush grounds, and set in the south-east for France in one of the world’s most beautiful environments. The secluded and idyllic location offers the participants and tutors a lot of space to relax and recharge, far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and the all-demanding intensity of their regular professional environments.

Because the courses are residential, the participants and tutor work, eat, socialize, and sleep in the same environment. While tutors, and participants, will at times opt to retire to their private quarters, there is ample opportunity for social interaction outside of the studio environment. Participants interact extensively with each other and the tutor, making it easier to assimilate the intangible qualities necessary to be successful at the highest level—presence, focus, social skills, intelligence, creativity, the right attitude, and so on.

In short, for seven days participants can experience mixing with a master in both senses of the phrase, mixing and interacting with them. Get more information about Studio La Fabrique

 

 

Monitor System Prep Internship

SoundGirls can apply to intern assisting with monitor system prep with Karrie Keyes

You will be assisting in prep of the stage and monitor system for Eddie Vedder Solo Tour. Be prepared to work hard and get dirty.

If you are interested in interning please send an email to soundgirls@soungirls.org

Please include a brief reason of why you are interested and days you can work.

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Travel Grant Awarded to Kaitie Sly

SoundGirls and Leslie Gaston-Bird are excited to award Kaitie Sly a travel grant to speak on “Research Creation using Infrasonic and Ultrasonic Sound” at the 2019 Hawaii University International Conferences on STEM/STEAM and Education to be held from Wednesday, June 5 to Friday, June 7, 2019. She was selected to present through a double-blind-peer review.

Kaitie believes “It is important for me to attend this conference, as well as other conferences precisely for the same reason that this SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund exists: to increase the presence of women at conferences. As the ONLY female in my master’s program in Music Technology, I have felt the effects first hand of being a woman and having to navigate in a male-dominated world. Moreover, as a professional bassist, I have also experienced this problem. I hope to inspire and motivate other women to pursue their dreams in audio related fields and not to get discouraged by the overwhelming presence of men. This conference is also important for my own career, as I aspire to pursue Ph.D. studies after I am finished my masters, and having presentations at conferences will help to launch my career forward. I also wish to share my research with others, network and collaborate with like-minded individuals so that I may continue to educate, inspire and spread knowledge.

You can apply for a grant or make a tax-deductible donation  SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Winter Carnival at Michigan Tech

Introduction

In the remote upper peninsula of Michigan lies my alma mater Michigan Technological

University (Michigan Tech).  When the weather is at its snowiest is when the year’s biggest event takes place: Winter Carnival. Unofficially the carnival is a month-long event with broomball tournaments and highly ambitious snow statues, but the majority of the events occur within a week in February.  My favorite memories were of the All-Nighter, an outdoor party throughout campus that accompanied the building of the smaller snow statues. Our student Audio Engineering Society chapter would DJ the whole event with a set of snow speakers. Well, the Winter Carnival spirit continues with the current generation of students, and the SoundGirls of Michigan Tech wanted to share their experiences.

Stage Revue:

Michigan Technological University’s SoundGirls student chapter recently took part in the production of this year’s Stage Revue. Stage Revue is a theatre event that takes place during Winter Carnival, a mid-winter break that is a significant part of the Michigan Tech experience. There were four designers that helped design the sound and music of five teams that each put on an original ten-minute play. The sound team was comprised of four students.

Sarah Calvert is the president of the SoundGirls student chapter at Michigan Tech. She is studying Sound Design major and Music Composition minor who is set to graduate in the Fall 2019. She has a passion for design work, especially in theatrical entertainment and video games. What she loved most about working on Stage Revue was the opportunity to foster future opportunities and collaborations for future members of SoundGirls at Michigan Tech. She is looking forward to creating more of these opportunities throughout her final semesters and is enthusiastic about what these opportunities and events mean for passionate students.

Tyler Quinn is a 4th year sound design major and music composition minor. He enjoyed the apparent freedom that the groups were given to write their plays for stage revue. He also appreciated that they ranged from fearlessly madcap to gleefully offensive, making for an entertaining night of theater. His work for Stage Revue ended up being a pretty even mixture of background ambiences that I made with either some of my personal field recordings or various industrial machinery recordings layered on top of each other and some sci-fi effects made with synthesizers.

Marie Zgurich is a first-year Software Engineering student at Michigan Technological university. Her dream job is to create and promote software which can be used for audio production. While she claims she may not have as much experience as some of her peers, helping out with audio for Stage Revue and the chapter of SoundGirls was a fantastic learning experience. She learned that knowing your audience is important, as well as becoming familiar with the unique array of tools used by audio producers. Being able to incorporate the amusement and humor delivered by Stage Revue into the work made the environment much more fun and welcoming!

Moira Van Loon is a first-year Audio Production and Technology major. Stage Revue was the production she has done sound design work for. Her favorite part was watching the performances and getting to hear everyone’s work come together. What Moira likes best about sound design is that it blends both the creative and technical, which is important to her.

photo credit: Michigan Tech AES

Afterward, I asked Sarah Calvert what she thought of the event:

“Well, we did five, ten-minute plays. Each one was different, but they all had to do with STEM courses in some way. Not all of the groups gave us the scripts that they wrote, so what the teams sent us as well as fun because they were fairly relaxed and grateful for whatever we designed for them. They liked everything we made. We learned that it is challenging working with students, as well as people who are not use to directing or giving specifics to designers. I know we all enjoyed the creative opportunity to design sounds for the shows. They were small shows, and I thought it was a great opportunity for younger designers to get their feet wet, which is something that I enjoyed and felt was an important opportunity for our younger members.”

More info on the snow speakers

Snow Bound Sound Rocks MTU

Michigan Tech students craft 20,000 watt snow horn

Co-Written by: Sarah Calvert the president of the SoundGirls student chapter at Michigan Tech. She is studying Sound Design major and Music Composition minor

Networking on Social Networks

In my last blog, I wrote about how thinking of artists and project managers as clients rather than bosses can really change your perspective for the better. An essential part of being your own boss is selling yourself to other potential clients, and social media is becoming an even more significant part of that. The way you present yourself online can have a substantial effect on how people perceive you and your approach to work, whether you’re consciously image crafting or not. Everyone’s situation and goals are different, but there are a few guidelines it is wise to follow when starting to navigate online self-promotion.

Social media can be a low-cost and effective way of getting your name out there and quickly showing people what you’re about. However, it can be a double-edged sword. Whether you agree with it or not, it is common practice to perform internet searches on people before inviting them for an interview. Plus, in an industry as tight-knit as ours, it’s inevitable that you’ll see the same names popping up on discussion threads and groups, so we often form impressions of each other before we ever meet or think to be on our best behaviour to land a job. It’s worth reviewing your privacy settings regularly, and perhaps making a separate list or entire account for work-related posts (this also saves your poor family and friends from being bored by tech talk!). Even if none of your posts are public, discussion groups can have many more people watching than you might realise, and anything you put in writing can be screenshotted and forwarded, so think carefully before posting. Make sure you’re happy to stand by what you say if challenged and avoid posting when angry or under the influence. Getting drawn into an argument online rarely achieves anything but time-wasting, and tends to show all parties in a bad light.

If you want to post about a gig, especially sharing photos, ask whoever is in charge first. Bear in mind that a non-disclosure agreement might have been buried in the small print of your contract if you have one, or someone might have signed an NDA on behalf of everyone in the department without your knowledge (these may not be legally binding, but it will not help your professional relationships if you break them). The rule of thumb is it’s okay to post photos of things the audience can see after the gig has finished, but always check before taking the photo. Don’t take photos of celebrities backstage! Ever! It is rude and unprofessional, and you may end up answering some very angry security guards. Never post pictures of your pass until after the gig or tour, and alter the image and make it clear it’s an out-of-date one if you must post it at all. Even if you don’t think it matters for your little gig, posting photos of passes encourages others to do it. Not everyone forging a pass is simply trying to see a show for free. Contributing to a culture of pass posting compromises everyone’s safety throughout the industry. Just don’t do it.

So what do you post then? This blog post from Wait but Why breaks down what makes a good or bad post. In short, if you’re trying to build your brand for work, your posts should be informative, entertaining and/or engaging. Everyone is human, and we all have bad days, but constant moaning about work does not show your best side. It is better to get stuff off your chest with close friends, ideally in person, when you can instead. Simply posting that you are in X venue doing Y gig is frankly boring. Add a bit of feeling or humour, like you’re so excited to finally work for a band you’ve admired for years, or how you totally deserve your afternoon cupcake after checking the coverage in a venue with so many stairs. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but personalising your posts will help people warm to you and remember you instead of just scanning past, along with all the other utilitarian “look at me, I’m at work” stuff.

How often should you post? Most people I know would only post once roughly every 5-10 gigs on average. Of course, that varies. Some people never share anything, and others can’t do a day’s work without telling the world about it. There is also a time and a place for social media. If you have a phone in your hand, you can’t lift a flight case or coil a cable. Potential clients might be impressed by your stage selfies, but your current colleagues and clients will notice your lack of focus on the job at hand.

The other side of all this is how you perceive what other people share. It’s often said that social media makes us compare our every day with everyone else’s highlights. If you have a lot of friends in the industry, it can seem like everyone’s having the best time touring the world but you. Remember that most people can’t resist posting a photo of themselves drinking cocktails on their day off, but they’re much less likely to publicly admit that they had a terrible soundcheck, or that they’ve been suffering from crippling diarrhea ever since the second show. Take everything with a pinch of salt and know that you’re only seeing people at their best, or even better than that, if they see telling the whole truth as optional.

The thing is those people who post all the time appear 5-10 times as busy as their peers by comparison. It is also common for prolific posters to embellish the truth or present things in an ambiguous way. Saying you’re working at a festival, accompanied by a photo of the main stage taken from front of house when you’re actually a stagehand on the fourth stage isn’t a lie, but it isn’t honest. There’s a trend of posting photos of nice desks and outboard gear when the person posting is not the one using it. They never say they are the engineer, but it’s heavily implied, and it’s dishonest. It can feel like these people are putting themselves at an unfair advantage and it can be tempting to sink to their level and play that game too. There’s nothing stopping you, but when everyone knows everyone else, it’s very likely you’ll get caught out sooner or later. Even if you delete those posts, screengrabs can come back to haunt you years down the line.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to judge what is appropriate to share, and with whom. However, no amount of bragging online will make you good at your job in real life. I’m far from perfect, but I try to remain positive and professional online and take the high road as much as possible so I can sleep at night. I find I do my best work when I’m well rested.

Editors Note More on Social Media Tips and Career Development.

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

March Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/lillian-mcmurry-record-producer-owner-of-trumpet-record/

The Blogs

Women & The Grammy For “Producer of The Year, Classical”

A Snowy Story

Keeping Organized Digitally

Internet Round-Up

Behind the console: women working in audio and changing the game

 

International Women’s Day 2019 – 9 Women in Music Tech (WoMuTe) Heroes

 

 

International Women’s Day: Meet the women shaping the future of music

 

 

Women in Audio – A Celebration of International Women’s Day

 

 

Who’s helping womxn into sound?

 

 

SoundGirls News

The Studio Side – An Evening with Bob Horn

https://soundgirls.org/event/new-york-soundgirls-soundcheck-workshop/?instance_id=1478

https://soundgirls.org/event/los-angeles-soundgirls-march-social/?instance_id=1474

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1452

https://soundgirls.org/event/detroit-soundgirls-spring-meet-greet/?instance_id=1477

https://soundgirls.org/event/glasgow-aes-soundgirls-theatre-sound-assembly/?instance_id=1472

Volunteer for Sound Check Xpo 2019

Viva La Muxer – SoundGirls Volunteers

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Music Expo – Miami – Representation on Panels –

SoundGirls Launches Initiative for Members Working in Production Sound

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Intern with Amanda Davis and Jess Jacobs

Shadow TM Erika Duffee – Canada

https://soundgirls.org/shadow-foh-ld-on-amanda-palmer-tour/

https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-mentoring/

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Keeping Organized Digitally

Digital Clutter

How often do you go through your handbag, backpack, work bag, etc. and clear out the trash? Receipts, smushed snacks, melted lipstick tube, random hardware and batteries, 800 sharpies (but I never have one handy somehow? These are some things I pulled out of my bag last week. Imagine the car or trunk situation…So. Much. Trash.

How often do you clear out your downloads folder, desktop, or trash on your computer? If you do this more than once every couple of years, cheers to you! For the rest of us animals living in digital filth, we need to get our lives sorted. Digital clutter is just as troublesome as the water bottles next to your bed or in your car. They once served their purpose, but now they are taking up valuable space. Maybe it’s one of those nice Nalgene ones, and you want to wash it and keep it to use again. It’s not going to do any good for you buried under the other bottles that you haven’t touched in weeks/months/years.

Storage & File Management

Digital workflow is everyone’s unique language for how they keep their files organized. I use an assortment of applications to suit my coworker’s personal tastes. Some prefer Google Docs, Dropbox, iCloud, Evernote. This makes personal digital asset management difficult because I have to keep items in different places to suit those people. Right?

I keep it simple and consistent. I use iCloud for nearly all of my personal and professional files. If my computer or phone were to get stolen, I could remotely wipe it and still have all of my files in the exact way I like them. I separate my files into very specific categories and file structures (see photo). If I need to share a file with someone, I can either email it to them or share a link (Dropbox). I don’t have backups of anything, really. They are stored in the cloud, and I access them remotely from that server. This means all of my files across my phone and computer are the same! This is possible without using Apple products, Google Drive works the same way (For the most part). Google Drive is incredibly slow, and I don’t like the way it stores video files. I’m not a fan of Dropbox, although I know many people prefer it. Exclusively I use Dropbox at work to share video files with people.

 

Templates

I do the same thing every month at work. Grading student projects, video processing, lectures, schedule, etc. I make folder structure templates, call sheets, rubrics, multitrack recording session templates, tech riders, inventory, invoices, etc. Bonus points for any apps that link directly between my laptop and my phone. I have a desk, but our campus is spread out so often I am walking or driving between buildings and I don’t always want to haul my office with me, so the phone apps are integral for me. iCloud and Evernote both make it easy to keep and load templates.

This might take a little more time if you are starting from scratch, however many of these applications have awesome looking templates built in that you can quickly adapt to your preferences. You can also take any document you already have created and save it as a template in most of Apple’s built-in software (keynote, pages, numbers, etc.).  Evernote allows for custom templates, but that’s going to be in the upgraded account.

Evernote is especially awesome. The free account gives you access on two devices. It functions as a word processor, PDF storage, document scanning, web clipper, voice or FaceTime memos, and a ton of other neat things. It’s also easy to collaborate with other people, I was introduced to it when we used it organized our rundowns, ideas, topic lists, links, etc .for our podcast.

Physical Media

Physical media, such as hard drives, flash drives, CDs, etc. are all still completely valid forms of storage. My files are stored in the cloud, and honestly, at this point, I trust it more than I trust myself not to break or lose a drive. I process video using a laptop at work, so I need hard drives to process and store those files. I upload the compressed version to Youtube or Dropbox. That’s my workflow, and obviously, you will have your own process. Files on a hard drive won’t be as up to date as working files you use daily or weekly. Drives also fail, so unless you’re spending money on RAID storage, you can lose all of your backups anyway (also assuming you are responsibly backing up daily). SSDs have a limited number of write cycles. There are tons of points in both columns of cloud vs. hard drive, but daily workflow wise I am going to use the cloud as much as possible to protect myself from myself.

 

Festival Tiempo de Mujeres

The Mexico City Chapter of SoundGirls will be staffing Festival Tiempo de Mujeres. on the Noche de la sonoridad stage. Come out and represent SoundGirls.

Festival multidisciplinario para la promoción de la actividad de las mujeres en el campo de las artes, las ciencias y el liderazgo social. Se erigirá como una acción afirmativa para el impulso del trabajo cultural realizado por mujeres. Articulará espectáculos, actividades pedagógicas y de divulgación para promover los derechos de las mujeres así como el cambio cultural contra el machismo, la misoginia y la violencia de género. Dentro del marco del Festival, se realizará un concierto masivo, así como exposiciones, conferencias, talleres, encuentros, conversatorios y muestras de obras escénicas y cinematográficas

Soundgirls estará a cargo del area técnica en el escenario Noche de la sonoridad.

Multidisciplinary festival for the promotion of women’s activity in the field of arts, sciences and social leadership. It will be built as an affirmative action for the promotion of cultural work carried out by women. Articulate shows, pedagogical and outreach activities to promote women’s rights as well as cultural change against machismo, misogyny and gender violence. Within the framework of the Festival, a massive concert will be held, as well as exhibitions, conferences, workshops, meetings, talks and samples of scenic and cinematographic works

Soundgirls will be in charge of the technical area on the Night of Loudness stage.

 

 

 

 

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