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Preparing to Maybe Go Back To Work

 

It has been almost a year since I flew home from rehearsals to do laundry and pack for a tour that would have kept me on the road well into this year. Instead of putting my laundry into a suitcase, it went back into my dresser. At first, we thought we would start our tour in June, but alas we all know what happened.

With the arrival of the vaccines, I am hopeful that I might return to work in the fall. That being said, it is going to take much longer for our industry to come back as much of the infrastructure has been broken, we have lost vendors, venues, and crew people. We will all need to work together and have some empathy for everyone when we are able to return to touring.

Today, I was wondering where my gig bag, passport, and show files were, so strange as I always knew where these things were, usually by the front door. I will have to dig my gig bag out of the closet and check for show files and passport and when it might expire. So this got me thinking about the things I need to do before returning to work, and while it seems far away it really is not. I thought I would share some thoughts about preparing to return and changes and plans that need to be put in place.

PASSPORT

Check your passport to see when it might expire and if it is coming up, get it renewed now. Passports are usually not valid for travel six months before it expires, so don’t wait until you need it.

If you do not have a passport, I urge you to get one, when work does resume you don’t want to lose out on gigs because you do not have a valid passport.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html

Driver License

Double-check your Driver’s License and make sure you have applied for The Real ID.

On October 1, 2021, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID-compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id

GIG BAG

Clean out and restock your Gig Bag. If you are missing tools or testers now is the time to purchase them. Rat Sound Systems sells many items you need in a gig bag and offers SoundGirls Members a discount. If you don’t have a Gig Bag put one together.

What’s In Your Go Bag?

Show Files

I am almost scared to look at my show files, the last time I saw them was at rehearsals and there were so many new cues, inputs, and even a new band member that I no longer know what we covered in rehearsals, all my notes are locked away in my workbox in storage. But I am gonna take a look at the files and see what I can clean up and organize a bit better.

If you don’t have show files, visit manufacturers’ websites and download the offline editors. (almost all the manufacturers offer these) You can start learning how these consoles work, build a template, learn how to route things, etc.

Resume

Make sure your resume is clean, professional, and up to date. You may find that you need to make a few different versions of your resume to be more detailed for different disciplines in audio. If you work in both live sound and post-production and if you are applying for a touring gig do not send a resume full of post-production work.

Social Media

Clean up your social media and make sure it is professional. You may want to start separate accounts one for personal and one that is professional.

Here are tips for resumes and social media.

Career Development – Resources for Resumes and Social Media

Professional Directories

Make sure you are listed in professional directories and that your information is up to date. You can find a list of directories here

Women in the Professional Audio

Referral Lists

I only refer people for gigs that I have worked with or know personally with great attitudes. I am updating my lists as things are gonna be a bit weird when we return to work. I am checking in with people I normally refer gigs to see if they plan to return or their general availability. I am also making a secondary list of people that I may not know but come highly recommended by people I trust. I am also making sure that I add women and BIPOC to my referrals.

Hearing Tests and Hearing Protection

Get a hearing test and take steps now to protect your hearing. Get in the habit of getting annual hearing tests.

Audiologists and Hearing Tests

Hearing Health – Hearing Test

Healthy Ears Are Happy Ears

Finances

If 2020 taught us anything it is that we might need more of a safety net (since The U.S. Government has completely failed to assist unemployed people)  of 3 to 6 months of living expenses saved. Now is the time to get a budget in place and savings for emergencies and retirement. Andrea Espinoza walks us through this process and is available to assist you. ajayespinoza@gmail.com

 

Training and Education

With all the webinars and online training offered last year, you may have found yourself burned out. Now is the time to make a list of what you need to know or understand and sign up or find the training info you need.

Stamina

Working 16 hour days on concrete is going to come as a shock to us both mentally and physically. I am planning on changing up more exercise program to start building muscle strength.

Power Struggles – Work and Physicality

Finally, if you are in a leadership role I encourage you to diversify your workplace and to implement sexual harassment training. When we do go back to work we want an industry that is safe and diverse.

Diversify Your Crew

Calling All Crows

Has an extensive sexual harassment training program and will work with you. Contact Kim Warnick

Hope to see you on the road soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Language And The Gender Gap: The Power Of Words

 

January 2021 has shone a light in several ways about just how far we still have to go in terms of the language and choice of words we use; not only in striving for professionalism and equity in the workplace but also because an insidious weaponizing of language contributes to a culture that is harmful to women.

Many in the music and audio community have been involved in a current debate about the company, Gearslutz following a petition that was launched requesting they change their name.

The petition on change.org was created by Cam Ran, who explained:

“This petition was created with the hopes of encouraging Gearslutz to change their name to something that more appropriately represents the gear community. 

Gearslutz is widely regarded and refers to themselves as “The No.1 Website for Pro Audio.” Every engineer I know has used/uses it, and most of the engineers I know feel uncomfortable with the name. I have been one of two women sitting in an engineering class and a professor has uncomfortably mentioned the website, apologizing for the name, but bringing it up because it has been an important resource to use when learning about gear. 

While there has been much progress in the gear community and audio world for women, we still exist in a time where every woman I know who works in audio has been asked which band member she’s dating when she’s loading in gear. Every woman I know has been called a slut in a derogatory manner. Every woman I know who works in a male-dominated field has felt objectified and patronized. And not every woman is offended by this name, but enough people are that it’s a frequent and recurring topic. 

It might not seem like a big deal, and people will likely say that we should focus our energies on bigger issues of equality, but we can do both. We can talk about the things in our community that make us uncomfortable, starting with this website created by men, who have never been called “slut” in a hateful and derogatory way. Who have never had to prove their merit in their field simply because of their gender. Who have never had someone assume that their level of success was due to the fact that they slept with the right person. 

Aside from making some people feel a bit upset, it’s also just a very unprofessional name that makes people uncomfortable in an educational environment or workplace, as you can see from the comments of signees below. 

I’m looking forward to a brighter future where women and female-presenting people feel comfortable in all spheres of work and passion, and this small change would be a great step. If you’re angered or annoyed by this request, truly ask yourself why.”

Gearslutz.com co-founder Jules Standen has replied to the petition several times, initially saying in a now-deleted post:

“The word ‘slut’ isn’t necessarily just a derogatory word for women, it refers to someone driven by their lust more than by their brain – kinda like nerds who habitually spend money on a bunch of machines they don’t really need or are worthy of. The gear is no longer a tool but a self-purpose and is fetishized. ‘Slut’ is a good word to describe people who indulge in this behaviour.”

Standen then released a more detailed statement, saying:

“As the founder of Gearslutz, I chose the name as an ironic way of describing those who, like me, had no control over their desires for acquiring recording equipment. The name was and still is, not intended to send a derogatory message to women or to discourage them from participating in the forum. It was simply meant to poke fun at some people’s pro audio shopping habits.

I suppose it’s a question of not judging a book by its cover. If women who are put off by the name were to look at the forum itself, they would find it a very welcoming place. In fact, from the very outset, because male participants were in the majority, we have done our very best to make the forum a safe place for women in terms of the site content and visitor behaviour. 

Regarding the name, I appreciate it’s not for everyone, but that is how we are known to our 1.6 million monthly visitors from 218 countries. For those uncomfortable with our logo, we have always offered an alternative option. This is available in a drop-down menu on the bottom left – it will display the alternate “Gearsz” logo.

We appreciate feedback about the forums and I reiterate that everyone is welcome to join in the discussions any time.”

An unexpected development to the story

Meg Lee Chin publicly commented on the petition and spoke out on social media. She posted her comment, outlining her previous role as the founding partner of Gearslutz with Standen back in 2000 and recounted her experience of waking up one day to discover she had been locked out of all the accounts relating to the site and the business. Chin’s statement recalls how she won the ensuing court battle that followed but was hit hard by the lawyer fees involved in the case.

Gearslutz Announces Name Change

Shortly after Meg went public with her story, it was announced via Working Class Audio that Gearslutz would in fact be changing their name, and you can listen to Jules Standen’s conversation with WCA about his decision here.

The Gearslutz conversation has raised some ongoing issues, both specific to the music and audio industry, and in a wider context for women and girls in general. We know that young girls have been consistently dissuaded from pursuing STEM subjects, and many have pointed out that the casual use of a word so often weaponized against women is not helpful in encouraging the next generation of women in audio. One commenter noted, “what we tolerate in language, symbols, and jokes all play a part in shaping this culture.” They also acknowledged the effect on the young girls who see pervasive misogynistic language – “perhaps the same harmful language that kids at their school are using to shame and hurt them – and think ‘Hmm, yeah, maybe this industry isn’t for me.’” 

Everyday Sexism Project

Laura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism project, a place for women and girls to share their accounts of harassment. In launching the project, Bates was shocked at how many accounts of sexist harassment were coming from mid-teen girls, and subsequently moved the majority of her work into a school setting. While conducting classroom discussions had been a positive medium for conversation initially, Bates then found an unexpected resistance:

“I started hearing boys at school who already felt that they’d been poisoned against the idea of even having a conversation about feminism. And they were coming out with some quite extreme things: feminism is a cancer, all women lie about rape, white men are the real victims of society… But the moment it all really clicked for me was when they started repeating, at schools from rural Scotland to inner-city London, the same wrong statistics. That’s when I clocked what was going on.”

Bates found herself delving deep into the online communities that operate uncensored, radicalising young boys across a vast network of websites and forums and described her experience with The Guardian in a 2020 interview. The most shocking takeaways from Bates’ findings were: the young age at which children were targeted (11+) and the traceable path that started with anti-feminist memes and jokes online, and then progressed to targeted acts of misogynistic violence against women and the adoption of neo-Nazi white supremacist beliefs.

Phil Spector Dies

At the same time, the Gearslutz petition was happening, news broke that music producer Phil Spector had died while serving a sentence for the murder of Lana Clarkson. Interestingly, the same conversations were occurring around the wording and reporting of his death from various news and media outlets. Subsequent editing and deletion has occurred across several platforms due to something of a backlash: The BBC had previously gone with the headline “Talented but flawed Producer Phil Spector dies aged 81.” while Rolling Stone published “Phil Spector, the famed ‘wall of sound’ producer and architect of some of pop music’s most enduring songs, whose legacy was marred by a murder conviction, has died.” 

In the days that followed, a flurry of articles and conversations ensued around what is acceptable language when talking about men and the women they have harmed. Phil Spector’s ex-wife Ronne has been consistently open about the abusive details of their marriage since she escaped from their marital home, barefoot, while he screamed death threats after her. During their marriage, Ronnie had been coerced into abandoning her music career, adopting 3 children (notably, twins that Phil brought home as a surprise ‘Christmas present’), and was held prisoner in their house for years. It’s fairly well-known that Phil Spector claimed he had a gold coffin with a glass top that he threatened he would display Ronnie’s body in after killing her. Their divorce was rife with stalking, constant death threats, legal battles over their children, and the withholding of The Ronettes royalty payments. Despite public knowledge of his reputation for having a tendency to pull a gun on women he was interested in and the artists he produced, Phil Spector continued to work up until the early 2000s. When Lana Clarkson was killed from a gunshot to the mouth in 2003, it took several trials and retrials until Spector was convicted of murder in the second degree in 2009 – he had remained free for the six years in between.

Phil Spector was undoubtedly a pioneer in the music world, but at what cost? Ronnie Spector’s tribute to the news of his death stated he was a “brilliant producer, but darkness set in and many lives were damaged.” During my college years, I learned about Spector’s techniques and infamous acts of violence, noting that his behaviour happened to be an accepted, secondary by-product of his genius. Studying the ‘wall of sound’ in a real-time parallel to Lana Clarkson’s murder, I soon realised that this was the structure of things, and where we are told that women fit into the industry and the world. How many generations of women from the 1960s through to today have grown up observing this narrative – that their collective lives are ultimately worth less than one man’s talent? And now, fifty years after Ronnie Spector fled for her life, with Phil Spector 10+ years into his prison sentence for murder, we relentlessly keep positive language reserved for white men, no matter what they have done.

Words Matter

The selective choice of words when reporting on violent men is not exclusive to the music industry, nor to the rich and famous. Even the most mediocre men who kill and do harm are by default, written about in the media with an overly positive focus, while women are dehumanised. Journalist and author Jane Gilmore is the creator of #FixedIt which is a collection of such headlines that she edits to more accurately report the facts of a story, without the bias that is so prevalent. Gilmore has also published a book titled FixedIt: Violence and the Representation of Women in the Media as well as hosting a TED X talk about these issues. In her TED X talk, she demonstrates how unbelievably ingrained this attitude really is, showing examples whereby the mothers of men who have committed crimes are negatively reported on and held to account, while the stories omit any blame on their sons, the actual perpetrators.

 

 

It’s easy to see that in isolation, a ‘jokey’ word might not sound like a huge deal at first glance. It’s also frequently debated whether character should play a role in our appreciation of art. However, when we stop for long enough to listen to the actual facts and figures about the implications and outcomes these issues have been proven to have, we need to do better. If we know that language influences our societal norms and contributes to a culture that is rife with sexual harassment for our women and girls, we need to consciously break the cycle. If we are teaching 1960s music history and production in schools, colleges, and universities to young people around the world, maybe we shouldn’t laugh off and downplay violent ‘eccentricities’, but ensure that standards and structures are in place to prevent these working conditions from ever being the norm again. With the same conversations currently taking place across the industry, there is hope to be found in addressing the power our words can have – both for creating a more inclusive workplace, and a safer and more equitable world.

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

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