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Navigating the Build – Moving Day and More

I can’t believe it’s time. Five years ago I sat in a room with my coworkers and an architect and had a discussion about dreaming big; designing and planning a new student center that would have everything we wanted – everything we could dream of.  Of course shortly after that reality hit. The new student center is a state project with red tape and a limited budget. There’s always a limited budget.  Time to get realistic and decide what we need and list our wants in hopes there will be money left over for them.  Fast forward to the week before Christmas. The building is up, the meeting room programming is almost complete, and it’s time to get ready to move. Sounds pretty simple, however mobilizing such a big operation has been quite the ordeal.

As I am writing this blog, the equipment has been packed for two weeks but has not been picked up or delivered. The moving project turned out to be significantly more of an undertaking than anyone could have expected.

Preparation for the move meant a lot of packing.  Overall, it went pretty smoothly, which is why my stuff has been ready to go for the past two weeks.  Road cases are a marvelous invention! They are unique to our business and gave me an advantage over some of the other areas which also had to prepare for their move.  My department alone has 30 road cases, 55 pieces of equipment of various sizes, and 60 boxes of stuff to move.  

What slowed the process down were the memories; the historical representation of items found in the far back of closets; things that haven’t seen the light of day in years. For instance, as we were cleaning we found a projector from the ’80s and flyers from concerts held in the early ’90s.  With each item came conversation about “the old days.” Then there is the equipment we are retiring old and outdated equipment, including; a full lighting rig that hasn’t been updated since 1984, PAs that have been parted and pieced apart for years, and many other items that should have been retired years ago.  I finally get to move on from a light board that used a floppy disk for storage!  

light-board-floppy-disksThere are two parts of the move that have been hard.  One has been having the patience to wait for someone to move our stuff.  My team and I transport this equipment all the time for events.  But the labor has been contracted, and we have to wait and watch as others complete the task. The second is that some of the required equipment and other logistical necessities were not finished as we took occupancy. Some of these things are quick fixes like changing out light connections; others are going to take weeks and months to get finished.

The most frustrating part for me is that so many of these items are out of my hands, as they are considered part of the construction and punch-list items that other people are responsible for. I can’t change the situation so I will make the best of what I have and the resources given to me to create workarounds. For example, I will do what I can with my QSC’s on sticks and lights on stands. I’ll work toward solving some of the problems and must let others work on the problems I can’t fix. It is hard not to be able to get things done, but my job at this point it to find temporary fixes for my customers until the permanent fixes are in place.

new-multipurpose-roomIt’s exciting to think about working in a brand new facility.  Our soft opening was on January 3rd, and I am grateful that there is some time before the larger events. Perhaps by then the equipment we are missing will be available.  If not, I will be renting from some local companies until we can get our purchases figured out and installed.

You can read more on Heather’s Adventures in the Design and Build of the new Student Center.

Navigating a New Building – Planning the Build.

Navigating the Build – 100 Days to Show Time.

 

 

On Diversity in the Industry

These are a few of the questions I am asked on a regular basis.

Have things improved since you started in the industry?

The climate has changed since I first got into the audio industry as a student (in 1999). Back then, you’d go to an audio trade show (like AES or NAMM) and the women who generally got attention were “booth babes” (women dressed in skimpy clothes and taking photos with guys visiting their booth). Today, women working the floor and attending conventions are generally knowledgeable of the products they are selling or buying. You’ll meet interesting women who are engineers, mixers, product designers, product managers, software developers.

How often did you meet other women in the field back then?

It used to be rare to see female engineers or mixers in audio magazines or speaking publicly.

I didn’t meet or interact with a professional female engineer until my last year of college. I remember spending a lot of time observing my professor, Martha DeFrancesco, a classical music producer. I was intrigued about how she communicated and interacted during sessions because I really didn’t know how I should act or carry myself. It’s a balance for any producer to offer input and lead a session without being too aggressive or authoritarian – especially a female producer. Martha was a great role model for how to do that effectively.

Do you believe the film industry is sexist?

I think there’s a big difference between lack of diversity and sexism. I view sexism as saying a woman doesn’t deserve a job or opportunity as much as a man. In the US, that would be called “sex-based discrimination.” While this may be happening in some roles in the film industry, I generally don’t see it on the audio side. The audio industry (for film/tv) isn’t necessarily sexist; there’s just a lot of guys!

That’s not to say I haven’t experienced sex-based discrimination. I was asked at an interview once if I was married or planning on having kids soon (illegal!). A studio owner once told me he’d never hire a female assistant again because he had to fire the last one (illegal!) In instances like that, I could have easily reported it and got them in trouble, but it’s a catch-22 when you want (or need) a job. That’s the real battle that women and marginalized people face in the industry: when to speak up. Sometimes the higher road is to move on. You have to pick your battles and some aren’t worth fighting – not because you won’t win but because some opportunities (or difficult people) aren’t worth the effort.

Why are there not more women in top jobs? Is there a glass ceiling?

Most people who are getting into our field today have an equal opportunity if they are willing to put in the time/effort plus have the temperament and necessary skills (such as technical, business and social) to be employable. It could look biased if you compare across all levels of experience but someone entering the field today can’t compare themselves to someone who’s been in the field 30 years. Being realistic about it: If you’re looking for someone with 25 years of experience in the audio industry (in roles like engineer or mixer), there’s a 99% chance it’s going to be a guy. But, if you’re looking for someone with 10-15 years of experience, there’s maybe 90-95% chance of being a guy. That may not seem like a big difference, but as our big-name industry veterans start to retire (say, in the next ten years), there’s going to be qualified women moving into some of those top-tier jobs. In time, that circle will continue to grow. In 15 years, the look of the industry (and the dynamic) could be very different – and that’s when someone getting in the field today will be qualified for those top-tier opportunities.

What are your thoughts on helping/recommending other women who need work?

Some would argue that we (as women in the field) need to help other women get jobs but isn’t that a form of bias, too? I don’t recommend friends or family unless I’m positive they are the best person for the job, so why would I prioritize someone just because of their gender or race? When I meet a woman who needs help finding work, I treat her exactly the same as a man; I ask, what is her experience level? How is her attitude? How open is she to learning? Does she seem like a good match for any professionals/facilities I have a relationship with already? I’m happy to recommend someone for a job or internship when I think the relationship will benefit both parties.

With that said, I think there’s a huge benefit to being visible and accessible to other women (when it seems appropriate) and that can lead to opportunities. Maybe it’s as simple as an email exchange, meeting for coffee, introduction, or letting someone sit in with you on the job for a day. In some cases, that support may be assistance with job placement or an internship/mentorship.

The more women share stories and knowledge it’ll allow other women who are interested in the field or who need assistance to come forward for that support. That’s the great thing about organizations like Soundgirls.org or Women’s Audio Mission that bring us together. They’re openly saying, “yeah, there are women working in the field and they do the job just as well as anyone else.” Not only can we find each other, but we are becoming a support network to each other in ways other than just “help me find a job.” In the end, that kind of support makes us unique – and that could attract more women to the field, too.

What are you going to stand up for this year?

There is a story in We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, from her childhood in Nigeria. Her teacher told her class that the student with the highest score on a particular test would become the class monitor. But when Adichie got the highest score, her teacher said the class monitor had to be a boy. So the job was given to a male student. At the end of the story, she says this:

“If we do something over and over again, it becomes normal. If we see the same thing over and over again, it becomes normal. If only boys are made class monitor, then at some point we will all think, even if unconsciously, that the class monitor has to be a boy. If we keep seeing only men as heads of corporations, it starts to seem “natural” that only men should be heads of corporations.”

Adichie’s words resonated with me, as I’m sure they resonate with many women working in sound. How many times have you experienced an automatic assumption that sound engineers are male? From the upfront “Oh, I thought you’d be a guy” when you arrive at a gig, to articles in industry publications that consistently use male pronouns when referring to sound engineers, to the lack of women on industry panels.

Last year I was invited to speak on the panel of an audio event. One of the questions put to me was why I thought there were so few women working in professional sound. I asked the audience to consider how visible women are in the industry. Open any industry magazine and count the number of women featured in it – that is to say, women interviewed or profiled, not just included in photographs (although that’s worth noting as well). Unless it’s a publication specifically aimed or about women working in music and sound, I can guarantee that there are significantly fewer women featured than men.

What message does that send to girls and young women wanting to explore a career in sound? Just as Adichie says, if we see something over and over again, it becomes normal. At the moment the industry reinforces the message that it doesn’t look “natural” for a woman to become a sound engineer. As I told the audience at this event, if a young person looks at a career path and they don’t see someone with whom they can identify, then they will be far less inclined to go after that career path.

After the panel, I chatted with organisers of the event, and we discussed the lack of women in the magazine published by their company. One of the organisers suggested that this was because their publication reflected the current makeup of the industry (mainly men) and that they’d include more women if there were more working in the industry. My response back to her was: it may be how the industry looks at the moment, but do you want it to look this way, always?

The turbulent political and social events that shaped last year served as a clear reminder to me that if I want more women to feel they have a place, in general, and in our industry specifically, I have to fight for it. I want to see more women in the sound industry, more active supporters of women working in sound, and more girls and young women actively pursuing careers in audio.

There are many forms of active support. You can speak up when you hear or read bigoted or divisive rhetoric. You can write to industry publications and conferences and ask them about their commitment to diversity. You can volunteer your services to your local SoundGirls chapter for community outreach programmes and be part of encouraging and educating the next generation of sound engineers. Show them that there is a place for them.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s important you act on it. Aim to be heard. The challenges that you see won’t change on their own. This year, what are you going to do about them? How are you going to stand up?

SoundGirls NAMM Sunday Breakfast

Join us on January 22st at 9:00 am for breakfast

We are looking forward to meeting members from near and far.  Even if you are not attending NAMM you are welcome to join us.

The La Brea Bakery in Downtown Disney is close to NAMM allows members time to talk before the last day of NAMM starts.

RSVP to soundgirls@soundgirls.org so we can get a head count.

La Brea Bakery

SoundGirls NAMM Saturday Night Dinner

Join us on January 21st at 7:00 pm for dinner and drinks

We are looking forward to meeting members from near and far.  Even if you are not attending NAMM you are welcome to join us.

The Gypsy Den is a good mix for vegans and non-vegans.  They are open until 10 pm and serve drinks. It is off campus so you can escape the hustle and bustle of NAMM.  It is about 13 minutes away and a perfect use of Uber. RSVP to soundgirls@soundgirls.org so we can get a head count.

The Gypsy Den

 

SoundGirls Join Women’s March on Washington – Los Angeles

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Women’s March on Washington – Los Angeles

Several of our members will be taking part in the historic march. Let’s march as a group.

SoundGirls – Executive Director Karrie Keyes and Co-Director Tiffany Hendren will meet members that want to march at The Last BookStore at 8 am. At 8:30 we will walk to Pershing Square to join the march.  The March starts at 10 am and will end at City Hall.

Please note: allow yourself enough time to find parking – there will be road closures due to the march. Comfy shoes and water. The march is one mile.

For more info on the Women’s March on Washington Los Angeles

SoundGirls Members Meet at

The Last Bookstore

453 S Spring St – Ground Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90013

8:00 am

If you miss us – text us at 805 797 0761

WHEN

Saturday, January 21, 2017

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST

WHERE

Downtown L.A.

Pershing Square to City Hall

WHO

The march is open to everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties, tolerance of diversity, and compassion for our shared humanity.

 

Drama School, Darling

Knock, knock.

(Who’s there?)

The sound designer because the practical doorbell doesn’t work.

(and that is the most wholesome joke that I could come up with – don’t let anyone tell you that people who work in Sound aren’t funny)

So anyway…

My name is Candice Weaver and I am student at RADA studying towards a postgraduate degree in Sound Design for Theatre.

Prior to my current degree, I also completed an Undergraduate Bachelors in Commercial Music at the University of Westminster, where I really discovered sound design and started working in theatre. Since then I have been fortunate enough to work with the English National Opera, Secret Cinema, and casual at the Royal Opera House among others (Sleep? Never heard of it).

Having realised that I definitely didn’t possess the skills to really get into theatre yet, naturally I thought ‘Well hey! Drama school sounds good!’, but little did I know that it was this exhausting, this time-consuming, and often just a little bit ridiculous.

It is also, however, ridiculously rewarding and without a doubt the best thing I have ever done.

At RADA (or, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art as we are sometimes known), we really run as a mini-rep production house and we have three theatres:

– the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre

– the George Bernard Shaw Theatre (The GBS for short)

– and, the John Gielgud Theatre

They each vary in size and can have stagings in any variation. For instance the Vanbrugh Theatre is traditionally a proscenium arch, however we have a musical opening this February which will be staged in-the-round.

Every six weeks we turn around three new shows in each of our theatres (excepting twice a year when we do a Film/Radio production block), and we can easily get through hundreds of shows/productions and events/film screenings/galas throughout the academic year. Every student coming into RADA has the opportunity to work on these shows, which are all staffed by students in every role – from third year actors to sound/LX designers, scenic artists, construction, flymen/women, technical management and stage management). They’re also directed by external directors, and for the majority are Designed (costume/set) by external professionals, too. What’s better is that the public can actively come and see our productions (which each run for a couple of weeks after opening, after which we tear them down and start all over again).

 

I’ve now worked in all three of our theatres as both Production Sound Engineer and Sound Designer, and the next project is the musical A Little Night Music staged in-the-round, in our Vanbrugh Theatre. I will be the Associate Sound Designer for this production – for a musical, which we only stage once a year, we tend to get in industry Sound/Lighting Designers simply because the musical is usually quite a momentous task; this naturally still means that I’ll be dealing with the rig plans, budget, organising system diagrams, attending rehearsals, and passing on any relevant information to my PSE’s and Sound No. 1/Sound No. 2’s/Operators.

The show roles are generally given out based on what our next step of learning might be, as well as what our personal goals are – for instance in my first year of RADA, I only did a couple of sound designs because I needed to focus on my Production Sound and practical skills.

 

I’ve also just finished a Film block where I was the Sound Assistant/Boom Operator – we filmed three films across a few weeks, all on locations found by my fellow students. In my first year I completed a Radio block which also involved studio recordings of three plays in RADA’s main studio in the Sound Department, editing them together, adding sound design, and eventually taking them to be mastered in a professional studio.

I’ve certainly had plenty to keep me busy since starting RADA in September 2015, from production roles to projects, and I really am looking forward to getting our next shows up and running. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to have something for audiences to come and see, and be able to understand where sound design sits in the larger scale of productions.

I’ll also look forward to sharing some of the things that I’ve been up to with you, and my experiences as I complete my final year of drama school (darling).

(I’ll definitely be bringing more jokes with me)

*Photo credits for 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 belong to Linda Carter for RADA

 

She Rocks Awards Tickets Available to Members

sra17-logoThe Women’s International Music Network, She Rocks Awards and Laura Whitmore have graciously donated silver tickets to SoundGirls.Org.  These tickets are available to SoundGirls.Org members and available on a first come first serve basis. We ask that members who are able to purchase tickets do so, it is a great event and organization.

Please request your ticket by emailing us at soundgirls@soundgirls.org.

Check out all the Women being honored at the She Rocks Awards 2017

You can read interviews with the Honorees on Front and Center, every week leading up to the event.

She Rocks Awards  – at the NAMM Show

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017

7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.

Anaheim Hilton Hotel, Anaheim, CA

777 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

SoundGirls Presents – Sennheiser Wireless Workshop

Join us for a two day Wireless Workshop with Gussie Miller and Brian Walker of Sennheiser.  Gussie and Brian will lead a two day workshop on wireless and will cover topics from RF Best Practices, to the shrinking of the RF spectrum. Get hands on experience with the newest Sennheiser wireless technology, and gain an understanding of the differences between Sennheiser wireless systems.

This two day workshop will be held at Schubert Systems in North Hollywood.

Jan. 24 – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – with an hour lunch break

This day will include Lectures and Power Points on Understanding RF and RF Coordination. There will be hands on training with the equipment.

Jan. 25 – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – with an hour lunch break

This day will focus on lecture in the morning, after lunch we will set up and work with a live band.

This is an all-star band featuring

Herman Matthews: Tower of Power, Kenny Loggins, Tom Jones and more

Jay Gore: Lauryn Hill, The Pointer Sisters, Keb’ Mo and more

Ewin Livingston: Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am, Aretha Franklin and more

Noriko Olling: Chaka Khan, P!nk, Gladys Knight and more

This promises to be a amazing Hands on Learning Experience. Please RSVP to soundgirls@soundgirls.org to secure your spot. This event is free for members of SoundGirls. A big thanks to Sennheiser and Schubert Systems for their support of SoundGirls.Org.

Brian Walker is a Sennheiser RF expert and has many years of RF experience as a broadcast engineer. He has an extensive background in wireless system, RF troublshooting and frequency coordination.

Gussie Miller is a Sennheiser Customer Development and Applications Engineer. Gussie Miller has run the gamut of audio experiences,having engineered worldwide broadcasts for NASA TV, and having been the technical supervisor for ABC TV’s “The Glass House”. Mr. Miller was also one of the music mix engineers for KCET’s “Artbound” and UFC broadcasts. Miller has also been on the rental staff of Location Sound and ATK/Audiotek and has years of experience as a Camera Technician and Indie Film Producer.

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