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Sexual Harrassment Awareness Month – Music Industry Edition

Warning: This article may be unsettling for some, topics such as abuse, harassment, sexual solicitation, and rape may be discussed.

Although I am just a sprout in the music world, with a lot of Soundgirls here being overwhelmingly more developed in comparison to me, there is one thing that I think everyone can agree with – None of us got here alone.

It might have been a college professor or a middle school band teacher.  It could have been someone you shadowed on a tour or possibly a parent, whatever the case, someone helped guide you or opened the right doors. A majority of people you work with within the music world will be honest-to-god genuine, but we shouldn’t ignore the loud minority of those less than genuine.

April is Sexual Harassment Awareness Month, which is honestly the worst. The fact that there even NEEDS to be an awareness month for this should be enough of a wake-up call. Still, I think if events so horrid are happening, the least we can do is to understand how prevalent it is and to help to amplify those that have been affected by sexual assault/harassment.

So how prevalent is it? In a statement given to the BBC, Music Manager Yasmin Lajoie has gone on record to say that “You’d be hard-pressed to find a woman working in the industry today who’s never been a victim of sexual harassment or abuse,” continuing with “I expected stories of sexual harassment… but what I’ve actually received are stories of rape happening on company property, men insisting on oral sex from young women, men seriously assaulting women, raping them in apartments owned by major music companies.”

I’ve linked the BBC article below, but in summary, it is filled to the brim with stories of individuals being subjected to unwarranted actions against them.  The industry is getting better by being more inclusive and aware of issues such as this, however, there are still people at the top working today that still have the money and connections and will likely continue with the lifestyle they see fit – which may not be beneficial to those “under”. NDA’s, threats of losing their job or status in the music world – can shame those “under” into silence.

So…. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel here? YES! 

On a person-to-person level, the best help if someone has been sexually attacked in any form is to ask them three questions…

Just having someone acknowledge them and being there counts.

On a larger scale, however, SoundGirls has put out a number of ways to get involved in change. You can check them out here –

Sexual Harassment Reforms | SoundGirls.org

Additionally, if you are someone that has dealt with this… I understand. Trust me on the deepest level imaginable that I understand, it is something that sticks on you in the most awful ways possible.  You are not alone here, even if you feel like you are. You are loved and deserve love in its most authentic form.

This link can take you to some self-care tips :

Self Care for Trauma | SoundGirls.org

Even with the end of April approaching, I’d like to end with one statement, a month’s label shouldn’t be the only time for awareness and reflection. Any month can be an awareness month – and with a topic this heavy and demanding we should raise our voices in awareness any and every month, at least in my opinion anyway.

BBC article: Rape and abuse: The music industry’s dark side exposed – BBC News

Calling All Crows – Here for The Music Campaign

#HereForTheMusic campaign works to build true safety with all parties who come together to create a show or festival: artists, promoters, fans, venue staff, touring professionals, media professionals, and more.

 

The Arcade Fire at Bowery Ballroom

This Show Must Go Off Episode 8

The Arcade Fire recently wrapped an intimate 4-night residency at the Bowery Ballroom to benefit the people of Ukraine, and the production was spectacular. Every detail was memory-making. From the scavenger hunt for tickets in New York City’s parks to giant inflatable eyeballs, to surprise special guests and street parades that spilled down into the subway, this was an unforgettable weekend.

Pre-production

A phone call came in roughly 6 weeks before the show date. A production manager of an unknown artist would be flying into New York and needed to arrange a walkthrough of the venue. On the day of our initial meeting, the stage was set with a 5-piece rock band, and minimal production. A leisurely concert, compared to what was to come. I was greeted with hugs and genuine warmth as if he sensed my racing thoughts of inadequacy. “This is too small” “it will never fit” “Whatever you do, don’t make the shoebox joke” [the venue used to be an old shoe store]. When we got right to it, he said something to the effect of “This isn’t bad”, a small sigh, and then came talk of all of the logistics.

Chris Roberts is a brilliant Production Manager. How someone can take a band’s wildest dreams, entirely impractical, borderline impossible, and potentially illegal in some states, and say “yes, we will figure it out” is still mystifying to me. We were there in person to talk through the reality of fitting a stadium production, into a rock club one-tenth of the capacity. The crux of these shows would include a giant inflatable eyeball that must be rigged from the venue ceiling. It was important to do so in a way that would not impede sightlines, use of the PA system, or use of the venue HVAC and sprinkler system. If inflated using a noisy air compressor or fan, it would require constant power, as well as data lines for lighting. If inflated using gas, it could violate local laws and OSHA regulations.  Production would include building a stage extension of 6 feet and closing off our rear stairwell access for patrons.  This would allow for backline tech accommodation. Backline, audio, and “The Eye” would arrive in a tractor-trailer. Staging, lighting, drape, and barricade would be sourced locally. For production alone, the house was looking at a 20-person crew [up from our usual 4] and the Artist directly employs at least another 16.

A similar style of show would be carried out in New Orleans before arriving here. It was my hope that a trial run would help to alleviate some of the shock on both of our crews.

By the week of the show, we had settled on The Eye being rigged from our PA I-beams. It would impede just 1 of the 6 boxes of our main PA hang. Audio and Lighting control would all be housed in the balcony. Our upstairs bar would double as catering for a majority of the afternoons.

 

 

Eve of Show

There was one final walk-through the day prior to the show. The PM asked what time the band that night was loading in. “4 pm.” I said, “Remember those days?” To which he responded. “No. God. No, I don’t…. Actually, those were the days I was playing in a band, and showing up to a pub with the backline.” We laughed in a knowing way. What was to come would be new in a lot of ways for all of us.

Their crew was set to load in at 7 am the following morning. Attached is my draft of a day sheet for staff.

Show Days

The following days followed a more manageable schedule for the venue, and I was able to scale back to my usual production staffing. My A1/FOH directly assisted the system tech with the D&B system calibration and EQ and would monitor the amps during the performance. My A2 ensured the stage had power each day and worked closest with the Artists’ stage manager to ensure everything was safe and prepped for doors.  My LD worked directly with the Artists’ LD to make sure the lighting rig functioned well each day and supervised the use of atmospherics. We maintained control of the house lights for pre and post-performance.

I tried to keep busy, and our hands dirty to avoid boredom and exhaustion. The hardest part of working with a self-contained event is to pivot from work that is so mentally and physically stimulating, to strictly supervisory. To challenge ourselves, we did attempt to rig and clean a 2nd giant inflatable eyeball on the venue’s roof, but ultimately the weather and insufficient anchor points kept it from gaining any real traction.

 

A fun challenge for my A1 was to reconfigure our PA system to run via analog drivelines, rather than the AES we currently use. Many of our guest consoles are still accustomed to analog drive lines, which makes sense for uniformity and flexibility. Every PA will have analog inputs, and it grants you pass-through in places where multiple consoles are present. I have come to revere their engineer Jim Warren and system tech Mat over the years of concert touring and was beyond excited to hear his mix, so I extended the courtesy of driving the PA directly [meaning our console would not pass his drive lines through to the PA]. Our old cable infrastructure remained from our analog Midas Heritage console. We followed the schematics from our initial D&B install and then reverted the processor data and amp settings. The inflatable eye completely blocked our center upper point source box, which we turned off, and the room was tuned with the eye inflated.

My job roles and responsibilities began to blur. I had a heavier role in financial reporting than I typically do during our shows. I was also meant to supervise and support 3 runners, merchandise sellers, lift operators, and loading staff. Even our Talent Buyer got involved in a new way, distributing passes directly to fans during the afternoons. Of the many to aid us from the artists’ side were Tessa Greiman, Josh Smith, and Chris Roberts. Tessa is an extraordinary manager for artist production. She interacted with the venue staff in the most respectful and unifying way. Jobs needed to get done, and quickly, but Tessa never let anyone feel unappreciated or unsupported. Josh was the stage manager whose impeccable attention to detail and planning I leaned on heavily. By the end of our 4 days, he caught on to the Bowery magic, where things happen in a strange New York rhythm you cannot put your finger on, but is noticeably different than most cities. He worked in complete sync with his techs and made the days easy for my department heads. The key part of this wild adventure was Chris, and his ability to really see 10+ Arcade Fire members and guests on [and off] our stage. Seeing him making it all happen, one surprise after another deserves my deepest appreciation and trust.

The Show must go on and on and on

One common theme that kept coming up as the 4 days went on, is health and wellness. I think many of us can agree– it is nice to return to work after a pandemic industry-wide shutdown, but we can improve upon the conditions so that when we ask someone to work a 16 hour day it is met with a mutual level of support and compensation for the task.

I thought of our respective crews. The way their team cares for one another, and what I could be doing better. I couldn’t help but envy the hotel accommodations that cut your commute time out completely. It is a privilege to be able to have a walking commute to work, and one that supports mental health.  Some of my staff do not live in New York City, and those who do can spend upwards of 90 minutes commuting to the venue via public transportation.

Meal breaks and healthy food options are critical to maintaining focus and a positive attitude throughout the day. Where a majority of our staff meals are walk away, their team had regular meals together, creating makeshift kitchens from our bars. Adding healthy non-perishable snacks that are easy to store is something I have incorporated as a result of these shows.

One final important factor is a private place to take a break. In our venue, a private corner to shut off your brain is very hard to come by. When you operate in a public space, there is this assumption of always being on the clock, and worse- being thought of as lazy by sitting around and not doing anything. It is an industry issue that needs to change, and a hospitality concern that requires a deeper look and solution.

The Load Out

Each night the band surprised everyone by taking to the crowd for encores that spilled out into the streets. The last night I let out an audible laugh as my crew stood next to the tractor-trailer, cases emptied and along the sidewalk, as the band lead hundreds of fans through our path of travel. It felt inclusive and exciting, and all just a bit silly.

While the band was finishing their last performance on our stage, we had started to empty cases onto the street and sidewalk, separated into departments [Lighting, Audio, Backline, and personal]. When we were able to get into the venue to work, we started breaking down backline and lighting. The stage extension came down as tech worlds were packed up in the wings. Next, we were able to get the scissor lift back into the building to undo the rigging of the eye, and crews were then split between audio, and truck pack. Audio consoles with their racks needed to be carried down the flight of narrow, carpeted steps as backline was loaded into the truck. Lighting and staging would leave on the vendor truck, and a few pieces of equipment would get picked up the following day. We all surprised ourselves by completing loadout in 2 hours’ time. Without much more than a moment to catch our breath, we were back into another show production 12 hours later. If I did not say it enough in person, I extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make these shows happen and their incredibly hard work.

I would like to end this on a more personal note regarding the venue. This spring, the Bowery Ballroom will be welcoming Stef Schwartz back into our family as the club’s General Manager. I could not be more excited to work alongside such a talented and valued person in the concert community. I am very much looking forward to an incredible feeling of equity and respect, and how this will positively shape all of the shows. It feels incredible to do this job with a peer and someone whose compassionate drive can be felt at every venue they have been a part of. At a venue of our size, our two positions work more closely than most. Our working relationship should mirror what I saw with Chris and Tessa from the Arcade Fire team. Synchronicity and support even in the really hard moments.

I held onto the secret of The Arcade Fire Coachella surprise performance for a whole month and was excited to see it was received with the same awe and amazement as I saw here in New York. I cannot wait for the band’s year ahead, and I wish the artist and crew many memorable adventures.

Normalising Workplace Conversations About Mental Health

I’m filling out a job application and get to the optional question about mental health. I hesitate, unsure whether to answer. I know it’s a company’s way of making sure they’re attracting a diverse range of applicants. Yet part of me is still worried about not being hired if I disclose the fact that I have an anxiety disorder.

It’s not that I’ve actively tried to hide it; I’ve simply spent most of my life “powering through” in the mistaken belief that anxiety was something I had to put up with because “that’s just the way I am”. I was incredibly high-functioning, at least on the surface. In a work setting, that translated to being very organised, always meeting deadlines (quite often earlier than expected), and juggling a lot of things at once. People never suspected anything was wrong (why would they?) and would use words like “reliable”, “efficient”, “trustworthy” and “hard-working” to describe me. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, I would spend days worrying about the tiniest mistake or the idea of a project being anything less than perfect (perfection, of course, doesn’t exist). I’d have constant bouts of impostor syndrome, or exhaust myself by taking on too much work for fear of what people might think if I turned it down. The worst part was that I knew I was in real danger of burning myself out, but I didn’t know what to do about it.

The answer was therapy, a journey I started a year ago, which coincided with my decision to go freelance. It’s taught me some invaluable strategies for managing my anxiety and helped me develop a healthier relationship with my work. Yes, people may still describe me as reliable, efficient, trustworthy, and hard-working (which is good, of course), but now I know I can be all of those things without sacrificing my mental health. If I do find myself slipping back into old habits, I remind myself of a particular time in my life when I was severely sleep-deprived and taking on way too much work. It took a heavy toll on my mind and body, and I don’t ever want to go there again.

I recently had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on the wonderful Daughters of Change podcast with Marie Sola, on which I also happen to work as an editor. We recorded an episode on anxiety (which you can listen to here) and it’s probably the most candid I’ve ever been about my own experience. It was really cathartic for me, and I also hope it helps someone else who may be going through something similar. I feel very strongly about breaking the stigma that still surrounds mental health, and having open and honest conversations about it is one of the best ways we can do that. It’s vital that these conversations also happen in the workplace.

A recent survey conducted here in Ireland by the mental health charity See Change found that  70% of workers were concerned about disclosing a mental health issue to their employer, while 40% said they had witnessed stigmatising behaviour at work. I think my own past reluctance to mention my anxiety in a professional setting stems from the fear of being seen as less competent. I’m sure there are those who feel someone with anxiety couldn’t possibly survive (or indeed thrive) in a high-pressure career like live radio, for example. When you’re in the throes of it, anxiety makes you want to retreat into your comfort zone and “play it safe”, so nothing and nobody has a chance of hurting you. I’ve been there many times. But ultimately, I chose this career path because I’m passionate about it and I know I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. And, in spite of the nagging doubts and uncertainties, I know I’m good at it. Determination to achieve my goals is what drives me when things feel scary, and having anxiety doesn’t mean I can’t be successful in life.

Next time that question comes up on an application form, I hope I won’t be so hesitant about answering it. Maybe someday, there won’t be any reason to fear being honest about our mental health in the workplace.

New England Music Hall of Fame inducts June Millington and Cherie Currie 

New England Music Hall of Fame inducts June Millington and Cherie Currie

“Always support women, when you do that you are healing a big psychic pain of generations of women who could not be heard” Grammy Award-winning Paula Cole’s statement during her induction to the New England Music Hall of Fame in 2021 has inspired the organization to emphasize supporting women’s music by preserving their history.  Paula’s last album “American Quilt” was recently considered for a Grammy nomination. You can watch her induction here.

The New England Music Hall of Fame (NEMHOF) stands on a mission to “Promote, preserve, educate, and unite the integrity of New England’s music and the people who represent it”. NEMHOF was founded in 2019 by filmmaker Christopher Annino, Drummer Kathy Steahle, Pro Wrestler Angel Orsini, and actress Kadrolsha Ona Carole.

History was made on April 8, 2022, in Boxborough, MA when trailblazers June Millington, along with her band Fanny, Cherie Currie, along with The Runaways, were officially recognized by a Hall of Fame. The New England Music Hall of Fame inducted them both in a ceremony that evening, right before a showing of the documentary “Fanny: The Right to Rock”.  Christopher Annino and Kathy Steahle, along with Liz Borden of Lizzie Borden and the Axes, gave speeches to both icons as their awards were given. The physical awards were handcrafted out of pieces of New England history.

Watch as these pioneers accept their honors, and hear the testimonials of attendees.

The main show of the weekend was a collaboration of talented women.  The Red Riding Hoods were a band of musicians who came together to accompany the likes of Cherie Currie, June Millington, and Liz Borden.  Composed of Tia Mayhem, Tamora Gooding, Magen Tracy, Michelle Morgan, and Justine Covault, these women crossed genre and generation lines to come together.  They played the biggest hits, like “Cherry Bomb”, and some newer tracks like “Play Like A Girl”.  After the planned set, June wasn’t done. She gave the band a quick 2 minute tutorial on stage and they all played one last song together.

Fanny broke down all gender barriers by being the first all-female band signed with a major record label. The band helped inspire the next generation of female music artists. Along with Ann Hackler, Filipino born June is also the co-founder of the Institute for the Music Arts in Goshen, Mass www.ima.org. They run a music camp for girls ranging in ages from 9-24 at their property, where they work on expanding their musical knowledge and abilities. June was inducted to NEMHOF in the categories of pioneer, musician, and songwriter.

The Runways were the next generation of women in music after Fanny. The band consisted of Sandy West, Jackie Fox, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Joan Jett. Cherie was inducted into the new category of influencer. Although she is not from New England, she has strong ties to the area and New England bands such as Stormstress and Lizzie Borden and the Axes.

A special thank you to Nebula Music Nexus for helping us capture this momentous occasion.

 

So You Need a Diverse:

The express guide to recruiting a more heterogeneous workforce

As someone who has spoken and written about diversity in the workplace quite a bit (https://soundgirls.org/how-to-find-the-best-candidate-for-the-job/, https://soundgirls.org/the-financial-case-for-increasing-diversity-in-live-audio/), I find it really encouraging to see more and more efforts to hire a wider variety of people in our industry. However, like anything that’s (somehow, still) in its early stages, I’ve seen quite a few missteps and realise that a lot of people need some more guidance on best practices. I also understand that most hirers are extremely busy, especially in the post-lockdown rush of live events, so I will get right to the point and then expand on the steps after.

The whys and wherefores of building diverse workforces is a massive and often messy subject that is beyond the scope of this article. Maybe your company has come to the conclusion that it’s the morally right thing to do, maybe you’ve seen the positive effect it has on profits, maybe you’re doing it for the kudos or maybe a client has specified that they want certain types of people on their jobs and you personally think it’s political correctness gone mad. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that you need to find different people to who you usually hire. For the sake of brevity I’m going to call these people Diverses, but do remember that individuals are not diverse, only groups of people can be diverse. Diversity and the benefits that come with it can only be achieved in the collective when everyone’s differences and strengths are combined. So how do you find them?

  1. Write your job ad, describing the skills you are looking for in a candidate, not their intrinsic characteristics like gender, race, sexuality, or socio-economic background.
  2. Post the ad where lots of the type of candidate you want are likely to see it.
  3. Choose someone suitable from the applicants. If there isn’t anyone suitable, go back to steps 1 and 2 and see what you can improve so you can find the right person for the job.
  4. Don’t tell anyone that they did/didn’t get the job because of their intrinsic characteristics (because they genuinely didn’t. You can find someone who is Diverse and also the best person for the job). If unsuccessful applicants push you for a reason, just say they weren’t a good fit for the role. Our industry is so idiosyncratic that this can be true.

That’s it! Does it sound familiar? It’s the same technique that’s been widely used in our and other industries for decades if not centuries. The only difference is this time it’s benefitting underrepresented groups instead of the established majority.

Bonus content

If you have the time to explore this topic in more detail, here are my unscientific opinions and extra tips:

Choosing your words:

Advertising that you need (or are being *forced* to hire!) a Diverse is not helpful. From the job posts I’ve seen, this just spawns a whole bunch of “is this legal?”/devil’s advocate arguments that achieve very little. Besides, this often isn’t legal. The UK Equality Act 2010 states that you can only use positive action in recruiting when you already have applicants of equal merit, so you need to leave applications open to everyone in order to find the best person for the job. If the best or joint best candidate happens to have a characteristic that you’re looking to recruit, then great, but you can’t prevent people from applying or hiring a less suitable applicant just to fit your diversity goals. Affirmative action in the US is a bit different but you could still end up in a tricky legal situation if you’re explicitly recruiting people because of their protected characteristics.

Specifying certain characteristics that you want can be problematic. In the era of publicly tagging friends under job posts, you risk inadvertently outing individuals as gay or trans, for example. Quite a few are difficult to prove anyway. Are you going to ask applicants for evidence that they’re homosexual? That their parents were poor enough to count as coming from a ‘disadvantaged’ background? Is one type of Diverse more desirable than another? Having a shopping list of protected characteristics that you want in candidates feels like you’re treating them like commodities rather than humans, which is surely what we’re trying to leave firmly in the past. You need to find the sensible middle ground between Pokémon-style ‘gotta catch one of each type’ and “Oh but all these middle class, straight, white men have such different personalities!” You should be looking at varying your crews in as many ways as possible, without artificially enforcing quotas or defining people solely by intrinsic factors that they can’t change. It can be a challenge but it is worth it in the long run.

If you’re worried that too few Diverses will apply for the role, you can say that everyone, including (I would not recommend saying ‘especially’ because it’s still implying that they’ll get unwarranted preferential treatment) XYZ type of person is encouraged to apply. If the rest of your diversity policy is effective enough, for example advertising roles widely and having a reputation for an inclusive and supportive work environment, you shouldn’t need to do this step anyway. Often just saying that you value diversity itself is enough to show people from underrepresented groups that it’s worth applying. The best way I’ve seen of dealing with this is Britannia Row Productions’ diversity statement that they include at the end of every job post (https://www.britanniarow.com/careers). It is simple but effective:

“We’re building a diverse, inclusive team

You’re welcome at Britannia Row wherever you’re from and whoever you are. We know that sometimes, people don’t apply for a job because they don’t have every single skill listed in the job’s requirements. So if you’re interested in a role here and believe you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply.”

Another aspect of publicly saying that you want a Diverse is that people will assume that the successful candidate got the job because of their Diverseness alone. This can make the Diverse question their abilities and value as a person and can give license to bullies to throw it in the Diverse’s face at every opportunity. I know quite a few people who won’t apply for jobs with this kind of wording because they, understandably, don’t want to be seen as just a box ticker, and want to be hired for their competence in the job.

Getting the word out

A major contributor to the “old boys’ club” aspect of our industry is that one of the main ways people land jobs is through word of mouth. Lots of roles are never openly advertised; the hirer will just think of who they like and find the first person on that list who’s available. If no one’s available, the people on the list might recommend their friends. It’s not hard to see how this results in an insular, homogenous workforce. Of course, the nature of live events means a large proportion of roles are filled by freelancers, often at the last minute, so companies don’t have the time and resources to put into recruiting for these jobs that they might for full-time positions. Long, challenging days and spending nearly all our time in very close proximity to each other also means that it is important that people work well together, so it is understandable why personal recommendations are highly valued. It’s also a more reliable way to judge aptitude for the job than formal qualifications, in a field where real-world experience and quick thinking are essential.

So how can we reconcile these factors? Companies need to start treating their freelance call list more like their full-time employees. Recruitment needs to be an ongoing process and not left until the last minute when everyone’s too busy to think about it and desperate to fill a role. If you do the work to have a balanced, varied talent pool, you’ll have options if a client suddenly demands to have a certain type of Diverse on their crew rather than having to specifically advertise for them, which can backfire for the reasons outlined above. This also means that you have the time to take a chance on people who you might not be sure about because they don’t have the personal connections that others do. You can put them in a junior role at a quieter time of year, or give them a chance to shine while there’s a more senior colleague present to support them, to see how they fare.

Where you advertise is as important as how you advertise. If you post in the same old places you’ll get the same old candidates. As a rule of thumb, if a forum seems quite ‘bro-ey’ or cliquey, it’s unlikely to have that many members from underrepresented groups. Seek out online groups and directories that represent certain communities, visit schools and places of worship other than your own to encourage more young people to join the industry, and see if there are local employment schemes that are looking for collaborators. If you’re struggling to think of places to find Diverses, you could ask other Diverses whom you already know, but please acknowledge the work they are doing to help you.

The best candidate for the job

As previously mentioned, you shouldn’t give someone a job they aren’t ready for just because they’re a Diverse. It is usually illegal, it breeds resentment in other people and it sets them up to fail, further compounding prejudiced people’s beliefs about that type of Diverse’s suitability for the role. It also implies that you don’t believe that there are any Diverses out there who are qualified, which is almost never true. If you aren’t getting applications from a wide enough variety of people, cast your net wider (or – whisper it – pay better).

On the other hand, what makes someone the ‘best’ person for a job can be highly subjective. There is more to suitability for a role than qualifications and experience. They could have a great attitude, get along well with the rest of the team, bring new perspectives and cultural knowledge (a major benefit of diversifying your crew) and have the people skills that a degree in audio can’t teach. When assessing applicants, bear in mind that a Diverse might have less experience than a non-Diverse of the same age because they have been discriminated against already, systemically or personally. Don’t put them in a role that they can’t handle, but don’t perpetuate the cycle of discrimination by presuming non-Diverses are better because they have more experience. It takes time and effort but getting to know candidates better than what their resumé can show can pay off massively over time. Surprisingly, interviews are actually quite a bad way to do this (https://vervoe.com/predict-job-performance/). From reading the literature and going through some interviews myself, it seems that they’re great for finding people who are good at interviews, but not necessarily good at the job. ‘Job auditions’: asking applicants to do practical tasks as they would at work, are a much better predictor of long-term performance. It has also occurred to me that it is the most conscientious employers who are making the effort to be more inclusive and formal with their hiring practices, including inviting people to interview, instead of straight-up offering jobs to the usual suspects. Paradoxically, this ends up as an extra hoop for the Diverse to jump through, while the boys club carries on as usual.

Tick a box, get a medal?

Sorry to say it, but you don’t get special recognition for doing what we all should have been doing all along. Don’t boast about how you hired a Diverse and put photos of them on your company website to show how woke you are. Finding the best candidate for the job and the benefits that come from diverse crews (a wider pool of knowledge, higher productivity, and profits, etc.) is reward enough in itself. Keeping these people is as important as recruiting them in the first place, and making them feel like a freak show or a charity case is not the way to do it. The best way to avoid accusations of tokenism or box-ticking is to hire as many different types of people as possible, so it becomes normal to work in diverse teams. Hiring one Diverse, or one Diverse at a time, is not enough, and being the only ‘other’ in the workplace is a very, very lonely place to be. It also makes it much easier for bullies to undermine them and convince them that they have nothing to contribute except their Diverseness. The way to get the best work out of your crew is to build them up and value them for what they each bring to the table, wherever they’re from and whoever they are.

Lisa Kacos: Producer, Educator, and Musician

Through a virtual workshop she led in 2020, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Kacos helped me to understand music theory in the most practical terms I had ever heard. This is a specialty of hers, honed through decades of musicianship as well as academic study. She holds both a Bachelor of Composition in Music Theory as well as a Masters in Music Theory with a pedagogy emphasis from Michigan State University. She currently leads interactive online workshops such as the forthcoming Music Theory for Producers Workshop held April 30th through Omni Sound Project, where she is a core faculty member for 2022, as well as a popular Rhythm for Songwriters course. Previously, she has taught at her Alma Mater MSU, Grand Rapids Community College, and at SAE Institute – Nashville. As a musician, she writes and records her own music and has played with Outer Vibe, Samuel Herb, Violet LaVelle, and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls. For the 2021 Omni Sound Project “Four Track Challenge,” she contributed tracks and stems from her original song “Losers Club” to be manipulated and remixed by fellow audio engineers, both established and aspiring.

What is your background in music and how did you first realize you could have a future in audio?

My first experience with music was 6th-grade band. I chose the trumpet, and I still play all the time! I’ve since learned drums, voice, piano, and ukulele. I decided to study music theory in college because I’m fascinated by the way music fits together. I have a Masters of Music Theory with an emphasis on how to teach it, and I was fortunate to have some wonderful mentors along the way. I’ve probably played over 1,000 shows with a band called Outer Vibe, and we always made our own records in our own space, so I spent many years observing the recording process. In recent years I’ve started working on music more independently, and I really enjoy the power of the producer’s chair, digging into the recording and production of my music, and calling my own creative shots.

You are a highly educated music instructor. How did you feel about your academic experience? Are there things you try to emulate — or do differently — as an educator yourself?

I loved college. It was a time when I really grew as an individual…, especially while working on my Master’s degree. My background is basically a 50/50 split between classical music and rock & roll. I would go to class and study/practice during the week, play shows and make records with the band on the weekends. When I moved to Nashville, I started teaching music theory for producers at an audio college (SAE Institute) and started thinking about music theory more liberally, noticing the differences in the way we practice and apply theory to classical music compared to popular music. I find myself constantly evaluating my lessons and tailoring them to best suit the group I’m teaching, whether it’s college students or a virtual workshop, or a private lesson. I want people to get the very most out of my classes, and to be able to successfully apply it to what they do. Bach and Mozart might be turning up their noses from their graves, but I don’t really care. I want to encourage people to make their music the way it best captures what they want, and if they write parallel 5ths into their chord progressions, who cares? They wrote a damn song. They win.

Your “Rhythm for Songwriters” course is one I hope to take someday. How did you discover this was a need in the songwriting community?

In 2020, I (along with the rest of the world) found myself working remotely, teaching courses on Zoom. I started joining my friends and fellow artists/educators Allie Moss and Bess Rogers as guest teachers with their songwriting community “Thinking Outside the Blocks,” offering virtual rhythm and drum-related classes in addition to what they were already teaching. We all noticed that the rhythm classes seemed to fill a void for many of the group members – songwriters have a tendency to focus on chords and melodies, and maybe forget to consider the important role rhythm plays in their music. We charted out some ideas for the course, and I’ve spent the last year creating and teaching it. I cover everything from time signatures to strumming patterns to drum programming, with tons of other stuff packed in there.

During your online classes I’ve taken, I’ve noticed that you have some excellent gear and cozy, cat-friendly space for recording. Tell us about the evolution of your home studio and your intentions for it moving forward.

Thank you! I’ve spent the better part of my life hanging around the studio environment, but I never actually had my own workspace until recently. My husband is a guitarist and engineer and always ran the band’s HQ and made our records. I used to be more of a fly in the wall in sessions, trying to stay out of the way, but I loved the environment and was very intrigued. He has always encouraged me to dig into recording so I can make my own music anytime I want without needing to wait for help. So, again, a silver lining of the past few years. We spent our time stuck at home converting a room in our house into my studio and workspace. All my instruments are finally in one place, miked and ready to go. We made the acoustic treatment. We made cables. We researched gear. We went to Home Depot a thousand times. And I started digging into the parts of the audio world that most interest me – capturing performances and producing songs. It’s also a teaching studio for virtual workshops and classes, and a great co-write and private lesson space. I am part of Omni Sound Project’s core faculty for 2022, so I am often planning workshops and YouTube tutorials for them. I love creating content, and in addition to making music and tutorials, I also make short videos just for fun. In the past few years, I’ve written and demoed dozens of songs, and my next plan is to finish and release my favorites. Oh, and my cat (his name is Sir George Martin, or Marty for short) is definitely a supportive assistant, but I have to shut him out while I teach classes, otherwise, he likes to show off by climbing my bass traps.

What are a few of your favorite recordings that keep inspiring you to do what you do?

I’m always inspired by Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” album, especially from a singer/songwriter’s perspective. And lately, I’ve been revisiting some 90s rock albums like Everclear’s “So Much for the Afterglow.” Great songwriting and performances and tons of energy. One of my all-time favorite bands is Muse (my favorite album is probably “Black Holes and Revelations”). I respect how they always stuck to their guns with their creative decisions. They also pack in a massive yet tasteful sound with just 3 people.

The recordings that most inspire me are the ones where you can hear clear as day that the artist means what they say and are giving it their all. To me, it’s not about making things perfect, it’s about making something meaningful, capturing it, and sharing it with the world. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. And the beautiful thing is that everyone does that differently, with their own voice and character and message. I like albums and look forward to making one for myself, a complete and cohesive work of art where everything is there for a reason and tells a story through the natural ebb and flow of life and experiences. I understand the focus on singles these days, but I prefer albums.

Thank you, Lisa.

Lisa Kacos will be leading the workshop “Music Theory For Producers” on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, through Omni Sound Project.

USITT/TSDCA Sound Documentation Recommended Practice

A multi-year collaboration of members of the Sound Commission of USITT and Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA), this comprehensive document is recommended for all practitioners of Theatre Sound in both professional and educational theatre.

The information which a sound designer or engineer must communicate to others has grown in complexity over the years, and today’s sound professionals are often responsible for communicating information about system components, interconnections, physical positions, digital routing, network configuration, radio frequency configuration, and more.

This document presents a recommended practice for sound system documentation. It is not a comprehensive collection of graphic symbols, terms, and necessary paperwork, but is a flexible framework of document forms and practices for practical communication. The information which designers and engineers must communicate can be represented in many forms; this document will identify and describe several of the most common. Neatness, clarity, and legibility of these documents are top priorities.

Topics covered in this document include System Block Diagram, Plan and Elevation View drawings, Hookups, Routing Tables, RF Tracking Sheets/Schedules, IP Schedules, Rack Drawings, and Custom Panel details, Com System Block Diagrams/Hookups, Power, Cable Labels, and additional Schedules.

TSDCA and USITT offer a special acknowledgment of thanks to the authors of this document for their tireless efforts:

  • Josh Loar, Senior Consultant (AV): Charcoalblue
  • Mike Backhaus, Sound Supervisor: Yale School of Drama / Yale Repertory Theatre
  • Brad Berridge, Director of Sound Operations: Feld Entertainment, IATSE, USA 829
  • Nicholas Drashner, Audio Experience Engineer: BoomCloud360
  • Sam Kusnetz, Independent Sound & Projection Designer, USA 829
  • Joanna Lynne Staub, Independent Sound Designer & Audio Engineer, IATSE, USA 829
  • Brad Ward, Senior Associate: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander

These recommendations were written with the intention of updating the previously documented standards, published by USITT in 2008.  The new recommendations were authored with the collaboration of working professionals from various outlets and institutions.  They do not suggest any substantial change to current documentation practices, but rather organize protocols presently in use with the intention of better educating new members of the Sound and Audio Community.

Download here:

USITT/TSDCA Sound Documentation Recommended Practice

Documentary Sound Mixing in a War Zone Webinar

Documentary Sound Mixing in a War Zone Webinar

 

Please join SoundGirls for an online conversation “Documentary Sound Mixing in a War Zone” with Xenia Vinogradova, a Kyiv-based Sound Mixer, who will share her experience about what it’s like being part of a documentary film crew in Ukraine right now, and what she’s doing to help first responders on the ground.

May 1st at 11 AM PDT

Register and Post Your Questions Here

Moderated by Leslie Gaston-Bird and joined by panelists Xenia Vinogradova and Iryna Kucherenko

Xenia Vinogradova is a production sound mixer/ sound editor, living and working in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2015, she graduated from Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema, and Television with a Master’s Diploma in the specialty “Sound Engineering in Film”.

Since launching her career in the film industry, Xenia has been taking on various roles in creating sound for moving pictures: recording audio on location and working as a studio recording engineer; editing sound at the post-production studios, working as a music editor and sound designer. Her works include “Cenzorka”by Peter Kerekes, “Mountain Breeze” by Julia Kochetova, “Au Revel” by Sieva Diamantakos. Currently, Xenia continues to live in Ukraine, working as a production sound mixer in the war zone with various film and media productions.

Iryna Kucherenko is a Ukrainian-born Angeleno working as a production sound mixer and audio supervisor for television and documentary productions. She has been working in audio since 2009, after graduating from the Vancouver Film School Sound Design for Visual Media Program.

Her work experience provides another perspective on working with subjects affected by war. Iryna’s entry into reality television started with “Surprise Homecoming”, a show that helped US veterans stage surprise returns from deployment for their families. Among Iryna’s notable documentary credits is “Dalya’s Other Country” by Julia Meltzer, which follows the life of a teen Syrian refugee whose family fled to Los Angeles, California.

Iryna is also a part of the Safe&Sound Ukraine initiative that is working to provide essential communication devices to Ukraine.

Safe&Sound Ukraine

A fundraising project aiming to purchase encrypted digital walkie-talkies and satellite phones for Ukrainian war medics, volunteers, and evacuation coordinators.

This is a unique case when the power of the sound community can help save lives. Since its launch, Safe&Sound Ukraine has partnered with more than 20 sound- and filmmaking-related manufacturers, businesses, and communities all around the world (such as LASoundMixers, AMPS, CAS, Gotham Sound, K-Tek, Lectrosonics, and many more), and has already supplied 14 locations across Ukraine with life-saving, secure means of communication.

Hiring Bias

Heather Augustine – Photo Credit Brian Kinnanman

There’s been a decided shift in hiring practices coming back from COVID

Shows and companies are more focused on transparency and trying to reach a wider pool of people, which is wonderful for both reducing the amount of nepotism and increasing the diversity of the industry. However, no system is perfect. I was talking with a friend and colleague not too long ago and he told me he was worried that he would get passed over for jobs because he was a white male. Which, honestly, is a completely legitimate concern. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but think:

Now you might understand

Now you send in your resume and wonder if yours will get set aside because of factors intrinsic to your identity that you can’t change. That someone less qualified might get hired over you because they fit what the designer or producer wants to see.

Welcome to our world

I routinely get asked by local crews if I’m the audio assistant or the stage manager or the *insert traditional women roles here.* It’s never meant with any malice, but the bias is there. When locals tell my assistant and I how great it is to see an all-women road crew on audio, it’s because they almost never see one. I can count on one hand the number of local audio heads I’ve worked with who were women. There’s only been one local audio crew that was all women, and that was only because the male local assistant had to call out for a medical emergency. For reference, that’s out of working with 200+ audio crews of 4-8 people over 8+ years touring across the USA and Canada.

But now we’re trying to level the playing field

Does it suck that in that attempt we’ve thrown off the balance in the opposite direction? Yes. Absolutely. Is the goal that the industry can eventually get to an equilibrium where work ethic or skill are the determining factors for hiring and not skin color, gender identity, or other biases? Also yes.

So, to the white men in the world who are wondering how they’re going to compete in a system that now seems rigged against them, here’s my advice. It’s something that every woman and minority has had to live by their entire careers: You have to be better. You have to work harder and improve more than the people around you to prove yourself competent. You have to be so good at your job that people will hire you despite your skin color or your gender.

This is what our world has looked like for decades. It’s not fair, it’s not nice, it’s just the reality. When you know the biases work against you, you have to make yourself stand out. It’s just that historically minorities have been dealing with subconscious bias, whereas now the shift is to balance hiring with conscious choices.

So now, to the non-white, males in the room, remember that working to correct those biases won’t happen overnight

Just because the hiring scales have tipped in favor of women and POC doesn’t mean that everything has magically shifted. In most cases, a white man will still be assumed competent until proven otherwise. However, a woman or POC, especially those in the earlier years of their career, will still have to prove themselves capable before they’re considered qualified for the job and not just someone the producer was looking for to check off a box on their diversity list.

I know was hired for my first tour as an A2 because I was a woman. I got pushed to the top of the (likely very short) list of women because I was the A1’s girlfriend. The fact that I came well recommended by my references and with an education from a well-respected college program was probably taken into consideration, but I’m well aware I was not truly hired for my skills or experience that first time around. Even later on in my career as an A1, there are times I’ve suspected that my resume floated to the top of the pile because I was a woman and the fact that I was qualified for the job fell (a hopefully close) second.

Thinking you’ve been hired for reasons other than your qualifications quite frankly sucks. You walk in the door already feeling like you’ve got something to prove and thanking that there’s a thin margin for error before people might start whispering behind your back about how you really got the job.

The advice that’s resonated with me for most of my career is: It doesn’t matter who (or what) got you the job. You’re the one that keeps it. I’ve never regretted taking the opportunities that were given to me in large part because of that advice and I used the chance to prove I had the skills (or could learn whatever I needed to) to carry my weight. Sure, the first job I got was based on factors I’d like to think are irrelevant, but through that, I started to build a reputation based on who I was and the work I did, and that travels faster and reaches further than any bias.

This is an industry where we all leverage whatever advantages we can to establish ourselves. We get a leg up based on who we know, where we live, or even being at the right place at the right time. Don’t feel bad for taking advantage of an opportunity that is placed in your path, regardless of why. I know I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without help from a very large number of people and quite a bit of luck, which I then strove to back up with hard work.

Again, it doesn’t matter what or who opened a door for you. Your willingness to step through gets you into the room and your willingness to work and learn is what keeps you there.

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