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Let the Music Take Care of You

Today I would like to share an inspiring experience I had in Canada a few years ago during a Jazz Master Class event promoted by Concordia University in Montreal. The master class was given by well-known Dezron Douglas: bassist (double bass), a New York-based Composer, bandleader, sideman, educator, and a major force in contemporary creative music.

The event took place on a Friday afternoon at the John Molson Building, a Concordia campus in downtown Montreal.

Here’s the short version of the story:

Excuse me, do you know where the jazz master class is? — I asked when I reached the information desk in the lobby of the building.

Yes, this is floor 8, door 135 — she told me with a smile and pointed to the elevator.

Thank you very much! —I replied.

When I got to the floor where it was, a guy asked me too.

Hi, do you know if the jazz master class is here?

Yes, I think it’s there on the left, let’s go and see. —I answered and we walked together to the place. 

Yes, it’s here. — I told him when I peeked in the door. 

Where are you from? — he asked.

From Spain, and you?

From Mexico! —We started laughing when we saw that we were both Spanish speakers.

Do you play an instrument? — he asked me.

Yes, the transverse flute, now I always carry it with me, because you never know when an opportunity might arise. And you?

I play the drums. I also brought my drumsticks, just in case.

When we went inside, we saw that there were a lot of young people, most of them seemed to be musicians, but it was an event that could be attended by anyone who wanted to. At the beginning of the master class, Dezron began to talk about how he started his career in music, he comes from a family of musicians, and he told us about his experiences, since his childhood he has always been involved in music.

Inspiring moments from the talk 

I really enjoyed the talk; it was very inspiring and that’s why I want to share a few highlights with you.

He pointed out: “You have to fail to get the music right, we are all afraid to fail, but that is part of the way”. 

In music, the important thing is not to keep the rhythm, but to feel it and follow it, to get into the heart of the story.

“Take care of the music and it will take care of you,” he told us all.

Another topic he talked about that I really liked was the “team beat”, the heartbeat of the team. That is, a team that communicates through eye contact has a good rhythm, tells a story with their instruments, with a lot of synergy, where everything flows as a whole and manages to touch the listener’s heart. That is the best thing about a band, to be a team.

In the talk, he invited anyone who wanted to play a jazz-related theme.

First, a music band decided to play, they were not random people, it was a band that practiced together outside of this master class, they did very well, the teacher gave them some tips, and they repeated the piece once again.

Then he asked again if anyone wanted to play, at that moment my heart rate went up to 100 BPM and I got tense just thinking that I could play and have the opportunity to have him listen to me. I didn’t say anything. However, the Mexican guy sitting next to me pulled out his drumsticks, stood up, and walked over to the drums. He was joined by a pianist and a double bass player.

Oh! Maybe I’m missing the chance to play in front of Dezron? — I wondered.

They started to play, and the teacher stopped them right away, he told them nicely that everyone was going in opposite directions, and the double bass was playing in a different pitch, it was like he was arguing with the piano. The teacher also reminded them that the rhythm they were taking on this “walk through the music” was not going very well. It seemed like they were going off on their own. It’s fair to say they were nervous because the room was full of people who didn’t know each other and had never played together before, but the teacher guided them very nicely. There’s nothing wrong with something not going well at first and not trying is the biggest failure.

 

My jam session with CB59 band in Spain

 

Nervousness, fear of taking the plunge and trying?

After the second round, the teacher invited again if anyone else wanted to play. A few people stood up and went to the instruments. I thought to myself: “Either you step up or you lose this opportunity now”. During this very moment, he asked, “Does anyone else have any questions?” So, I raised my hand, and he came toward me and I said in a low voice: “I’d like to participate, but I don’t play like a jazz professional”. He promptly replied with humor: “Neither do I and I play!” We both smiled and I felt encouraged to jump in.

I got up with my flute and joined the musicians: a guitarist, a drummer, and a bass player who were already ready to play. Coincidentally, this arrangement of instruments was the same one I used to play in jam sessions with a blues and jazz band in my small town in Spain called CB59. For a moment it looked like I was going to play with them instead.

What can we play? — everyone asked.

“Blue Bossa“, do you know it? — I suggested.

Yes, of course! — they all answered in unison.

I was so glad to hear that because I loved playing that piece in Spain.

Oh, very good choice! —the teacher congratulated.

Then I looked at everyone in the group and I noticed how the drummer was setting the rhythm and we all jumped right in.

We had a bad start and then we all stopped. In Spain, I used to have a verbal agreement with the band. Before starting a jam session, we talk to each other about how to start the piece and who is going to do the solo, and how many times. So even though it is a jam session, we have an idea of how we are going to play and we keep this structure while playing.

I’m sorry, how do we start? — I asked them.

First, we play a little introduction and then you come in. — they all told me, including the teacher.

So, we started again, when I came in with the melody my mind went blank because I was a little nervous, we didn’t stop playing, so I concentrated again and the second time the melody came out perfectly. Then I looked at the guitarist and he started his solo and after he finished his solo, we all played together and I played the melody again to end the song.

The teacher started clapping loudly and enthusiastically.

That is a “team beat”! — he told us excited. That is, a team that communicates through the eyes, keeps a good rhythm, and follows the story.

How long have you been playing together? — the teacher asked us in amazement. I was surprised by the question because I had made a mistake during the presentation, but when I played, it was true that I felt this connection with the team, and with the music as a whole.

It was the first time we played together. — And we laughed.

He congratulated me and said:

On the second melody, you came in strong, very good, now we all have the melody in our heads. He then complimented the guitarist on his improvisation and the drummer as well and encouraged the bassist to keep going. Don’t be afraid to step out of line and do some soloing. he said. Congratulations to everyone, really, a round of applause! — he said proudly. And the whole audience applauded us.

Then Dezron performed his show playing double bass with a pianist and the master class ended.

I went to thank him. Thank you for everything you showed us today, it was very interesting and inspiring. — we hugged each other. Can I take a picture with you? — I asked him because I wanted to have a souvenir picture.

Yes, of course!

But everyone started coming over to talk to him when I was getting my camera ready. I just stood there with my cell phone, looking around, in the middle of the people, waiting hopefully for my turn to come back. In the meantime, a girl came up to me and congratulated me and told me that she was a singer and a flute player too, so I started talking to her. There were a lot of people talking to Dezron and after a while of waiting I saw that the souvenir picture would no longer be feasible as I had to leave, I seized a fraction of time to say goodbye to him and I left.

From all this, we see that many people are afraid to play in public, and the more we face it, the more we gain confidence. It is difficult, but you must take the step, even if you fail, you will be proud that you tried. And a sense of humor can make things more bearable.

That day I was very happy because of what Dezron had told me and because I had the chance to play with wonderful people. I ended up without my souvenir picture but with the certainty in my heart that if you take care of the music, the music will always take care of you.

With love,

Lydia Guía

 

Emily Pearce – From the Marines to Live Sound Engineer

 

Emily Pearce is the Monitor Engineer and RF Tech for independent artist Blue October. Emily is a longtime musician, learning to play piano at age seven, and would play throughout high school. She also learned to play clarinet and taught herself the oboe in middle school, while playing with percussion ensembles and the drumline during high school and college. Emily learned to play the bass guitar while attending The Los Angeles Recording School.

Emily would enroll at Grand Valley State University in the music education program, yet after two semesters Emily joined the Marines and auditioned for the Marine Corps band. Emily didn’t make the cut which Emily believes was a blessing in disguise after learning about her friend’s poor experience with the Marine Corps Band.  Emily would serve a four-year term working in Marine Corps aviation with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-13 and VMX-1 both out of Yuma Arizona. She received an honorable discharge as a Sergeant.

After being discharged Emily became interested in the technical side of music production and reached out to a few engineers to get a feel for what that might be like.  Emily loved the idea of touring and working live events and used her military benefits to enroll in The Los Angeles Recording School, graduating with an Associate Degree of Science in Recording Arts.

Emily believes the seeds to work in the music industry were planted long before she realized these jobs existed, growing up Emily says she has vivid memories “of Michael Jacksons Thriller, Journey, and Metallica playing in our living room.  Alongside artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles.  I was always borrowing (with or without permission) my older brother’s mp3 player and my older sister’s CD player so I could jam some MCR, Atreyu, and Death Cab for Cutie.  I developed a love for metal and went to my first show at 15 and fell in love.”

Career Start


How did you get your start?

I moved to Los Angeles to attend The Los Angeles Recording School in 2017 to take the opportunity to dip my toes into a major market.  Since the program I attended was primarily studio focused, I took a lot of volunteer opportunities around town and was the person that showed up to a gig to just ask questions.  I shadowed a few people at White Oak Music and Arts in the valley and The Viper Room on the strip in Hollywood.  I attended a SoundGirls class on live sound at the Ventura Theater and was linked up with a summer internship at Schubert Systems.  I worked my butt off and showed I could learn and be a part of a team. I was hired full-time and worked there up until the pandemic.  During that time I learned so much and was afforded a lot of opportunities to network and grow.  None of us were hired as just one specific role which gave me experience in many positions like being a Systems/PA tech, RF tech, stage tech, and mix engineer for notable artists.  I also met people who hired me for my current gig, which may be the best part.

I also worked at a few clubs/theaters around town including The Whiskey, The Federal NOHO, and The Satellite in Silver Lake to name a few.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

Understanding your place in a team is just as important as being the leader of it.  Being teachable and asking questions when you don’t know something will make people trust you more than if you think you know better than everyone else.  And if you are mixing monitors, don’t take it personally.

Career Now:

What is a typical day like?

I am primarily a touring engineer as of right now.  We usually start loading in at 11 am and with a lunch break, we are usually ready for line check with techs at about 2:30-3 pm.  The guys come to the stage to check a few songs and will sometimes use that time to work on adding new songs to the setlist. Depending on how long they want the stage, we are usually done and have a small break from 4-5 pm before the meet and greet.

During our meet and greet, the band plays one song and while the band takes pictures, the techs get the stage peeled for the opener and cover the set.  Dinner break is 6-8 pm.  I use this time to hang out and make sure I’m ready for the set by putting fresh batteries in all my wireless, checking my scenes/setlist for correct order, making sure I’ve saved my file, etc.  We do another line check right before the set starts at 9 pm.  Our show I almost 2 hours so we are usually loaded out and lock the trailer at midnight.  Then we shower and get to the bus before call usually around 2-3 am.

How do you stay organized and focused?

I like to make sure everything goes back in the same place and in the same order just as a general rule.  This applies to our trailer pack and how gear is packed in the cases and how it’s set up/torn down.  Things like mics and labeled looms/cables are all inventoried by me before they go into cases.  I always pack up my personal things like laptops, adapters and my in ears first followed by the band’s molds and wireless.  Making sure you have a routine helps you not misplace gear especially when load out is moving fast.

I have a photographic memory so I’m pretty good at seeing when something is missing, but having a physical list of gear or order of operations for yourself could be a good way to do the same thing.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love the problem-solving and technical aspects of my job.  It’s always fun to figure out a new way to do something or an easier way to get the job done.  I love live events because of the finality of a show and how fast things move.

What do you like least?

RF anxiety on a daily basis.  Our space is shrinking rapidly.

If you tour what do you like best?

I love traveling and working with amazing people while doing what I love.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m really awake.


What do you like least?

I don’t love paying for an apartment back home when I’m hardly in it.


What is your favorite day off activity? 

I love going to get a good meal on days off.  Usually something local or what that place may be famous for.  Second to that would be hiking and mall walking.

What are your long-term goals?

I would love to work on bigger festivals and shows than what I am doing right now, although I’m pretty content with the level of touring I’m at.  I am spoiled and skipped van tours.  I just want to always come to the gig excited to work the show and excited to see the people I work with. Right now I’m so blessed that I have both of those things.

My long-term goals are probably more knowledge/skill oriented than working for a huge artist.  I just want to be the best I can be at my job.

What obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I am lucky that I haven’t faced too many obstacles along the way.  I know that working in a vastly male-dominated world can be daunting to some, but that is something I was used to since I am a former Marine where the numbers are almost identical to live audio.  I have been turned down from gigs because a touring camp didn’t want a woman on the bus, but that is their loss and I wouldn’t want to work with people who don’t want me around for something so trivial.

How have you dealt with them?

I find that walking into a gig or venue with the right attitude makes those around you respect you.  I tend to show up to the gig with a level of confidence that shows I should be respected, not to be confused with arrogance or false confidence.  I’d like to think that’s working for me because I rarely encounter anyone who gives me a hard time.  Plus I know I have 11 brothers with me on the bus that always have my back.

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

Have confidence.  In my experience, the industry is changing, especially after the pandemic.  A lot of the people who had old ways of thinking have been weeded out.  Trust yourself and know that you belong.

Must have skills?

Wrapping cable and a good attitude will take you a very long way.  Signal flow and having a good grasp of digital gear are a must as well.

Favorite gear?

I love having a Q box with me.  I was generously gifted with one and it’s one of my favorite things to have with me if I need to troubleshoot.  I’m also very grateful for Shure’s wireless workbench software.  It’s essential for coordinating wireless and I use it daily while on tour.

Anything else you want to add or contribute

Never stop asking questions and learning your craft.

And a huge shout out to Mike G from Schubert Systems for giving me an amazing start, to Josh Sarraulte for teaching me and continuing to teach me everything I know, and to Mckenzee Morley for hooking me up with my current gig.

The people you meet and form friendships with along the way are one of the most important things you do!

Time to Train

 

At the beginning of this year, I made a major life change

I left a tour to see what life would be like living off the road, specifically in New York City. Touring folk tend to fall into two camps: those who are planning to eventually go to NYC to live and work full time, and those who enjoy visiting, will go there for shop prep, but never want to live there. They’re either happy to head back to their home locals when they get off tour or plan to spend the majority of their career on the road. I’ve always been of the mind that touring was a phase of my career, not the endgame. I know I’ll miss it, I look forward to visiting for vacation coverage or tech periods, but I’m ready to try something new.

It’s rare that you’ll move to the city and immediately get a full-time show tossed in your lap (although there are people that move here because they have a job already lined up), so I came here with the intention to find work subbing on the mix for Broadway shows (which would provide income, but also counts towards qualifying days to help me keep my health insurance, plus getting to mix!) as well as working in the shops (for income and the ability to meet more people in the industry, so part socializing, part networking).

Thanks to my time on the road, I have some contacts here, so I came to the city with a rough semblance of a plan. Part of which was subbing on Funny Girl. The same sound design team I worked with on Mean Girls also did Funny Girl, so when I let them know I was planning to leave the tour and move to the city, they put me on their list of people they could call. It worked out that they needed to get someone up on the mix around the time I settled in, so  I was able to get approved by management and start the training process fairly quickly.

When you’re learning to mix an existing show

You usually have between two and three weeks (16-24 shows) to get from watching the show to mixing it and your training is live, during performances with a paying audience. I got approved about a week before I actually started (it took time to finalize a schedule), so I was able to get the script and an audio archive recording of the show to start. It’s a much shorter process than I’ve talked about in a previous blog, but I still retyped the script, added in my own annotations (all the while listening to the recording of the show so I could get familiar with it), and practiced mixing it all the way through at least once a day, going through my script, adjusting or adding notes or figuring out how to make page turns easier.

Once I was in the theatre I set a rough schedule of goals. I try to break it down so I watch the show at least once, only to watch so I can start to connect what’s happening onstage to what I’ve been hearing in the recording. Then I’ll use a couple of shows to watch the mixer with my script in front of me and make notes or mark questions. Next, I’ll ghost mix for a few shows, which is basically the same thing I did with my practice board the previous week, just in the theatre, during the show where I can see how my timing lines up with the mixers. Usually, you can make a side fader bank on the console blank, so I can mix at the console, next to the mixer, without actually controlling anything. After that, I’ll start mixing the show, a few scenes at a time, adding on more each show, and ghost-mixing the rest. Finally, once I’ve mixed through the full show, I’ll plan it out so I have a few shows left in the training period where I’m just mixing the show, getting repetitions so I can settle in.

It’s worth noting that as a sub, my script has far more markings than when I’m the primary where I learn the show in tech and consistently mix it afterward. A sub is someone they’ll call for sick days, vacations, or possibly for a brush-up if it’s been a while. All of this means that I might go weeks or even months between mixing (hopefully if it’s months, that’s where the brush-up show would come in), so I need to have more detailed notes instead of assuming that I’ll remember some timing or nuance.

When you’re breaking down the show into sections

There are a couple of ways to do it, based on how you learn best:

Personally, I prefer to learn a show first to last, and this seems to be the case with most mixers. After consistently mixing shows for a long period of time, I have a system for my script and notations to make busier, more complicated scenes easier to navigate. That way, jumping straight into a difficult scene isn’t as daunting. Plus, I found I don’t have to look down at my hands as often anymore. In my last blog, I talked about how I anchor the heel of my hands on the console and that muscle memory reference helps me know how far I’m throwing the fader. That means I can keep my attention on the script and what’s coming next instead of having to always check where my levels are.

However, when I’m the one responsible for training someone (usually when an A2 is learning the mix) I like to use the least to most complicated method. It tends to be a good way for people who are either new to mixing or don’t do it on a regular basis to ease into the show.

No matter how many shows you’ve learned or how comfortable you feel mixing, it’s a daunting task

The first show I started pushing faders for real on Funny Girl (I mixed almost the first 30 minutes of the show), I was so nervous: my palms were sweating, my shoulders were tense, and I was on edge the entire time. I try to keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes, especially when they’re learning, but that only does so much to ease your mind in a high-stress environment. However, as you start mixing chunks of the lives shows, the mixer is always standing by, ready to step in if you lose your place in the chaos of a busy scene or fumble a section and need a moment to regroup. They’ll gradually give you more space as you settle in because it’s also important for you to learn how to recover if you miss a pickup, but they’re still there to support you and get you back on track.

There’s a period after you’ve mixed a few shows and you’re getting comfortable: this is a danger zone.  This is where you’re prone to make more mistakes than at the beginning.

The first few times you mix a show you’re laser-focused and have plenty of adrenaline pumping through your system. As you mix scenes over and over again, that adrenaline starts to fade and you end up thinking about notes you got from the last show or a mistake you made before that you need to avoid. This is when the easy things that you thought you knew to start to slip and you make more mistakes.

I call them regression shows. In high school, we called it the “second show slump” when our first show would be great and full of energy, in the second show almost everything would go wrong, and then the third would finally be solid. Regression shows happen at different points on different shows and for different mixers, but there will likely be a point where you’ve mixed something enough times to feel confident and then out of the blue you’ll make a dumb mistake. When I was training on Mean Girls, I did well as I was learning the mix and flubbed a few smaller things like band moves or cues that were just a touch late. Then, when I was mixing the full show for the first time, I ended up missing two pickups that I’d never missed before, neither of which were in the scenes I was mixing for the first time. Same on Funny Girl: the first pick-up I missed was the fifth show I mixed, and it came with the third page (so a section I’d mixed all five times) as I was focusing on a band move.

Every time, you just have to get back up and keep going. The more mistakes you make, the better you become at recovering and sometimes you’ll even be able to catch them before you miss a line or stop yourself before you take a cue at the wrong time. The more shows you do, the more you discover better ways to help yourself learn which speeds up the process. Always ask for help when you need it: if someone’s training you to mix, they already know you can do it and they want to help you succeed.

Boosting Women’s Voices: Cutting Through The Noise

When it comes to editing voices, it’s a job filled with variety, constantly reacting to what hits the ears. While an initial setup of EQ templates might be a starting point for some, every voice is unique. Women’s voices tend to have wildly different tones and timbres that vary from person to person, and editing seems to be an area that’s often hit-and-miss across music and the spoken word. The NCBI Library of Medicine states that the male speaking voice averages around 60 – 180Hz, while the female voice generally sits around 160 – 300Hz, with roughly an octave’s difference in pitch. Despite this, there seems to be a wild disparity in how women’s voices are treated in general. Perhaps the most common problem can be summarised as cutting too much in the lower areas, and boosting too much in the higher areas when women’s voices are in the mix.

Spoken word

With the podcast industry booming, it’s interesting to observe the difference in the editing of women’s voices compared to men’s. The lack of De-esser treatment, and the copious boosting of high-end frequencies often lead to distraction with every ‘t’ and ‘s’ sound that occurs. Sibilance and harshness can abound, and pull us away from what women are actually saying.

Diagram of the Fletcher-Munson Curve

The Fletcher-Munson Curve measures how our bodies perceive loudness. It is also often referred to as the “equal loudness contour”. Created by Harvey Fletcher and Milden A. Munson in the 1930s, the pair demonstrated how loudness affects the human ear at different frequencies, and where we would perceive (or feel) these pitches and volumes as unpleasant. The most sensitive of these frequency areas that offends the ears lies between 3 – 5kHz, which is the danger zone for sibilance.

Business titan Barbara Corcoran is a fantastic speaker and all-around inspirational career woman. Her voice naturally leans to the high end in pitch and tone and has a propensity for sibilance. When I’d previously watched her on the television show Shark Tank, it was clear that this was her vocal sound, yet when I recently listened to her as a guest on a podcast, I was saddened to hear the edit of Barbara’s voice was jarring in the high-end, and desperately needed a De-esser. I was curious to see how closely my perception of the sound was aligned with what was measurably coming out, so I decided to analyse the podcast in contrast with another recording. I used a Spectral Analysis tool, capturing a snapshot of a word with an ‘s’ sound to compare the two different recordings as fairly as possible, and listened through the same speaker.

Barbara speaking at a TEDx Talk

 

I first measured Barbara speaking at a TEDx Talk. There was definitely a slight peak in the range of 3-5kHz when measuring Barbara’s talk, however, the peak was only a little above the others, notably its neighbour around 2kHz, and again a little above the 500Hz peak. Audibly, the voice still sounds high and naturally sibilant, however, there is a softness to the ‘s’ sound that does not detract from the talk.

In the bottom graph, the peak is marked around the 3 – 5kHz range and stands alone above the peaks in lower ranges, which demonstrates that this problem area is in fact considerably louder than the other frequencies, and not just perceived to be louder and distracting by the ear.

 

Diagram Barbara Corcoran’s voice in the TEDx Talk (top image) versus as a podcast guest (bottom image). 

Diagram Barbara Corcoran’s voice in the TEDx Talk (top image) versus as a podcast guest (bottom image).

 

Music

In music, the same problems surround women singers. Often, in striving to add ‘air’ or ‘brightness’ or ‘clarity’ to a vocal, women’s voices succumb to the harshness in the 3 – 5kHz range. In boosting above 2kHz a little too liberally, and adding reverb or other effects that can further highlight the high-end, women’s voices can end up sounding thin, jarring, and full of squeaky ‘s’ sounds. So how do the experts celebrate the richness and full tonal spectrum of strong women’s vocals, and do it so well?

In a 2011 interview talking about the making of Adele’s album 21, producer Paul Epworth and mix engineer Tom Elmhirst gave a run-down of their process. The pair have worked with some formidable women’s voices, from Florence + The Machine and Amy Winehouse to Adele. On the song Rolling In The Deep, Elmhirst used the Waves Q6 EQ on the chorus vocal, pulling out certain frequencies “very, very heavily”:

“I had the Q6 on the chorus vocal, notching out 930, 1634, and 3175 Hz very, very heavily: -18dB, -18dB, and -12.1dB respectively, with very narrow Q. I also had the EQIII on the lead-vocal sub, notching something out again. Something obviously needed to be taken out. The vocal is the most important thing in the track, and taking those frequencies out allowed me to keep it upfront in the mix, particularly in the chorus. Regarding the outboard, I had the Pultec EQ, Urei 1176, and the Tube-Tech CL1B on the lead vocal sub-insert. The Pultec boosted around 100Hz and 12k. It’s colourful, but not drastic. There was not a lot of gain.” 

 

Diagram of Adele Vocal EQ

 

When it came to De-essers, Elmhirst likes to add several for precision – on Rolling In The Deep, Elmhirst explained:

“I did use two Waves De-essers, one taking out at 5449Hz and the other at 11004Hz. Rather than use one to try to cover all the sibilance I used two. I do that quite often.”

While on Someone Like You, he went even further, summarising his EQ and De-esser decisions on the piano-vocal track:

“I had three de-essers on the lead vocal in this case, working at 4185, 7413 and 7712 Hz, and I did some notching on the Waves Q10, taking out 537, 2973, and 10899 Hz, with maximum Q in all cases. The Sonnox Oxford EQ simply takes out everything below 100Hz, and it adds a little around 8k.”

Boosting women’s voices

It’s interesting to compare and contrast the rich tapestry of content that is available to us these days, as well as the amount of guidance that is out there. Considering women’s speaking voices sit around 160 – 300 Hz it’s staggering how many guides and training materials generally recommend using a low pass filter cutting up to 200 Hz – where the voice actually is – and boosting from 4 kHz and up – where madness lies. Every voice needs something different, whether softly spoken, cutting through in an arrangement, or leading a band at a show.

Book Review – Floyd Toole’s Sound Reproduction

Happy New Year! The season of resolutions. Like some of you, I have made it a priority to read more this year. One of those books is going to be Floyd Toole’s Sound Reproduction. Let me preface this by saying I have read this book, but in chapters that were required for a college class. I have never read it in its entirety nor out of personal interest.

Dense, reference books like these can be intimidating and difficult to tackle for any individual. Establishing a personal interest and desire for deeper knowledge has helped me push through its many chapters. In this article, I will share my tips and suggestions for this very challenge. You will also find some of my personal opinions on individual chapters. Hopefully, you find it insightful!

I will be referencing the third edition of this book in this blog.

Before starting at Chapter One…

  1. The introduction or preface is often overlooked. Toole’s introduction gives an excellent overview of the book in a light and easy-to-read way. His investment in quality audio is evident. It is a section I would highly recommend reading first.
  2. I had a teacher once recommend reading the last chapter of a reference text before digging into the rest of the book. I found this to be especially helpful for this instance. Chapter 17 of the third edition goes over Hearing loss and Conservation. This was an eye-opening chapter to begin. It gave weight to everything that I read. Chapter 18 is titled Fifty Years of Progress. It is both a hopeful and extensive section. A good first step into the more referential material.
  3.  I have started to highlight things as I read. To some, this might not be a big deal. To book purists like me, this is not an easy habit to cultivate. However, I have found it super helpful in remembering details I want to go back and remember. With such a dense selection of information (460+ pages), I can accept writing in a book for ease of later use.

The first chapter of this book goes over Sound Production versus Sound Reproduction. It is one of my favorite chapters in this book. It does an excellent job of outlining some of Toole’s most fundamental thoughts and ways of thinking. Many of these opinions are shared by a vast majority of our industry.

The Circle of Confusion is first introduced here; something uniquely coined by Toole. This was where I came to terms with a few things about audio. One, sound quality is a gamble when there is a lack of standards. Therefore, we need standards. Two, ‘the notion that recordings are inherently flawless is seriously misguided’, which is a direct quote from the book itself. I think this idea can also be applied to loudspeakers. A truly flawless speaker is simply not realistic. Lastly, and arguably one of the most important takeaways, ‘the delivered art is what matters’. This applies to both live and reproduced sound and has taught me to be appreciative of both.

Now, I am not going to go through each and every chapter of this book. I will allow you to do that for yourself. The next few chapters I will touch upon are also some of my favorites. However, I have to admit that the farther you progress into this book, the more extensive detail and technical information is shared. Chapter four is almost fifty pages long and dense with definitions and specifics. I found this chapter to be invaluable with review and new information. It is delivered in such a fluid and interesting way that avoids the typical dry textbook narrative.

I feel strongly about both chapters four and five. If you are only going to read two chapters from this book, these are my suggestions. These chapters talk about how sound functions. Chapter four takes a stronger physics approach and chapter five dives into how sound functions from a loudspeaker. All of this renders down to the question of ‘what is good sound?’.

The sheer amount of research and experimenting that Floyd Toole has done in an effort to standardize this information is astonishing. He has been a household name for me since beginning my career in sound. He mentions a few other remarkable individuals in his book. Harry F. Olson is one of these individuals. This man’s article titled Direct Radiator Loudspeaker Enclosures heavily influenced the design of my own studio monitors. It is a fascinating article I recommend to all. This text is rich in references to other experiments, research, and articles. Toole does not leave anything out.

Lastly, don’t rush reading a book like this. You need to find some kind of enjoyment when taking on this kind of information. This rule can apply to any heavy audio text you choose to read. The Toole book is commonly required by audio professors in colleges and universities throughout the country so the likelihood of you coming across it is high. So if you do tackle this industry standard, I hope you find it insightful and that you find my observations helpful.

Link to the Harry F Olson article via AES E-Library

January

 

If you have found this blog I’m going to assume you are one of about three options. One, my friend or family member. Two saw a post about it on Instagram or Facebook. Or three you are a sound designer and engineer who is entering the field or has been in the field for a little while but is feeling a little lost and alone when looking for new jobs. And if you aren’t in any of those 3 options I’m surprised and totally happy you are here! No matter who you are, how you found my blog, or why you decided to keep reading past the first five sentences… I am happy you came across my blog and I hope you gain something from reading this blog.

Today’s blog will be a little different than my future posts because I need to lay out some foundational information to make you understand why I decided to write this blog. First off, my name is Elizabeth Calandra and I am currently in the final semester of my degree in theatre with a minor in dance. I originally went to college to perform but then found sound design and absolutely fell in love with it. With graduation just around the corner, I am starting the absolutely terrifying process of applying for “real world” jobs as a sound designer and audio engineer. In starting this process over the last few months, I have often thought how amazing it would be if I could go on a website or group chat of some kind and see that other people in my specified industry were struggling in the same ways I have been. So, when I saw the opportunity to create that myself… I couldn’t say no.

This blog will be different than the other blogs on SoundGilrs no doubt. The chance I know something you don’t know about the technicalities of sound is possible but not what I am setting out to teach or talk to people about. I am simply going to narrate my final semester of school applying for jobs and then my first six months post-college in the industry and hope this makes someone feel a little less alone.

So let’s get started and talk about January. This month I have reached a total of 33 jobs that I have applied for. This includes sound designer, engineer, and assistant jobs for regional, professional, and children’s theatres, as well as some event companies. In this first blog I am going to focus less on the jobs applied for and more so on advice, I have gotten or wished people told me on this journey. So here are my top five tips when starting to job hunt.

My first piece of advice when newly starting to apply for jobs is to keep a list of places you have applied to, and places you want to apply to once their applications open. If you don’t keep a running list of the jobs you apply to, you are relying on your memory alone, and trust me you will apply to the same place more than once because you forgot you already applied. I know because I did it. Also, if you keep a list of places you want to apply to, you can check their websites weekly for new job openings they might have posted.

My second piece of advice is to set aside time each week to look for jobs. There are new jobs posted daily in this industry, especially in January and February for summer work, the more you check the more opportunities there are available for you. Like I said prior, checking all the websites of the theatres or companies you have on your list for new job postings is one way. As well as various websites, live theatre technician posting websites include offstage jobs, playbill, USITT, and even right here on Soundgirls. You can also check indeed and various Facebook groups that are more geared to your specialty. I check all of these places weekly and apply to the jobs I see and think would be a good fit for me.

My third piece of advice is to not apply for all the jobs you see posted that are in your field. Just like when you apply for a job, the company is seeing if you are a good fit for them, so it is important to know if they are a good fit for you. Before applying to a company always look at their website, reviews on google, and social media accounts to get a feel of the kind of theatre or company they are. If it is a larger company I definitely suggest looking at reviews and googling what the work environment is like. Now you do have to take these reviews with a grain of salt. However, they could draw your attention to something in an interview you didn’t like, which you might not have thought about it if you didn’t do prior research.

My fourth piece of advice is to know your self-worth. We are often told in this industry that sometimes we have to settle, which I don’t disagree with. However, I think this can be misinterpreted to mean settling for being treated poorly and that is not what you should do. Never ever let an employer make you question your self-worth or what you deserve in a job. Sure, entry-level positions aren’t the end goal and aren’t glamorous, but that doesn’t mean anyone has the right to mistreat, belittle or harass you.

My fifth piece of advice is to not be afraid to ask for help. Looking for jobs in this industry is absolutely terrifying. You are not alone. Even if it feels like it, you at least have me who’s going through it with you. I vent to my friends, my professors, and my parents more than I’d like to admit about my job searches. However, this has also led me to some of the jobs I have applied to. My professors recommend theatre’s all the time for me to apply to. As well as my friends, when they apply for a job at a theatre they tell me to apply there too. Even my parents have pointed me in the direction of opportunities and they have almost no connections in this industry, or so I thought! My point is to lean on the people around you and if you are reading this that includes me now as well.

To conclude I just want to say thank you for starting this journey with me. I promise it will be a crazy year to follow along with. What I can’t promise is that my year will end happily because I am not going to lie on this blog. I won’t say I got a job if I didn’t and I won’t say I’m happy if I’m not. So, if you are looking for a happily ever after blog this isn’t the one for you.

If you have questions about me or want to contact me for advice or help finding jobs or even just to talk to someone going through what you are going through, my website should be linked to my blog page. There is a contact me tab on my website that any of my readers are more than welcome to fill out. I hope to hear from you soon! Thank you for reading and talk to you in February.

Review of Congress Radio

 

1942 was an intense time in World History.  World War II was rampaging across Europe and expanding beyond Asia and the Pacific.  It would be easy to miss an important event trying to summarize 1942.  Congress Radio: Usha Mehta and the Underground Radio Station of 1942 by Usha Thakkar is set in 1942 as well.  However, the story of Congress Radio is not directly related to WWII, and it is one area of history that I had not heard much about India’s Independence from Great Britain.  Mahatma Gandhi began the Quit India Movement in August of 1942 at the All India Congress Committee (AICC), and from it, a series of revolts and conflicts between the ruling British and Indian citizens occurred.  Inspired by Gandhi and the lack of independent news, Usha Mehta, along with Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Vitthaldas Khakar, Chandrakant Jhaveri, and Babubhai Thakkar created the underground radio station they called Congress Radio.

Congress Radio begins with a summary of India’s independence movement.  Thakkar runs through the significant events chronologically and introduces the major players for those who are unfamiliar.  Even though the introduction discusses an emotional connection between the author, the subject, and the setting, everything is presented in a straightforward manner.  In fact, the whole book reads much like a police report.  Unsurprisingly, the appendix is full of police reports and court records.  For those into minimally biased, court proceedings of important history or those who are invested in the history of modern India, this is a perfect read.  For those wanting to be inspired by the bravery of young college students rebelling in the face of the world’s largest empire:  there are pieces that exist in College Radio, but not in the main section of the book.  Look for the inspiration and struggle in the court records, especially Mehta’s, and in Mehta’s recollections.

Usha Mehta (also referred to as Ushaben), was 22 when she helped create Congress Radio on August 14, 1942.  It was often her voice broadcasted at 42.34 m.  Interspersed between her reports of local uprisings were pre-recorded speeches of Gandhi and other leaders.  Despite relocating the broadcasting location almost daily the organizers of Congress Radio were arrested and taken off the air on November 12, 1942.  There was no mistaking Usha Mehta’s involvement, however, she chose to remain silent during the trial, even with solitary confinement and other coercion tactics.  Mehta’s strength and Congress Radio’s dissemination of uncensored news were so vital to India, that it helped earn Mehta the Padma Vibhushan (Lotus Decoration), India’s second highest civilian honor.

Passion in the face of oppression.  Strength in the face of power.  Congress Radio has those moments of inspiration, but this is a book for history buffs and subject matter experts.  However, I am encouraged to find more stories like Usha Mehta’s hiding in the world of audio.

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My Catharsis: Never Give Up On Your Passion

From a very early age, music was everything to me, I remember sitting on this sofa in the corner of the living room, I was around 4 or 5 years old. I had just put my favorite Richard Clayderman vinyl (yes, it’s true!). On my hands, I had this little ‘piano toy’ borrowed from my big sister that I could play all the tunes by ear. They call this ability absolute pitch (AP) since during my childhood I used to play and repeat all the notes by hearing only. I had no idea of music theory at all and in my mind, it was something normal to repeat flawlessly the notes. Years later I found that this piano toy was, in fact, the first commercial digital synthesizer called Casio VL-Tone VL-1, used in several hit songs around the world like “Da Da Da” from Trio. It’s been almost three decades, and I remember these moments like they were yesterday.

I could keep improving my piano skills but being born in a familiar environment where music is seen only as a hobby is one of the worst things for a kid with musical talent. Generally, you don’t want to disappoint your parents whom you love, so when your family wants you to study something that gives you “financial stability” you try to follow “their dreams” or you are at least influenced by it. I know many people that break free, but at the same time, many people are caged in this nightmare, like I was.

Trying to please my family I left music (as a profession) aside almost my whole life. Being a schoolteacher was a profession well seen in my family, so I followed this study path at the University. But I could at least choose the specialization in music to be able to teach music in schools. To be honest I wanted to be a musician or work with music but not be a teacher in a school. After finishing University, I had my diploma, sounds great, right? No, unfortunately, I encountered another issue because in Spain it was very difficult to work in a private school with only a specialty in music, so I needed to continue to do more specialties in other areas just to be able to work. Also, English was a requirement to get more job offers so I needed to learn a second language as quickly as possible, I had a plan.


Destiny – Music is always around us

The plan was to go to Ireland to improve my English. Deep down I never strayed from what I was most passionate about. During an English class, a colleague mentioned that he was playing in a small music band, and they were open to musicians and in need of a first flute. I couldn’t believe it! Coincidence? For my spare time in Dublin, I got music with me, I mean… my flute. Did I say that I play the flute? Ok, backing in time during my early childhood I wanted to learn piano in a school, but familiar financial issues kept me away, so I ended up learning by myself. But years later when I was around 12 years old, I could learn the transverse flute to play in the music band of my small town in Spain. There I had a concert to be the first flute. It was supposed to be my very first debut, but it was a fiasco for me.

Back in Dublin, I’m a grown woman with a childhood trauma in live music performance. I had my second chance to participate in a music band again as a first flute. Destiny? I was facing a never healed wound. Just 15 years before in the music band of my small town, the conductor gave me the opportunity to play my first solo in a live presentation, I studied it day and night relentlessly for this moment, but just on the day of the concert, I trembled and the air just did not come out, the notes did not sound right and the conductor made me a sign to shut up and pointed my partner to overtake my performance, I was devasted. I was a failure – I thought. In Ireland, I was about 27 years old and feeling more confident, and also the trust given by the conductor gave me the braveness to play splendidly as the first flute again in a concert in Dublin. It was my catharsis; I had finally crossed the barrier of everything that was holding me back.

After my studies in Ireland, I returned to Spain to look for a job as a teacher. In the meantime, I started playing flute in a jazz-blues band in my small town. It was an opportunity to improvise on the fly, it was my first experience in jam sessions. I loved it, ‘oh my’… it was magical! Then I found a job in Madrid to work as a childhood teacher of English and music.

Even working with music as a teacher, I was not happy. I needed desperately a new motivation for my soul caged in a job that I was not motivated for. Then I bought this little guitar-like instrument, famous in Hawaii and based on the Portuguese cavaquinho called the ukulele.  It was my salvation. By chance, I discovered a new world, and I made friends in the Ukulele Club in Madrid, we were like a family. Along with playing with the ukulele I was also singing and that became another passion, I really enjoyed playing with my voice. To help others to learn I started creating tutorials in Spanish on Youtube in my spare time. I called the channel “Lydia Ukelele”. I remember receiving some criticisms from people close to me undermining my tutorials for being so “easy”. Indeed, that was my purpose to not be a barrier for anyone. I’m proud that organically the channel got almost half a million views in total just by doing good. There I received tons of good vibes and positive comments from grateful people.

The truth is I always wanted to work with music. I wanted to compose, produce my own music, to write my own melodies and lyrics. With the support of my fiancé, I decided to leave teaching for good and dedicate myself entirely to music composition and music production. Music production? I accepted the challenge. Music production was by no means easy as I needed to sail through seas totally unknown to me. I deep dove into looking for knowledge through courses, books, and websites like ‘SoundGirls’. I’m still learning but for the first time ever, at 36 years old, I feel I am on the right path, for me it is a dream coming true the possibility to live and work with my passion: music. Since this change, I’ve been composing original songs and scoring for short movies.

Finally, I would like to say to all of you who think that music is your passion, please don’t base your path on the opinion of others. You are free to choose whatever you like to do. Do not let anything or anyone stop you, always follow your dreams no matter what your family, your teachers, or even your friends tell you, only listen to your heart.

“Miracle” was my first instrumental song composition released last year on SoundCloud. The title is not by chance, it has a lot of meaning to me. It’s my miracle.

Recently I also released an instrumental composition titled “Never Surrender” then remember: never give up what you love the most! Keep inspired. Keep going.

With love,

Lydia Guía

 

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