Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

Review of Behind the Sound Cart

 

If you are looking for a master class in production sound, Behind the Sound Cart: A Veteran’s Guide to Sound on the Set by Patrushkha Mierzwa is just that.  From gear to career development this book covers it all.  With her many years of experience as a Utility Sound Technician (UST), Mierzwa provides more than tips and tricks.  Packed in each chapter is a guide to best practices and the reasons why.

Behind the Sound Cart is divided into chapters based on topics beginning with an overview of the UST’s duties.  Also known as 2nd Assistant Sound, they work on everything sound-related not covered by the Mixer or the Boom Operator, even then the UST might have to use a second boom, or even cover for the mixer.  In light of how flexible the UST must be, it makes sense to use them as a focal point for a guidebook on production sound.  Mierzwa has the reader follow her footsteps through nearly every scenario a UST might face.  I cannot believe I ever set foot on a set without Behind the Sound Cart.

Mierzwa stresses the importance of safety with every chapter.  Current events show us that this emphasis is always necessary.  However, safety is not just protection from a dolly running you over:  heat, stress, and fatigue can also be deadly.  Don’t skip the sections on first aid and COVID protocols either.  Gear cleaning and maintenance fall into this category as well.

From cover to cover, Mierzwa leads by example of professionalism and integrity.  Do not expect this book to be full of celebrity anecdotes.  Part of being a respected UST is respecting the cast. One might expect a book on the basics of production sound to be dry without juicy gossip, but there are plenty of stories and jokes peppered through each chapter.  Attached in the appendices are forms, paperwork, and other documents used throughout the film production process.  Those alone are worth the price of this book.  Refreshing is the way Mierzwa uses “she/her” as the default pronouns over “he/him.”  Sure, a more neutral pronoun like the singular “they” would be optimal, it allows one to imagine a film crew that is more diverse than the “industry standard.”

I recommend Behind the Sound Cart to anyone looking to succeed in the film industry.  That includes early career professionals, as well as students and production assistants.  I would even recommend this book for fledgling directors and cinematographers.  Patrushkha Mierzwa has put a career’s worth of information into a manageable package, and it should be in every production sound engineer’s library.

Do Musicians Need to Know About Sound?

Music and Sound: Part 1

Modern and changing times have pushed people to learn and use technology more and more, especially musicians. But particularly during the pandemic, many musicians have had the need to record themselves, edit and mix their own music.  Does this mean now that they have to master a new career as sound engineers too besides being musicians?

I would say yes, but only if it is their true interest. Diving into a sound career implies a lot of technical terms to learn, gear to buy, and aptitudes to have. So, I would say no, if you are not much of a technophile and you don’t want to consume your instrument study time into troubleshooting equipment or learning about deep theoretical and technical aspects of sound.

That being said, my first and best advice would be to always hire a professional sound person to help you set up your home studio, teach you how to do your recordings and mixes, and give you professional advice. However, if you are still thinking to give it a try and set up your own home studio, mix your own music, and doing it all by yourself, I may have some tips for you.

Technical aptitudes are part of the important things to consider: computer skills and good problem-solving skills are basic aptitudes you’ll need to enhance to set up, use, and master your own music studio. Keep in mind that you might have to update or buy a computer that can manage recording and music software requirements. Most websites have now a specific list of technical requirements to use their products, so you might want to take a look through their websites to make sure your computer is up to date. The most important things to consider for a computer to be able to manage music and recording software are mainly: processor type, operation system version, RAM size, disk space, ports, etc. If any of these terms are in a foreign language for you, you may also need help from a person how knows about computers.

Here is an example of Ableton Live Computer requirements for a Windows Computer:

Windows 10 (Build 1909 and later)

Intel® Core™ i5 processor or an AMD multi-core processor.

8 GB RAM

1366×768 display resolution

ASIO compatible audio hardware for Link support (also recommended for optimal audio performance)

Access to an internet connection for authorizing Live (for downloading additional content and updating Live, a fast internet connection is recommended)

Approximately 3 GB disk space on the system drive for the basic installation (8 GB free disk space recommended)

Up to 76 GB disk space for additionally available sound content

Digital Audio Workstations

The next thing you will need to consider is getting digital audio workstations (DAWs) and/or music creation software. DAWs are computer programs designed to record any sound into a computer, manipulate the audio, mix it, add effects and export it in multiple formats.

You will need to choose according to your needs and preferences among many workstations that are available online from free versions to monthly subscriptions or perpetual licenses. Some of the most popular DAWs between professional sound engineers are Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Reaper, Luna, Studio One, but you can also find others for free or less than USD $100:

To learn how to use any of these DAWs you will be able to find many resources online on the manufacture’s websites, Google or YouTube, such as training videos, workshops, live sessions, etc. Here is an example of a tutorial video for Pro tools that can be found on Avid’s YouTube channel: Get Started Fast with Pro Tools | First — Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H–Q-fwJ1g

Some theoretical concepts will also come up when doing recordings and mixing, like stereo track, mono track, multitrack, bit depth, sample rate, phantom power, condenser mics, phase, plugin, gain, DI, etc. Multiple free online resources to learn about those concepts are available all over the internet. Just take your time to learn them.

You can read about educational resources at https://soundgirls.org/educational-resources/

Audio Interface

The next thing you are going to need is an Audio Interface, but why?

Audio interfaces are hardware units that allow you to connect microphones, instruments, midi controllers, studio monitors and headphones to your computer. They translate electric signals produced by soundwaves to a digital protocol (0s and 1s) so your computer can understand it.

Depending on your requirements as a musician you may need to record one track at a time or more. For example, if you play drums you may need more than one mic, but if you are a singer probably one mic is just enough. This means that you will find audio interfaces with different amounts of inputs where usually the price is attached to it, the greater the number of channels and preamps, the more money you’ll need. Audio interfaces will also have different types of inputs: for microphones, for instruments (with a DI), or both (combo), make sure you choose the proper one for your needs. Especially, make sure it has a built-in preamplifier in case you are using condenser mics to record.

There are also microphones that you can plug directly into your computer or phone via USB, this means no audio interface is needed (it’s built-in). This type of mics might be helpful for podcasters, broadcasters, video streamers. However, bear in mind that even if you try your best, this type of recordings may not have the same results as a professional recording and mixing.

Microphones

Learning about microphones and microphone technics might take lots of blogs to read and videos to watch, so I will narrow it down: there are no straight formulas for sound or strict rules to follow regarding to microphones. The mic you choose can vary depending on your budget, the type of instrument you play, and what you are using your microphone for. For this, you will need to search and learn about types of mics depending on their construction (dynamic, condenser, ribbon, etc.), types of polar pattern (cardioid, super-cardioid, Omni, etc), and some recommendations of mics based on the instruments you’ll record.

For example, you may find definitions for commonly-used terms for microphones and Audix products on their website: https://audixusa.com/glossary/. Or you can register for Sennheiser Sound Academy Seminars at https://en-ae.sennheiser.com/seminar-recordings.

If you want to read more about Stereo Microphone Techniques you can also check: https://www.andreaarenas.com/post/2017/11/06/stereo-microphone-techniques

Midi Controllers

Midi controllers: Musical Instrument Digital Interfaces are mostly used to generate digital data that can be used to trigger other equipment or software, meaning that they do not generate sound by themselves. A MIDI controller can be a keyboard, drum pad-style device, or a combination of the two. You will need to learn how to program and map your midi controller to be able to use it creatively for your productions.

You will also find many resources online that will help you learn about midi controllers, such as Ableton on how to set up your midi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWOXblksDxE

Acoustics

The acoustics of the room is also important, the lack of acoustic treatment can make your recordings sound different, and usually in a bad way. Sound gets reflected and absorbed in all surfaces present in a room and noise can interact with your recordings too. If you are in an improvised room in your house and no professional acoustic treatment is possible to make, you might have in mind some basics like avoiding recording in rooms with parallel walls, square or rectangle design pattern with square corners and hard surfaces, minimizing the reflected sounds with carpets, soft couches, pillows, etc.

Once again, considering hiring a sound engineer as a consultant might be your best option if you are planning to take the next step as a musician to learn about sound engineering. It would make you save time; money and you’ll be employing a friend.

 

 

7 Steps to Making a Demo with Your Phone

The internet is full of songwriters asking the question; how good does my demo have to be? The answer is always, “it depends”. Demos generally have one purpose; to accurately display the lyrics and melody of a song. Yet, there are varying types of demos and demo requirements but for this blog’s purpose, that is our one purpose!

*(see the end of this blog for situations where you will want to have your song fully produced for pitching purposes)

If you are a

Demos for these purposes can be recorded on your phone. If you have recording software (otherwise known as a DAW: Digital Audio Workstation) you can use that too. The steps are the same. But for those who don’t have a recording set up and have no interest in diving into that world, your phone and a variety of phone apps make it super easy.

Figure out the tempo

The “beats per minute”, or BPM is a critical component to the momentum and energy of a song. Pretty much every novice singer/songwriter has a tendency to write their songs in various tempos. The verse starts off at a certain groove and then by the time the first chorus comes in, the tempo has gradually increased to a new bpm. Then it goes back down during the soft bridge, then back up to an even faster tempo at the end.

None of us were born with an internal metronome, so don’t beat yourself up about it. However, most mainstream music that we hear today is going to be in a set tempo for the majority of the song. There may be tempo changes, depending on what the song calls for but, generally speaking, most songs do not change tempo. You and your producer can decide if a song needs tempo changes or if it is the kind of song that should be played “freely”, with no metronome at all.

Start by playing your song, and imagine yourself walking to the beat of your song. Is it a brisk walk? Or a slow, sluggish walk? A brisk walk is 120 beats per minute. Pull up your metronome and pick a starting bpm, based on how brisk (or un-brisk) the imaginary walk feels. Set that tempo and then play along to it. If it’s feeling good, keep playing through until you’ve played every song section (verse, chorus, bridge) at that tempo. If it stopped feeling right at some point, adjust accordingly. Ideally, you’ll find that happy bpm that is perfect for the song.

Type up a lyric sheet: I have artists put these lyric sheets on Google Drive and share them with me so that we are always working off of the same lyric sheet as changes are made.

Mark tempo changes on the lyric sheet: mark specific tempo changes if there are any. Mark a ritard (ritard means to slow down) where they need to be as well. If there is going to be a ritard, it is usually in the outro.

Check the key: Do you accidentally change keys in different sections? Just like the case of tempo changes, beginner singer/songwriters, especially if they’ve written the lyrics and melody a cappella (without accompaniment) can easily change keys without knowing it. If you don’t play an instrument, that’s ok! Have a musician friend or teacher help you. Your producer can also help you with this, as long as that is included in the scope of their work. Ask beforehand. If you do know the key and have determined the chords, including those in your lyric sheet.

Can you sing it: Have you sung it full out with a voice teacher in the key you’ve written it in? Singing it quietly in your room in a way that won’t disturb your roommates might not be the way you want to sing it in the recording studio.

Record the song: Record the song with the metronome clicking out loud if you aren’t using an app (you may need two devices; one to play the metronome and one to record) There are apps available where you can record yourself while listening to the click track through earbuds, then when you listen back to the recording, you won’t hear the click track. The point is that you sang it in time. One app I’m aware of where you can do this is Cakewalk by Bandlab. There are many!

Share the file: Make sure you can share the audio recording in a file format they can play. MP3s are the most common compressed audio file that can easily be emailed but most of our phones don’t automatically turn our voice memos into mp3’s. As a matter of fact, some phones will squash an audio file into some weird file type that sounds like crap (I have a Samsung and it does this!)

The most important steps for creating a demo for the above-mentioned purposes are making sure you have fine-tuned lyrics, melody, and song structure in a (mostly) set tempo. Following all of these steps will make you a dream client for your producer!

*If you want to pitch a song for use in film or TV (licensing/sync) then it needs to be a fully produced song. Do NOT submit demos to music libraries or music supervisors. They need finished products.

If you want to pitch your song to a music publisher, who in turn will pitch your song to artists, they will want full production in most cases. The artist may have it entirely reproduced but you have to “sell” them the song. You want to shine it in the best light possible. A demo would be needed for the creative team (producer, studio musicians, etc.) who will create your produced version for pitching. 

 

Virtual Conference Video Pass Now Available

Educating and Inspiring the Next Generation in Audio
Two Days of Sessions in Post-Production, Live Sound, Recording Arts, Film & TV Sound, Broadcast and More.

Over 70 Video Sessions to watch on-demand forever.

$60 Purchase Here

Designing Cinematic Style Sound Effects with Gravity

Today I’m going to be discussing a virtual instrument called Gravity by the folks at Heavyocity. It’s loaded into and powered by Kontakt Engine by Native Instruments. While Gravity itself doesn’t have a free version available, Kontakt is available as both a free version and full version. Gravity is an incredible, extensively customizable virtual instrument designed predominantly for use in modern scoring. It’s comprised of 4 instrumentation sections: Hits, Pads, Risers, and Stings. Each of these 4 main sections breaks down further into complex blends of the loaded-in beautiful, high-quality samples within the category as well as the simplified individual samples for additional customization with the effects and other adjustable parameters.

With these instruments, Gravity allows you to do a whole lot musically for composers who would like to utilize it in developing a full score, but it also can be used for some truly awesome sound designing purposes. Especially when it comes to cinematic style accents, hits, and synthy ambiances, which, as a sound editor, is what I personally have found myself using Gravity for the majority of the time.

Gravity’s MAIN User Interface For Pad Instrument Section

Gravity’s MAIN User Interface For Pad Instrument Section

After having initially selected which instrumentation element you want, each category of instrument breaks down into further categories to narrow down which instrument feels right for the moment. The only section that doesn’t do this additional categorical organization is the Hits partition. At the bottom of Kontakt, just below the UI, it also displays an interactive keyboard you can use if you don’t have a MIDI board to connect to your system, which you can also play by mouse click or by utilizing your computer keyboard. It highlights which keys are loaded with samples for each instrument selected as well as breaking down similar groups separated by color-coding.

There is a powerful and extensive variety of effects available to include (if desired) to whatever degree the user prefers, which are also broken down into multiple pages that you can flip between by clicking on the name of each page along the bottom of the UI (just above the keyboard).

Gravity’s EQ/Filter

Gravity’s EQ/Filter

In the MAIN section, there is Reverb, Chorus, Delay, Distortion, and Volume Envelope with ADSR parameter controls (attack, delay, sustain, release), as well as a couple of Gravity specific effects. These include Punish – which is an effect combining compression and saturation adjusted by a single knob, and Twist – which manipulates, or…twists…the tone of the instrument which you can animate to give movement to the tone itself. There are also performance controls available like Velocity, to adjust the velocity of the notes, Glide, to glide between notes played, and Unison, which increases or decreases layers of detuned variations of the notes played to create a thicker, more complex sound.

Gravity’s Trigger FX

Gravity’s Trigger FX

There is also an EQ/FILTER page which of course provides a complex equalizer and variety of filtering parameters, a TFX (Trigger FX) page to temporarily alter sounds by MIDI trigger with Distortion, LoFi, Filter, Panning, and Delay. Under each trigger effect is an “Advanced” button where you can further customize the parameters of each trigger effect. Lastly, there is a MOTION page that has a modulation sequencer that adjusts volume, pan, and pitch of the sound triggered over time, and a randomize button that randomizes the variety of motion control and motion playback parameters. With this variety of motion controls, you can create patterns of motion to either utilize as an individual setting or to link a chain of motion patterns. To add to all of that, there’s an editing sequencer, and each pattern contains a sequence of volume, panning, and pitch parameters. This series of adjustable bars allows you to create a sequence of patterns. With all of these parameters to manipulate as little or as much as you’d like, thankfully, they have the option to save, load, and lock motion controls for easy recall when you find a really cool means of motion manipulation that you’d like to bring back (without taking the time to fine-tune all of those parameters all over again).

Gravity’s Sequencer

Gravity’s Sequencer

There is one instrument section that’s a little bit different from the rest and has an additional page of customization options that the others don’t. That’s when you go diving into the Hits. In the Hits section, there are multiple options of what they call Breakouts, which are an extensive array of preloaded multi-sample triggers that implement a whoosh or synth rising element that builds and builds until slamming into a powerful, concussive cinematic impact before trailing off. You can use these individually or blend some of them together for a quick means of generating complex, powerful cinematic accents, and sweeteners. These are also all broken down separately into the individual samples to trigger the impacts themselves with each MIDI keyboard note, the sub-elements for a nice touch of deep BOOM to rock the room, the tails to let the concussive hit play out in a variety of ways, and the airy/synth whooshes to rise up into the booming impact. Included in the four Breakout Hits instruments, there’s the additional page of customizable elements added to the UI that I mentioned at the start of this paragraph called DESIGNER. Because the Breakout Hits instruments each trigger a combination of this aforementioned mix of cinematic elements with each keyboard key note, inside the Designer tab, you’ll find that it allows you to modify each of those elements/samples to customize the combinations of triggers.

Hits Instrument Section

Hits Instrument Section

Now, after that extensive technical dive into everything that this AMAZING virtual instrument has to offer, I must say, Gravity itself is actually surprisingly easy and user-friendly to navigate and play with. It has definitely become my personal favorite tool to create a variety of cinematic style elements and accents. In being so user-friendly, once you’ve got it loaded up and either connected your MIDI keyboard or setup your computer keyboard to use in its place… simply select an instrument from the menu and you’re good to go! Have fun playing and exploring the expansive additional effects and features I’ve detailed above!

WRITTEN BY GREG RUBIN
SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR, BOOM BOX POST

Interview with Anna-Lee Craig, A2 for Hamilton on Broadway – Part 2!

 

Happy New Year, SoundGirls readers! I am so pleased to kick off my blogs this year with Part 2 of my interview with Anna-Lee Craig. ALC holds many impressive titles, even more, impressive when taken together. Among them are A2 for Hamilton on Broadway, inventor of the mic rig known as the “ALC Special,” and on top of all that, parent of twin toddlers!

If you missed it this fall, be sure to check out Part One of this blog, where we cover ALC’s beginnings in the industry, from getting interested in sound in college to breaking into the industry in NYC and making the connections that led her to her first union jobs and to working with Broadway sound designer Nevin Steinberg.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Want to learn more about ALC and the sound design of Hamilton? Check out the two episodes of the “Hamilcast” podcast in which she is featured! https://www.thehamilcast.com/anna-lee-craig/ She is also part of the team that was interviewed for the Hamilton episode of the podcast “Twenty Thousand Hertz”: https://www.20k.org/episodes/hamilton. You can find her on Instagram @frecklessly7 and on Twitter @craigalc.

Let’s talk about being an A2, and then about being the A2 for Hamilton. What is your favorite thing about being an A2?

Oh gosh. I really love my job, so it is hard to narrow it down. So, a list:

-I love when a catastrophe strikes and the mic swap or whatever goes so smoothly that the Mixer and audience doesn’t even know something went wrong.

-I love when an actor tries on a custom rig for the first time and says, “oh this is so comfortable, I don’t even feel it.”

-I love the rituals of a mic hand off and backstage dance choreography that no one else gets to see.

-I love all my elaborate Google Sheets.

Sidenote from Becca: I’m pretty sure this isn’t what ALC meant by “backstage dance choreography,” but here she is busting a move with Lin-Manuel Miranda while getting him into mic! https://twitter.com/i/status/726135286980313088

Can you talk a little about your process, and those elaborate Google Sheets? What kind of paperwork do you make for tracking, rigging, etc., and how early in the process do you get involved with the sound design team?

The A2 usually gets hired just before the shop build- so I’m integrally involved in the rack building, cable labeling, and system setup. I generate paperwork documenting actor/role mic rigs, frequency management, backstage cues, inventory, and anything backstage, related to the sound department, that impacts the daily maintenance of the show.

For Hamilton, how soon after the show opened did you learn the mix in addition to the A2 track?

I trained for the mix at The Public (which is when I joined the show), but it was only in case of an emergency. I was retrained for the Broadway version of the mix 6 weeks after we opened.

Can you give us a particularly crazy backstage “war story” about some of the crazy things that A2s sometimes have to do in the middle of a performance?

Sometimes A2s have to do address a mic problem that basically happens onstage- like behind an upstage piece of scenery. And then you’re just stuck there, hiding behind that door or whatever until the scene is dark again and you can exit without being seen.

How did the design for the ALC Special come about? 

The ALC Special has had multiple evolutions and honestly continues to evolve to this day. The original concept was a request from Nevin- an experiment- could I build a lightweight under the ear rig. It needed to be as far away as possible from the tricorn hat brims, but also look and sound great. Nevin is a fly fisherman, and he must have suggested I look into fly tying. Long story short, much of the technique used in the ALC Special comes from fly tying, including the super strong, super thing fluorocarbon tippet that we tie the mics with.

 

An up-close look at the ALC Special from the inventor herself! Photo courtesy of Anna-Lee Craig

 

Sidenote: You can watch Hamilton San Francisco A2 Adrianna Brannon build an ALC Special in the Hamilton-themed episode of “Adam Savage’s TESTED” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351DxQghbh0

How did/do you balance the demands of our work with having a life outside the theatre? What are your favorite non-theatre hobbies?

To be honest, before parenthood I didn’t balance it very well! I have a few lifelong friendships that I carved out time for and other than that most things were theatre-centric. I would go out with cast and crew friends on days off- my partner would often join in.

Finally, let’s talk parenthood. To my knowledge, you are the first person to be on the sound crew of a Broadway musical who is not only a parent, but who experienced pregnancy and gave birth. This is something I too aspire to do in my career, so it’s really inspiring to see you shatter this glass ceiling for all of us! What was the process for negotiating parental leave from the show? How has being a parent changed the way you think about this industry and the ways it does (or doesn’t) accommodate families?

I remember working a press event for Hamilton] and the A2 on the RF station was a woman very much in her third trimester being a total badass, managing tons of mics, and she completely inspired me. And I thought “F**k yeah. If I ever get pregnant, I’m going to be like her, doing what I love, and kicking ass.” And really at that moment, I’ll never forget feeling like I could do both for the first time. (I’ve been trying to track down her name, but it remains a mystery.

The process of parental leave was very sort of casual. I let everyone in management know I was pregnant and was congratulated and I asked the parental leave policy and they said just to let them know how long I’d be gone. I was paid through the NY PFL for 12 weeks and any extra leave after that was unpaid. Covid hit mid-March so immediately after my PFL was up I applied for unemployment. But originally, I was intending to come back after 5 months off. And that was just kind of it.

Sidenote from Becca: New York is one of only 9 states (plus Washington DC) that has Paid Family Leave written into its laws. Every time I work a job in NY and open my pay stub, I see that a tiny amount has been deducted to cover this program. At the federal level, 12 weeks of job-protected leave must be granted, but there is no requirement that it be paid. And even so, many Broadway shows run for short enough periods of time that they don’t have to offer leave. As recently as late 2019, I know of a male stagehand who was offered zero paid leave upon the birth of his son, and for financial reasons felt the most he could allow himself was one week home, again unpaid, to be with his wife and new baby. I know I am on my soapbox again here, but this too is a huge issue that is stopping folks from staying in the theatre industry and reinforcing the stereotype that Broadway stagehand work is the domain of cis-het white men only.

More on this from ALC.

Everyone knows that the entertainment industry is hard for families. And that continues to be true. Most of all the schedule is completely unforgiving. 8 shows a week? I go to the theater every day except Monday; when exactly am I supposed to recover and enjoy being with my family? But there are benefits to working a night job for now. My kids are young enough to be early risers and they aren’t in school yet. I sacrifice my sleep because I get home at 11:30 at night and get up with my kids at 7 am. My husband and I love the mornings before he locks himself in the office. We all have breakfast together and read books and cuddle. Then I take the kids to the park, and we spend all morning together. I try to nap when they nap but that only happens 40% of the time. And then a nanny comes from 2-6 pm to hang out with them while I make dinner and get ready for work. Then my husband takes over, I kiss the kids goodbye and head to work and he does bedtime and cleans the house.

I think the balance I’ve figured out could be impossible for most theatre families. Most parents don’t have a partner that works from home (and my husband turned down a promotion in order to keep working from home; not everyone can even afford to choose family flexibility over paycheck). And I don’t know if we’ll be able to maintain it when they are old enough to go to school. We’re gonna wait and see. And if the schedule ultimately makes me feel like I’m missing out on my real life (which I used to think my job was) then I’ll leave. Maybe permanently, or maybe just until my kids are a lot older. There will always be work to do. Maybe not the same work but I guess that’s been the biggest shift. I don’t define myself by my job anymore…

ALC with her partner and the twins!

 

More SoundGirls resources on balancing career with being a parent from SoundGirls blogger and badass mom April Tucker:

https://soundgirls.org/the-audio-girlfriends-guide-to-pregnancy/

https://soundgirls.org/mixing-with-a-newborn/

Thanks so much to Anna-Lee Craig for taking the time to share her story! Please follow her on social media, and feel free to reach out to me if you too want to do this career and be a parent, and if this blog made you feel inspired. Getting to write it sure inspired me!

Also, I am taking requests for what topics you’d like to see blogs about this year. Reach out to me via my website, beccastollsound.com, and happy new year!

 

Garam Anday and Pakistan’s Emerging Feminist Punk Scene 

If someone mentions Feminist Punk Rock, most music lovers would point you towards the Riot Grrrl movement. Starting in the early 1990s, the Riot Grrrl bands were brash, political, and popular. Founded in Olympia Washington in the United States, the Riot Grrrl movement merged the musical with the fight against misogyny to and fit what we deem the popularized Feminist Punk Rock movement of today. Feminist Punk focuses on the cross-cultural ideas of gender equality, and its political music movement has spread across the globe. Recently, the Feminist Punk Rock ideals have been gaining popularity within a new band of women, in the country of Pakistan.

Feminist rock has been a new type of protest that has emerged in Pakistan political movements. Garam Anday, Hot Eggs, is a feminist Rock band that has been gaining traction in the region for their feminist critiques of the government. Garam Anday works to critique the gender discrimination that occurs in Pakistan. Through the use of their lyrics and music videos, they are weaving a narrative of women who are fighting back against the gender bias in Pakistan.

Garam Anday gained a large portion of their fame through their song “Mas Behn Ka Danda”, which translates to Mother and Sister’s Sticks. In this song, the women sing about the reckoning that is coming from women and girls challenging the sexist and patriarchal systems that are set up in Pakistan. In the song, the women sing

“we are coming after you boy, with our burning eggs, Mothers and sisters bring our reckoning”.

In this line, the women are taking back their feminine descriptors and using them as a source of power. Often in songs, the female body is used as a sexual object. However, Garam Anday uses their distinctly feminine bodies as a source of power in their song. By taking the very distinct female anatomy of eggs, i.e. ovaries, and saying those ovaries are coming after the men, Garam Anday is citing the power that a woman has to push back against patriarchal systems of power. Politically, the song’s use of eggs is powerful because it is a direct allusion to the sexual violence that takes place in Pakistan. At the moment there is mass sexual violence towards women. In government spaces, men control and diminish women’s bodies. For example, in 2021, Prime Minister of Pakistan Khan responded to the rape crisis in Pakistan by saying that it was occurring because “if a woman is wearing very few clothes it will have an impact on the man unless they are robots” (Tariq). This is just one example of how gender and sexual violence is perceived in Pakistan, This is the violence that Garam Anday is working against in their music. By creating a song where ovaries are seen as the site of power, Guram Anday is creating political messages of female empowerment through their music.

Guram Anday has further politically organized through the locations at which they play their music. In 2019, Guram Anday “performed at the Aurat March where they escorted the pidarshhi ka janaza” (Khuldune Shahid). Performing at the Aurat March is important to note in terms of Guram Anday’s political popularity. The Aurat March is a political protest against the violence against women in Pakistan. By being invited to the march, Guram Anday secured public awareness and acceptance as a voice for change in women’s rights in Pakistan. Guram Anday is following the feminist Punk Rock ideas of music’s political organizing influence taking it to help use it to uplift their message of women’s empowerment and the message of the Aurat March.

While a Bikini Kill reunion is unlikely, the spirit of feminist punk rock is still alive and well. Guram Anday is just one example of how Feminist Punk Rock has crossed cultural boundaries to unite under the common cause of gender equity for all. Guram Anday shows us that feminist punk rock is for all, and is used by all. Guram Anday shows us that the fight for equity in music should not be a western focused approach.  Instead, it is an intersectional and global fight for ALL women.

Watch Garam Anday’s Music Video

Be Like A Crotchet Rest

The sound industry brings me such reward. There’s nothing else like it. I mean just a month ago I was hiking up to the highest waterfall in the world with 20kgs worth of gear and camping equipment on my back, doing location sound for a short film (we entered the Rode Reel competition for 2021), and the fact that I could call this “work” amazed me. Getting back to the city, I was pressed for time with a three-day deadline to deliver an original composition, post-production audio editing, sound design, and foley. The “rush” of the job had me pulling all-nighters and feeling like I had a purpose.

Then, not surprisingly, I crashed. Exhaustion hit, and along with it came imposter syndrome, frustration, and feeling like I wasn’t good enough because I couldn’t get what I could hear in my head out onto the DAW. Not to mention I was working with the cheapest and most frustrating laptop and software (a major downgrade from what I was used to when I was at Abbey Road). I felt depressed, deprived of sleep, and full of self-doubt.

I quickly realized that I had done it again – getting myself into the “go, go, go, crash” cycle. I had to remind myself of the most important lesson I have learned in my life – to be like a crotchet rest. (I even have one tattooed on my wrist to remind me!).

I like to think of it like this – a crotchet rest is actually a note. What I mean is that it is a part of music where you “play silence”. It’s intentional, and without these written into the music, the piece would just be noise.

In life, you must be intentional about where you insert your stillness, your silence. You must create space for the notes so that they can transform into a complete piece of music.

It’s just like in life. I figure that one must be deliberate about where one fits silence into their existence, and not be freaked out by it (because we tend to believe that when we are still, we aren’t accomplishing anything). I see this intentional rest as a fundamental requirement in my path to success. It’s almost like intentionally “playing the silence” in my life for it to form a whole, “successful” piece of music.

So much of the brain’s energy is taken up on regretting or dwelling on the past or fearing and worrying about the future. And if it’s not spending its energy trapped in some irrational fear, then it’s almost certainly using whatever it can to distract itself from stillness. Things get so chaotic, and we fall into the trap of resisting stillness.

One tends to resist stillness, especially when life gets busy as there seems to be “no time”. But the act of making stillness a priority – of playing the silence – is one of the most valuable things to remember when life gets tough. It requires you to go within, to consistently check in with yourself, to observe without judgment, and to listen deeply so that you can determine whether the thought, action, or feeling you are currently experiencing is harming or helping you. It helps you see if there are things you are giving your time and energy to that are not serving your highest good. It allows you to take ownership and responsibility for where you’re stumbling and to redirect yourself toward a healthier you. This stillness is a space of infinite potential. It gives your mind and spirit a chance to expand, explore, and let go.

That is why, being like a crotchet rest – intentionally playing the silence of life – is one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. So, perhaps in your day today, think about playing the silence in your own life. Where can you make stillness a priority? Where can you stop resisting stillness?  Where can you be intentional about moving into the space of infinite possibility?

Give it a try. Even if it’s just for five minutes and begin to see the ripple effects of its power in your life.

 

Going Freelance In The Middle Of A Pandemic

In May 2021, I left my radio job of four years to start freelancing full-time. I’d been editing podcasts for a couple of different clients for the past month or two, but now I was starting to pick up more work, and it felt like the right time to make the leap.

Unlike a lot of people, I was fortunate to remain in employment throughout the pandemic. I’d been working from home for over a year (an interesting experience when your job is in live radio). But I was ready to move on, for a combination of reasons. So when new opportunities presented themselves, I couldn’t say no.

I won’t lie: I was terrified. As someone who suffers from anxiety (more on that in a future blog post), I was plagued by that voice in my head telling me I was crazy to go freelance. What if the work dried up? What if I wouldn’t make enough money? And in the middle of a pandemic! What was I thinking?

My fears weren’t entirely unjustified. I did have a few quiet weeks early on. But as I soon learned, things can change very quickly, and before you know it you’re juggling two or three different projects at once. Seven months in, I still have times when I’m not very busy. But this isn’t always a bad thing, especially coming off the back of a particularly hectic period where you feel you’ve barely had time to breathe. It helps you take a moment to refresh and refocus.

I think the biggest worry for a lot of freelancers is a lack of stability. It’s true that this is a risk you take, but if you’re able to build a strong client base, it really helps. Don’t underestimate the power of a good recommendation. If you do a great job for someone, chances are they’ll work with you again (or even give you a regular gig) and will be only too happy to let someone else know about you, which in turn leads to more work.

Despite my worries about the negative side of freelancing, I’ve also found that there are a lot of positives. I really enjoy having the freedom to choose my own hours. Some people might struggle with structuring their day and resisting the temptation to procrastinate, but luckily I’ve always been pretty good at motivating myself to sit down and get things done. I will freely admit that I am not a morning person. That’s not to say I can’t or won’t get up early for work (I used to have a 5 am start on Sundays) but I certainly don’t enjoy it. So I don’t worry too much about the 9-5 thing unless a project specifically requires it. As long as I’m getting the job done to the best of my ability and communicating clearly with my clients at all times, that’s the most important thing.

The freedom to choose not only which hours you work, but which projects you work on, is another positive. But there are also challenges. I’ve had to think long and hard about my boundaries this year. When you’re just starting out in the freelance world and trying to build your client base, it can be very tempting to accept everything that comes your way. Maybe the money is really good, or it’s a chance to gain experience in a new area that will look great on your CV. But what if you’re already juggling a lot of projects and barely have any free time? You might be afraid to turn down work in case that client doesn’t offer you anything else in the future, or you might just be keen to make a good impression and show them what you can do. But sometimes it is good to say no. If you take on too much, you will simply be incapable of giving your best to each project. The work itself will suffer, and so will your mental health. We’ve all experienced burn-out, and we should try to avoid it wherever possible. Only say yes if you think you can realistically manage it.

Setting boundaries is also important when it comes to dealing with existing clients. I’ve been very lucky to work with a lot of brilliant people, but occasionally you do come across someone who thinks nothing of asking you to edit an hour’s worth of audio at a minute’s notice, or sending you WhatsApp messages about work at three in the morning and expecting you to respond. Thankfully a rare occurrence, but it does happen. Many people feel unable to switch off from work even when they’re not freelancers. They might stay late at the office or answer phone calls and emails after going home for the day. But when you’re freelance, these issues are often magnified. There are people who expect you to always be available, at all hours of the day and night, and who want everything yesterday. And there are others who set unrealistic expectations, such as consistently giving you badly recorded audio which you simply cannot fix. Being open about your boundaries and the ways you will and won’t work is important. That way, clients know exactly what they can expect from you, and what you expect from them. If they’re not willing to respect those boundaries, you can walk away and save yourself a lot of stress. If they are willing, you’ll have a healthy and harmonious working relationship.

In hindsight, I think the decision to go freelance during a pandemic was more of a blessing than a curse. This whole situation has forced businesses to consider remote working, and so many more people have also started podcasts in the last two years, which means more work for freelancers in the industry. I’ve been working with clients from around the world from the comfort of my own home, which I never would have dreamed of pre-pandemic. And it’s not just podcast editing; I’ve also recorded and sound-designed audio drama, made radio promos, and even appeared on shows myself as a contributor.

I’d only been doing this for about a week when people started asking me when I was planning to return to a “stable” job. It occurred to me that many people outside the industry still don’t really understand freelancing and just how common it actually is. Then again, I also used to get asked how much longer I was going to do “this radio thing” before having to get a “proper” job. So I guess being employed by a radio station is now considered stable after all!

I don’t know what the future holds; none of us do. But for now, I’m enjoying the diverse range of projects I get to work on and the freedom to pursue what interests me.

X