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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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Ready to start your own Recording and Music Production Studio?

Are you thinking about starting your own business as a recording studio or music producer?

Have you recently finished audio school or interning? Have you simply been recording and producing on your own for a while, but are hesitant to go into business for yourself?

It can be intimidating or outright terrifying to think about putting up your virtual “open for business” sign as a freelance audio engineer or music producer. I totally understand! I had been teaching voice and songwriting lessons for 15 years but had only been “dabbling” in recording and production for a few years. I was terrified when I moved to a new city with no contacts and publicly announced that I was a recording engineer and music producer. At that moment in time, it was sink or swim. I had to buckle down and do it or I was going to have to go find a regular day job.

Now that my production business has been thriving for about 12 years, I’ve learned a few things! I came up with  8 tips that should help you get started today.

Create a business entity.

The easiest way to establish a business in the US is to start a sole proprietorship. Check your local city and state requirements, but it should be very simple using your social security number and home address. There are other entity options if you think you may have a more complicated situation, so be sure to check with your tax accountant to figure out what is best for you. In most cases, however, keep it simple and set it up as a Sole Proprietor and establish a “Doing Business As” or DBA. If you have a studio name or producer name you’ve been dying to use, make it official!

Establish your brand around your strengths and talents.

There are a lot of recording studios and a lot of producers. What sets you apart? What areas are you feeling really confident in? Focus on those areas and build your brand around them. Since I was a voice teacher when I started to learn how to record and produce, I started working with my students on their songwriting and creating demos to present to their producers. We did mock recording sessions to prepare them for their real recording sessions in the studio. After doing this for a number of years, I began recording the vocals for their final projects, eventually learning to edit them, mix them and do all vocal production. It was a process that took me several years but I was proficient with vocal production long before I knew how to mix a drum kit. What could be your niche? Are you a guitar player so you really know how to dial in tones? Are you an expert at micing up a drum kit? Create your niche around what you do best while you continue to build your knowledge in the areas you are less confident. As soon as you feel confident in other areas, shift your messaging and your brand to include it.

Create your client avatar around the niche you’ve established.

Now that you know what your niche will be in the recording and/or music production business, figure out your client avatar; what is their age, gender, what are their insecurities, and what are their problems you can solve? Will they all be remote or all local or a combination? All of your messaging and marketing; from your website copy to your photos should appeal to this client avatar.

Take yourself seriously.

You’ll be tempted to charge the lowest rate possible, work the craziest latest hours, and bend over backward to please clients that are never happy, just to bring in work. Knowing your value, in whatever niche you decide to focus on, and presenting yourself that way will attract people who are willing to pay what you are worth and respect your time and talent. Keep your rate competitive but shine in other areas, such as attention to detail, turn-around time, professionalism or just being fun.

Make your studio a comfortable, professional space with a vibe that makes you happy.

Do your best to present your space as professional and comfortable. Especially if you have clients coming to your home studio, make sure that it’s clean and presentable and as disconnected from “family living” as possible. I understand it’s not always possible to make a home studio feel like it’s not in your home. Believe me, I’ve had a variety of home studios and some situations were more ideal than others. Two studios ago, clients had to walk through the living room, kitchen, and family room to get down to the studio. Ugh! I hated it, but it was the only option at the time. I always kept the house as clean as possible (with teenagers….it wasn’t always easy!) And remember, this will be your “workspace” which is why you want to create a space and vibe where you are happy. If it’s adding plants, lava lamps, LED lights or whatever, do it a little at a time and make it your “happy place”.

Set up your website with testimonials and portfolio.

Marketing 101 advice is to have your own website because platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are just rentals. You do not have a direct connection with your clients or potential clients on social media. Every business should have a “home base” where people can come and get a clear picture that you are legit. Grab a domain with your business name that you’ve registered using GoDaddy. The annual fee to own this domain is relatively cheap. As soon as you have even just a few songs that demonstrate your abilities and a few happy clients, create a website (use a simple website-building platform such as Wix or Squarespace). Remember to keep the website simple. It could even be one page. Make a simple statement about who you are and what you can do for your client avatar, a professional picture, a few testimonials and a playlist widget featuring your work.

Start your email list.

This is how you connect with your audience and potential clients. Use a free email marketing program such as Mailchimp to add a “subscribe” widget to your website. Begin building this list and send updates once a month. These don’t need to be time-consuming or extravagant. What this does is it builds your authority and lets people who stop by your website know, “Oh, this person is serious.” Provide value to this audience and nurture it. Ask them to reply to questions so you can better understand them. Be real in your messages so that they feel like they can trust you.

Conduct yourself like a professional in all aspects of your life.

Keep the angry rants at your mother or ex off of social media. If your branding is political, keep it professional and “kind”. Go to networking events and shake people’s hands. If you “cold call/message” potential clients, do not spam them with copy/paste messages. If a client decides not to work with you or isn’t happy with your work, be humble and understanding. If given the opportunity, ask them what they were unhappy with and listen, rather than get defensive. Do not gossip or talk badly about others in your field.

That’s it! See, it’s not really that hard at all. I hope this was helpful and that you can ROCK your own Recording Studio/Music Production Business!

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

 

L-Acoustics is offering 4 grants for courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program. The Education Team has structured the grants to relate to certain job profiles to help the recipient advance their knowledge and skills in their respective fields:

These grants focus on offering access to in-person training via our packaged seminars. For in-person attendance of courses, hotel accommodations are included with the grant. Grant recipients are responsible for any additional travel expenses. If the recipient is unable to attend an in-person training within 4 months before the grant expiration date or the recipient demonstrates a financial hardship with attending an in-person training, the recipient will be offered online training options instead. 

Prospective candidates must be members of SoundGirls and have until September 1, 2023, to submit their application. Winners will be announced on the website and social media by September 30, 2023. Candidates can only apply for one choice of grant.

The recipient can choose to attend the courses at any time within the 1-year time frame starting from the time of being informed of their award.

System Technician Grant

This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

System & Workflow 

Establish your role in the L-Acoustics ecosystem and align your practice with the latest tools and state-of-the-art workflow

K System of choice (K1, K2, K3, Kara II, or Kiva II) or L2 Training

Recognize the standard configurations of the benchmark Kx or L2 system and gain hands-on experience rigging and listening to them.

L-Acoustics System Implementation

Advance your skills in implementing a safe and functional L-Acoustics system and prepare it for calibration.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to mount, rig, cable, and connect an L-Acoustics system.

It also aims to give the learner knowledge of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

System Engineer Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

Soundvision

Learn the most advanced software functionalities for 3D venue modeling, system simulation, and line source optimization.

Drive System

Master the configuration, control, and monitoring of an L-Acoustics system from the source output to the loudspeaker inputs.

M1-P1 Measurement & Tuning

Learn how to record measurements with the P1 processor and how to perform a loudspeaker system tuning with the M1 software.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to design and calibrate an L-Acoustics system. It also aims to deepen the learner’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

L-ISA Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant invites the recipient to attend all the L-ISA-focused courses from L-Acoustics Education:

L-ISA Technology

Start your immersive journey with an overview of the L-ISA Technology from loudspeaker system design, object-based mixing, immersive audio algorithms to project workflow.

L-ISA Loudspeaker System

Master key system engineering steps in planning and deploying L-ISA systems: loudspeaker system design, implementation, and calibration. The grant allows access to online or onsite training for this course.

L-ISA Live Mixing

Create an immersive live mix, directly from your desk input channels or from an original left-right mix.

L-ISA Preproduction

Learn and experience the preproduction process of an L-ISA live event from the studio to the venue, anticipating the constraints of the large scale.

This grant empowers the trainee to design, implement, and calibrate an L-Acoustics L-ISA system. This grant also empowers the trainee to prepare, encode, and control objects in an L-ISA mix as well as create a mix in L-ISA when walking up to an L-ISA system with or without preproduction. It also aims to deepen the student’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

System Expert Grant

This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

Variable Curvature Line Source

Perfect your understanding of line source behavior to optimize your mechanical design and use of electronic settings. 

Loudspeaker System Calibration

Develop a comprehensive approach to calibration in the entire workflow of a project.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to advance their understanding of system optimization as well as to learn about:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

Mental Health on Tour

 

More of the industry is now beginning to talk about the mental health of everyone within it, specifically those of us who are affected by being on tour. Unfortunately, even with those who advocate for it, the majority of the industry is still greatly affected by terrible mental health conditions. In general terms, the tours, the companies, etc. do not seem to care beyond presenting to the public that they have been to panels, or participated in workshops, but do not actually apply it to their team. How do we practice what we preach? How do we hold the correct people responsible?

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if mental health in the industry had a handbook or a map of sorts?

Tamsin Embleton does just that with her book Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual.

Topics Include:

Embleton clearly did her six years of research and three years of writing with over 80 interviews with other professionals in the industry. The book covers A LOT of ground: addiction, the general stress of the industry, depression of post-show/tour, the anxiety of travel days and pre-show, eating disorders and why we don’t get much nutrition while out on the road, relationships you form within the industry and outside of it, and the most common health issues we see in the industry

On the opposite end of that spectrum, however, Embleton recently made public “A call to arms from a touring friend, who has worked on the road for several decades at a high level. We need those in positions of power to carefully consider the health implications of routing and scheduling. We need systemic and cultural change.”

 

Do we need to hold the companies responsible for these conditions? Do we as the technical team need to speak up more and say “No. I’m not doing that.” when we could lose our jobs if we were to utter such a phrase? Do the artists and performers need to be more understanding when they ask for something to be done and be prepared to be told no? Who do we hold accountable? If we were to hold the companies responsible, or the artists were to be prepared to hear no, or the techies say no loudly, what would the new cost of this be, and who’s new cost would it be?

Karla Barrera Mixing at Both Ends of the Snake

 

Karla Barrera has been working in live sound for over twelve years and got her start working at clubs throughout Los Angeles, as a house tech, including The Viper Room. She works for Launch, and Motion Audio, and tours as FOH and Monitor engineer and is currently touring with Mt. Joy as their monitor engineer.

Karla has an extensive background in music, playing in symphonic, marching, and jazz bands, as well as drum lines. Karla says “Music was a huge part of my life and being able to play music in my teenage years really inspired me. I loved reading music and practicing whatever instrument I was into at the time while also reading the album credits on records that I loved. That’s when I discovered the people behind the recordings and production of a record. It sparked my interest in wanting to be a part of music behind the scenes.” Karla attended concerts and this solidified her path in audio, she fell in love with the ebb and flow of energy from the artists to the audience and knew she wanted to become a FOH engineer.

Karla would enroll in The Art Institute of Los Angeles and graduated with honors. She would cut her teeth interning at The Viper Room, and under the mentorship of Matt Andrade was able to focus on her mixing and teching skills. Karla credits several mentors that took the time to teach her how to be confident in her work, including; Christian Murphy, Jason Hines, Doron Dina, and Francis O’Riley (Franky Fingers).

Karla says some of the things she learned when she was starting out was signal flow on analog equipment, and considers it so valuable. She also learned that it was important to recognize signs of burnout. Karla recounts her experience with burned-out engineers “There were so many people I came across that were burned out and didn’t care as much about providing a good service to local bands. I learned that we are in a position of service to an artist and that it’s important to provide a good experience to them without ego.”

Career Now

What is a typical day like? 

On tour:

Load in / set up / sound check can be from 10 am – 4 pm

⁃ Set up monitor world on stage left

⁃ Direct hands to help me flip my desk, build mic stands, run hoses across the stage, etc…

⁃ Put up antennas and Scan for new frequencies

⁃ Make sure the artist is comfortable in the new space.

Dinner break 4-7 pm

⁃ Make sure all body packs have fresh batteries.

⁃ Allows time for a shower if I didn’t get to it in the morning

⁃ Reorganize my suitcase/day bag. Has to be done every other day or else life becomes more chaotic than it already is.

⁃ Go out for dinner w other crew members / wait for the group Uber eats order/catering

⁃ Stretch

⁃ Nap

⁃ Change into show clothes. Or just fresh socks and shoes.

Show/load out 8 pm -12 am

Just to do it all again the next day (unless it’s roadie Friday)

How do you stay organized and focused? 

I drink Guayaki Yerba Mate or a cafecito.  Also, PACKING CUBES !!! Oh and I take notes constantly.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? 

My favorite part is constantly learning and growing. I feel like, after every tour, I evolve into a new version of myself. I’m constantly soaking up new information and implementing new techniques.

What do you like least? 

When you build a file on an offline editor and the venue desk does not have the latest firmware.

Just a heads up: Digico SD12 had an update in October 2022 to v1619 and the only offline editor available for download is v1619.

If you tour what do you like best? 

I enjoy working directly with the artist and collaborating on ways to have the best-sounding show.

What do you like least? 

Weird sleep schedules and having to wake up in the morning and find the nearest bathroom in a new city/venue.

What is your favorite day of activity? 

Being in nature and getting some fresh air. It’s important to get off the bus or out of the venue and connect with the earth.

What are your long-term goals?

I have some bucket list venues I would love to mix shows at (Madison Square  Garden, Sydney Opera House)

Also, work with more Latin artists down the line.

Continue to become more knowledgeable and gain more practice networking pro audio equipment in all aspects.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced? 

One of the most recent obstacles I’ve faced was having a family member end up in the hospital while I was away. It was a rough time for me because I had to set aside my feelings and emotions in order to mix a good show.  I learned to keep myself together somehow.

Also, before I started touring with a console, I felt like a lot of house engineers couldn’t picture me as a seasoned sound engineer. I always felt like I had to prove myself to new people all the time. That was annoying. Once I started touring with my own desk, I felt like it somehow gave me more credibility as an engineer. I guess you could say that comes with the growing pains, but also mainly because I’m a  Latina woman mixing sound. It just doesn’t compute with some people right off the bat that I could, in fact, mix and navigate my way around any desk and mix in any room or at any festival. I’ve had many “first time doing this” experiences on every single gig I’ve been on. They’ve all been different, but I always managed to make the best of every situation.

How have you dealt with them? 

When it comes to personal family issues and not being able to help with what’s going on back home, it’s just not easy to deal with it. I knew prior to accepting my latest tour that my mom was struggling with her health and I was open to management about it. If my sibling told me he needed me in person, I would have to leave the tour. It hasn’t gotten to that point this last tour thankfully, but I had to keep working without letting the stress back home affect my work. I think being open and honest can sometimes help feel more supported by management/clients.

Also, I burned sage and palo Santo on stage left to help cleanse my space and mind to maintain a healthy and focused state of mind.

Re: preconceived notions of me – I learned to care more about what the artists/management think about my mixes and work ethic.

Advice you have for other women and young women who wish to enter the field? 

Always try new things; don’t stay in the same place for too long. There is so much room to grow in the world of production.

Watch YouTube videos / listen to podcasts about audio about live sound/rf coordination / SMAART / DANTE /  live sound desks / learn to network consoles  with waves or UA / learn how to multitrack on every console

Must have skills? 

Favorite gear? 

Karla’s Top 100 Favorite Albums!!

Karla’s Top 100 Favorite Albums 

  1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
  2. Radiohead – In Rainbows
  3. The Mars Volta – Frances the Mute
  4. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
  5. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
  6. Jimi Hendrix – Axis: As Bold As Love
  7. Bob Marley – Kaya
  8. Arcade Fire – Funeral
  9. The Black Keys – Brothers
  10. The Strokes – Room on Fire
  11. Lianne La Havas – Self-Titled Album
  12. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Self-Titled Album
  13. Aniceto Molina – Los Mejores Exitos
  14. Nick Hakim – Green Twins
  15. Imaad Wasif – The Voidist
  16. The Budos Band – Long in the Tooth
  17. Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming
  18. Shuggie Otis – Freedom Flight
  19. Moses Sumney – grae
  20. Little Dragon – Machine Dream
  21. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
  22. The Black Angels – Passover
  23. Fever Ray – Self-Titled Album
  24. The Knife – Silent Shout
  25. Toumani Diabate – New Ancient Strings
  26. Al Green – Call me
  27. Pedro Infante – Palabritas de Amor
  28. Badbadnotgood – IV
  29. Bjork – Medulla
  30. Portishead – Dummy
  31. Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz
  32. Interpol – El Pintor
  33. Chet Faker – Built on Glass
  34. Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman
  35. Donavan – Sunshine Superman
  36. Nick Drake – Pink Moon
  37. SadGirl – Water
  38. Haelos – Full Circle
  39. Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance
  40. The Kills – Blood Pressures
  41. Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
  42. Them Crooked Vultures – Self-Titled Album
  43. Los Angeles Negros – Y Volveré
  44. Calle 13 – Self Titled Album
  45. Hercules and Love Affair – Self-Titled Album
  46. Selena – Amor Prohibido
  47. Durand Jones & The Indications – American Love Call
  48.  Caifanes – Self Titled
  49. Siouxie Sioux and the Banshees – The Rapture
  50. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
  51. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
  52. Television – Marquee Moon
  53. Devotchka – A Mad And Faithful Telling
  54. The Unicorns – Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
  55. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
  56. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
  57. Teleskopes – Self Titled
  58. The Hives – Tyrannosaurus Hives
  59. Savages – 2013
  60. Shout Out Louds – Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
  61. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground and Nico
  62. Devendra Banhart – Cripple Crow
  63. Helado Negro – Far In
  64. Soft Hair – Soft Hair
  65. Marconi Union – Weightless
  66. Glass Animals – ZABA
  67. Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
  68. Dirtwire – Electric River
  69. HVOB – TOO
  70. Janis Joplin – Pearl
  71. The Growlers – Are you in or are you out?
  72. Dungen – ta det lungnt
  73. Dr. Dog – B Room
  74. Moonface – Heartbreaking Bravery (w/ Siinai)
  75. Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima
  76. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
  77. Radiohead – King of Limbs
  78. Yves Tumor – Heaven to a Tortured Mind
  79. Antibalas – Where the Gods Are In Peace
  80. Wings – At the Speed of Sound
  81. U.S. Girls – Half Free
  82. All Them Witches – Nothing as the Ideal
  83. ZZ Top – Tres Homres
  84. Spoon – They Want My Soul
  85. José González – Veneer
  86. Kokoroko – Could We Be More
  87. Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves
  88. Curtis Harding – Face Your Fear
  89. Nina Simone – Baltimore
  90. Cream – Disraeli Gears
  91. Juan Gabriel – Lo Mejor En Bellas Artes – 40 Aniversario (En Vivo)
  92. Zola Blood – Black Blossom
  93. Future Islands – On The Water
  94. Sault – 5
  95. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
  96. J.S. Epperson – Splendor
  97. Lee Fields – My World
  98. Grizzly Bear – Shields
  99. Local Natives – Hummingbird
  100. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

 

Tools Of The Trade

 

You’re talking shop with the guys over a few drinks in the bar across from the venue. Everyone is listing off what they wish the higher-ups would approve so they can finally put in the order and check off things on their wish list. You’re mentally going through your own wish list and what ideally every venue would have so you can stop hauling all the different things you need for each venue. Our own personal “working wish list.” Like most other wishlists, ours in the audio world is ever-evolving with each announcement of the soon-to-be-on-the-market gear and the newest toys. There are some essentials that are on everyone’s wish list though. For instance, we can never get enough electrical tape, it’s simply something we are constantly running out of and always find ourselves in need of. When you are touring or travelling for work, these tools can sometimes be difficult to get a hold of so it’s always nice to have your own. Hopefully, this wish list will help you both pack your own gear bag and maybe even add more to your growing tools.

What’s In My Gear Bag?

As I briefly touched on the subject in the article “Travelling” back in January, you can’t easily travel with everything you need for this career. However, if you need to travel and bring your own gear, it’s good to have as much of your gear in one bag so you’re not stuck juggling multiple bags with a little bit of everything you need. For the most part, unless you are bringing your own mixing console and sound system, these tools are fairly easy to keep in one or two bags.

So what is in my everyday use gear bag?

This is a bag that I instinctively reach for as I am heading out the door on any given day for work.

On the outside of my bag, I have various types and sizes of carabiners along with multiple colours of electrical tape. These items are ones that are replaced on a regular basis and needed without having to search through my bag to get them.

There is also an ever-growing monkey-fisted knot of tie line, also commonly referred to as a trick line. Tieline is used more commonly in theatres, but contrary to what some people think, it’s not just used for our lighting friends. I have used tie lines to keep cables in place on balconies, and risers, and even sometimes securing them below the stage.

Proceeding to open the first layer of the gear bag, therein lies a shock dispersion space for my work laptop and tablet that I can remotely mix from. I have rarely if ever, found myself in a situation where I didn’t need my tablet in some form. Yes, it’s definitely handy to mix remotely, especially if your mixing location is not ideal, but it’s also a way for you to see notifications and important updates from the rest of the team.

 

 

Closing that first layer and moving on to the next, you’ll easily find spare aux cables, cable adapters, and papers with my Sound Notes notebook. While many of my colleagues have asked why I write a lot of notes about the show or carry spare blank channel strip sheets, this is mostly to keep improving on what we’ve already done for the show. Each performance is going to be different and I like to keep track of where we constantly are on the sliding scale of “How good was that performance?” Some nights, it really does feel like the best performance and you’re listening to it for the first time. Some nights, everything goes wrong. By trying to keep track of where you are on that sliding scale you can see what worked and consistently had good reactions from the crowd, and what needs to be gone over and looked through for next time.

Moving on, therein gets the slightly messy storage of the actual tools one might find in a regular toolbox. A small glow-in-the-dark flashlight, a magnetic flashlight, spare batteries, a portable battery, rigging gloves, different coloured gaff tape, the mini screwdriver kit because something is always needing maintenance, a small hammer, and so many sharpies that have just been randomly collecting at the bottom.

 

 

Finally, the last storage space in this gear bag. This is the space where I keep my mixing headphones, a dynamic vocal mic, a Lavalier mic, and a wireless vocal mic with a receiver. These have been some of the latest additions to my gear bag.

 

What’s On My Ultimate Wish List?

I don’t think most of what I would ask for is completely unreasonable.

For the FOH mixing position, I want a wide enough space to actually be able to load in equipment without breaking our backs or constantly being pushed into walls, or having flight cases run over our feet. This would allow us to actually be able to move and lift these heavy consoles hopefully without breaking anything, including ourselves. Plus a Midas 32 would be fantastic.

 

 

For the PA system, I just want a flying line array, I would settle for a stackable system but we’re going for big dreams here. L-Acoustics recently developed and marketed some amazing ones. Some fill-in loudspeakers to prevent drop-off with distance and sub-bass as well would be amazing! There doesn’t have to be a lot of them for my wish list, but at least something.

 

 

Having copious amounts of radio mics and the spare batteries to go with them shouldn’t have to be on the wish list, but you would be surprised how many places run out of spares for both mics and batteries. It is absolutely not the venue’s job to have spares for all the shows that come to them, but it’s always nice to know if something breaks and you can’t immediately repair or replace it, you have something on standby. Most venues will also provide this in their technical specifications and will be talked about during the advancement process.

A Dante audio network is luckily becoming more common, especially in theatre from what I have seen, but is still not standard. If you make the effort to become certified in something, like Dante, wouldn’t you also want to use that knowledge? Thus, it is on my list.

What current comms system the venue is using is also always nice to know. There have been a few times while on tour that we have rocked up to the venue and found out we needed to use our own instead of being allowed to use the ones at the venue.

 

 

 

This is not uncommon to get things that are antiquated and we don’t always find out they are out of date until we arrive at the venue. During the year 2020, or since soon after, multiple venues globally have undergone restaffing, updates, and reconstruction. This can mean that several of their technical specifications and contact information sheets are also obsolete thus making the advancement process problematic and questionable.

So for the advancement process, I would like to add these things to my working wish list:

Up-to-date power specifications.

An up-to-date contact sheet of people you may need to get a hold of at the venue including the audio crew chief, production manager, technical manager, and venue manager (basically everyone in charge).

Stage specifications, including mixing positions, in advance of the show (not just waiting until the last minute the night before).

Health and safety specifications so you’re not caught off guard if they have something a little uncommon to most venues. A good example of this is some venues requiring Risk Assessors (not always provided by the venues) to be part of the load-ins and load-outs for shows across Europe and the UK. This is likely to also gain ground in North America soon with its growing popularity.

Another thing that I would like to add to my working wish list that would be assumed as common knowledge but somehow isn’t is literally buckets of consumables like tape, cables, tie lines, etc. Every time that I have put in a request for more of these consumables the initial response is something along the lines of “You need more? We just bought some!” Yes, we need more because it’s consumable and we go through comically large amounts of these items.

And of course, the final item on my wish list, who wouldn’t want the classic red curtains?

 

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Is Music The Language Of Connection?

Scientific studies have shown that many effects of music can be seen in the brain. Multiple observations have demonstrated some interesting findings on the bodies and minds of listeners and performers alike, leading to the question: “Is music the language of connection?” 

Group Singing and Emotional State

Group singing is one such area that has been studied; results showed that participants benefited from feeling calm, experienced an elevated mood, and the release of bonding hormones, with effects that could be likened to the results of meditation. Additionally, scientists from Berkeley found that on top of the mental benefits we already know music can bring, there are social and physical effects on singers, such as feeling emotionally close to others, and a reduction in physical pain:

“Results showed that feelings of inclusion, connectivity, positive affect, and measures of endorphin release all increased across singing rehearsals and that the influence of group singing was comparable for pain thresholds in the large versus small group context.”

As far back as the Hippocratic philosophy in Ancient Greece, art therapy was used in the treatment of illness and in “the improvement of human behaviour”. The use of art therapy does seem to be experiencing something of a resurgence in some areas today in the treatment of children, notably in adults with dementia. In the UK, there have been initiatives gaining popularity in this field, such as the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Singing for the Brain’ campaign, whose community choir brings people together to participate in music. They explain:

“Evidence shows that music can help improve and support mood, alertness, and engagement of people with dementia, with research* showing that musical memory is often retained when other memories are lost; music can help people to recall memories due to the nature of preserved memory for song and music in the brain.”

Understanding that singing is a universal tool that can be beneficial to memory, mood, breathing, posture, and muscle tension, and creates a sense of well-being and connection, surely we have to question why we are not placing more importance on this relatively simple activity. And while using music therapy for the sick is commendable, why are we waiting until someone is unwell to implement it, rather than using it as prevention and sustenance?

In UK schools, the opportunity to study music history and participate in performances, creative compositional activities, and learn an instrument, are becoming increasingly elite pursuits. The denial of access to music for every child in state school seems to be the ongoing initiative of the current government. Some private schools are even taking it upon themselves to share their resources, opening the doors of their concert halls to the local state sector. Warwick School in England is one such institution that has kindly offered education support to local schools through Warwickshire Music Hub. The reporting in The Big Issue explained:

“The facilities in Warwick are exceptional: there are many music teachers beavering away with nothing but a bunch of ukuleles. The contrast in music resources can be stark. The recently updated National Plan for Music Education (NPME) places much of the responsibility for delivery on individual organisations through the hub system that was created when the NPME was unfurled in 2011. Luckily, there are those who are taking the initiative, despite government indifference.”

It bears repeating that if we know there are such huge benefits to the brain, body, and spirit from music, and we use it as an actual treatment for the sick, it feels unethical to consciously withhold this from some select members of our society.

Enjoyment and Synchronization

A 2020 study in the journal NeuroImage observed that when audiences listened to a musical performance and enjoyed it, the brain activity of the performer and the perceiver synchronized together. Additionally, I found it interesting that the paper referenced several studies that had come before:

“Previous neuroimaging studies also found that brain-to-brain synchronization is involved in behavioral synchrony, emotional contagion, and verbal/nonverbal communication. In general, interpersonal neural synchronization might be the neural basis of synchronized movement, emotional resonance, and shared understanding (Shamay-Tsoory et al., 2019).”

This took me back to watching a pub gig in a country where I’m proficient in around ten words of the language. As the singer worked the crowd, getting every one of us to clap and sing along, taking a line here, and a hook there on the mic, it soon became very apparent that not only was I, not a native speaker, but there was also a deaf lady in the audience.

What happened next was a rallying of forging connections through the music; the singer adapted what he could to include everybody, not only pulling out an Elvis number in English for me to join in, but by “signing” with gestures to describe the lyrics, employing the deaf lady’s partner to interpret here and there, and by taking her hand to feel the vibrations as he sang to her.

As we applauded her, (in sign language, this is like the “jazz hands” motion, with the arms up at a 90-degree angle) she looked around at us and fought back tears of happiness. After the show, we couldn’t address each other with words, but shared a knowing smile, and a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the connection created by the language of music.

The Brains of Co-Creators

After skimming the surface of the studies and pondering the many emotional ramifications of musical connection, I began to wonder what happens to the brain when we create music together. Band and musical working relationships are often emotionally charged, but is the creative relationship measurably different scientifically?

If we know that ‘trauma bonding’ exists, then what happens when we experience something intense, but mostly positive with another, where we make something tangible together out of nothing but our feelings? It is my suspicion that while we can feel everything on the spectrum from happy and free, to cold indifference, to hoping karma rains down on some past relationships, the connection between co-creators is a unique one, unlike any bond we have with an old friend, lover, or colleague.

The day he died, John Lennon gave an interview speaking fondly of Paul McCartney. The pair had actually reconciled by 1976, despite their explosive disbanding six years earlier. John had said:

“He’s like a brother. I love him. Families … certainly have our ups and downs and our quarrels. But at the end of the day when it’s all said and done, I would do anything for him. I think he would do anything for me.” — 8 December 1980 interview with Dave Sholin

It was clear there was still a great connection between the two, and the last time the pair met in person, Lennon’s parting words to McCartney were, “Think about me every now and then, old friend.”

It’s a pattern that can be seen throughout the music world – Stevie Van Zandt speaks of his brotherly friendship with Bruce Springsteen in his autobiography, stating that despite separating and uniting musically several times over the years, they only had three real arguments. With a lack of bitterness, and more of a “Eh, what you gonna do?” laissez-faire attitude in the book’s tone, Van Zandt’s affection for Springsteen shines through.

It’s funny how when the music stops and time rolls on, it doesn’t matter whether life took you in different directions, you simply grew up or had the mother of all disbanding experiences – the bonds run deep. We can be separate from our music friends for years and still cheer for them from afar when they meet a nice partner and find happiness, and it can feel like a punch to the gut when we hear hard times have befallen them.

If our brains literally synchronize, and we feel a measurable connection in a musical environment, and these memories will be the last to go, then perhaps the supposition that there’s more to it isn’t completely un-scientific. The often-quoted man of science Carl Sagan once said, “For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.” It’s something I think about every now and then.

8 Reasons To Work In Audio

 

Look around the audio industry and you’ll find an abundant number of people who are passionate, motivated, inspired, dedicated, hardworking, and often obsessed with their craft! What are some of the reasons that make working in audio so great, and worth dedicating a career and a substantial amount of your life’s hours to?

For the love of music

Most people love music of some kind, and working in recording or live sound gives you the opportunity to work with it every day. Some sound engineers begin as musicians but don’t want to pursue a performing career, and others find that audio may offer a more stable income working in music than working as a musician – though many people are able to do both. Being paid to listen to music is a dream for many people!

Flexing your creative muscles

Getting to sculpt sound, making creative decisions on musical arrangements or sound design, deciding where elements should sit in a mix, develop new audio software and hardware – audio engineering can be an endlessly creative field. An advantage for many people is developing the skills to be able to produce their own music or creative content.

Creating content or experiences that move people

Sound is a powerful tool for telling a story or creating a mood or atmosphere – a film without sound wouldn’t have half the emotional impact. There’s a great satisfaction to be felt when a client is thrilled with their finished song and it goes out into the world to be enjoyed by many listeners, or you’ve perfected a live mix and everyone in the audience is jumping euphorically to the beat!

Working with interesting and inspiring people

Working in this creative industry, you may get the opportunity to do sound for musicians you greatly admire or work closely with a variety of film industry professionals, or people innovating in the field of audio. You’ll likely often meet a variety of different people on projects or events, and be able to share your knowledge as well as learn from them.

Variety in the job

In many roles in the audio industry, no two days are the same: you might be working in different venues or locations, working with a variety of music or film genres, solving diverse problems, or working with varied equipment and people. There are continuous advancements being made in audio technology which will motivate you to keep learning… you’ll probably never be bored!

Combining art and science

Audio is a fantastic avenue to explore artistic and creative aspects alongside technological and scientific elements. You can develop a unique skill set that allows you to bridge those two sides, and facilitate communication between people in the artistic and scientific fields.

Diverse career paths

There are many career paths to explore within audio – recording studios, live sound, film, broadcasting, podcasting, theater, research and development, education… the list is endless. There’s always a possibility to train further, transfer your skills and try working in a different field of audio if you need a change.

Travel and work in different locations

The possibility to travel and explore new places is an exciting drawcard for several roles in the audio industry. Whether you’re an audio engineer on a cruise ship, touring with a band or show, or filming on location, you may have the opportunity to see places you wouldn’t have otherwise visited, and get to know a variety of exciting locations and people.

A huge thank you to members of the excellent Soundgirls and Hey Audio Student Facebook groups for sharing what they love about working in audio. I highly recommend joining these groups for terrific audio tips, interesting discussions, and inclusive community support from fellow audio professionals and students.

Image attribution: Image by storyset on Freepik

Creating Your Mission Statement as a Creative Entrepreneur

As a creative person, it can be a pretty big shift to think like a business owner. Entrepreneurial instincts aren’t exactly natural for all of us, just as musicality isn’t as natural for some as others. As I’ve worked with artists, songwriters, musicians and creatives of all kinds, I’ve found that creating a “mission statement” of sorts can get the ball rolling into a disciplined music business that is an authentic reflection of who you are.

“Authentic” is a word that’s a bit overused these days, however finding and embracing your authentic self as a creative entrepreneur in today’s world is perhaps the most important part of your journey to finding success. As an artist, it is what will draw fans to you and keep them there. As a music producer or audio engineer, authenticity builds trust and loyalty with your clients. As a songwriter, telling stories from a place of authenticity will keep your music fresh and relatable.

In the “authentic only” environment we have today, posers or fakers are relentlessly called out, and then inevitably, virtually crucified. That being said, the driving force behind finding your authenticity shouldn’t be fear, but a desire to find your place in this musical landscape and to find the people who feel they belong there with you; to create your own world and invite your “people” to join you. This is the very foundation of being a successful creative today.

Yes, there is still room for showmanship and even gimmicks, as long as it’s an extension of who you really are. I just had an interesting conversation with an artist about this. I was convinced he was making a choice with his branding that was confusing and off-putting. By the end of our conversation, I “got it”. I could clearly see that what wouldn’t work for most artists was perfect for him, as it reflected his rebellious spirit and a virtual finger to the establishment. He sold me on it because his feet were so solidly planted in his “authentic” self that I could see without a doubt that he wasn’t simply being stubborn, but was completely confident in who he is and has a clear vision of how he wanted people to experience his brand.

Finding who we are can be a process of digging, questioning, discovering, and peeling back layers. It should always start with these four questions:

Take about 20 or 30 minutes to sit with these questions without distraction. Brain dump your answers with no filter on a piece of paper or note app.

Now, shape the answers to these questions into your official mission statement. Your mission statement should only be a paragraph long, not a full-page essay. If writing isn’t your skill set, ask for some help. Also bear in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfectly written, only that we the reader should have no questions about who you are, what you stand for, and what your “mission” with your music is.

Going forward, every move you make (on social media, in your fan newsletter, in your youtube engagement, or wherever) as a creative should align with your mission statement. If you contradict yourself one too many times, your fans will detect this lack of authenticity and lose interest. They may even question why they liked you in the first place. This should make it easy for you! You never have to worry about what someone else is doing or what the current trends are. Just Be YOU!

 

Review of The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic

Jessica Hopper wanted me personally to read  The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, and you, too.  In the afterword of the 2021 edition, she notes how essential it is to create and consume media outside the culturally accepted norm.  Female critics like Hopper provide a much-needed perspective on artists that would otherwise go undervalued.  It is empowering to read reviews from a feminist view, and the reader uses their purchasing power to uplift the author.

Hopper puts pieces of herself in the reviews.  We see her growth from fangirl to respected writer and her journey from Midwest suburbia to Chicago to Los Angeles and beyond.  We see the music that shapes her worldview and the music that breaks its boundaries.  Her path is both similar to her peers and uniquely her own.  Hopper’s story could be yours, and that is what makes this collection powerful.  She is a mentor through text.

Not every review is written with a feminist focal point.  However, when her sharpened pen targets the masculine majority opinion, there is no mercy.  No genre is safe: punk, country, rap, and rock.  Hopper champions women forgotten and maligned.  Her piece on Rolling Stone‘s editorial department highlighted those who blazed the path that Hopper would later trek.  There’s enough meat for a Hidden Figures treatment of their story.

In both the afterword and throughout the collection, Hopper reaches out to women in all parts of the music industry.  From fan to artist she says thank you, I hear you, keep being you.  We need each other to build a better industry.  If there’s no space for you in the pit, elbow your way in and stay there, and bring your squad.

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