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Celebrating Women in Small Town America

Not often does a small southern town host a women’s event that stretches beyond wedding expos or Ladies’ Nights, so when I heard about the Carolina Lily Festival, I was intrigued.  Boasting an all-female line-up, the Festival serves as a fundraiser for the local non-profit women’s shelter (Coastal Women’s Shelter) in New Bern, NC.

The Coastal Women’s Shelter’s focus is on those who have suffered from domestic abuse.  As outlined on their website: “During the fiscal year 2015-16, we served 550 individuals in Craven, Jones, and Pamlico counties. One hundred women and 46 children lived in the safe house for an average stay of two months. We can house up to 19 individuals at any one time.

Bailey and Grant

The Carolina Lily Festival is celebrating its third year.  This year The Brown Pelican, a nautical-themed bar, is the venue.  On stage is Gabrielle Christie, playing guitar and singing a mix of covers and originals with a creamy voice that fills the room.  And the place is bursting at the seams with people of all ages and genders.  In the back is the raffle table where I find Bailey Evans and Grant Golden, key members in GEM productions, an event company hosting the festival.  They are the festival’s event coordinators.  I reached out to these three to find out why they chose to get involved.

Nicole Kirch (NK):  What is the Carolina Lily Festival and why is it important?

Gabrielle Christie (GC):  The Carolina Lily Fest is an event to raise money for the Coastal Women’s Shelter while supporting and celebrating local female artists. It’s important for several reasons. One, we need to continue raising awareness for CWS so that any woman in need knows that services exist and knows how to access them. Two, as a community we need to help financially support organizations like this. I think it’s our duty to make sure places like the CWS can continue operating. And three, I will always jump on the chance to support and cheer on local artists.

Bailey Evans (BE):  Coastal Women’s Shelter works to end domestic violence by providing women in our area with the skills, support, and confidence to live better lives.   It felt in keeping with the spirit of the organization to spotlight and support female artists during this event.  It’s been important to us to empower all artists to take the stage and follow their dreams, but Carolina Lily Fest is a celebration of women because empowering women is the reason we gather for this particular event.  Small towns like ours benefit from festivals dedicated to women for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, this specific festival highlights an organization that actively improves the lives of local women.  It reminds us of the challenges many women still face but also allows us to be part of the solution.  Additionally, it’s no secret that the entertainment industry is and has been rife with sexual harassment, so it’s important to give women some extra and exclusive opportunities to shine safely.

NK:  Is this your first time performing at the festival and why did you want to perform?

GC:  No, I had the honor of performing last year. I’ll always be happy to get involved. I think it is a cause worthy of our time and our donations.

NK:  What were your reasons behind a full female line-up?

BE:  We struggled with committing to the concept of an all-female line-up when we began planning the first Lily Fest.  We weren’t sure if that was the best way to develop an inclusive community-minded vibe.  However, we decided that there’s nothing problematic about celebrating a particular group and having an all-inclusive event.  This event focuses on women, but it welcomes everyone and invites all people to be involved in supporting a vital community organization.  This night is about encouraging the potential of women in our community, so it feels fitting to incorporate that concept into our line-up as well.

Grant Golden (GG):  We had a hard time deciding if we should do a full female lineup. Do we need to have an all-women lineup to empower female musicians, does it feel patronizing to make it feel like an entirely separate event? Ultimately we decided that an all-female lineup is the best way to ensure that the most female voices are heard, highlighted and praised. This seemed to be the best way to show that Carolina Lily Fest is here to serve as a safe-space for all attendees and a day to honor the strong women in our lives.

NK:  Have you ever performed in an all-female line-up before, what is your impression of it?

GC:  No actually, last year when I performed I did a solo set then got my band Bearfoot Monty to play as well which has male members. But I am so stoked for this year’s all female line up.

NK:  What made you interested in music and performance?

GC:  I’ve always loved music. And it’s been a long journey to performer. I was lucky to be brought up in a home where lots of different music was played. My sister bought me the album “Lungs” by Florence and the Machine when I was about 13, and from then on I knew I wanted to be a songwriter and performer. But I wasn’t until I was a junior in high school when I met an amazing music teacher did I get the push to pursue it. He made me learn the guitar so I could back myself up on stage. He told me I don’t ever want to have to rely on someone else for my music and I need to be able to do it myself. So I did. And over the years I just continuously get inspired by people and music and get encouraged to go further and further.

NK:  Define female empowerment.

GC:  Female empowerment… I think it’s the ability for a woman to be in charge of herself and not feel ashamed. It’s tough to truly get there though. I know I get put down a lot or condescended to and it can make you feel like you’re less. But being empowered means pushing past that and knowing your worth.

BE:  Encouraging women to determine their paths, assert their boundaries, and define themselves free from stereotypes or cultural expectations.  It’s such a hard thing for me to define eloquently because it includes so many concepts.  I just want everyone of all genders to be allowed to follow their paths and be treated as whole human beings on their journey.  Gender shouldn’t be allowed to define one’s personhood, limit one’s potential, or determine one’s role in the world.  In many places and for many people, being a woman still comes with restrictions and constraints that are unacceptable.  Female empowerment is encouraging women to break free from what they are told a woman is and become whatever they want to be.

GG:  As a male, I likely will have a slightly skewed definition of this, since it’s not necessarily a battle I have to fight on a regular basis, but to me, female empowerment is the act of empowering women to be the fearless leaders they indeed are. There’s always been an implicit disadvantage that women face in society, whether it be lower pay in the workforce, undermining of their thoughts and opinions in both career and social settings, or the constant sexual harassment they’re subject to. Female empowerment is how we can help to push past these struggles and work towards a mutual goal of development and sustainability for females in their communities.

NK:  Why is it important to have a festival dedicated to women and why should small town America have a festival dedicated to women?

GC:  I love that this small town is doing something that even some big cities aren’t. It just shows how much character this town has. It’s important because we are a tight-knit community and we need to be here for one another. Support is everything.

GG:  The music industry itself has always been somewhat of a boy’s club. Females in the industry always seem to have to push a little harder and speak a little louder to gain some traction in their scene, and if you have the power to help change that then you 100% should be doing that. Small towns can sometimes exist within an echo chamber, and while by and large New Bern seems to do a great job of elevating women in the community to positions of power, there is always room for improvement and GEM Productions wants to further help the development of gender equality amongst our town.

NK:   How has the festival changed in it’s three years and where would you like to see it go?

BE:  Lily Fest, like most of our events, is always an evolving concept.  Our ultimate goal is raising money for the Coastal Women’s Shelter, so we’ve made adjustments   It went from a ticketed event to a free one.  Each year we’ve tweaked our raffle and auction idea to better serve our audience and see greater returns.  It’s also beginning to make itself known as an annual event, so we are gathering regular supporters and volunteers.  I’d like to see that support and participation continue to grow because it’s those connections that allow us to grow the event and reach new donation levels.  I’d love to see it grow into a more significant, full-day event with more interactive aspects like panels, creative workshops, and the like, that raises more and more money each year.

GG:  Carolina Lily Fest is an ever-changing event. We’ve moved venues since our first year and changed it from a ticketed event to a free night of music at The Brown Pelican. While we had a larger production scale for our first year, it seemed to be a bit more pomp than it needed to be. We’ve minimized our overhead costs, and almost all of the artists are donating their time and talents to the cause, which is a fantastic contribution that we can’t be thankful enough for. As for where we’d like to see it go, I think having more community involvement would be fantastic, more visual artists and businesses being highlighted and contributing their goods is a great way to show how much our community truly appreciates the females in our scene and our lives in general.

NK:  How is this year different than previous years for the festival?

BE: This year we’ve seen far more interest in the event in the weeks leading up to the festival.  People remember it or they’ve heard about it and have reached out about getting involved or helped spread the word.  The buzz is a bit bigger, and hopefully, that means the crowd and donations will be as well.  Our raffle prizes and silent auction items are more numerous than in previous years.  Overall the spirit and intentions of the festival are the same as they’ve been since the beginning, but our skill set has grown each year, and this year we’ve hit our stride and feel much more confident about being able to achieve or exceed our goals.

GG:  This year features our biggest headlining act yet, Laura Reed, which is someone we’ve wanted to bring to town for years now. Laura serves as a beacon of light amongst the North Carolina music scene in terms of female empowerment. She’s worked with Grammy winning producers, has performed the national anthem at several national sporting events, and has toured internationally with some immensely talented artists. Laura is without a doubt one of the most accomplished artists we’ve brought to New Bern and having her on board to help support this great cause is nothing short of fantastic.

We’ve also forgone the traditional array of “vendors” that we have at events and are instead having people donate their supplies so that all money raised goes straight to CWS.

NK:  Any closing thoughts.

GG:  Carolina Lily Fest is our most significant fundraiser throughout the year, and it’s continued to grow along with GEM Productions. We’re always thrilled to see the feedback and reaction from Lily Fest because so many of these folks may not be familiar with the breadth of local talent our community contains. We’re lucky to be a part of such a supportive and inviting community, and we can’t wait to share another evening of fantastic local art with New Bern!

BE:  It’s a privilege to answer these questions and share my opinion with you, thank you for the opportunity.  This area has an incredible network of women in the music industry, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.

Bands are Like Spiders

When I started mixing bands in-house at university I was terrified: I had so much technical stuff to remember, and then I was faced with a bunch of stony-faced strangers who wouldn’t even come and talk to me! They were going to hate me. If I had known then what I know now about interacting with bands (and event organisers, or any kind of client really) those first gigs would have been so much less stressful. It’s easy to forget that not many people outside of our job really understand what the role entails; it’s a bit of a dark art to them. The technical team can make or break a show, and that can make people a bit nervous about us. Once I realised that bands are like spiders: they are, on the whole, more scared of me than I am of them, I could approach things differently.

First off: don’t expect them to come to you! They may be affecting an air of cool by being standoffish, or they may just be shy, or a bit lost because they’ve just got out of the van after an 8-hour journey and are looking for the facilities… Take a deep breath, smile, and go and introduce yourself. Be ready with a pen and paper to note anything you need to know that wasn’t in the advance. The single best piece of advice I’ve ever got for mixing is to write the band members’ names down! If you’re on monitors, write it on their mixes, on FoH on their vocal or instrument channels. It’s such a simple thing, but using their names during soundcheck makes them feel that you really are paying attention, and if someone yells “I need more of Dan in my wedge!”, halfway through a song with no hand gestures, you stand a fighting chance of knowing who and where Dan is. Communicating with them properly from the start will help them to relax so they can concentrate on having a better show. You’re also inviting them to let you know about problems constructively, instead of giving you the silent treatment then complaining after the fact that it sounded bad.

The same applies to any live event: take the initiative to introduce yourself to the client’s point of contact (or ask the head of the technical team to introduce you if that’s more appropriate) and be confident! I come from a background where modesty and talking down your skills is the norm, and confidence is looked down on as boasting, especially if you’re a woman. It took me far too long to understand that people look to the techs for reassurance that the show’s going to go smoothly. You needn’t be arrogant, just be secure in your abilities. Clients often gauge how well things are going by looking to you; the knock-on effects of you appearing happy or worried are definitely noticeable.

When things go wrong, and they will don’t let the confidence fade. Technical issues happen, it’s how you deal with them that’s important. Take a few seconds to assess whether you can fix the problem quickly. If not, it’s time to swallow your pride and let someone know. If you realise you’ve made a mistake don’t ignore it in the hopes, it’ll go away. The earlier you own up to it, the easier it is to deal with. For example, if you’ve forgotten to bring something from the warehouse, you might be able to get it delivered in time for the show if you mention it at 11 am, but you won’t have a chance at 6 pm. You might get teased or worse for it, but it’s much easier to forgive and forget as long as it’s alright in the end. How you deal with problems gets remembered much more than what the problems were.

As engineers, we often tend to shut out the outside world and think only about the signal path when something goes wrong during soundcheck or the show. While it’s great to be focused, taking a minute or two to tell someone else can actually speed up the problem-solving process, or at least prevent a stressed and angry client because the music has stopped and you’re ignoring them. If there’s another sound person there, tell them what’s happening. Two minds are better than one, and at the very least they can go and smooth things over with the band or event organiser while you get on with troubleshooting. It can be very frustrating when an already patronising colleague steps in and “rescues you,” but in the long run, it’s more important that the show goes well than that you were the one who saved the day.

If you’re the only tech, calmly tell whoever’s in charge what’s going on, and roughly how long it will take to fix. No need to waste time on details unless they ask; saying you have a technical issue but you’re working on it is usually enough. Don’t be tempted to tell even a little white lie! You never know who used to be a sound tech in a previous job, and bluffing to them could do you a lot more harm than good. Clients don’t care that an XLR has broken, all they want to know is whether you can fix it, how long it’ll take, and whether it’s likely to happen again. Remember the Scotty principle: overestimate the time you need by at least 25-50% to allow for unforeseen complications. People are much happier if you’re back up and running in 20 minutes when you said half an hour than if you promised them it’d be done in 10 or 15. Don’t waste time apportioning blame either. It’s impossible to look professional while pointing the finger at someone else, even if it was their fault.

There’ll be times where you might think there’s nothing that sharing the problem will do to help, but you never know. Someone might have a quick and simple solution that just didn’t occur to you because you’re stressed or inexperienced, or the event organisers could open the community fair with the sack race and move your band’s set to, later on, buying you precious time. You won’t know until you discuss it. You might be surprised by how willing people are to help if it ensures the success of the show, and makes life easier for that nice sound engineer who was so welcoming and friendly when they first arrived.

 

 

iZotope Workshop at Emerson College

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Visit iZotope for more information on their products.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

It’s the new year’s resolution time where many people look at setting goals such as eating healthier, exercising more, or to stop procrastinating as much.  While some stick with it others give up within the first month or so.  Some people don’t believe in setting resolutions while others like myself set new goals any time of year, especially when I feel like I have achieved a previous target. For me, as part of setting new goals, it is helpful to look back on the past year.

2017 brought a lot of change in my career and life.  What I decided early on in the year it was time for a career change.  I wasn’t unhappy where I was, but I had felt like I had achieved my goals and needed a significant change to continue to grow as a person and in my career.  So, I started the job hunt which resulted in a move later in the year. I was pretty lucky to have a job line up quickly, found great housing fast, and had a family to help me with all the transition.

As with any change though, there were things I would end up having to give up and things that would inevitably change even though I didn’t want it too. I wouldn’t see my friends every day and eventually lose touch with some. My surroundings would be unfamiliar for a long time, and I wouldn’t be the expert in my new position until I learned it and so much more.  Many of these changes I expected, while others I did not.

For instance, some friends change a lot faster when you move unexpectedly. I need to keep reminding myself that lifelong friends will always stick around – near or far a great friendship will last any distance. Meanwhile, getting out and joining clubs or groups will create new friendships closer to home which could also open new possibilities and new experiences. It is incredible how people are connected and meeting one new person could lead to networking connections for even more positive changes down the line.

As for learning my new job, that will take time, and I am just going to have to get used to that. Each organization runs differently and has different goals.  Even though the jobs are similar the people, venues, and events are different. It will take time to work through all the differences and changes as well as to improve it with my experiences and skills.

I never expected that doing sound would become mostly absent from my life. I hoped by changing my job would have become fun again by having a new environment to work in and new things to learn.  Diving back into sound is essential to me. I will work towards it one step at a time, so I can change the phrase “I use to do sound all the time” to “I do sound all the time.”  It will be an uphill challenge as I rebuild relationships, learn new technology, and balance it all; but it is one I am sure looking forward to!

Even with the things that have gone according to plan and the others that have not I would still make the changes I did because through these experiences I will only grow as a person and be ready for future opportunities to come. So, my goals for 2018 are to continue running with the change I started in 2017, see where all of it is going to take me this year, and get back into sound. All different kinds of goals can create a fun and challenging year. What are your sound goals for 2018?

Philadelphia SoundGirls Chapter Kick Off 2018

Attend the first meeting for 2018 for the Philadelphia Chapter of SoundGirls and find out what is in store for the organization and our local chapter in 2018. Meet other women in the industry. What do you want to learn about, have access to, or do this year with SoundGirls? Share your ideas and experiences with other women in audio engineering.

A tour of World Café Live Downstairs will follow the meeting for anyone interested in learning about their system. Open to any members of SoundGirls and new people interested in joining. SoundGirls is open to anyone who has a desire and drive to succeed in professional audio and is open to any gender, age, or experience level. Find out more at www.soundgirls.org.

 

How Business Classes Helped My Audio Career

Many business owners in our industry experience the same growing pain: there’s a struggle between doing the work you love and the demands of a business growing larger than you can manage. There’s a learning curve to business, and if you’re not prepared, it’ll cost you work, relationships, and most importantly, money.

In my first years in the field, I watched multiple businesses crumble up close. One studio went into bankruptcy because the owner made some poor choices. Another studio I worked for laid off most of their staff in one day. As I saw this, I was also faced with the reality that I would probably have to run my own business someday. I decided to take a couple of business classes at a local community college and found them so helpful that I completed a business certificate and went freelance shortly after.

Since standard business courses aren’t typically part of the arts/audio school curriculum, here’s a rundown of some useful classes and their application in the field.

Introduction to Business – this trains you how to think in terms of business and business opportunities. Before this, my boss and co-workers seemed more like friends than business colleagues. In actuality, decisions have to be made sometimes based on what’s best for the business.

An intro to business class will likely teach how to write a business plan. This is important if you have any interest in growing a company beyond a “lifestyle business” or plan to find investors or funding for your business. (A lifestyle business is where you have a comfortable income and lifestyle but not trying to expand the business to the max it could be. Most freelancers in the audio industry fall under lifestyle businesses.)

Entrepreneurship – An entrepreneur is someone open to taking more risks than the average business owner. This course was terrific for learning how to look for problems that need solutions, and how to turn those solutions into a business.

Accounting – An accounting course will teach skills like how to track spending, make and manage invoices, and business budgeting. The vital skill from a standard accounting course is learning how to make and read financial statements.  A “profit and loss” statement and a “balance sheet” will give you an overview of how healthy your business is financially.

In retrospect, I would have looked for an accounting class specifically geared towards small business, not for accountants in training.

Sales – This class was learning how to sell but not in a “door-to-door salesman pressuring you into something you don’t want” kind of way. Sales is about recognizing your strengths and what you have to offer and learning how to present that to people who may need it. It’s been a helpful skill to have when meeting potential clients or pitching/bidding on a project.

Helpful takeaways

In our field, the odds are that you will be a freelancer/contractor at some point in your career. Business knowledge and skills are necessary for survival. If you have taken a freelance or contract gig, you are already a business owner.

Before taking business classes, I assumed if my business grew I could hire someone to run it (or teach me how). That mindset is harmful to a business. A lot of business decisions revolve around money, so it’s crucial to understand your financials. A good accountant can help you get so far, but he/she probably won’t help you set rates or know the going rate of an assistant. A lot of this can be learned on the job – but ultimately the learning curve (and any mistakes made) cost you money. When you’re first getting started freelance every dollar counts

Bay Area SoundGirls Chapter

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Map of Campus

 

Klang 3D IN-EAR MIXING Workshop

SoundGirls & Schubert Systems will be hosting a workshop to learn about the Klang 3D In-Ear Monitor System.

Space is limited you must Register here

What will be covered

You can find more information on the Klang 3D In-Ear System

Chance to Win Mix with the Masters with Sylvia Massy

SoundGirls this a chance to win a spot at Mix with the Masters with Sylvia Massy. This is a week-long seminar valued approximately at $4,500 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/engineers to attend Mix with the Masters.

You are responsible for Travel to France.

The upcoming session will take place Feb. 27 – March 5, 2018

You can purchase a raffle ticket for $10 (you can purchase more than one to increase your chances)

We will draw a winner on Jan. 20th

We are also holding a second raffle that is free to enter for a chance to win a 35% discount of Mix with Masters with Sylvia Massy. You can enter here.

You are responsible for Airfare to France

Sylvia Massy is an American entrepreneur, music producer, mixer and engineer, writer and artist in the United States. Massy is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993’s Undertow, the full-length double platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles rock band Tool and her work with System of a Down, Johnny Cash and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Massy started out in San Francisco circa 1985 as a producer, engineer, and mixer for Rat Music. This led to her producing the punk band Verbal Abuse for Boner Records, engineering two projects for metal band Exodus and co-producing the Sea Hags independent album with a young guitarist Kirk Hammett, who had just finished the « Master Of Puppets » album with thrash metal group Metallica.

Towards the end of the 1980s, Massy moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles and took a job at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. At Tower, she met the members of a Buffalo, New York band named Green Jello (later known as Green Jelly) and helped them record their debut independent album. After finally getting on staff at Larrabee Sound in West Hollywood, she was hired by Zoo Records/BMG to produce Green Jello’s major label debut, which featured members of a new Los Angeles group called Tool. On Green Jello’s « Cereal Killer » album, the voice of Tool singer Maynard James Keenan is heard on the song  » Three Little Pigs,» as well as Tool drummer Danny Carey playing on the album. This began a relationship Massy would have with the band Tool that would span two records: Opiate and Undertow.

During her time in Los Angeles, Massy was also an engineer, producer or mixer on recordings from a diverse group of internationally-known artists, including Aerosmith, Babyface, Big Daddy Kane, Bobby Brown, Prince, Julio Iglesias, Seal, Skunk Anansie, Paula Abdul, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many more. She worked with manager Gary Kurfirst on Irish rock band Cyclefly for Kurfirst’s Radioactive Records.
At Larrabee Sound, Sylvia connected with producer Rick Rubin and would work with him on several projects spanning seven years.

From 1994 until 2001, Massy’s vintage Neve 8038 console and other specialized recording equipment occupied Studio B at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. Besides Massy’s own work at Sound City, several other successful projects were recorded on Massy’s equipment during these years, including albums by Sheryl Crow, Queens Of The Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Crowes and Lenny Kravitz. Massy’s equipment is visible in many scenes of Dave Grohl’s « Sound City Movie ».

Massy engineered and mixed several projects for veteran producer Rick Rubin, including Johnny Cash’s album Unchained, which won a Grammy award for Best Country Album in 1997. With Rubin, she also recorded Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Slayer, Donovan, Geto Boys, The Black Crowes, Danzig, and System of a Down’s debut album. In the ’90s, Massy also produced many popular artists, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sevendust, and Powerman 5000, which featured guest appearances from Rob Zombie and actor Malachi Throne from Star Trek fame. In 1997, Massy co-produced engineered and mixed Foo Fighters, Björk, Patti Smith, Sonic Youth and others for the Beastie Boys’ « Tibetan Freedom Concert » in New York with Adam Yauch and producer Pat McCarthy. Massy produced an album in the mid-nineties for young rising star Pauley Perrette who went on to play the part of Abby Sciuto in the NCIS television series.

Sylvia Massy will be conducting her second MWTM seminar from February 27 to March 5, 2018.

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 are 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 his 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, right attitude, and so on.

In short, for seven days participants are able to experience mixing with a master in both senses of the phrase, mixing and interacting with him.

Get more information about Studio La Fabrique

 

 

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