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Reflections on the Touring Year

I’m going to reflect on internal dialogue I’ve had throughout the span of a 3.5 month tour. I’ll share some current mix and lifestyle perspectives that may encourage others to start conversations and consider their own journeys.

Systems 

As a FOH engineer, I find it beneficial to invite people into a conversation. For example, I can create a dialogue with the systems engineer and ask them if they’re familiar with the room, what their approach for tuning is, and make them aware of my expectations for the show. I’ll ask if they can walk around during the show and I’ll inquire about specific areas of concern. This can highlight areas of improvement for me, as well as learning how other’s ears work.

In the off-season, I’ve found it important to study and attend systems classes from the manufacturers. Meyer, L-Acoustics, and d&b all offer online and in person educational opportunities. After being in many this past spring, I’ve felt more confident than ever approaching systems engineers with more comprehensive knowledge of software and have been more equipped to articulate my needs. This in turn has helped us achieve better products and have a much nicer day.

Mixing 

Refraining from gatekeeping your mix can benefit you and also other engineers. I’ve learned a lot about my perception of sound and have gained new techniques from having intentional conversations with other audio folks.

Compression can be useful, but it’s important to become comfortable exploring my comfort zone and not always doing what visually seems appropriate, but instead trying to listen and feel to achieve the best translation between systems and rooms. For instance, you may use less vocal compression in the studio, but if you’re mixing a pop vocal live, you might find it useful to introduce slower attack and release times to massage the articulation and phrasing into a suitable place for the mix. Double compression can also be your friend. Also in some instances this last tour, I’ve felt as if the PA responded better to less compression, especially on drums. Anticipating these changes ahead of time has helped me be more efficient.

Mental Health 

Having some type of routine can make a significant impact on your well-being. Make time to exercise, journal, or read at some point in the day, either to wake up or wind down or just to get away from the noise, even for a second. Call your loved ones back home, and find ways to have connected conversations. When we are physically disconnected from people, refraining from or partaking in certain conversations can make you feel even more distanced.

Kindness and a little bit of patience with everyone goes a long way, whether it’s your tour companions or local support.

Figure out what drives you, and what you consider success. Make sure you’ve positioned yourself in an environment that helps you live out your dream and not be resentful of the life and career you’re living. You should have a team supporting you, and a team you want to support. Lastly, those people should also encourage you to have fun, relax, and enjoy the little moments.

AI in Audio and Music: Dazzling Development or Threat to Creativity?

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been a hot topic for some time in the news, on social media, and around the physical and virtual water coolers. Numerous content creator accounts dedicated to AI-generated art and videos have sprung up, featuring spectacular creations from the beautiful to the bizarre, and amusing mash-ups (one of my favourites being a techno version of Harry Potter set in Berlin). You can now hear long-gone artists such as Freddie Mercury sing new songs that sound eerily realistic, or generate a whole album’s worth of lyrics, melodies, harmonies and even entire songs in the genre of your choice using prompts and suggestions.

Is this impressive advancement a tool to be celebrated and embraced? Or should we fear what AI is capable of creating, and that it will do a superior job than humans and make certain jobs and careers obsolete? There are many complicated moral questions attached to the use of AI, stemming from the multitude of fascinating ways that AI is being used in audio and music.

Generative AI

Generative AI is a digital tool that can generate audio content using input from text prompts, based on what it learns from existing audio media. Some productive ways it can be used for include sound design (think of the possibilities for unworldly sci-fi sounds!), voice synthesis and text-to-speech creation for narrated entertainment, information services and accessibility aids (a huge benefit for people with speech, vision or mobility difficulties), and music creation to help take songwriters’ and composers’ musical visions to the next level, or allow novice music lovers to explore music creation.

Audio tools for efficiency

There are many AI tools that can make our work as sound engineers more efficient. Certain AI tools can help audio engineers to streamline their workflows and automate file creation and management. AI algorithms can be used to great effect in audio restoration, to separate unwanted audio signals. A wonderful example is AI being used to extract John Lennon’s vocals from a lo-fi ‘70s recording (by the remaining Beatles members themselves) to complete and release a new Beatles song, “Now and Then”.

AI mixing and mastering tools can analyse a track and give suggested improvements or a useful starting point. Given music-making’s democratisation and the fact that anyone can release a track into the world and may not necessarily have the means to employ an expert, an AI plugin might be the next best option. It may also function as a training tool, to help novice sound engineers compare different mix possibilities and fine-tune their listening skills.

Technical disadvantages

While AI is learning and improving at an impressive (and perhaps alarming) rate, it is still far from perfect. Songs generated by AI often have odd or awkward-sounding moments, whether it’s lyrics with weird grammar, or a glitchy transition. Synthesised voices can sound unnatural and robotic. Poor audio quality and inconsistencies make it inevitable that – in our current times – a song recorded and mixed by a human sound engineer will sound superior.

Moral concerns

The cloning and mimicry of famous voices (commonly known as “deepfake” technology) and songwriting styles can be used to twist someone’s words, create misinformation, or “steal” someone’s musical style and generate new content. The question of who owns and retains copyright of content generated by an AI tool, and if it’s fair to generate new music based on someone’s music without compensating them, is a complex one. This is an issue also widely debated in the visual art world, with companies such as OpenAI being sued by various groups of artists. It’s likely that new laws surrounding AI and intellectual property may need to be passed in the future.

Lastly, the possibility of AI taking the place of humans in various creative or technical jobs does seem a potential threat, as AI improves day by day. As we navigate these astounding technological advancements, hopefully we’ll find the best way forward to use AI for positive productivity, efficiency and creativity, and not for malicious intent.

What does AI say about it all?

Perhaps ChatGPT’s own response, when asked what AI means for the music and audio industries, best sums it up:

“Overall, AI has the potential to streamline various processes in the audio and music industries, fostering innovation, efficiency, and new creative possibilities. However, it also raises questions about copyright, authenticity, and the role of human creativity in the artistic process.”

(P.S. The hilarious image accompanying this blog post was AI generated using Deep Dream Generator. The text was not and was written by me, a bonafide human!)

33 ⅓ The Raincoats

Finishing off the year with a lighter read is The Raincoats by Jenn Pelly.  This book is part of 33 ⅓, a series that deep dives into beloved albums.  I found this copy while on an annual west coast trip and I took a routine pilgrimage to the SeaTac SubPop store.  Among the collection of cassettes, LP’s, and other merch, there was a collection of bite size books, each boasting classic titles.  I scanned for something I could share with SoundGirls and a magenta spine stood out.

I am a self-declared riot grrrl fan, and therefore Fairytale in the Supermarket and Lola are on regular rotation.  Their sound is rough and full of energy.  Even though their sound matches the 90’s feminist grunge movement, they predate them by over a decade.  I was not aware of that fact before this book.  And, for those not familiar with their self-titled album, it sports a painting from Chinese propaganda of school children singing a song, I was not even aware of what the members even looked like.

Bordered by magenta and black, this petite book sports the The Raincoats self-titled album cover.  Inside is a perfect travel read while listening to the album in question. Author Jenn Pelly writes reviews for Pitchfork and other large publications.  Her hand is deft at demystifying the mythos around the Raincoats.

The Raincoats are a band that, while adjacent to British punk of the 70’s, are not cemented to any time or place.  The members have ties to The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Slits, Patti Smith, and X-Ray Spex.  They hailed from Spain, Portugal, and England, but made their home in the squats of London.  This book introduces us to the band, their background, their ethos.  We are on a journey of song creation.  After the band introductions we are led through the track list, with the starting with the post-release addendum of Fairytale in the Supermarket.  Pelly shows us that this is a band not afraid of changes, of learning, and of discussions.  We get the whole picture through interviews and Polaroids.

Reading about The Raincoats reminded me of the crew of The Maiden, the yacht that made the first all-female crew to place in the Whitbred Round the World Race chronicled in the 2018 documentary Maiden.  Both groups had their own power, and did things their own way.  They also took the initiative to document their journey.  As if they knew their voices would be important to others, but also because it was important to themselves.  This is zine culture, creating a record of your history, because who else is going to tell it?  The boys are all looking away, but you know you are creating something of value.  Jenn Pelly adds to that narrative.  She includes quips from those who were influenced by The Raincoats, lyrics woven through narratives, handmade flyers, and tour diaries.  This is The Raincoats in their own words, and we are The Raincoats.  We can write about ourselves, we won’t get lost in ‘The Void.’

Amanda Uretsky General Entertainment Technician for the “Happiest Place on Earth”

From a young age, Amanda had a deep fascination with live entertainment, particularly the behind-the-scenes aspects of shows. Growing up, her curiosity about the technical side of performances began during family trips to Disney World, where she was more interested in the front-of-house booth than the shows themselves. In high school, Amanda took her first steps into the audio world by joining the tech crew and volunteering at a local music school’s recording studio. Her passion for audio blossomed as she learned the ropes, running sound for school assemblies and theater productions.

Amanda went on to study at Rowan University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry with concentrations in Music Technology and Music Business, along with a minor in entrepreneurship. Throughout college, she gained practical experience through internships, freelance gigs, and work-study programs, honing her skills in both live and recorded audio. Her dedication to learning, along with mentorship from a professor in live sound, solidified her career aspirations.

Now working at Disney, Amanda enjoys the variety and challenges that come with working across multiple disciplines, including audio, pyrotechnics, and props. Although the long hours and holidays away from family can be difficult, the rewards of bringing entertainment to life at Disney make it all worthwhile. Looking ahead, Amanda hopes to stay with Disney long-term, with aspirations of becoming an audio designer. Her advice for others, especially women in the field, is to keep learning, communicate well, and always be willing to grow.

Career Start

How did you get your start?

I was able to work backstage on our school production of Beauty and the Beast that fall 2015 and by the spring I was running sound for assemblies on my own. In my junior year, I was able to work mainly backstage as A2 on the school’s Hairspray. Senior year, I was co-A1 with another student for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. We switched on and off between who would A1 the vocals vs the band. I also was the A1 for our Musical Theatre Ensemble’s showcase. The two productions senior year really engraved in my head that is what I wanted to do as my profession and not just as a hobby or in my free time. During college I stepped up for as many freelance gigs as possible, worked in the work study program at Rowan, and interned with a professor in his recording studio.

How did your early internships or jobs help build a foundation for where you are now?

During my work study and classes, I got more comfortable in some of the areas of recording music and live that I never had learned prior. The internships and jobs helped me network with people, build relationships, and get confident in myself.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

During my recording internship, I gained extensive knowledge of patching, how exactly to mic different instruments, and what works best for what instrument. With live sound, I was able to see what a true load in and load out looked like. There were days that were 17 hours long due to having to pick up the gear and then drive to a venue before setting up, running sound checks, performing shows, and then striking that same night. I learned some days will be worse than others but in the end, the outcome is almost always worth the pain, trouble, and long hours.

Did you have a mentor or someone that really helped you?

During my college career, I got extremely close with Barbara Adams, one of my professors in live sound. She taught me so much of what I didn’t learn in high school, such as how to run a board during a show and how to troubleshoot extensively.

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

At Disney, they like you to know multiple disciplines so you can be put into multiple places. Since starting at Disney, I have worked in audio, pyrotechnics, effects, parades, and props. Being in the Magic Kingdom, my day can vary depending on the season we are in. During my first year I was working 6:45am-2am some days and other days I was working 6:45am -5:15 pm or 5pm-2am. Days can be very long but they are also rewarding seeing the looks on guests’ faces as entertainment happens at Disney. It can be a lot of hard work, having to move set pieces, or climb flights of stairs and ladders, or even needing to mop a stage and dry the set off.

How do you stay organized and focused?

It definitely is difficult, I have a monthly and weekly calendar on my front door and refrigerator as well as a physical planner. I put all appointments, meetings, work shifts, even things I do in my free time because staying organized without a set schedule can be really hard. Staying focused is easier with the planner because I can see what I need to do and when it needs to happen or be done by.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love being able to be constantly moving and never having the same day twice. It’s rare that you will have the exact same crew of techs day in and day out unless for special events. I love that if things such as weather is an issue, there’s communication.

What do you like least?

Since we are open 365 days a year, you most likely won’t have holidays off until you’ve gained seniority. It can get lonely on those holidays after work because most likely, your family is hundreds of miles away and you can’t just go over for dinner after work anymore.

What is your favorite day off activity? 

I love to read or spend time with my friends if our schedules work out

What are your long term goals

I would love to stay with Disney long term and even become an audio designer at some point

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

The biggest obstacle isn’t with the job but it’s learning how to be away from the ones you love and learn to work with all kinds of people.

How have you dealt with them?

Being away from family just means you might call or Facetime them more often. As for working with others, it’s something everyone needs to do. There are many women in tech at Disney, so there isn’t a stigma around women in the field like other places.

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

Keep learning, take constructive criticism, and be you. The profession is tough but with knowledge and communication, you can do it.

Must have skills?

Detail-oriented, willing to learn, communication. Dante, QLab, and Q-sys are all extremely helpful wherever you go in audio.

Favorite gear?

I’m partial to the Yamaha QL series mixing boards

Call for Co-Host: SoundGirls Podcast

Are you passionate about audio and storytelling? The SoundGirls Podcast is looking for a co-host to join our team!

We’re seeking someone positive, enthusiastic, and eager to explore and interview professional audio engineers across all facets of the industry.

As a co-host, you’ll work alongside Katie Maifield to record and produce 12 episodes throughout the year. This role requires a time commitment of approximately 10–20 hours per month.

You’ll collaborate with our incredible team:

If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you, we’d love to hear from you! Apply here

Join us in amplifying the voices of audio professionals worldwide!

Emotion through Musical Interpretation

In 2017, I sat in a small chamber orchestra with colleagues, carefully treading across the churning melodies that constructed “Hammersmith” by Gustav Holst. Our mentors spent countless weeks helping us learn how to evoke an image within our audience’s minds, showing us what to listen for and how to use colors and textures on our instruments to collectively paint the image Holst had intended.

Other orchestral pieces are also really significant in their contribution to emotional perception. “The Planets,” also by Gustav Holst, is another powerful example. Throughout the composition, the players are handed a myriad of musical components that elicit the feeling of the sublime, or grief, or even charisma within the whimsical melodies.

I’m not providing a crash course on classical music, but really emphasizing the importance of musical nuances in helping evoke emotion within an audience. Becoming a critical listener and creator in the orchestral environment reinforced my perception and association of sound, and so much of this has been along my journey as a mixer. With careful consideration, we can use some of this thinking to tastefully shape the mood and audience experience.

In collegiate orchestra, our conductor encouraged specific musicians to play louder or softer with emotive hand gestures. Some tools we have as engineers help us to lean into the music in the same manner. First, the SPL meter can be a useful visual aid in helping us manage the ebb and flow of volume and dynamic range within a song, or even a set. Intentionally utilizing soft moments in contrast to huge impactful ones lets the music breathe and emphasizes what the song is probably already trying to accomplish.

Melodic content is also key. For instance, we can vary the musical journey of a song by emphasizing different harmonies or rhythms. These may provide new interest by enhancing lyrical concepts.  An intricate high hat pattern pulls forward a groove that pushes the listeners to dance a little. It might be accompanied by a complimentary guitar pattern. It’s up to creative interpretation to choose elements such as these to give the music some life. Watching the musicians and their body language may help us identify these, and even watching closely to the lighting design can be helpful to piece together musical moments.

Lastly, the use of delays and reverbs can help us evoke a mood. I personally enjoy using delays to create textures, and reverbs to create space and depth, layering them as needed. I also love a delay throw that briefly carries on a phrase, or a lingering reverb that washes an instrument or word into the next motif. Some of these can create color or tension. Other tools, such as compressors, can be artistically used to emphasize tonal characteristics. Listening to records or other live albums have helped me to shape my understanding of depth and sound stages, and learning how to incorporate those feelings and visuals into what I’m mixing is difficult but rewarding.

The ideas feel endless. The subjectivity of the craft and our tastes provides so much room for interpretation and exploration. Most importantly, let the music have life and movement. Our associations between sound and emotion are incredibly strong, and we can always continue leaning into that.

L-Acoustics – SoundGirls Grant Recipients 2024

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the L-Acoustics – SoundGirls Grants for 2024! This year, we are proud to support a diverse group of talented individuals who are making significant strides in the audio industry, who have each demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion in their work. These grants will provide them with valuable resources and opportunities to further their careers and continue their important contributions to the sound community. A big thank you to L-Acoustics for their generous support in making these grants possible. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our recipients and supporting their journeys in the audio field!

Carolyn Slothour (System Expert grant)

Carolyn Slothour is a freelance live sound engineer based in New York with 10 years of experience in the audio industry with a specialization in FOH, monitor, and systems engineering. She has recently worked with artists such as Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas and Michael Bublé, and has mixed at festivals including Download, When We Were Young, Corona Capital, Slam Dunk and Lollapalooza. In addition to engineering, she develops curriculum and teaches live sound engineering courses for a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve accessibility and diversity within the audio industry. When not working, Carolyn enjoys making electronic music and spinning fire.

Instagram: @requiemwitch / Website: www.carolynslothour.com

Monica Bolles (L-ISA grant)

Monica Bolles has been working with spatial audio since 2011, when she first gained access to her local planetarium’s 15.1 channel surround system. Since then, she has developed custom toolsets in Max MSP and explored emerging technologies to craft textured soundscapes that explore space, movement, and interaction. As both a technician and artist, she collaborates with artists and composers to bring their work into immersive spatial environments, while also producing her own large-scale multichannel installations, exhibited on systems ranging from 8 to 140 channels.

Monica co-hosts the Immersive Audio Podcast and contributes to organizing Spatial Audio Meetups through NOTAM. She frequently curates, moderates, and presents workshops and panels on spatial audio, with appearances at notable events such as the New Visions Festival, SXSW, IRCAM Forums, Ableton Loop, IMERSA Summit, and NIME, among others.

Monica currently owns and operates Resonant Interactions, a company specializing in immersive experience design and immersive music production.

Websites: 

Social Media

Madison Keefer (System Engineer grant)

Hey everyone, I’m Madison Keefer and I’m a 22 year old who is super passionate about audio engineering. I run sound for Lightning Hockey games and I am a Patch tech with ESI Audio. I aspire to be a System Engineer one day and am always working on bettering my skills. I love how fast paced this industry is and the work I get to do. I am so thankful to have the job that I have and to play a part in creating legendary memories for people around the world.

 

Social Media Handles:

Facebook: Madison keefer

Instagram: @maddy_keef21

Jessica Baxter (System Technician grant)

Jess hails from Perth, Western Australia. She started her audio career mixing FOH in small, local live music venues. Since then she has branched out and is working full time for one of the largest audio production companies in Perth. Here she hopes to advance her career in the field of large scale line array system design and optimization.

Call for 2025 SoundGirls Bloggers

Are you passionate about audio and eager to share your knowledge with a vibrant community? SoundGirls is seeking volunteer bloggers for 2025!

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who can contribute their insights, experiences, and advice on various aspects of audio engineering, production, and the music industry. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an aspiring audio engineer, or someone with valuable life lessons to share, we want to hear from you!

Why Become a Blogger?

  1. Share Your Voice: This is your chance to contribute to a community dedicated to empowering women and marginalized individuals in the audio industry. Your unique perspective can inspire and educate others.
  2. Expand Your Network: Blogging for SoundGirls connects you with a supportive network of audio professionals and enthusiasts. You’ll build relationships with fellow bloggers, industry leaders, and readers who share your passion.
  3. Enhance Your Skills: Writing for a community platform is a fantastic way to improve your communication and writing skills. You’ll gain valuable experience in content creation while showcasing your expertise.
  4. Make an Impact: By sharing your knowledge, you can help others navigate their audio careers, avoid common pitfalls, and discover new opportunities.
  5. Boost Your Visibility: As a blogger, you’ll have the chance to establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry. Your work will be featured on a respected platform, enhancing your professional profile.

Ready to Contribute?

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer blogger for SoundGirls in 2025, please reach out to us with a brief overview of your experience and topics you’re passionate about covering. Together, let’s inspire and empower the next generation of audio professionals!

Contact us at [insert email or contact link] to get started.

Join us in making a difference—your voice matters!

Apply Here

Pistols in St. Paul’s Review

In a previous article I discussed Sonic Tourism, traveling to delight the ears. I highlighted the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City as one building of note. I had been in Salt Lake City at that moment to visit the Acoustical Society of America’s Conference to present a project I had been working on as an undergraduate student. Combining the aural delight reverberating in an architectural beauty with the cutting edge research was something that I thought would be a rare experience for me. However, I received an advance copy of Pistols in St Paul’s: Science, music, and architecture in the twentieth century by Fiona Smyth to review and I was immersed in that convergence once again. This review is my honest reflection on Pistols in St Paul’s.

Fiona Smyth, an Associate Professor School of Art History and Cultural Policy at University College Dublin, is a historian of building science and acoustics. Pistols in St Paul’s is a culmination of years of research including her doctoral thesis. It is obvious from the first page that Smyth loves her subject, as care is taken to take the reader beyond the velvet rope of tour guides and into the drama of the history of Architectural Acoustics.

Architectural Acoustics is the science behind buildings as an instrument. The main methods of controlling the sonic ambience of a building is to either design it with acoustics in mind, and to add treatment once the building is completed. Quoting a theme from Pistols in St Paul’s, Architectural Acoustics is “the space between.” It is art and science, tangible and intangible. As a field it began as a multi-disciplinary collection of experts, and based on my own experience at an ASA convention it still is. A few of the fields that are represented in this book are physiology, SONAR, architecture, mechanical engineering, electronics, and physics.

Smyth begins her history of Architectural Acoustics starting in the late 1800’s and progressing to the titular event in the 1950’s. The sections are arranged chronologically, and grouped by major research experiments. Pistols of St Paul’s focuses on London and the influence of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA.) While there are excursions to the United States and British occupied India, it makes sense to focus on RIBA and their influence on the development of standards of practice. The narrative coming from one perspective allows the reader to focus on how an architect in England might have incorporated Acoustics into their designs over the years. There are physicists and architects who come together to quantize the field with observations and strategic concerts. There is also the realization of the importance of Acoustics that coincides with leaps in understanding sound as a science. But with every major leap forward there are setbacks that come from inflated egos, slow communication, and even world wars.

Another aspect that Smyth choses to focus on is the social importance of acoustics. Many of the buildings chosen for the experiments are public buildings used as gathering spaces. For these buildings they might be used for orchestral performances, speeches, debates, or a combination of the above. Buildings with infamous acoustics become maligned in the press. Other more fortunate buildings may be the key to boosting Post-War morale by hosting nation-building concerts.

Fiona Smyth draws you into the world with her anecdotes and descriptions, and the historical photos add to the context. While I did notice that RIBA and many of the characters in Pistols in St Paul’s are part of a boy’s club, there was an instance of women supporting women. Smyth calls out Emily Thompson’s contribution to the study of Acoustical History. And just like some of the characters in Pistols in St Paul’s there is across the pond multidisciplinary collaboration, with Thompson focusing more on the history of American Audio Technology. Overall, Pistol’s in St Paul’s is a riveting history of the formation of Acoustics as a serious field of science. I find it essential to the context of contemporary concert hall design. And to a casual tourist to Architectural Acoustics, it is an insightful museum guide.

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