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Rebecca Huston Mastering and FOH engineer, Producer and Artist

Rebecca Huston is a Los Angeles–based mastering engineer, live FOH engineer, producer, and artist with over 20 years of experience in audio. She works independently from her studio, The Forest Mastering and Restoration, where she mixes and masters music while also creating her own work under the project name Romantic Thriller.

Rebecca’s path into audio was shaped by hands-on learning and long-term apprenticeships rather than formal schooling. Her early foundation came from building and running a vintage recording studio in Philadelphia with her band in her twenties, where she immersed herself in analog recording, gear repair, and sound history—working with reel-to-reel tape machines, classic consoles, plate reverbs, tape echoes, vintage keyboards, and early synthesizers. This period became her first apprenticeship and a deep education in recording and mixing.

Her second apprenticeship began in Brooklyn at the venue Sunnyvale, where she learned live sound through one-on-one mentorship. After training, she was hired by the venue and went on to become head engineer within a year. In 2018, Rebecca completed a year-long intensive mastering apprenticeship at Timeless Mastering with Adrian Morgan and Heba Kadry. Following that experience, she was encouraged to build her own mastering studio and client base—advice that led directly to the launch of The Forest Mastering and Restoration.

In addition to her mastering work, Rebecca is an active live FOH engineer. She has spent the past three years mixing for Dart Collective’s wedding bands at events across the United States and internationally, and she also works as a FOH engineer at Lodge Room in Highland Park, Los Angeles.

Rebecca’s musical background began early, studying violin in elementary school, oboe in junior high, and singing in school chorus. As a musician, her interest in sound grew naturally from songwriting, layering, and production—long before audio became her primary career. While she did not see many women represented in audio early on, she has built her career through confidence, preparation, and steady mentorship, often navigating environments where she was underestimated and ultimately respected for her skill and professionalism.

Rebecca believes deeply in apprenticeship-based learning and community knowledge-sharing, and she continues to balance technical precision with creative expression across mastering, live sound, and music production.

Career Beginnings  

How did you get your start in audio? 

I was so fascinated with the idea of writing a song. It seemed like the hardest and most illusive thing to create. Probably because, artistically, I am mostly a visual person so imagining audio just seemed so mysterious and intangible. Not only did writing a song sound like a great challenge but also, I knew I needed to record it and hear it back. So from the minute I knew how to strum two chords I was recording and adding effects and layers. And learning to make beats. And definitely writing lyrics and narrative. For me the song is nothing if it doesn’t tell a story. So yeah, right away I needed to learn recording software and anything computers came easily to me.

What were your first jobs, gigs, or internships like? 

So much to learn! The Dunning–Kruger effect is real. Audio seems way easier until you start doing it. The more you do it, the more you realize there is much more to learn.

What skills or lessons did you learn early on that still serve you today?

 A big lesson I will always remember is that mixing is mostly subtractive. In the beginning I did the foolish thing probably everyone does which is turning UP everything I want to hear in a track. But there is a limitation on how much can fit in that box and in any frequency range. Mixing and mastering is all about making choices on what needs to be taken away not added in.

Did you have a mentor or someone who significantly supported your growth? 

Yes. All the people I have mentioned so far. Plus Jon Jurow, Alexandra Lukens and John Weingarten at Sunnyvale.

What barriers did you encounter early in your career, if any? 

Money. As we know audio gear is expensive. The studio we built in Philadelphia sent me deep into debt. We were young and foolishly confident that our band and recording studio was going to pay the bills and my band mates were difficult people to run a business with.

Your Career Today  

What does a typical workday look like for you now? 

I catch up on email correspondences with clients, discussing their vision for the tracks or changes they want me to make to their masters and then I get to work. I think mastering is a little like staring at a Magic Eye illusion. The more you listen, the more the picture starts to reveal itself to you. So there is plenty of that. Focused listening. Listening to see their artistic intent and get clarity on the needs of a track, then making the adjustments.

How do you stay organized and manage the demands of your work? 

I am naturally a pretty organized person.

What do you enjoy most about what you do? 

The more you listen to a song the more you really get into the head of the client which is super interesting and something that isn’t always easy to do with passive listening. Because I also write and produce, I love to get inspiration from other people.

What aspects of the job are the most challenging or least enjoyable? 

Sitting still! I am a fidgety, high energy person. Luckily live sound work serves that energy well so there is balance.

What do you enjoy most about touring? 

I have done a bunch of touring! Romantic Thriller did a tour to SXSW in March of 2025 and a EU tour in 2024. I love traveling to new places! And honestly, I thought I would hate living out of a suitcase but I actually love it.

What do you find most difficult? 

If the car is too packed full, that’s no fun. I’ve been walled in by suitcases and guitars inside of a minivan more than I would like.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off or time away from work? 

Going to shows or goth dance parties with friends. My mom lives nearby so I will go visit her, have lunch and go shopping.

Challenges, Growth & Perspective  

What obstacles or systemic barriers have you faced in the industry? 

I wouldn’t say I have met any systematic barriers. I would say I have mostly been lifted up and praised for entering a challenging space. I have been really lucky in that way. One obstacle that comes up and I imagine it does in a ton of other industries as well is ego. Mostly your own. But audio engineers are notoriously arrogant and ego forward. I avoid the worst of those people when I can because there are plenty of kind, friendly and helpful people in the biz as well.

How have you navigated or pushed through those challenges?

Don’t allow arrogant jerks to rule your world. Those people are just masking their insecurities anyway or upholding some sort of imaginary gate keeping they think is supposed to be part of it. I have quit venues because the prevailing energy at the place was snobby. I have no space in my universe for that attitude.

Have you seen the industry change during your career? If so, how? 

Weeeeeell, the threat of AI is looming. AI mastering has been around for a good number of years now and so I have been aware of its shadowy presence. But I will say though, I have heard a few AI mastered tracks and I even paid for a couple myself just a few weeks ago and they weren’t good. I breathe a sign of relief…for the moment… I do think there will always be space for real people mixing and mastering and I am going to continue forward while keeping an eye on my periphery for The Machine.

What still needs to change to better support women and marginalized genders in audio?

I think organizations like SoundGirls are just the thing to highlight women’s presence in the field. Young people need to see other women out there in the venues and studios, doing the work, in order to make them feel welcome in the space. Organizations that highlight and showcase this, encourage the next generation. Also! Mentorship is essential. I can’t say that enough.

Advice & Looking Forward  

What advice would you give to women or young people interested in entering audio? 

Reach out to engineers you would like to learn from and just ask them if they will train you or allow you an internship or apprenticeship. This kind of one-on-one training is everything to build skill and confidence. And make sure to take thorough notes on everything they teach you! It’s dense work and you will forget details. I was a good student and my hard work led to being hired, and just like that I was getting paid.

What long-term goals or aspirations do you have? 

I would love to continue to build Romantic Thriller into a success. The project is vast, in my mind, and includes epic music videos and a theatre production I am currently working on. I will always be most inspired by creating my own music. So that is the dream.

Is there something you wish you had known earlier in your career? 

I wish I had the confidence sooner for sure. I think women are taught, through culture and society, to be small and quiet and so confidence doesn’t come as easily to them as compared to men. I started every step of my musical and engineering journey almost 10 years later than pretty much all men I have known. This reality has me behind them in my skills. And so I have to work twice as hard to catch up.

Favorite or most-used gear (and why)

 In my mastering chain I have the Crane Song STC-8 and it’s the very best. Such clean gain and compression.

A piece of gear you can’t live without

For my own project, Romantic Thriller, I create in Ableton and I love it. Shout out to Ableton for being so good at integrating beat making, recording and mixing.

A moment in your career that made you feel proud or affirmed

This one was fresh in my mind: I was mixing a band just a few months ago called Los Wizards and they told me I was the best engineer and that their IEMs were perfect. And then they asked me if I would mix them again the next time they are in LA in January. This kind of praise is so incredible to hear.

Learning to Trust My Ears (and Gut)

I Didn’t Plan on Working in Sound

I was a quiet kid for the most part, and up until I was eight, I thought country music was the only music out there. You could say other genres felt like a drug once I found them. I cherished the afternoons scrambling through my friends’ Green Day CDs. I was an avid watcher of shows like Hannah Montana and Victorious, even though I was always “too shy” to sing or play guitar in front of other people. I didn’t grow up believing the stage was a place I belonged. I never thought I was good enough to be on it, yet I still found myself heading towards it.

When it came time for college, I didn’t have the clearest plan. I loved theater in high school, so I gravitated toward stage management. This felt like a way to stay close to music without needing to be in the spotlight. Stage management gave me structure, responsibility, and taught me the value of communication. Over time, that closeness I felt turned into curiosity, and sound became less of a mystery and more of a language I wanted to learn. If I could manage casts of fifty+ people, surely I could manage myself as a musician too… right? I worked in theater for eight years, constantly asking myself these questions. I knew I felt my best surrounded by music.

Any second I could, I got my hands on the soundboard, jumped at every chance to sound design, and even began singing lessons. For some reason, something still felt like it was missing. Why didn’t I believe in myself? And why was it so serious to me?

Showing Up Without All the Answers

Once I started to spend more time working in audio, I realized how quickly self-doubt can surface when your responsibility increases. Mixing a show requires you to move fast, and there isn’t always time to second guess yourself. I was often learning workflows, terminology, and expectations in real time (sometimes while already being asked to execute them.)

Imposter syndrome became my best friend. It showed up when I was trusted with more, not less. When I was behind the board making decisions that affected an entire room, I learned quickly that confidence doesn’t arrive before experience, but lags behind it. There were moments when I questioned whether I belonged in the room at all, even as I was actively doing the work.

What helped was realizing that uncertainty and incompetence are not the same thing. Not knowing everything didn’t mean I wasn’t capable; it meant I was still building trust. There was no reason to “fake it till you make it,” when I needed to “face it till you make it.” Each show, new recording session, every small win added to a growing sense of trust, not just from others, but within myself.

Over time, I stopped waiting to feel ready and focused instead on staying present. I learned that showing up, listening closely, and doing the work consistently mattered more than projecting confidence. The answers came slowly, through repetition, responsibility, and learning to trust my ears even when my self-belief hadn’t caught up yet.

I Was More Prepared Than I Thought

The longer I worked as an audio engineer, the more I recognized how much my background had already prepared me for it. Stage management taught me how to communicate, anticipate problems, and stay calm when things didn’t go as planned. Those skills translated directly to audio work, where timing, collaboration, and decision making matter just as much.

I began to understand that listening is truly a learned skill. Hearing balance, space, and intention doesn’t happen instantly, it develops through repetition and attention. Confidence followed slowly, not as a sudden shift, but through small moments where things worked because I had prepared and trusted my judgment. Every new production technique, every clean vocal take, reinforced the idea that I was capable of doing this work, even if I didn’t always feel certain while doing it. And slowly but surely, I felt my eight-year-old self reflecting back to me in the music and art I was beginning to create for myself.

Imposter Syndrome

I don’t think imposter syndrome ever fully disappears. It honestly felt debilitating for a long time. What changes is how much power you give it. For me, the most effective way to manage has been through practice, showing up, doing the work, and letting results speak louder than internal doubt.

There have been moments during soundchecks and sessions where I had to make a call based on what I was hearing (or feeling,) even when I couldn’t fully articulate the reasoning yet. Over time, I realized those decisions weren’t guesses. They were built on accumulated experience, taste, pattern recognition, and careful listening. Intuition, especially in sound, is often the body responding faster than the mind can explain…trust your ears!

Not every decision I’ve made has been right. Some have missed the mark. But each one sharpened my ears and strengthened my ability to respond with confidence the next time.

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner

Some of the most meaningful growth as a technician and artist happens quietly, without validation.

Watching Other Women Do the Thing

A significant amount of my learning has come from watching other women navigate with confidence and clarity, both in person and online. Seeing how they communicate, advocate for their choices, and lead sessions has been just as impactful as any formal training. Seeing women hold authority in technical and creative roles made it easier to imagine myself doing the same.

In this video of Lizzy McAlpine, you can see her struggle with imposter syndrome throughout the entire process, openly questioning her decisions and abilities even as she demonstrates a high level of skill and professionalism. Watching her work through that uncertainty with herself and her band was reassuring, as it highlighted that confidence and self-doubt often coexist as a creative. Seeing Lizzy articulate her fears while continuing to create only reinforced the idea that feeling unsure does not mean you are unqualified; it means you are human.

Always Learning, Still Listening

I’m still early in my career, and it’s okay to not have everything figured out. Imposter syndrome is a constant battle. What I can claim is a growing trust in my ears and a better understanding of how to move forward alongside doubt instead of waiting for it to disappear. If you’re early in your journey and waiting to feel ready before taking up space, you’re not alone. Readiness often comes after you learn to step out of your comfort zone. Remember, practice makes progress! And most importantly, have fun.

Upcoming Webinar – How to Stay Calm, Focused, and Effective on Any Gig

Calm Is a Competitive Tool: How to Build a Nervous System That Can Handle Any Gig

Free – and Online – Register Here

In collaboration with SoundGirls, this workshop is for people who love working in entertainment… and are sick of feeling fried, foggy, or on edge just to prove they can handle it.

If your job requires you to think fast, communicate clearly, and stay composed in loud, high pressure environments, stress isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s costing you. Brain fog, second guessing, snapping on the radio, freezing under pressure, or replaying mistakes for hours aren’t personal flaws. They’re nervous system overload.

SoundGirls has built a powerful mission around empowering women in audio through education, advocacy, and community. This workshop takes that mission into the body, where pressure actually lives.

Calm Is a Competitive Tool teaches you how to train your nervous system the same way you train your technical skills. You’ll learn MicroMoments – fast, practical tools that take under 90 seconds and can be used in real time… mid-gig, mid-cue, mid-chaos. No quiet rooms. No lifestyle overhaul. No pretending stress doesn’t exist.

This is what we’ll fix:

Brain fog that makes simple decisions feel hard

Freezing, fawning, or snapping when challenged

Rushing, overexplaining, or losing your voice under pressure

Staying dysregulated long after the moment has passed

Carrying work stress home and into the next gig

In this 60-minute live Zoom workshop, you’ll learn how to:

Stay clear and confident when pressure spikes

Recover fast when something throws you off

Communicate with authority without adrenaline running the show

Break fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses in real time

Support a coworker who’s overwhelmed without escalating the moment

MicroMoments are powerful because they fit into the reality of this industry. They don’t ask you to slow your life down. They teach your nervous system how to keep up without burning you out.

This workshop is hosted in collaboration with SoundGirls and is open to anyone working in or around the entertainment industry. All registered participants receive access to the full replay on YouTube, so you can watch anytime.

You don’t need to toughen up. You need better tools.

Calm isn’t soft. Calm is how you stay sharp, trusted, and employed when the pressure is on. Calm is how you stop surviving gigs and start shaping your career!

Can’t attend live? Register anyway.
You’ll receive lifetime access to the replay on YouTube!

The Crash After the Climb

How to Rebuild Dopamine After the Gig Life High

Whether you’re just off the road or coming down from a stretch of intense local shows, the post gig crash hits hard. The pressure, the stimulation, the adrenaline it all disappears. And in its place? Silence. Uncertainty. Maybe even sadness. It’s not in your head. It’s dopamine withdrawal.

Why Does It Happen?

During a tour or gig heavy season, your nervous system is cranked to full volume. You’re solving problems on the fly, navigating long hours, loud environments, and intense interpersonal dynamics. Your brain adapts by pumping out dopamine to keep you going. It’s the brain chemical associated with motivation, reward, and drive. That constant rush becomes your baseline.

But once the noise dies down, your dopamine supply doesn’t instantly adjust. The sudden drop in stimulation can leave you feeling flat, restless, disconnected, or even depressed. This is what many in the entertainment industry experience as the “post tour blues” or “gig comedown.” And it’s more than just emotional it’s physiological.

The good news? You can support your system through it. Here are ways to gently rebuild dopamine and find your footing again:

Change Your Scenery

Your environment matters more than you think. Dopamine thrives on novelty, and even a small change can shift your internal state. Rearrange your room, work from a coffee shop, visit a new park, or take a different route on your walk. If you can’t change your location, change the lighting or the music. These subtle shifts help your brain reengage.

Reach Out to a Friend

Connection is medicine. Whether it’s a quick voice note, a FaceTime call, chatting in a group text, or even just texting someone who gets it reaching out can soothe your nervous system. Human interaction, especially with people who make you feel seen, boosts oxytocin and dopamine. It’s one of the most accessible tools we have.

Move Your Body

You don’t need to train for a marathon. A 10 minute walk, a few stretches, or a short dance session in your living room can be enough to release endorphins and reset your system. Movement also helps metabolize adrenaline that may still be circulating after a tour or run of shows. Bonus points for getting outside and moving in sunlight.

Curate a “Just for You” Playlist

You’ve been immersed in production cues, show tracks, and sound checks. Now it’s time to come back to the music that nourishes you. Create a playlist with zero work related intention just songs you love, songs that move you, or songs you haven’t heard in years. Music stimulates emotion, memory, and reward pathways that all help regulate dopamine.

Pick One Tiny Task

Burnout makes everything feel heavy. But you don’t need to overhaul your life, just pick one small thing you can complete. Fold some laundry. Water your plants. Check off one line on your to do list. That feeling of progress, no matter how minor, gives your brain the dopamine hit it craves and builds momentum for the next right thing.

Let the Light In & Feed Your Brain

Sunlight isn’t just about vitamin D it helps regulate your circadian rhythm and mood. Open the blinds. Step outside for five minutes. Let your nervous system register that it’s a new day. Pair this with dopamine supporting foods like bananas, lean meats, eggs, and almonds. These are rich in tyrosine, a building block of dopamine production.

Name It, Don’t Shame It

A lot of people feel guilty for not being grateful when the gigs stop. But the post gig crash isn’t about entitlement, it’s about chemistry. Recognizing what’s happening inside your body and brain helps take the shame out of the experience. You’re not lazy or broken. You’re recalibrating.

Structure Your Downtime

After high output seasons, many professionals feel aimless. Give your day just a little scaffolding time to rest, time to eat, maybe a walk or creative project. You don’t need a full schedule, but a loose rhythm helps your brain feel secure, especially when dopamine is low.

Reintroduce Pleasure Guilt Free

The rush of tour life comes with constant goals and rewards. When that ends, find small, healthy pleasures to help fill the gap. A long shower. A nostalgic movie. Cooking your favorite meal. These simple joys activate the brain’s reward system and remind you that pleasure doesn’t have to come from performance.

Let’s Make the Crash Less Brutal

Stress management isn’t just about avoiding burnout, it’s about navigating your mind and body with clarity and care. Working with a mentor gives you space to process the crash, rebuild your routine, and develop long term tools to support your health mentally, emotionally, and physically. You deserve that kind of support, especially after giving so much of yourself to this career.

Together, we can come up with realistic stress management strategies that fit into your lifestyle and career to support your well being. Let’s set up a Meet N Greet to chat about how having a long standing career in the Entertainment industry should be exhilarating, not exhausting.

You’re meant to enjoy this life not just survive it and together we can keep it real and keep it YOU!

Review of Rebel Speak: A Justice Movement Mixtape

These days it is rough to look at the news, the headlines broadcasting disappearing neighbors and destruction of human rights.  It is a privilege to ignore what is happening, and it is a privilege to be uninformed.  One way to become informed is by reading, and I have a heavyweight recommendation for today.  Rebel Speak: A Justice Movement Mixtape by Byronn Rolly Bain is all about incarceration and those who have been touched by this unjust system.  Bain, himself, was wrongly imprisoned in his second year of law school, but even before then he had set his sights on civil rights.  Then later, as a faculty member of UCLA he created college level courses for students incarcerated in California’s prisons.  These experiences are the backbone of Rebel Speak assembled with a variety of voices in true mixtape fashion.

Mixtapes were created from the birth of hip-hop, by way of quick recordings of club performances by early DJs.  Spoken word, collections of music samples, and the accessibility of the cassette tape allowed for personalized samples and small scale distribution.  Mixtapes are the zines of the audio world.  Bain sets up his mixtape as a series of dialogs with activists and community members whose lives have been impacted by incarceration.  While there are no songs or music samples directly in the text, there are the voices of musical artists included in the dialogs.  Cultural icons Chuck D and Harry Belafonte are among those represented mixed in with Dolores Huerta, and a few formerly incarcerated community members.  Instead of chapters, the sections are labelled as “Tracks” and come with an introduction (ala liner notes) to introduce those who are participating in the dialogs.

Rebel Speak has a strong lineage of activism, and its keystone is the introduction by Angela Davis.  Davis, Huerta, and Belafonte are the elders that are sharing the torch with the other voices that Bain brings forward.  Mass incarceration, and its harm to the community are not new, but it takes new ideas and new leaders to face this injustice.  Each track immerses me in a panel in a fictitious conference.  Bain covers topics from ‘the school to prison pipeline’, solitary confinement, to the transition from prison to the general population.  For every step in the system, he also highlights the activists and community leaders.  Bain uses his academic and outreach connections to bring essential voices to the fold.  He has worked with each person directly and the rapport is tangible.  He is able to guide the discussions to the key arguments.  He highlights their activism, their struggles, and the next steps.  There are people doing the work, there are people creating the theories, the infrastructure exists for change.

So where does that put me, the reader?  I am the missing puzzle piece, and so are you.  We have to educate ourselves on the work that is being done and support it.  Support means phone calls, volunteering, and donations.  It means seeing the incarcerated as human beings, and just as diverse as every other person.  It also means that Rebel Speak is a step to becoming informed, but it does not end with this book.  Luckily Bain includes a great collection of further reading in his footnotes at the end of every chapter.  If we want to protect our neighbors, then we need to also protect those who have found themselves imprisoned.  Pass that mixtape along to the next person who needs it, inspire them to grow their community.

The Theatrical Sound Process

What Each Part Of The Theatrical Sound Process Does

(Because I’ve realized many non-theatre, non-audio people don’t know)

I was talking to a lighting programmer friend of mine, and while talking about band seating (we’ll get to that), I realized he had a misunderstanding of what Team Audio does during that time. So, I want to lay out clearly what audio does and why we do it to clear the air, help inform my fellow theatrical practitioners on what their colleagues are doing, and to lay it out linearly for myself and other audio professionals since we can be so in the moment we don’t think about why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Pre-Production

I’ll speak for my own process, which I learned from others-so don’t assume this is universal (but I think will be generally applicable).

What I am looking for from artistic production: emotion, time, setting, play themes, direction, matching the energy of other departments. This informs how I use my technical systems and make artistic choices.

When I am looking for from technical production: play space, audience space, what the inputs will be (instruments, computers, voices), what the monitoring needs are (speakers for actors & bands to hear themselves and others during the show), and what kind of show control we’ll be using. This informs my technical system designs.

The earlier a sound designer is hired, the richer the conversations can be and the system can blend better with the rest of the depts.

Drafting the System

Some places have systems already set up, others don’t. When they don’t, I depend on the theater and scenic designer to have accurate drawings so I can design the best sound system for the space. Using this information, my experience, and predictive software, I figure out the best layout for the system in the space. It’s not just mic -> amp -> speaker; there’s audio signal processors, audio control desks, audio signal distribution, etc.

These elements enhance vocal intelligibility, can add (intended) distortion and effects to an instrument, and can help make the work in the room happen more efficiently so more experimentation can occur.

Creating Rehearsal Cue List

When I’m composing my sound effects, ambiences, cues, etc., I’m taking into consideration what my system can do. When I have the right tools, I can create wild worlds. It’s why I wish it was financially feasible for me to be in the rehearsal room, because I could then react in real time with the actors & director. I could bring those compositions into the theater and expand on them!

Frequently however, there is no budget for me to be in the rehearsal room. I then have to work as quickly as possible, without the context of actors, to create the sonic environment. I will give stage management a rehearsal cue list to work with & then receive notes as they go through the script, but I can’t control cue timing, have conversations with the director in real time, nor engage with the actors who are depending on sound for their timing. I would like to be in the room, but the fiscal realities of design mean that for most shows I’m not able to. When I am able to though, magic can happen!

Quiet Time

This is one of, if not the most important step for creating an audio design. This is the time when I (and my team) can be in the space and hear the system and the room with no distractions.

This is when I tune the system, focus speakers, adjust any programming if need be, and make sure my design works is cohesive in the space. This is also when I hear my cues in the space for the first time, and I can set levels (volume), adjust where they’re being heard from in the space, and make artistic decisions in the space.

Tuning a system means I’m attenuating or boosting specific frequencies so that the audio output does not feedback in the room. Every room is different, and every show’s needs are different. I would tune a system for a hip hop show differently than a ballet.

We work with the time we have, but we almost never get as much as we we would like. Such is the way of art and theater (and honestly, if I wouldn’t be done even if I had infinite time, there’s always something to zhuzh).

Band Seating/Actor Mic Check

This is the other most important part of my tech time.

This is my opportunity to work with the band and actors to make sure mics are placed correctly, the band is comfortable with their sound and monitoring, to listen to them in the space, remove frequencies causing feedback, and add enhancements (like reverb) to their inputs. This is when the Music Director and I are having the most conversations about the sound in the space. It’s also my opportunity to blend the band so I have a base mix for them for tech, and for me to have base levels for actors so that I can efficiently program them during tech.

What this really helps with is I can focus on the room much more if I’m able to set this all up before tech-again this is something where I work with the time given but I rarely have what I need.

Tech!

Really just some thoughts:

I’m always listening to the room. I am not on com because I need to hear everything, as much as possible. I’m constantly making adjustments based on what I’m hearing.

When I have headphones on, I’m editing a cue so that it’s ready to be heard with everyone else.

It is also one of the first times an A1 (mixer) is working on the show, and they are performing as much as the actors are. They are rehearsing as much as the actors are rehearsing to get the best quality for the show.

My assistant (ideally) is coordinating with lighting and video on cues, timings, etc., so I can focus on the room.

A note:

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned designing com and related. That’s not part of my design; there should be a separate department for show communications that handles show networking, show control, timecode, etc.

I have designed these systems in the past, but it should not fall on sound design to support show critical systems.

Previews -> Opening

This is when I hear the show with audience! So exciting! At this point I’m doing minor adjustments to account for bodies in seats, see how temperature and humidity changes are affecting the sound, and confirm that the show operator is comfortably running the show.

And then I party at opening night!

Conclusions

This is by no means a full description of what I do (feel free to ask I’ll give my thoughts). This is meant as a summary for those outside of my (and other sound designers’) heads to understand why we do what we do and why we ask for what we ask for.

Our goal is to make the best show possible. In this modern age of audio everywhere, it’s so important for live entertainment to match audience expectations, which is for a clear sound coming from a live person. Everyone hears differently now than they did in the past, and I want to make sure everyone can hear the work.

Nina Field

Bronx born and raised, Nina is a Sound Designer with a decade of experience working within the live theater and entertainment industry.
She enjoys working on new works, experimental theater, immersive theater, contemporary plays, and contemporary musicals. She approaches her work holistically, by analyzing space, creating content, and collaborating with her colleagues. She utilizes current industry standards for content creation, programming, and design for sound reinforcement systems.
She has a wide understanding of genres and is familiar with many artistic artforms including literature, film, music and interactive video entertainment. Some artists that she finds a kinship with that include (but not limited to) are Run the Jewels, .clipping, Hole, Bikini Kill, The Decemberists, Ana Tijoux, Gloria Estefan, Bomba Estéreo, Daft Punk, and Justice. She also finds David Lynch’s work particularly inspiring and is interested in the liminal spaces in between. Lastly, she has looked to interactive video entertainment for design inspiration in her work, from how effects are designed to how they are triggered. Nina is keen on outside-the-box thinking and looks to push her creative energies to create masterful work.

The Night I Almost Let the Music Sleep

Imagine we are sitting together by a fire. The Kenyan night is cool, the crickets are providing the percussion, and the sparks from the wood are dancing toward the stars. If you look at me now, you see a woman who knows her worth. But I want to tell you about the Lydiah who almost disappeared before you ever knew her name.

I didn’t stop loving music. I just started wondering if music had forgotten how to love me back.

In those early days, my biggest mountain wasn’t talent, it was a thin wallet. Studio time in Nairobi was a luxury I had to negotiate for. I would save my shillings for weeks, skipping meals and walking long distances, just to afford a single hour under the lights. I would rehearse until my throat was sore because, in that booth, there was no room for a mistake. Every second was money.

The Weight of the Control Room

Back then, almost every studio was a kingdom ruled by men. Some were kind, but many were gatekeepers who didn’t see an artist rather, they saw a target. I remember handing over my hard-earned savings, trusting a producer to breathe life into my songs, only to be met with silence. I waited for calls that never came. I watched my music sit on dusty hard drives, unfinished and abandoned.

You learn a strange skill when you are a young woman in this industry. You learn how to ask for your own money back so politely that you don’t sound “difficult,” even when your heart is breaking.

Then came the radio. I used to think a beautiful song would simply find its way to the airwaves, like smoke rising from this fire. I was wrong. I found out that songs don’t just “play”, they are allowed to play. Some presenters were blunt. They wanted things I wasn’t willing to give. They wanted money I didn’t have, or parts of myself I wouldn’t sell.

I sat with my recordings in my hands, feeling small. The exhaustion wasn’t a loud crash but a quiet, heavy blanket. I began to ask the fire, “Am I forcing a door that is meant to stay locked?”

The KORA All Africa Music Awards Spark

I was ready to walk away. I was ready to let the silence win. And then, the universe spoke.

Before the industry in Kenya even knew my name, my very first song was nominated for a KORA Award. I remember receiving the news and just… sitting. I didn’t scream. I didn’t celebrate. I just sat in the stillness of my room, realizing that my music had traveled across borders I hadn’t even crossed yet.

Someone, somewhere, in a boardroom in South Africa had heard the soul of the work. They didn’t see the empty pockets or the closed radio doors. They just heard the “sweetness.” And that’s how I boarded my first flight ever.

Why We Must Keep the Fire Burning

That nomination didn’t make the studios cheaper or the industry fairer overnight. But it changed the way I walked. I realized that the system wasn’t hard because I lacked talent. It was hard because it was built to keep people like us out. And an uneven system doesn’t get to decide who stays.

So, I stayed.

I am sharing this because I know there are other women engineers, technicians, and artists sitting in the dark right now, wondering if they should quit. In East Africa and the world, the path can ask too much of us too soon. Many brilliant minds disappear quietly because the friction is too great.

I am still here because I refused to leave when the night was at its coldest. If you are reading this and you feel like quitting, stay a little longer. Pull your chair closer to the fire.

Sometimes, staying isn’t just survival. It is the moment you finally begin to belong.

 

Burned Out, Buzzed, and Barely Hanging On?

 6 Ways Music Industry Pros Can Recharge Without Quitting Their Career

If you work in the music industry whether you’re a local crew, touring with a band, or holding it all together behind the scenes, you already know that burnout isn’t a slow build. It’s a sudden crash.

One day, you’re hyped and rolling cables at lightning speed. Next, you’re lying in bed scrolling for two hours with zero motivation to even brush your teeth, let alone show up for another 14 hour day.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the deal: your nervous system is working overtime in a career that demands stamina, precision, creativity, and emotional regulation… all on minimal sleep and maximum stimulation. Burnout is not a character flaw. It’s a byproduct of trying to do too much with too little recovery.

The good news? You don’t have to blow up your life to feel better.

Here are 6 realistic, road tested ways to restore energy without stepping away from the life you love.

1. Swap the Crash and Burn Routine for a Rhythm Reset

Let’s start with the obvious: your schedule is chaotic. No one’s expecting you to maintain a perfect sleep cycle on tour or during back to back shows. But your body still craves some form of rhythm.

Try anchoring your day with one consistent ritual, no matter where you are or what time it is. It could be:

This signals safety to your nervous system, and safety equals more sustainable energy. No crystals required. (However, if you are into crystals… use amethyst to calm, rose quartz for peace, sunstone for vitality, or Lapis Lazuli for mental clarity. You do you, boo!)

2. Fuel Like You Respect Yourself (Even in Catering)

No shade to the grilled cheese station, but burnout loves to hitch a ride on blood sugar crashes and dehydration. You don’t need a full on nutrition overhaul, just a few conscious upgrades.

Here’s what helps:

Think of food not as a fix, but as fuel for your next cue, your next call, or your next creative burst. Give yourself a high five

3. Rest Like It’s a Form of Rebellion

In an industry that glorifies hustle, rest is resistance.

You might not have time for an actual nap, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rest your system:

These tiny resets reduce cortisol, regulate adrenaline, and help your body shift out of fight or flight.

Burnout isn’t fixed by sleep alone, it’s fixed by strategic recovery.

4. Protect Your Energy Like It’s Your Most Valuable Gear

If you’re giving all your energy to everyone else from artists to assistants to audio techs you will run out.

Start saying no to the things that drain you and yes to small boundaries that protect you.

Try this:

People who are burned out don’t need a better calendar. They need permission to stop overgiving.

5. Find a Creative Outlet That Has Nothing to Do With Work

You’re constantly creating for others building the show, executing the cues, holding space for everything to go right. So make space to create for yourself.

Write something messy. Draw something weird. Make a playlist that’s not for the stage but for your soul. Dance in your hotel room like nobody’s filming.

Reconnecting with joy, silliness, and non productive creativity is how you remember you’re not just a worker you’re an artist too. Even if you’ve never called yourself that. Get curious about your thoughts and feelings.

6. Stop Waiting Until You Break Down to Ask for Help

We all know someone who waited until their body gave out before they slowed down. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it was last week.

Listen, this industry isn’t designed to protect your health. But you can be.

You don’t need to walk away from your career to feel better, you just need a strategy that honors your nervous system and meets you where you’re at.

You Can’t Tour on Empty, Let’s Fix That

You don’t have to settle for burnout being “just part of the gig.” This is your career, your passion, your life. You deserve to feel good in it.

So here’s where to start:

  1. Take the Stress Quiz , Figure out what kind of support your body actually needs right now.
  2. Watch some free tools on YouTube or Insight Timer , quick meditations, nervous system resets, and chill tracks that meet you where you are.
  3. Book a free Meet n Greet call – This industry asks a lot. Support can feel grounding, empowering, and even energizing. Through mentoring, consultations, and workshops, we can create space for clarity, confidence, and sustainable momentum.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.
You’re in a demanding industry that requires next level support.
Let’s build that support together.

 

How to Uncover Killer Vocals for Your Song

You’ve fine-tuned lyrics, found the perfect chord progression, and secured the producer to make your song shine. Now it’s time to uncover your vocal performance. The vocal performance to a finished record is arguably one of the most important parts of the production process, and it’s easy to see why: vocals tend to be what the average listener gravitates to and leaves with when they listen to your song. Additionally, according to a study done by Spotify, “vocals ranked high as a self-reported factor for a listener liking or disliking a track.” (More about that can be found here)

If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to drop the ball at this step. The truth is, curating a killer vocal takes a lot of soul-searching, forethought, technical skill, and discerning ears (more than two is ideal :)). Here are some things to consider as you embark on this important part of your vocal recording artistry.

Serve the song’s story

It’s really important to start on this step first. Whether you wrote the song yourself, or you’re performing a song that someone else wrote, context matters.

It’s really critical to understand the main message that you are trying to communicate within the song as a whole, and also within various sections of the songs. What emotion are you leaning into in the song? What is the song’s backstory (i.e. what occurred that inspired the song in the first place)? These are the sorts of questions that you should use as a guiding light as they will inform the theatrical side of your vocal quality as you dig into the lyrics.

As part of serving the song’s story, it’s important to make sure your vocal sounds convincing to the emotion you are portraying. This is often a delicate blend of acting and technical vocal skill, and sometimes an accidental, but emotional vocal take that is not “perfect” communicates the song’s story better than flawless singing.

Make space for experimentation

One thing I really like to do with every song I am recording is make space to experiment with my expression of singing before committing to the final vocal performance. This can happen a lot of different ways, but I like to do a mix of singing and recording the song in different ways on different days. For example the following:

Sing the song all the way through, live on your mic/speaker a few times and record it casually on your phone. Do this for several days, listen back with a critical ear, and fine tune the performance to hone in on the lead vocal

Create a demo of the song – a tracking session with the backing track/instrumental in your DAW and record a few takes section-by-section to laser focus on one part of the song (aka verse, pre chorus, chorus) at a time

Try different microphones or play with vocal effects chains so you can envision direction for the final sound. If possible, practice with a vocal plugin that has presets of the vibe you’re going for so that you aren’t just hearing your “dry” vocals during experimentation

Dedicate a day or two to play around with potential background vocals, ad libs, response vocals, or vocal textures

Get coached

Whenever possible I bring songs to a professional vocal teacher/coach so they can help bring a better performance out of me. It’s inevitable that a vocal coach will bring up something that you might not have considered yet for the song. It’s great if this person is trained vocally and knows you/your voice, but it can also be a producer if that individual is comfortable playing that role and pushing you. Either way, it’s ideal to spend some time here and be open to feedback, all in the spirit of getting a better performance than you already have.

Utilize a Lyric Sheet to mark up notes for your vocal performance (check out the end of this blog post for an example lyric sheet to one of my songs!). The lyric sheet notes can be personal scribbles that make sense to you – it’s great to include expressive notes for the lyrics, technical/vocal cues you need to remember, and any tips about how you will sing or emphasize certain words, phrases or sections of the song. Be extremely detailed here and don’t be afraid to edit / adjust things as you refine the performance.

Pro Tip: If you are scheduling a voice lesson I highly recommend bringing your lyric sheet and taking notes during the lesson itself

Along with getting a coach for the song itself, it’s really important to work on your voice in general. The more you take your voice seriously and incorporate regular practice and lessons, the more confident you will be as a singer. This takes time, and there isn’t an overnight fix, but the technical aspects of voice–like tone, pitch, breath control, and belting–need to be nurtured.

Planning & Pre-production

Along with all of the above steps, a granular plan for your vocal performance should be made. While it’s sometimes fun to have a little spontaneity in the studio or during your vocal recording at home, we don’t want to leave too much up to chance as your performance might lose direction or you might burn too much studio time still figuring out what you want rather than simply laying down the vocal. A lot of producers get impatient if you’re not prepared on the day of recording too; it’s important to prep for that day as if it’s an important business meeting.

If you need some inspiration it can be helpful to find a reference track (s) whose vocal performance is close to your vision. This could be the same reference track that you already used for the production, but it could also be something else altogether. I recommend listening to some of your favorite artists and playing their songs repeatedly to analyze what they’ve done with their vocals.

Make an initial list of vocal parts and vocal effects you might be hearing so that you stay inspired and incorporate those in your final record or performance

Meticulously plan out each vocal take and the overall vocal arrangement for the song  (i.e. lead vocal, background vocals for verses, double and triple leads for chorus, ad libs) in advance. Write down each item/vocal needed so you can check it off as you go during your recording session.

Pro Tip: Send the list to your producer in advance so they can prep the session quickly. 

Practice each specific part of your vocal arrangement on its own until you can sing it with clarity and confidence. Take note of any difficult parts so that you can work through those, and on the day of recording, consider recording those last so that you don’t wear your voice out prematurely

Day of Recording (or Performance)

Make sure that you’re well rested and well hydrated 24-48 hours before your vocal session/show

Warm up before your session – don’t overdo your warm ups!

Bring your lyric sheet, vocal arrangement notes, reference track, and anything else that will keep you focused and comfortable during your recording session. You should have the song memorized at this step but if you’re in recording session its ideal to be able to reference the lyrics

For a record, make a plan for when you will “comp” your vocal session. It’s great to do this the same day with your producer to make sure you have the perfect performance; this ensures that you’re ready to move onto final editing and mixing

If you run out of time during your session (or you’re simply sick or not ready that day), book another day to finish the song. It’s ok if recording takes a little time 🙂

As you can see, most of the preparation for killer vocals happens before the Day-of-Recording. When you get to that day, you should intimately know your song and how you want to express it.

Happy singing!

Daniela

Lyric Sheet

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