Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

2021 Recording Unhinged Review

If you ever need a feel-good audio extravaganza, pick up a copy of Recording Unhinged: Creative & Unconventional Music Recording Techniques by Sylvia Massy with her partner Chris Johnson.  As cacophonous as its cover, illustrated by the renaissance woman herself, this title explores the rule-breaking philosophy behind many iconic albums.  The subtitle says it all.  Readers be warned this is no cookbook of precisely measured formulas of gear and settings.  Think of it as a grab bag of inspiration, a light for dark places when all other lights go out.  A tool to break out of the worst ruts.

Divided into chapters by instrument, similar to a session in your current DAW, Massy fills each chapter with audio legends telling audio lore.  Some of the stories are so fantastic, that they will never be attempted again, but many of the anecdotes are exercises in “why not?” and “I hope this works.”  Emphasis is placed on the latter, with many memories featuring antique one-of-a-kind microphones and synths one burnt fuse from the dumpster.  It becomes a running theme to embrace the problematic gear as a challenge to occupy the brain so that the heart is free to ace the take.  Mistakes are not the apocalypse, instead, they are the sources of epic sagas.  Here is your permission to try the weird and possibly wonderful.  On one hand, this reduces the anxiety of a perfect session for a star client, on the other hand, it could be a recipe for wasted time.  Sylvia Massy documents those moments too.  Sometimes even the pros are just making it up as they go.

The stories alone would be enough to pick up a copy, the icing on the cake is the candid stills, and illustrations drawn by Sylvia.  Behind the scenes polaroids, and photos of iconic music history make this a coffee table book of envy.  And each illustration is as wild as the stories.  I am not entirely sure, but the chapter plates might be a Where’s Waldo of audio memes.

While Recording Unhinged stands alone, it pairs well with the PBS documentary series Soundbreaking, which follows a similar format and shares some of the same cast of characters.  For those needing more of Sylvia’s illustrations: there are two companion coloring books.  The first with a showcase reel of drawings from Recording Unhinged and the other focusing on audio icons in a Catholic saint fashion.  My co-reviewer has finally figured out which end of the crayon to use and ate it up (still hasn’t kicked her paper habit).  I love these add-ons, they are perfect for musicians waiting between takes or for decorating dorm room studios.  One word of caution to the audio parent:  some illustrations include sex, drugs, and rock & roll, use your discretion.

Nerd, as I am, I could not put this book down.  And it deserves a re-read with a soundtrack to unpack each morsel.  I would not recommend this as the only book on recording, but as a supplement to your current library.  A secret weapon to get your mixing on the next level.  Maybe put it in your laptop bag to infuse its funk in your sessions.  You never know what might happen.

You can check out this book in The SoundGirls Lending Library

2021 – Change, Hope, Possibility

 

Well, here we are.  We made it to 2021, and at the time of my writing of this blog, I don’t know if it’s better.  We are still drowning in a pandemic, unemployment insurance hit a big snag when the CARES Act expired in December of 2020,  the President of the United States attempted to stage a coup by inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol, and yes, the entertainment industry is still shut down.  It’s been almost a year.  My youngest daughter, who is in the first grade now, has yet to have a school year where she did not have distance learning for at least part of the year.  This is obviously not what I planned for my family.  I didn’t really prepare to be out of work for months and months when I left my full-time residency in 2019, and none of us were prepared for the emotional/mental toll all of this would take.  As dark and sometimes hopeless as it seems, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

We have a vaccine and have already begun distribution to those who need it the most.  It seems that the President might finally be held accountable for his actions.  By the time you read this, you will know more than me, but as of just a few minutes ago, House Democrats introduced their resolution of impeachment.  States should be about finished ramping up their systems to support a new round of unemployment relief, and finally, there will be a very significant changing of the guard on January 20.  I have all of my fingers and toes crossed that this means we will finally be getting down to the serious business of getting our country on track and ready to thrive.  Please note that I did not say “back on track.”  We need to move forward from all of this, not back.  Actually, we need to launch forward, with fresh ideas and open minds.

When concerts and theatre come back, I hope we remember what we learned in the downtime.  Pre-Covid there was an entire group of people that had never once been to a concert or to the theatre, and it wasn’t because they were afraid of the virus.  I think we often forget that while performing arts is so important to humanity in so many ways, it’s also very much a luxury.  Millions of people who had previously never experienced a live performance due to lack of funds, inaccessibility, or chronic illness experienced their first (almost) live performances during the pandemic.  I have personally spoken with multiple people who told me, through tears, that watching some of the theatrical livestream events that have been available recently was the highlight of their year, and they truly never thought they would be able to afford a theatre or concert ticket.  I don’t know how the ability to attend a live performance became a marker of elite status, but I hope that we are able to continue offering this kind of programming in a more accessible way long after we’re able to gather together in person.  Why can’t we offer in-person ticketing as well as a livestream experience for any and all performances?

I also hope that this sense of community and camaraderie that has been overflowing in the entertainment industry will continue when we re-enter some kind of normalcy.  We’ve all been doing a great job of lifting each other up, checking in, sharing jobs and projects, donating, and offering support in many manifestations during the pandemic.  Let’s always remember how much that has meant.  My fear is that once we are back, and working, and busy, we won’t remember to slow down and check-in.  Some of us will fall into the old grind seamlessly.  Some of us will not.  I am used to having many plates spinning at all times, and I have always taken pride in my ability to stay focused, to remain detail-oriented, and to keep going no matter what happens.

I’ve already noticed that I haven’t been able to necessarily lock in to work the way I could pre-pandemic.  I had a one-off event in October mixing one of three stages for a telethon, and of all things, I forgot to bring my headphones.  There was no PA, and this event was being streamed directly to live tv, and I left my headphones at home 3 hours away from where I was working.  That’s just not really like me.  I don’t forget details, especially not big ones, and it made me wonder what else I would forget when I’m back to regular work.  I’ve also been finding that when I’ve been lucky enough to work here are there, I am just filled with anxiety over it—before, during, and after the work is done.  I really can’t even pinpoint the source of my anxiety in these moments.  Maybe I’m worried I won’t have the stamina to make it through, I’m rusty, I’m making mistakes, employers are regretting having hired me…you name it.  Whatever the unfounded reason is, the point I’m making is that if it’s there for me, it must be there for others, and I hope that we all just remember that safety net we built for each other as we continue trickling back into the industry.

Let’s also remember all of the work we’ve been doing to make our stages a more equitable place for all of our people.  It is easy to sit behind a computer screen and say, “Yes, I will call out and call in inequities when I encounter them in the workplace.  I will ask the hard questions.  I will respond with grace when I am questioned, and I will keep working to level the playing field.” It’s harder to speak up when there’s a group of real live people staring back at you telling you to stop rocking the boat.  I’m telling you right here and now that I am planning on rocking every boat I sit in, so if you’re riding with me, make sure you can swim.

This morning my horoscope said, “Geminis will never take anything a politician says at face value; they’re always going to do their own research and dig deeper.  It’s not that Geminis are pessimistic-they believe that change can happen and that things can get better-they’re just not going to blindly believe it.” One hundred percent, internet astrologist, one hundred percent.  In 2021, I’m inviting you to join me for some Gemini skepticism powdered with hope and possibility.  We’re not beyond hope, but we do need to keep our eyes and ears open and remember the lessons we’ve been teaching each other, and ourselves, in the meantime.

Elisabeth Weidner is a Sound Designer and Composer for theatre. She served as the Sound Director/ Resident Sound Designer/Composer for 10 years at PCPA-Pacific Conservatory Theatre,  before going full freelance in 2019. Elisabeth is also an adjunct professor at California  Polytechnic State University SLO where she teaches Sound Design and Engineering for  Theatre, and she sits on the USITT Sound Commission jury for the Current Practices and  Research in Sound papers submissions. In 2020 she was elected to serve as Co-Vice Chair of the TSDCA )Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association). She is also the producer of the podcast: No One Likes Us. www.elisabethanneweidner.com 

Read Elisabeth’s Blog

15 New Year’s Resolutions for Audio Engineers

Normally I’m not a huge proponent of New Year’s resolutions. I believe that we should be learning lessons and striving to be the best we can be year-round. But, 2020 was unusual. To say last year was terrible would be an understatement, and the effects of the pandemic and years of institutionalized racism, homophobia, and misogyny have not magically gone away since the clock struck midnight on January 1st.

Yet, 2020 gave us an unexpected gift. Time stopped. Many of us suddenly had time to reflect. I hope that in sharing many of my personal goals, other audio folks may be inspired to carry the lessons of 2020 into 2021.

15 New Year’s Resolutions

I will not take things personally (even if the guitar player turns his amp up AGAIN after soundcheck.) The talent may be stressed by the gig for reasons outside of my control.

I will pay attention to how I converse with others and carry myself. Am I engaged in listening as well as talking? Am I acting like the calm and confident audio engineer the talent can trust? Or am I acting as if I am unsure of myself?

I will evaluate my immediate circle, in work and in my personal life, and consider how I can make it more diverse.

I will keep eating right and exercising. Good nutrition feeds my brain as well as my stomach; oftentimes, ideas about projects or new career goals come to me when I’m out for a jog.

I will hold others accountable for their privilege. I will correct them with calm professionalism and grace.

I won’t backstab coworkers by talking about them with other coworkers. It creates tension and an expectation for someone to mess up. The person being talked about can sense that.

The opportunity to even touch a sound console is sacred. The sound gods can count on more offerings in 2021.

I will notice when a colleague improves and cut them some slack. We all deserve a chance to grow.

I will learn new PG-rated jokes for sound checks.

I will recognize microaggressions and stereotypes in my own language and simply stop using them.

I will not drop money I don’t have on end-of-year sales on plugins. (Okay, maybe I will.)

I will do more ear training in my off time.

I will read more books for leisure.

I will not avoid conversations about race, LGBTQIA, and differently-abled people. I will listen with grace when I’m called out for my own privilege, and implement change.

I will check in with friends more often. I lost people I hadn’t talked to in a while in 2020. We all lost too many people and didn’t see enough of each other. I’m ready to open every door and invite people in.

Let’s continue making strides to better our industry for the rest of our lives. May 2021 find work bountiful, your workplace more diverse, and your mixes full!

 

SoundGirls Seeking Online Mentors

Mentoring the Next Generation of Women in Audio.

How it Works:

SoundGirls Members are invited to sign-up for online mentoring and be partnered with a mentor for three online sessions. The sessions will focus on a project or goal you are working towards.  Sessions will be conducted through Zoom, Skype, etc.

If you would like to volunteer to be a mentor please apply here

 

How I Got Started

 

When I was 13 or 14, I was reading the liner notes of some CD and saw that one track had been written, recorded, produced, and mixed by one of the band members. At the time I only had a loose grasp of what most of those things meant, but I knew one thing: I wanted to be able to do all of that. Someday I would have a liner note like that all to myself. (Ironically, nine years later I have stayed almost exclusively within live sound.)

A local DIY music venue I knew of offered both audio classes and volunteer opportunities. I quickly convinced a friend to take the first class with me: Live Sound 101, a primer on signal flow, miking techniques, and general day-of-show procedures. Live Sound 102: Mixing for Monitors soon followed. Before long, thanks to the open schedule of a high schooler and parents who would pick me up at midnight, I was volunteering at shows multiple times a week. Within six months I had gotten through all of the classes: Small PA Systems, Mixing for Front of House and Troubleshooting. Once I felt comfortable behind the monitor board I moved up to shadowing the front-of-house engineers.

Like a lot of people, my first gig was unplanned. Around a year and a half, after I first started volunteering, I found myself sitting in rush hour traffic on I-5 with another volunteer friend, worrying about whether we’d make our 5 PM call time. Before leaving my house, we had noticed that there still wasn’t anyone listed as the sound engineer that night, and we spent the drive speculating about who (if anyone) would be there when we showed up. Suddenly my phone rang – the venue was calling me. I picked up, and a voice on the other end told me that they still hadn’t found anyone to come in, but it was okay because I could just run sound, right? The interns were busy, but one could come after doors if we felt like we needed him. Surprised, and feeling nervous, I agreed.

That was that –  suddenly, I was the sound engineer, and my friend who was signed up to shadow the sound engineer was now shadowing me. The show itself is a blur, and I don’t remember much, but I know that once I got over the initial anxiousness and we got to work, things went pretty smoothly. It was a hardcore show, and a few of the bands contained audio students I recognized from a local community college. I went in and filled out the hiring paperwork a few days later, and it was official. I had my first job as a sound engineer.

 

Guerrilla Recording: Be Your Own Foley Team at Home

The art of foley is an amazing magic trick that can really bring a production to life. If your project has the budget for custom foley, I would highly recommend taking advantage of skilled professionals to help bring this element of your soundtrack to life. That said, not everyone has the money and access to a professional foley team. Never fear! You can be your own foley team with incredible results. All from the comfort of your home, at little to no cost.

Why custom recordings?

There was a time of course, where everything for a soundtrack was recorded. Nowadays, sound libraries are an amazing tool at our disposal. However vast, libraries can’t necessarily fill the exact needs of every project. Or maybe you find the perfect sound but are only given one or two options to work with. Shameless plug… this is a situation we remedy by including lots of options in our own original sound libraries at boomboxlibrary.com.

Additionally, keep in mind that anything you record is entirely unique to you and your project. That’s great sound design! Of course use libraries for the nuts and bolts of any project, but pick out a few special elements to record on your own, giving yourself a completely original palette to design from.

What are some examples of props easily recorded at home?

We are humans, surrounded by junk we have collected. Put it to good use! Look around your home with your sound editor brain and start to think of things in a new way. Get creative. I find that small props (like writing with a pencil, bubble wrap, cardboard handling) are all best served with custom recordings. This allows you to control the performance, tailoring to your exact needs. After all, handling a cloth pass entirely with a library is a tedious task that could be accomplished in a fraction of the time with a live recording.

Of course, don’t limit yourself to props. Remember that small recordings can become BIG builds. With pitching and processing, the right source materials can really let your creative brain fly.

As a jumping off point, here are some great examples of what you can record at home:
– Source vocals for monsters, robots, aliens
– Stressed materials like creaking wood, rubber stretching
– Foliage movement like leaves shaking and brush movement
– Body interactions like head or beard scratching
– Specific toy props

When I worked on a series that needed mutant mushroom movement, I scoured the house for “squeaky” sounding items. Ultimately, I found that if I rubbed together layers of my wetsuit (acquired for surfing… this is Southern California after all), I got this super strange and unique sound! I was able to “perform” the wet suit to produce all kinds of different pitches.

The Low-Cost Lowdown

Here’s the thing. You can get amazing recordings these days on a smartphone. Trust me, I’ve already blogged about it. And since writing that post over three years ago (we’ve been at this a while), the tech has only gotten better. But ok, if you really want to go Pro-Am with your home recordings, you can purchase a portable recorder. That’s a tool you’ll not only have for home recording but one you can keep in your day bag to have on hand any time the sound design muse comes calling. A worthy investment.

We could do an entire post on portable recorders (and probably will). For now, however, I polled our team (all very experienced guerrilla recordists) and they suggested the following listed in price from highest to lowest:

The Setup

You’ve got your phone or your recorder, now it’s time to set up your recording space. Of course, the quieter the better so try and avoid recording near shared walls, doors or windows. To keep your recordings free from room reflections (the sound bouncing off the walls) you want to record in as “dead” a space as possible. In fancy studios, this is achieved with dampening measures; padded walls, high-end sound diffusers and traps. So what space does the average home have that is isolated and pre-treated to be dead sounding? The answer is in your closet. All of the hanging clothes in a typical closet provide tons of free sound absorption, and the doors provide isolation. If your closet doesn’t have a light, or the light is noisy, get yourself a headlamp. Trust me on this, I’ve done it. A lot. And in some very small closets. Realistically all you need room for is yourself (cramped if necessary, as we suffer for our art), your recorder, your props, and if necessary a playback screen. Which brings me to my next point…

Picture Playback and Recording

If you want to record in sync with picture playback, I’ve got a hack for that as well. Save your video file somewhere you can access it on your phone or tablet; I like google drive. Voila, instant playback device. Mute the sound, and start playing back with ample lead time. Start the recorder and then verbally count down by the second along with the timecode prior to your performance. This will give future you a reference point for syncing up your recordings in Pro Tools later on. A few seconds worth should be enough to lock it in. Before you wrap up, always remember to record a few seconds of room tone so you have it for potential de-noising later on.

Final Tips

Guerrilla home records aren’t perfect, but they can come pretty close. With the ability to custom record as close by as your nearest closet, you have the ability to unleash your creativity at virtually no cost.

 

WRITTEN BY JEFF SHIFFMAN, CO-OWNER OF BOOM BOX POST

 

This Show Must Go Off

 

Episode One: The Sudan Archives at Bowery Ballroom. March 12th, 2020.

I had started this blog with the intention that small venues would be re-open by this point in the United States. I remember early March, deciding to close our doors, knowing that the city-wide shutdown was imminent. Thinking it would last a month, at most. “Get some needed rest, file for unemployment, we will all get back to it before you know it,” I remember welcoming the little break. Having worked through all of the holidays, and truly needing some R&R. Weeks turned into months, and we approach one year without a definite reopen date. Thanks to the incredibly smart, dedicated work of N.I.V.A (the National Independent Venue Association), and the heart and soul of everyone that works at The Bowery Ballroom, we stand a great chance at coming back from this thing better and brighter. It is my hope that we continue to be a positive experience for all artists, crew, staff and patrons that come through our doors.

I want to take you through a show at our venue step by step, pre-Co-Vid. In hopes that giving you this inside look will help you grow in whatever path you decide to pursue.

We barely debated rescheduling the Sudan Archives performance on March 12th. They were coming to Bowery from a fairly long tour. On our side, we had seen admission steadily and noticeably decline since the beginning of March, but nothing to call a deal-breaker. When asked if they would like to go ahead with the show, there was no question in their mind, this was their New York play, and like so many other bands, they wanted to make it special. Plus there was a videographer from German Public TV looking to document the performance.

As with most advancing, I let the artist take the lead. At our capacity, most artists are traveling with a Tour Manager, or someone fairly experienced in management, and can properly organize their tour, and translate it to the house. This was no exception. The TM/FOH was professional in every sense of the word; nice, extremely easy to work with, talented, and familiar. Our paths had crossed when I was traveling in Atlanta a few years prior.

As is industry standard, this advance email came in one month before the show date, and had everything I was looking for:

–Point of contacts and multiple ways to reach them

-Travel vehicle/Parking needs

-Load in needs and Questions

-Proposed Production Schedule/Run of Show (*Though important note, the door/show timings are usually somewhat planned in the booking/contracting/ticketing phase.) 

-Plot/Input List

-Hospitality Requests, number of people for dinner (buyouts) and Questions

– Merch info and the request for a house seller 

-Settlement info

See the consolidated and annotated version of the tech rider:

This show took all of a few hours, and a follow-up phone call to sort.  There would be a Front of House engineer, Monitor engineer, Lighting Designer and myself as Production Manager, and load-in would begin three hours before doors. Then, as can be expected for New York, the special requests come trickling in.

About a week before the show, I was given word of this German film crew looking to document the night. Typically this is one that the House Manager and I tackle together. Our venue is one of many that charges an origination fee to film the façade, or inside of our space. We also require prior written approval from our promoter, as well as the artist, to ensure everyone is on the same page with permissions.

*Learning moment for any new TM’s out there, always get any photo/video information to the venue as soon as possible, and make the artist/film crew aware that there could be fees associated before they lock anything in. Smart artists/crew work with the film team to make sure they handle all necessary fees. Others are often surprised and disappointed by the price sticker at the end and wish they could have invested that money differently.

In this same vein, the artist management put in a request about three days before the show for a barricaded photo pit. At our venue, in particular, we do not own a barricade, nor do we usually barricade the front of the stage. To me as a concertgoer at the venue, it is part of what made seeing my favorite artists so special. To others, it could prove a headache. I had to decline this request and offer substitutions of balcony space for the photographers. To bring in a barricade (this point at Artist Cost) would be over $1,000, and cut sellable capacity significantly for the venue. The second point was the real deal-breaker. This was a sold-out show, and we simply did not have space. Even with attendance dwindling because of coronavirus, it is our responsibility to assume that all will come, and have a safe space to stand.

The final string to tie up was with support. About a week before the show they provided their stage plot/input list, and tax form for settlement.

Simple, and undeniably clear. Pro tip: Always make sure your stage plot has your band name and contact information listed on the document, and that the file is labeled accordingly. PDFs are everyone’s friend. They had asked about visuals for the performance, which is fairly easy to get sorted here. 6,000-lumen projector exists as part of house equipment for artists use. We do advance that the artist provides the media server, which is typically a laptop or some sort of computer, with the content, and that it is able to connect via a VGA cable (which the house provides). The support artist was on tour with Sudan Archives, and it all made for a very seamless and transparent advance.

There was one final check-in the day before the show, to make sure no other higher powers had canceled. I told the T.M. we were trucking along with business as usual, and looking forward to it.

The crew always gets the abridged version over a calendar invite looking something like the following:

When hearing of the addition of the film crew, as well as the imminent shutdown, I had hired a lighting designer more comfortable with film and focused my attention on advancing this shut down information with the remainder of our March shows.

Day of Show:

I arrived sometime between eleven and noon to start my day at the club. Checking everything over, answering emails, ordering the hospitality, and sorting any last-minute needs for the event.  Once load-in begins, I shift my responsibilities to whatever tech role is needed for the day. Though it can be demanding, being able to regularly mix for a venue where I manage, is incredibly rewarding, and often makes all of the mundane computer work worth it. I am sure many other TM/FOH engineers can agree.

The green room was set up by 3:00 pm, and the house crew started to arrive at 4:00 pm. PA, consoles, Monitors, and lights are all tested before the artist arrives. If the stage was not cleared of decking from the night before, now would be the time to clear it. I shared any last-minute notes I received from the show, made sure the crew had printouts of the riders and stage plots and I’m sure casually, and ignorantly joked about the coronavirus.

Load-in was very smooth and as expected. Merchandise took up the majority of the space in the van, followed by wardrobe, then production. Lewis quickly tackled the artists’ key needs of the day within the first hour and was getting soundcheck underway as scheduled. There was a last-minute addition of the use of atmospherics, to add to the light show. I secured the permits, notified the LD, and as is standard for us, our LD has a conversation with the artist representation about the look of the show, and how to execute something effective.

Support was on stage to soundcheck by 7:15, just after our Merch Seller arrived, and we were ready to open doors at our scheduled 8:00 pm. Typically if a house seller is requested to sell the artists’ merchandise, a flat fee is paid to the seller and must be approved by the artist as well as the house.

About half of the patrons who purchased tickets actually attended the show. It made the worry of the photo pit seem trivial, but it also made us very uneasy about the state of music, and live events. Especially with someone as talented as Sudan Archives, a show we all enjoyed, more so knowing it would be the last for a little while.  Loadout was as smooth as when the show came in, but a little more somber, as we all worried about getting home on various forms of mass transit, late at night.

The artist and crew were staying local, only having a short ride to Philly the next day. Unsure if anything ever came from the taping of the performance, but like so many who were on the road during this time, they packed up and headed home shortly after this night.

Still having some tech work planned at the venue, I did not advise the crew on any special shut down procedure, and it was about a month before I could get back in to do any real work.

Over these next few months, I plan to talk you through not only what it takes to build a great venue production advance, and what you should be looking for, and what types of events we will see as we transition back into a new normal. This includes: what added responsibilities a Production Manager has to take on, what new safety concerns security and porters must deal with, and how we can build a stronger community for everyone when we re-emerge.

Learn more about tour managing and advancing shows in our 3-Part Series on Tour Managing on our YouTube Channel

Tour Managing/FOH Part One

Tour Managing/FOH Part Two

Tour Managing/FOH Part Three

Looking Back on Changes by Charles Bradley 

 

When Charles Bradley’s final album, Changes, was released in April of 2016, I had it on repeat for months and months. It felt prophetic. As the political and social landscape became increasingly turbulent, the album provided me with some sort of a grounding force. If we think of the months leading up to the 2016 election as the beginning of the current moment, then now we are at the next inflection point, and over the past few violent and difficult months, I have been returning to Bradley’s Changes. It is just as relevant and necessary as ever.

Immediately remarkable about the album is its footing as pure, unadulterated soul. Not neo-soul, not retro-soul, but capital S Soul. Changes didn’t merely draw upon the ‘60s sound, it seamlessly brought the genre – and all of the traditions that go along with it – into 2016. Daptone’s Thomas Brenneck produced the album in a minimalist fashion, with very few special effects, but he spared nothing when it came to backing musicians. Most of the songs feature musicians from The Menahan Street Band, a few are backed by the Budos Band, and The Gospel Queens are featured on two songs. Changes is laced with organ trills, horn jabs, an almost psychedelic bass, and on several tracks, you can hear people partying along with Bradley in the background. Each track pays homage to ‘60s soul in its instrumentation without simply recreating the ‘60s Stax/Atlantic sound or relying on nostalgia. The album is Soul at its core, but the sound is distinctly Bradley.

Central to every song is Bradley’s voice. When he starts to get going, it’s like sitting in a motorboat while someone revs the engine, rough and hearty, and then gliding away on the water. His voice is what earned him the nickname “The Screaming Eagle of Soul.” This was his third record with Daptone, and while his characteristically roaring voice has always held fast, Changes stands apart. By far his most cohesive album, this one is personal to Bradley. At 67, the former James Brown impersonator, known for his high energy performances and astounding vocals, solidified his individual voice and sang from a profoundly personal perspective. In doing so, he deviated from a sound sternly reverent to the ‘60s soul aesthetic. Between Bradley’s voice and his emotionally provocative lyrics, he reignites a genre exactly when we need it most.

Charles Bradley sings right to the soul: the soul of the listener and the soul of the country. Soul grew in tandem with the Civil Rights Movement and the two are closely entwined. Bradley continues this legacy, beginning the album with a rendition of “God Bless America,” which he sings as a love song, directly addressing America, the country that’s caused him much pain and grief. He opens the track by introducing himself:

“Hello, this is Charles Bradley
A brother that came from the hard licks of life
That knows that America is my home
America, you’ve been real, honest, hard, and sweet to me
But I wouldn’t change it for the world
Just know that all the pains that I’ve been through,
It made me strong,
To stand strong, that know
America represents love for all humanity and the world

I say from my heart
God Bless America
My home sweet home”

In the heat of police violence, Black Lives Matter, and an ever-deepening racial divide in 2016, Bradley tackles what it means to be a Black person in the United States head-on as “God Bless America” rolls right into “Good to be Back at Home.” He sings about America in the same terms as he has sung about tumultuous romantic relationships.

In “Change for the World,” Bradley invokes a rallying call to action. “Hate is poison in the blood/ Heaven is cryin’, the world is shakin’/ God is unhappy, the moon is breakin’/ Blood is spillin’, God is comin’.” He urges listeners to “Put away the guns and take this love.” With the reverb and delay on his voice in this track, it sounds like Bradley is imploring us to change from on high. His tone is powerful yet optimistic and carries through the whole album.

The title song, “Changes” is, as you may have guessed, a cover of the Black Sabbath song. This surprising rendition of the Ozzy Ozbourne classic is nothing but awe-inspiring. Kevin Young in The Gray Album notes the long-standing tradition of Black soul artists covering white popular music, like Isaac Hayes’ cover of Burt Bacharach’s “Walk on By” or Curtis Mayfield’s cover of The Carpenter’s “We’ve Only Just Begun. Young writes that soul is “a black means of transforming material, … to return to the blues tone of the music.” Bradley does just this as he reimagines the song which was originally about an ex-lover to be about his late mother, to whom the album is dedicated. It is her memory and wisdom that he seeks to imbue throughout this album. With or without that knowledge, his rough voice on this track can summon tears.

After Changes was released in 2016, the radical optimism that saturates the album felt necessary to get by and to summon the energy needed to take action. In the current moment, optimism feels inappropriate, insensitive, and nearly impossible. Bradley’s optimism, however, is not one rooted in ignorance (willful or otherwise), but rather in an acute understanding of the issues facing this country that need to be confronted. The album creates the space to acknowledge silver linings and small victories while still bearing witness to violence and cruelty. Listening and re-listening to Bradley’s 2016 brand of radical optimism in Changes can help in regaining energy, envisioning and working towards the just future that Bradley summons in the album. Bradley died in 2017, leaving Changes as his greatest legacy which, I believe, will serve us well into the future as it’s served us these past four years. As one of the most fraught years in recent memory turns into another and with so much uncertainty about what lies ahead, it is worth re-listening and considering Bradley’s voice and vision as a means of solace, rest, and reinvigoration. Works Consulted 

Charles Bradley. Changes. Daptone Records, 2016, CD.

“Charles Bradley.” Daptone Records. 2013. Accessed October 02, 2016. https://daptonerecords.com/charles-bradley/.

Young, Kevin. “Chorus Four: Moanin’: Soul Music and the Power of Pleasure.” Essay. In The Grey Album: on the Blackness of Blackness, 249–73. Minneapolis, MN: Graywolf Press, 2012.

 

Abigail Nover is a sound designer and composer based out of Miami, Florida. She works as a freelance designer for theatrical productions in English and Spanish throughout the country. She holds a BFA in Sound Design from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and an MA in Folklore from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work is often rooted in cultural memory and immersion. In addition to theatrical work, Abigail conducts oral histories and writes about cultural and sound studies. She is a member of the OISTAT Sound Design Group.

Read Abigail’s Blog

Adapt to Thrive – Career Path Changes or Continuing Education is Essential.

 

 

Audio Programmers are skilled coders specialized in implementing audio and music into video game engines, creating plugins, and software development. Programmers, IT, and other technology industry jobs are at an all-time high. Between 2020 through 2029 Computer and Information Technology jobs expect to see a much faster than average growth of 22%. The median salary of an audio programmer is $87,000. Top earners make $103,000 per year in the United States.

While our industry continues to be at a standstill, thinking about career path changes or continuing education is essential. We are SoundGirls, and SoundGirls MUST learn how to adapt to changes, by any means necessary. If you’ve been thinking about learning a new skill while staying in your industry, here are steps I am currently taking as well to become an Audio Programmer.

Learn How to Code/CS

With any programming job, one must know how to code. There are many different programming languages. Audio Programmers are mostly skilled in C/C+, Java, and MAX/MSP. Audio Programmers are also proficient in APIs like Miles, FMOD, and Wwise. There are many Coding Bootcamps online or locally near you. FREE coding courses are Code Academy, Khan Academy, and Up Skill just to name a few. There are many self-taught programmers but formal education is favored for high-paid salary positions. Having an undergrad in recording arts/audio production with a graduate degree in Computer Science (CS) is common. Also, online coding boot camps offer a certification of completion for a fraction of the cost of a Bachelors or Masters degree.

Build a Portfolio

Building your portfolio is essential for any career path. Create work that demonstrates your technical knowledge of the principles of sound and audio manipulation, and as well as your skills as a programmer. Audio programmers are a piece of a larger puzzle, dive into other technology/coding skills to show your strengths.

Network

Just like the entertainment industry and many other professional industries, networking is very important. Social media has greatly improved how we network daily. Find forums, Facebook groups, and other websites where you can meet like-minded peers and hopefully a mentor.

Audio Programming is one of the infinite technology jobs that are out there. With our current skill set as well as continuing education, an audio programmer can transition into Front End Developer, Technical Writer, Software Developer, QA Analyst, and Database Administrator. Here are a few more resources to check out.

X