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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.

Try to Make the Best of Every Situation

 

We start 2021 with most crew wondering if they remember how to do their jobs. Isn’t that crazy!? I didn’t work a single show during 2020. I was coming off a Christmas break, as is usual in our industry when COVID hit. And because I live in the USA on a visa, I couldn’t pick up any other job. This meant that if I wanted to keep my life as I know it, I have to buckle up and dip into those savings. There have been sacrifices and most definitely a dwindling of my financial safety net. However, I have made sure over the years to be financially savvy so that if I was ever faced with a situation like this (or simply breaking a wrist and not being able to do my job), that I would be able to survive and not have to completely pivot out of my career and potentially risk everything I’ve worked to get to where I am.

I guess the point of this post is that we never know what is coming ahead so we need to make sure we set ourselves up for success. We are a culture that wants everything now. We find it hard to see the bigger picture. We lack patience. These all apply to trying to break into the industry as well. It can be a long, hard road but with patience, you will get there, whatever “there” is for you personally.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and I am grateful that I am in a position to be able to step back on tour when the machine starts back up again. Remember your greatest tool to being successful is the ability to say yes to an opportunity when it arises. Make sure you position yourself to be able to do that and now is the best time to get set up for that!

Here are some actionable items for you to do right now

Do you have a mentor?

Finding a mentor is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. And you know what else? It’s free! There are plenty of people who would be happy to mentor you. Find someone doing what you want to do and reach out to them with a polite email or DM asking if they would mind answering some questions or having a chat over zoom.

Do you have a job?

Whilst it may not be necessary or possible for you personally to take a job right now, if you are able and willing, this is a great time to save up money so you can be ready to jump on any opportunity that arises when touring starts again.

Skills

Are you using this time to brush up on your skills and knowledge? There are tons of free resources online to learn the basics of almost anything!

If this starts to feel overwhelming, refer back to the first action point; find a mentor. They will be able to steer you in the right direction when it comes to all aspects of getting on tour or getting a job in the industry. This is especially crucial post-COVID. There is no better time than now to find a mentor as people have a lot of time on their hands!

Whilst 2020 was a bit of a blowout, hopefully, you can turn it to your advantage. Here’s to the roaring 20’s!

Over the coming months, I will touch on a topic I have gone into more detail on in my handbook “Girl On The Road: How to Break into Touring From a Female Perspective”.

As always, anyone can reach out to me to chat about their journey into touring or if you have any other questions: claire@trash-tours.com

 

 

Ask the Experts – Teching for Live Sound Engineers

 

The role of FOH or Monitor Tech differs from the role of system and stage techs, system engineers and crew chiefs. They work alongside FOH and Monitor Engineers and responsible for setting up and maintaining the FOH/Mon equipment. (consoles and processing). The FOH Tech is responsible for running walk in and out music, announcements, media feeds. FOH techs often fill the role of the system engineer and are responsible for or assist in the EQ and time alignment of the system and setting the rigging points. FOH Techs can be called on to record the performance through digital technology such as Pro Tools. FOH Techs often mix the opening artists. FOH Techs should have solid experience with different consoles and outboard processing.

At the other end of the snake, Monitor Techs are often responsible for In-Ear Monitoring Systems (IEMs) and RF coordination. The Monitor Tech will most likely be responsible for mixing monitors for the opening artists. The Monitor Tech should have solid experience with different consoles and outboard processing, as well as different types of monitor and IEM systems.

Both of these positions are often filled by well-established engineers. FOH and Monitor Techs often work with Artist Engineers on a regular basis and are an important part of a touring production.

This is your opportunity to have your questions answered by Rachael Moser, Krysten Dean, Trevor Waite, and Ivan Ortiz.

Feb. 20, 2021, at 11 AM PST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated by Beth O’Leary

Beth is a freelance live sound engineer and tech-based in Sheffield, England. While studying for her degree in zoology, she got distracted working for her university’s volunteer entertainment society and ended up in the music industry instead of wildlife conservation. Over the last ten years, she has done everything from pushing boxes in tiny clubs to touring arenas and spends a lot of her life in muddy fields working on most of the major festivals in the UK. She has a particular passion for flying PA, the black magic that is RF, travel, and good coffee. Read Beth’s Blog

Panelists
Kyrsten Dean

Krysten is a touring Sound System Engineer and Crew Chief working for Eighth Day Sound Systems, but if you said Krysten on the road, most people would not know who you were talking about because everyone calls her “KD.” She has been working in professional audio for the last 17 years after quitting her corporate engineering job. She has toured with JayZ, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Drake, and Madonna to name a few. She is also an entrepreneur working to introduce more women and people of color to the technical side of the touring industry, through what she likes to call S.T.E.M.M. – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Music.

Trevor Waite 

Trevor works for Group One Limited as a technical support engineer. The company is the US distributor for Digico, Calrec, Klang: technologies and Avolites, among other professional audio and lighting brands. Prior to this Trevor was an audio technician for Firehouse Productions and Eighth Day Sound. Trevor has worked as technician, engineer and crew chief for multiple tours, festivals, and one-offs. Over the years, as both an independent and staff engineer, he has mixed monitors for countless well-known artists, including Harry Belafonte, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Black Keys and many others.

Trevor worked for The Who  (from 2007 – 2019) as a monitor tech for their two monitor engineers Bob Pridden and Simon Higgs. Trevor would take over mixing for Pete Townshend when Bob retired.

Rachael Moser

Rachael has worked for Clair Global in Nashville for over ten years as a PA Tech, Monitor Systems Tech, RF Tech, Monitor Mixer, and most recently System Engineer/Crew Chief. She has worked in audio for over 15 years and attended Belmont University, graduating from their Audio Engineering Technology program with a BS and minor in business

Ivan Ortiz

Ivan is an audio veteran, with over 18 years of experience in professional audio – gaining his education working for a small sound company that specialized in Latin acts while attending Full Sail. After he graduated he headed to the west coast – taking an internship at Rat Sound Systems and his “can-do attitude” led to weekend work with several Los Angeles-based sound companies. Ivan would go on to tour as a system tech for Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Pepe Aguilar and toured for several years as a monitor engineer for My Chemical Romance, Gavin DeGraw, and multiple fill-in gigs for other bands as FOH or MON Engineer.

Ivan would go on to work for LD Systems in Houston Texas working the Houston Rodeo as Monitors Engineer for the event for five consecutive years. While working for LD Systems Ivan also had the opportunity to work on nationally televised events as the A1 for NCAA Final Four, NCAA Sweet Sixteen, Houston’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, before returning to Rat as shop manager and all-around Tech Master.  Ivan is now the Technical Resources and Account Manager at Rat Sound Systems.

 

My New Years Resolutions for Broadway/NYC Theatre

Hello all, and thanks for reading and supporting SoundGirls! A quick intro to give context to my first post here. My name is Becca, I use she/her pronouns, and until March 12th 2020, I was a freelance sound engineer working primarily on Off-Broadway shows in New York. My main gig was as the Head of Audio for the 80s hair metal jukebox musical “Rock of Ages” where on March 11th I mixed my 175th show, a personal record for me! I often supplemented that work by doing shop preps and load-ins/load-outs on other shows during the day. I’ll talk more about my specific trajectory in some future posts.

The subject of my first post is my particular wing of the live sound industry: NYC Theatre. Including but definitely not limited to Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, etc. I’m going to refer to it as “Broadway” just for clarity of writing. It’s an industry I love, and I can’t wait to get back to it BUT…like any relationship, it’s important to step back now and then and reevaluate the terms. So, with a new year upon us, and at least six months to go before anyone is likely to be working on a show with an audience in New York again, here are my New Year’s Resolutions for Broadway.

If we’re going to be a “family,” support families!

The pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on folks who raise children. Lack of access to childcare with schools closed has pulled a lot of parents out of the workforce and forced a lot of people to choose between keeping their job or supporting their families. Of course, everyone in theater, parent or no, has been out of work for some time now, but when we come back, we can’t simply go back to the way things were. New York State’s Paid Family Leave law is a good start, but the way that sound jobs work means you are usually juggling multiple employers and can’t always pool your benefits, or use time off when you need it most. I have a friend whose partner gave birth to their child during the run of a show he was engineering, and all he was able to get was 1 week off unpaid.

The Broadway Community takes pride in the fact that we have each other’s backs, and that has to extend father. Make childcare at work more accessible. Make Paid Family Leave the law of the land nationwide for all workers, not just for the parent who is pregnant (if applicable). Provide places for breastfeeding folks to pump. Don’t just put pregnant people on disability and call it a day. The realities of workplace sexism and the “motherhood penalty” should already be things of the past, let’s not bring them back into the room with us.

“Women have to see it to be it.” So show it!

Jeanine Tesori spoke those amazing words when she and Lisa Kron accepted the Tony Award for Best Score for their musical “Fun Home”. They were the first all-women team to win the award. Jessica Paz took that one step further in 2019 when she became the first woman to win the Tony Award for Sound Design (as co-designer of “Hadestown” with Nevin Steinberg), having been only the second woman ever to be nominated in either the play or musical categories. Jeanine, Lisa, Jess, and so many other women have punched enormous holes in the glass ceiling of Broadway, but the work is not done.

The nominees for the 2020 Tony Awards were announced this fall, and the voters are only judging a small number of shows that opened prior to the March 12th shutdown. This year, there are zero women nominees for Best Sound Design or Best Score. But here is the even more key point: had the Broadway season gone on interrupted, there would still not have been any women eligible to be nominated for Best Sound Design (play or musical), and only two women would have been eligible for Best Score nominations. The Tony Awards may be a single New-York-Centric event, and they certainly don’t represent all of the amazing theatre being made in the US, but they are one of the few theatre-themed live TV broadcasts that reach the entire nation in a non-pandemic year. Representation matters, and we need a whole lot more of it

Open the gates to “The Room Where It Happens”

There are enormous access barriers to working one’s way up in New York. The few schools with theatre sound programs are exclusive and expensive. The pay starts low and the rent is high. If you’re freelancing you often need to work multiple shows at once to cover your costs, which stretches you thin and also takes opportunities away from other people who might benefit from them. Working on Broadway specifically requires a union card, and getting one can take years if you don’t have a connection or the “right” experience. People hire people they already know or people their friends already know, and the cycle perpetuates. For my part, I know I will be challenging myself to cast a wider net the next time I am in a position to hire or recommend someone for a gig. I’ll be looking at it as a chance to open a door, not help someone already on the inside.

Support the people you serve

So many New Yorkers have no connection to the theater, despite the fact that the unofficial world headquarters is in their city. Tickets are expensive, arts programs in public schools were already in bad shape, and local budgets are reeling from the costs of the shutdowns. Multitudes of research have shown the positive effects that arts education has on students, even if they don’t end up pursuing a career in the arts. But let’s expand the definition of what “arts” is. When a student group has a post-show talkback, make sure it’s not just actors and directors on stage taking questions. Broadway shows should partner with schools to give workshops not just on singing and dancing, but on songwriting, producing, stage managing, and of course sound. Getting kids interested while they are young will not only grow and diversify our future workforce, it will make sure we have a future audience to come and support that work.

We have to get serious about sustainability

Climate change is real, and it’s not going away without serious action from the top down. Broadway, with its high profile and wide reach, can be a trailblazer on the path to make our everyday lives less destructive to the planet. Specifically, to sound, the Broadway Green Alliance recommends that at a bare minimum, we make the switch to rechargeable batteries and start to limit the amount of single-use products we use to handle wireless microphones. Buy personal belts with sweat-proof packs for each actor to eliminate single-use sheaths/plastic wrap/condoms. Switch to Green Seal Certified cleaners to cut down on alcohol swabs and abrasives. Encourage paperless schedules and scripts, and make them easy to update/reconcile. Use LED light bulbs in EVERYTHING. All this is barely a drop in the bucket, but if we begin to lead by example, we can inspire change in others and make green thinking the norm.

So, with all that in mind, Happy New Year to you all, and let’s work on building the Broadway we want to work in when we come back!

Ask the Experts – Mixing for Broadway and Theatre

What is the role of the Sound Mixer in theatre productions?

The Sound Mixer/Engineer develops or sources music and sound effects according to the Sound Designers specifications. The sound crew sets up the sound system for a production and runs it during the course of each performance. The Sound Mixer/Engineer takes all of the sound in a show – Actors’ voices, environmental noise, sound effects, the orchestra – and balances them to create a rich and exciting sound for the audience to experience.

Ask the Experts – Mixing for Broadway and Theatre. This is your chance to ask professional sound mixers/engineers working on Broadway questions.

Feb. 3 at 3 PM PST

Register here and post your questions

Moderated by

Elisabeth Weidner

Elisabeth 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

Sound Mixers/Engineers

Heather Augustine

Heather is an audio engineer currently touring around the US with Broadway-style shows. She graduated from Penn State University with a BFA in Theatrical Design and Technology, with an emphasis on Sound Design, and has been on the road for the past 7 years. During her touring career, she has worked on a variety of shows including Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Miss Saigon. Currently, she is the A1 for the first national tour of Mean Girls. Read Heather’s Blog

Becca Stoll

Becca is a theatrical audio engineer.  She specializes in mixing musicals and is especially passionate about mixing new works.  Pre-pandemic, her main gig was Head of Audio on Rock of Ages (Off-Broadway at New World Stages). Other New York credits include: Two’s A Crowd (59E59), A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons), Antigone in Ferguson (St. Ann’s Church); We Are The Tigers (Theatre 80).  Tours: Million Dollar Quartet (A2).  Selected Regional: The Donkey Show (OBERON), Caucasian Chalk Circle (A2, Yale Rep), 3 seasons as Production Audio Engineer for the Goodspeed Opera House.  Education: Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, NHSI “Theatre Cherubs”.  Member: TSDCA, USITT, SoundGirls

Cassy Givens

Cassy is a New York City-based theatrical audio engineer. Her mix credits include the Broadway productions of Frozen, Something Rotten, Newsies, Memphis, and The Scottsboro Boys. She has also mixed various theatrical shows and events on tour, Off-Broadway, and regionally at venues including Huntington Theatre Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Old Globe, Glimmerglass Opera, and The Public Theatre in NYC. When she isn’t mixing musicals she works as a sound designer, system technician, as well as a wireless microphone technician. Proud member of IATSE.

Julie M. Sloan

Julie was, before the world shut down, the production sound mixer for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical on Broadway. Previous Broadway musical credits include Ain’t Too Proud, SpongeBob Squarepants, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, On Your Feet, Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 revival), Guys and Dolls (2009 revival), and over ten years of Jersey Boys. Tours: Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, Annie Get Your Gun.

She holds a degree in Audio Technology from the Indiana University School of Music, where she once mixed a tree-planting ceremony with the Dalai Llama and monitors for GWAR on the same day.

 

The SoundGirls Podcast and Living History Project is Seeking Volunteer Editors

The SoundGirls Podcast and Living History Project are volunteer-run and features interviews with audio professionals (from all walks of life) to learn how we can better support one another towards a more diversified industry. We are seeking podcast and living history editors to assist with post-production.

Editors will be responsible for:

Required skills:

Preferred skills:

If you are interested in volunteering you can apply here

The deadline is Feb. 1st

SoundGirls Podcast Producer and Host Volunteers

Want to learn how to produce and host a podcast? This opportunity might be for you

We are looking for some passionate, dynamic hosts and co-hosts volunteers that would be interested in taking the reins of the SoundGirls Podcast this coming May.

Our vision with the SoundGirls Podcast is to pass it on to inspire and empower young women and girls in our field. SoundGirls that have a desire to build the best SG podcasts possible.

Do you love to talk to people about their lives and our industry? Do you have creative ideas you would love to do with a podcast? Do you desire to interview others and find out more about them? Do you have a passion to build the SoundGirls network, through discussions about diversity, inclusion, and sharing the tools to help the next generation of women in audio? Do you have interviewing experience and abilities?

What is expected

You will be scheduling your guests (we have a growing list), interviewing guests, producing a graphic for social media, and uploading each episode (after it is edited) to our podbean account. You may possibly do some light editing of the podcast too.

Time Commitment

Each interview takes about an hour to record. Editing can take up to three hours per episode, scheduling, posting, and graphic content can take up to three hours a week. Your time commitment is approx. 10 hours a week.

Gear needed

A great audio interface like (Focusrite, M-audio air, or SSL2+), a great vocal microphone (Shure Sm7B, Rode NT1, or whatever makes your voice sound amazing), a quiet room, good pair of headphones, pop filter, and squadcast recording software (we use squadcast to separately multitrack record interviews and each other). A DAW (ProTools, Audacity, Audition) for editing.

What you can expect

We will help you: We have streamlined a process that has helped keep us on track. We have systems in place and won’t throw you to the wolves. An ongoing schedule of guests, a google drive account, an SG Pod email, and templates for graphics, as well as a squadcast account and a podbean account. We will train you on how to make all these things work for you.

Training dates: March 1st, 2021 through May 1st, 2021 via Zoom

Your Start date: May 1st, 2021

This is a volunteer position and you will be working with two or three other podcast hosts, under the supervision and guidance of Beckie Campbell and Susan Williams, our current podcast hosts. This volunteer position is a year-long commitment and you will train 2022 volunteers. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2021.

Apply here

You can listen to the SoundGirls Podcast here

 

 

Waiting for Better Days

 

So, the holidays are over, New Years’ has just been and the past year is gone. A year of great challenges but also a year of incredible personal achievements.

I step into the new year as a 30-year-old cis woman and I made some great things happen this past year. I joined the women’s network Her Hustle, got engaged on a Swedish mountain, and adopted the cutest puppy.

As I sit down to write this, my adorable pup is trying to get the treats out of his toy, but I can’t seem to shake this thing my now-fiance said to me. I was sitting on the kitchen floor on New Year’s Eve; no, not a drunk floor moment, I was having an anxiety attack. I cried for my unhappiness/failure and hyperventilated into a panic. Almost a year has gone by without work.

So there I sit, crying over what I’ve lost when my dearest asks me: was I happy a year ago? When I was working, but terrified of asking for a raise, struggling to talk about money and equality with those who paid me. Those who paid me to live, eat and sleep. Those who paid me for doing something I loved. Was I happy then? No, I was anxious, worried, and stressed. I remember not getting the NYE shift and that it went to one of the extra male engineers and that I wasn’t even considered. No matter how hard I worked or how much I worked, I felt that I was valued less. I still didn’t have enough money to become a citizen in a country I lived and worked in for over 11 years. I still didn’t have enough to save for my future nor to get a driving license. Which in retrospect could’ve been useful now, I could’ve been a delivery driver… because right now I’m not useful, I’m not working. I’m just waiting…

Human rights activist Mohamed Ali talks about “waithood” in his TedX seminar The Link Between Unemployment and Terrorism. He talks about Somalia where poverty and unemployment are common. He tells a story about a young man that is one of many poor young people in his country. One day he’s approached by a gentleman who feeds him, houses him, gives him purpose and a community. A few years later he blew himself up in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The gentleman belonged to a terrorist group Al Shabaab which has links to Al Qaeda. (The reason why I know this is because of my podcast that I started this summer. It’s called And It Went Like This Podcast, so please have a listen and share.) Now I’m not saying that all unemployed will resort to terrorism, but the story shows what desperation to occupy ourselves can lead us to. What Mohamed calls “waithood”, can change us for the worse.

We are right now all in this “waithood”. We don’t know what the lineup is nor the curfew of this disease or if there’s a support act coming to soundcheck… But if there’s anything we sound engineers are good at. It’s winging it!

So stay safe and resilient.

Love, Linnea

 

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