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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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Going With the Flow

This spring I had the opportunity to step back into my roots and mix a loud rock band. The goal was simple: make sure it’s loud and doesn’t get in the way of their groove.

The opportunity came with a rocking stage (many guitar cabs, something the “luxury” of amp modelers softens us to) and PAs that ranged from questionable, to what is one of my favorite Cohesion systems that I’ve ever mixed on.

The tour brought me back to a sense of reality and perhaps grounded me in many ways. Sometimes the systems and consoles made me feel less than comfortable, either with their inability to work “flawlessly” or because of the fast-paced and unexpected nature of the show. I had to create a dialogue daily with house venue staff to learn about how they managed the system or room and try to employ their techniques when necessary.

The overarching observation is that this was such a valuable learning experience, providing opportunities to re-think the show and challenge myself with varying mixing platforms. I saw the gamut of nearly every mainstream console: PM5, X32, S6L, DLive, and even a Pro2. Sometimes these consoles worked flawlessly. Other times, they didn’t, forcing me to be creative with my layouts and workflow.

These shows solidified my technical understanding, and sometimes lack of. I had to quickly become comfortable with the fast-paced environments. It was also critical to maintain my composure in tense situations.

Efficiency was a must, as was learning how to prioritize daily tasks. It equally forced me to sit back and enjoy the show because I had to lean into what the band was doing, let them take the reins, and trust their input.

I offer this story to encourage you to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy the spaces you’re in. These moments teach us how to pivot and take things in stride. Being open-minded to these moments allows you to be creative and shows you how to be flexible when facing challenging circumstances. It’s another piece in the journey of continual improvement.

What matters about our unique careers doesn’t change:

These moments provide a ton of direction, self-reflection, and opportunity for growth. They can also increase your confidence in yourself, especially if you can learn to excel at keeping a cool, level head when moments are tense or stressful. So, next time you’re faced with something different, don’t be afraid to lean into it, learn from the challenges, and enjoy the present moment.

Women in Vinyl Review

Continuing on my quest to read ALL of the Audiobooks written by women and gender non-conforming individuals, Women in Vinyl: The Art of Making Vinyl written by Jenn D’Eugenio came across my desk.  As a self-proclaimed nerd, I love vinyl, therefore this book would have found its way into my library anyway.  Jenn D’Eugenio founded the Women in Vinyl non-profit to uplift marginalized humans working in vinyl.  After starting as a blog to share individual stories, it has become a resource hub that even has a podcast.  D’Eugenio herself is the Sales and Customer Service Director of Gold Rush Vinyl in Austin Texas.

Each interview has the same formula.  There is a short biography, then 4 questions: motivation for getting into the industry, favorite thing about working in vinyl, advice for folk wanting to work with vinyl, and what they wished more people knew about vinyl.  The interviews are organized based on the vinyl manufacturing process.  Starting from mastering, then lacquer cutting, electroplating, through the distribution and marketing and including DJ-ing.  For many of the women featured in the book, there is a love of listening to music.  While enjoying consuming music is emphasized, music performance is only necessary for the DJ’s.  Working in vinyl allowed them the chance to have a job they loved.  That love translates into the uniqueness of vinyl and prolongs it as a medium for music consumption.

If you follow Soundgirls, some of these names are familiar.  The vinyl industry is only a small branch within the music industry and requires people to work multiple roles.  Also, many of the women interviewed are involved in outreach in vinyl and the music industry.  D’Eugenio addresses why there is an overlap between the Women in Vinyl biographies and the board of Women in Vinyl.  At a panel discussing women in vinyl, and realizing the panel was more about vinyl in general, Jenn D’Eugenio and her fellow panelists realized there was a need to highlight those who work with vinyl that are not just men.  And just like that original panel, the book reads as a collection of experiences of working with vinyl.  Even though vinyl is a billion-dollar industry, through Women in Vinyl it still feels tight-knit.

I found myself pouring through the interviews like a deluxe fanzine.  Women in Vinyl makes for a smaller coffee table book that is sparse on pictures but essential for placing next to your turntable.  Unlike some of my other reviews that collect names and interviews in one volume, this is not a “pioneer” or “history-maker” grab-bag, but instead the names of those who touch and care for your records before they reach your hands.  They are the ‘Mothers of Vinyl,’ standing proud as their children spin on record players in homes worldwide.

Find out more about Women in Vinyl

Recording Acoustic Music in an Ambient Space

While many genres of music are customarily recorded in a studio, with overdubbing and flexible acoustics (vocal booths, acoustic panels, etc.) giving options to create a dry or wetter sound and allowing complete creative control sound’s resonance, genres such as classical, jazz and folk usually require the musicians to be playing in the same physical space together, and often rely on the acoustic to enhance the music.

What are some factors that we should keep in mind when recording these kinds of ensembles and bands?

Deciding on a space

Choosing an acoustically flattering space for the size of the ensemble and type of instruments is important when aiming to capture a naturally resonant sound. Classical music recordings (and live concerts) are usually made in spaces such as churches and large halls with acoustics that naturally enhance the sound of the instruments. Some jazz and other acoustic genre recordings also use resonant spaces to create a unique sound (the German label ECM is a great example). Digital or analog reverb can of course be used to further enhance the acoustic, but starting with a great-sounding space will be a huge advantage. You and/or the musicians should get an idea of the space before the recording session: by visiting and seeing the size of the space, hearing the reverb time, reflections, and how sound reacts there, or listening to another recording that was made in the space, or attending a performance there.

Direct sound vs. room sound

When you know what kind of space you will be recording in and how resonant it is, you can decide on how to record it. While simple acoustic recordings can be achieved with a stereo pair of microphones to capture a soloist or ensemble in a room, if you have access to multiple microphones, it will give you the option to blend between the close sound of each instrument and to produce a far more detailed recording.

An important aspect of the acoustic recording is finding a good balance between a main microphone array that captures the whole ensemble (e.g. stereo configurations such as AB, ORTF, and Decca Tree, or a surround setup), and spot microphones that are placed close to each instrument to pick up more detail. An additional pair of ambient microphones could also be placed much further away from the ensemble to capture more of the sound of the space and have the option to blend it in.

The space’s reverb time and how pleasant it naturally sounds could affect your microphone choice and type of stereo setup. For example, a naturally flattering acoustic might be best captured by an AB set up with omni mics, while a space that has a very long reverb time might be better balanced by using an ORTF with cardioids, and no additional ambient mics. Jazz, folk or music in a small dry acoustic will likely benefit from more use of the direct spot mic sounds with a tasteful amount of room acoustic blended in for cohesiveness.

Placement of microphones and musicians

When capturing a soloist or a whole ensemble with a stereo or surround microphone array, along with the acoustic space around it, your placement of the microphones and the players will affect all aspects of how it sounds: the depth, frequencies, panning, and potential issues such as phase. Depending on the shape of a space, placing the main microphone array higher above the ensemble can sometimes sound better than placing them further back. Think about how near or far each instrumentalist is to the main mic array, as well as how far left or right.

Another thing to note: while positioning the microphones and musicians in the space in a way that will allow you to capture the best sound is ideal, sometimes you might need to compromise for the players to move to their preferred spot to see and hear each other better and to obtain the best musical performance and balance that they can.

Another aspect to consider is the delay between the main microphones and each spot microphone. Some audio engineers like to measure and account for this delay by recording a loud click sound close to the microphone capsule, measuring the milliseconds or samples of difference in the waveforms between the main mic and the spot, and inputting this delay on the corresponding channel in the DAW so that the waveforms line up. In some cases, this can make the sound clearer and better, while in other cases it might sound better without inputting the delay. It’s all down to what you hear!

Further learning

This text is only a small introduction to the topic of capturing music within an acoustic space. If you’re starting out with this kind of recording, it’s a good idea to read more in-depth on acoustic music recording, stereo and surround techniques, and room acoustics. If possible, shadow an audio engineer on a location recording session, and most importantly gain experience by doing recordings in different spaces and learn by experimenting!

Photo by India Hooi of recording session with Duo Otero.

Managing Sonic Expectations – Part 2

Maintaining Sonic Expectations From Clubs to Stadiums: Part 1

Critical to building a mix is establishing a foundation. Having said foundation also ensures that if circumstances potentially compromise the system you’re working on, you won’t lose sight of your role as a mixer.

Genre-dependent, a mix should be near album quality but include some feeling, which may insinuate impact that is established in low-frequency information like kick or bass. However, venues aren’t consistent and occasionally prevent the same end result, in this regard, from being achieved.

The specific instances I have in mind occurred a few summers back when the position of the subs was compromised, the venue felt overpowered, and we were forced to pull the power of the system back. This resulted in me having to work with the systems engineer and instead of producing a full-range mix that also had impact and punch, we ended up with a mix that still provided a nice listening experience and supported the production.

A few things came to the forefront when we made the adjustments. Losing significant sub-information meant the tonality had to be adapted so it felt balanced and wasn’t painful or uncomfortably bright. Also equally important was ensuring certain elements were adjusted to maintain the musical motifs and intelligibility of lead instruments. Percussion and bass elements were also examined so they were still heard, but they lost their oomph instead. The mix still felt big, still had depth, and all around was more comfortable for the audience and the individuals on stage.

Imagining a pyramid, you should be able to build and maintain a mix based on a foundation. At the base, you’re probably prioritizing the integrity of the sources and musicality, and supporting it with a mix that’s pleasant to the ears and equally translates the message of the client. Following this you can include the pieces that make it flashy or provide a visceral feel. Your mix should still be supported and can be well-adjusted if the situation calls for it.

Starr McLaughlin – Monitor Engineer for Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, Jessie Murph

Starr McLaughlin is an industry gem, casting a bright light on everyone she encounters. With 10 years of experience under her belt, she’s garnered an impressive resumé that includes indie-rock sensation Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, and most recently Jessie Murph. She is also a cardholder of IATSE Local 917 and Local 8.

Starr grew up in an audio-centric household with both parents having met while working in the entertainment department of an Atlantic City casino. It was destiny: by the end of high school, she knew that she wanted to pave the way for a career in live sound. She earned her Associates in General Studies from Atlantic Cape Community College and was later accepted to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for Music Business & Entrepreneurship, though she chose not to attend. “While I value everything I learned, my college studies had very little to do with my success today.”

Delving in, Starr shares her story, pairing it with relatable wisdom and excellent gear advice:

How did you get your start in the audio field?

I want to preface with how lucky I am to have parents already in the industry. Although I had to work hard on my own to make anything of myself, having my parents give me advice and connect me with certain people along the way was a huge help. At the age of 17, I started volunteering at a local Performing Arts Center and a church. I got on the overhire list with my local union when I was 18, took calls as a stagehand, and eventually got into doing part-time audio visual (AV) work in the Atlantic City casinos. I got a full-time job at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, and this is where I sunk my teeth into mixing.

What inspired you to pursue audio as a career path? Were there any significant life events that led you to it?

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I decided this was what I wanted to do. I was running sound for my high school’s spring musical, Hairspray. The teacher who was in charge of the tech club had a gig, so I was left alone to, y’know, ruin the show. I had no clue what I was doing. Signal flow was a brand-new concept, I didn’t know what a high pass filter was or that I could have stacked a list of snapshots. Also, side note, the high school had an Avid Venue SC48 (it was an Avid-sponsored school, weird right?) Anyway, here I am, with 22 wireless Lavalier mics and near-zero knowledge of how wireless works (Disney magic, maybe?). The show, from what I remember, was rough tech-wise. Like a lot of feedback, late cues, etc. But there was this one moment, during ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’ where everything sounded great. I remember getting chills and thinking “This is it, this is what I want to do.”

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

Working as a stagehand for the casinos made me quite versatile. I can be a decent helper in any area, especially if it’s throwing up a fast fold or lining a ballroom with pipe & drape. Being willing to jump in on any crew kept the calls coming in. It also taught me the correct terminology for various things outside of audio, as well as all the colloquialisms we love to use.

When I started doing more AV calls, I met my friend Scott, who did part-time AV at the casino but was a full-time AV installer. I began working for him in 2016. Doing installations was a whirlwind of knowledge. You have to learn all the different avenues of signal flow for building racks. It was also helpful to learn the theory behind designing systems such as Q-Sys, Audio Architect, Media Matrix, or Crestron. Your design has to make sense to the end user – who could be anyone. I found that philosophy very helpful later on doing monitors. Working installs afforded me the luxury of taking my time. Even under deadlines, it’s typically a longer timetable than a standard live gig which is: get in, do a show, get out. It was nice to sit in an office, take my time building racks correctly and to code, and having Scott to ask any questions too.

When I got a full-time job at a casino, I started on the AV crew. I was on the Hard Rock’s opening crew, so we were the first people on the floor fixing problems that the installers left for us. We had stages that had no power, and venues that had no stages in which they wanted 15-piece bands to play. During my first few months there I worked 70-100 hours a week. It was insane, and while I don’t think anyone should have to overwork themselves, I got a boatload of experience. There were many trials by fire and I managed to keep landing on my feet. Eventually, I was moved over to the audio crew and got to start working in the bigger rooms as opposed to just mixing in lounges.

What were some important lessons you learned early on in your career?

Always, always, always ask questions! SO important! People respond so much better to you admitting when you don’t know or are unsure about something, than doing it wrong.

Ask if someone is ok to lose power. This applies to unplugging anyone’s gear, even if it’s someone’s pedalboard, ask first please!

Silence is golden. I love to talk to people when working, but my gig is my number one focus. I always try to make sure I am attentive and ready to break off a conversation and focus on the gig.

Stay off the phone. If an artist, manager, or anyone looks over to someone for something and they’re buried in their phone, it is a bad look. At the gig, the number one focus should be the gig. Break time is for phones.

Be neat! I am a stickler for tidiness, especially on stage. Keep your cables neat, keep the patch bay neat, and tape down tripping hazards (typically after line check). Cables are your lifeline. You need to be able to see where everything is going and be able to unpatch, repatch, and replace in record time.

With velcro cable wraps, the felt side of the velcro should be facing out. If the pointy side is out, everything will stick to it and that is disgusting.

Touring wise: Don’t take long showers if people are waiting to shower. Literally, no one will ever let you live it down. Time yourself on your showers and get it down to like, at most 10 minutes in the shower, MAYBE another 10 to moisturize, dry off, and stuff. If you absolutely cannot cut down on time, offer to shower last. Learn from my mistakes!

Try to remember people’s names. Keep a note somewhere (physical or on your phone) of who you are working with. Calling someone by name shows so much respect, and they will want to work harder with you if you treat them with respect.

Learn to swallow your pride. This is a service industry, and the musician is always right (even when they’re wrong). A band that is paying you to help them, wants you to help them, they don’t care to hear all the technical jargon of why you can’t help them. Some days, the only acceptable response is “I will work on fixing that right now.”

You’re never going to stop learning new things. No one knows everything, and that’s ok! Take everything as a learning experience.

Did you have a mentor or someone that helped you?

Johnny Modugno at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City. I got to be Johnny’s A3 numerous times while I was full-time. Johnny taught me many skills, but most importantly he taught me his philosophy behind being a “monitor engineer.” He would always say “Personality is 95% of our job” and “always act like you’re into the music. When a band member looks over for something, you want them to see that you’re into what they’re creating.” While patching in the split he would say “Starr, these are your lifelines. When you get a tangled mass of whips, take the time to clean it up. It’ll save you later.” He is the epitome of an UN-grumpy soundman and brings zen, happiness, and badassery to stage left. Johnny is also just an absolute pleasure to be around, he is so passionate about the work he does. I aspire to be like him, he’s my top role model and I hold his philosophy with me and push it forward wherever I go.

Scott Coumbe, of M. Cramer & Associates, is a very notable mentor, critic, cheerleader, and friend of mine. Scott was one of the first people I met on my very first day doing AV at Harrah’s in AC. Our first interaction was kinda tempestuous, honestly. His very first words to me were, verbatim: “I wish you were better at your job.” (Yes, that made me cry). Soon after we met though, I began accompanying him to his installs. He taught me how to build racks, make cables, and program and integrate systems. He’s someone I can call upon at a moment’s notice to help troubleshoot, get advice from, or simply chat with to pass the time. I can quite literally say I would not be where I am today if it were not for all the time Scott invested in me.

MJ Snelsire, of Hard Rock in AC. We affectionately call her “the den mother” because she takes such good care of everyone on and off the stage. MJ is one of the most bad*ss, kindest people I’ve ever met. She’s been mixing for over 40 years, starting at the age of 15. She had toured with acts such as Donna Summer before coming to start a career in Atlantic City. I’m pretty convinced she knows every colloquial audio term and piece of nomenclature that exists in the world. MJ walked into this industry, so we could run (she’s a runner, she even ran with the Olympic torch before). She’s faced numerous trials of adversity and has gone through hell and back because her passion shines brighter. MJ is smart as a whip and tough as a bull. She has always looked out for me. She helped guide the way and taught me how to cope with being the odd one out on the crew. I’m extremely lucky to have her to learn from, and I relish every chance I get to work on her crew.

Harrison Fore, FOH for Japanese Breakfast, Alex G and Alvvays, is also my husband. He is one of my biggest supporters, and I would have never started touring if it wasn’t for him. He trusted in my skills and brought me on as an A2 even though I never toured before. I love getting to learn from him and grow as engineers together. Even if he steals my shiny new gear and replaces it with his old raggedy stuff while my back is turned.

I know that you have experience in multiple environments, but tell me about a typical day on tour for you:

The following is a typical show day on tour for me with no funny stuff (no disco load out, bus call is 4 am, zero clownery). I’ll be honest, I usually sleep as long as I can. I try to wake up at least an hour before load in, earlier if I’m trying to shower. I always do a skin routine when I wake up, get dressed, brush my teeth, and go find the closest coffee shop. Next, I’ll head into the venue and scope it out. I’ll try to do some reconnaissance. Like finding the green room and seeing if the hospitality rider has arrived yet. After that, I head to the stage. I first scope out all the emergency exits, then I check if anyone is lurking in monitor world that I can bother. If I find anyone from the local audio crew, I will hand them a hard copy of our stage plot & input list.

During load-in, I help push until the audio is in. First, I try to get my world in position and powered on. Depending on who I’m with, I will either set mic stands and mics or if the FOH is doing that, I’ll move onto wireless. I pull up Shure Wireless Workbench on my laptop and start a scan (Disney magic). So now I’m like, in a holding pattern for at least 45 seconds. Perfect time to go back to the green room and scope out the snack situation.

Now that I’ve refueled, I get back to work. Sync up wireless, and walk them around. If everything checks out and the monitor world is feeling good, then I’ll start patching the stage. Depending on who I am out with the patching responsibilities vary. I do prefer to be the primary patcher because I hate a messy patch job. If it’s not up to par I will redo it. I know some people prefer to have their cable slack all piled up at the stage box, I am not one of those people. In the event of a miss-patch or bad cable, it seems like a setup for failure. I am also anti-loom if it’s more than like… three cables (sorry everyone who has a drum loom). The time I will spend untangling the leads would be better spent patching. Are you still reading? Hello?? Come back!! Alright, alright, I’ll move on. After a patch is complete, if we have the luxury of time, we shall perform a tap-through – which is a line check without the musicians present.

Time for soundcheck. Soundcheck is a good way to gauge a room’s acoustics and pray it changes when the bodies hit the floor for the show. It’s amazing how much a room can affect your iem mix. Sometimes your vocalist will like the natural reverberance of a room and it’ll add to their mix. More times than not, however, the reflection of an empty room will be too much and drown out the clarity of a vocal, causing a very muddy mix. Too much low-end can have a similar effect. There are some stages where the low end will be delayed every so slightly that it’s off-time, which is super disorienting.

Post soundcheck has 4 musts: 1) re-battery 2) eat dinner 3) step outside, even if it’s for a minute 4) Grab a setlist and mark down important notes.

Pre-show and changeover happen. Gotta do any pre-show rituals, they are a MUST!!! The show starts and once the first song is over, usually I feel a lot better. That’s when I lock in and just… Well, do it!

Immediately after the show, we rolled into load out. The first thing I do is pass out set lists. I believe they are a tangible memento. Also, “reduce, reuse, recycle”! Load out is always a fun event. I am trying to get better at delegating. It’s a learning process to decide what will help you load out faster, and what are some things you ought to do yourself. For certain acts, I’m responsible for the trailer pack. I like to think packing the trailer is one of my strong suits. Delegating to the hands what I want done? Am improving.

After the trailer door is closed, I say THANK YOU (always a big thank you!!!!) to the local hands and house people. I will go collect my things from the greenroom or grab toiletries from the bus to wash my face, brush my teeth, FLOSS! (don’t forget to floss!) and put comfy clothes on. If I decide I want to shower, I try to shower last (because I notoriously take long showers). I’ll put dirty clothes away in a suitcase and take out the clothes I will wear tomorrow. As the night winds down, this is the perfect time to talk with everyone. With Japanese Breakfast, we would watch shows together (like Squid Games, or Great British Bake Off), or play games. After a little socializing, I’m usually ready for bed. So I climb in my bunk and read a bit of a book or play my switch and fall asleep.

What do you enjoy the most about your job(s)? What do you like least?

I love the people I meet and the friendships I’ve fostered thanks to this career. I have met some of my closest friends through touring and gigging. I love that my work (especially touring) has helped me to come out of my shell, gain confidence, and be more independent.

This industry has a beautiful community of knowledge and connections within it. I love meeting someone I follow on Instagram in real life. I enjoy that most of the time if I ask someone to show me something or ask for advice, people are more than willing to help and share their experience with me, as I am with them.

As for what I like least, I guess it would be that everything takes a lot of time. With Touring, you are gone for weeks at a time. Seasons change, people have weddings, you miss holidays and warm moments with your loved ones. With local gigs, they are demanding of your ability to say yes. So if you are offered 10 days straight of gigs, with 6 of them doubles, you usually have to take them. It’s a feast-or-famine lifestyle, and your off days are spent recovering instead of doing things you want to. You’re also working weekends and holidays… You miss out on a lot with this job. All that to say, I get a lot of joy and fulfillment from what I do. Even the hard days are worth it for me.

What obstacles or barriers have you faced? How did you deal with those adversities or issues?

I have struggled with extreme anxiety since I was a child. I’ve always been incredibly shy, easily overwhelmed, and had an extreme lack of confidence. I was officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was a teenager, and then as an adult in college was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Having the ADHD diagnosis helped me identify why I had such debilitating anxiety.

I surprised myself (and my therapist) when I started taking stagehand calls and didn’t curl up in a ball and panic. I wanted to be an engineer so badly. My desire and passion for audio drove me to conquer what I never thought possible for myself. I was able to push through my fears and make it in this industry – and I won’t lie, this is a tough, high-stress, difficult-personality kind of business. Constantly putting myself out of my comfort zone was extremely challenging, but it gave me daily breakthroughs. Like being a monitor engineer, you can’t be scared to talk to people. Musicians need you to communicate with them. I can still be a little awkward, but I don’t fear speaking like I used to. Exposure therapy, I guess.

Having those disorders affects me presently. More often than not I feel anxious, disorganized, and overwhelmed. That won’t go away, I just deal with it better. I believe cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has helped me the most along the way. It taught me healthier ways to cope with my mental illness and improved my outlook on life in general. If you are struggling with your mental health, 10/10 recommend seeking therapy. I know it’s hard to find time, and healthcare situations vary, but there are many resources out there to assist you. Such as the Roadie Clinic and Musicares.

Having a good support system is also necessary for coping with any kind of adversity or obstacle. I’m very grateful to have the community I do. Being around the right kind of supportive people will do wonders. Toxic people will hold you down, but the right kind of people uplift you.

What are some ways in which you stay organized and focused?

I label everything! I try to streamline wherever I can by labeling or looming. I also try to exclusively use velcro cable wraps to keep cables organized. Smart devices are modern marvels. I use my Apple Watch to set reminders and timers for myself. I also wouldn’t survive without Google Calendar. On my iPhone, I will set one of my dock’s apps to Master Tour, which I check more than any social media app at this point. I also constantly write notes to myself to document things I need to remember and create lists. As for personal organization, I try to take a few minutes every day to clean up my areas. I will make my bed every morning on the bus and try to make sure my space is tidy and my dirty laundry is put into a laundry bag. Either post soundcheck, or during load out (if I have a second) I’ll try to make sure everything is neat & organized. My goal with my spaces is that anyone looking for something can either look in a drawer and see it or ask me and I can tell them exactly where it is.

What are some of your favorite day-off activities?

I love going on hikes, exploring museums, thrifting, and doing group activities. A day hanging out with friends is a day well spent. Doing anything together with my buds on the road is extremely refreshing and fulfilling to me. I also love to just sit in a hotel room and watch Netflix, do a proper self-care routine, and have a long shower.

Do you have short- or long-term goals that you’d like to share?

A short-term goal of mine would be to keep a healthy workout habit while out on tour. This next one is a little intimate, but a long-term goal of mine is to figure out how to start a family in the coming years and maintain my career. It’s something I’m actively seeking advice on, so if any industry moms are reading, please hit me up.

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Do you have any advice for women/non-binary folks entering the audio industry?

First and foremost; treat every woman and non-binary person you meet as if y’all are in some secret club. Don’t fall into the trap of viewing them as competition, we have enough of that. We are on the same team. Work together, learn together, help each other out. They are the only people who can understand what adversities you are facing. Second, always be mindful that we as non-men are going to be held to a different standard, so always bring your best. A lot of men automatically find us intimidating, even if they don’t mean to. People can be unkind when they feel threatened, so they’ll grab at straws to try and bring others down. Third, choose your battles. “Mansplaining” for example, is extremely annoying. Instant headache. It’s tiring to deal with, but in many cases, you have to be the bigger person and not let it get to you. I believe in saving energy, and only calling out those that are asking for it. However, this goes without saying, but don’t let anyone be mean or disrespectful to you, and never tolerate sexual harassment. Lastly, never forget why you are doing the job. Audio is an art form, and it’s a labor of love. This industry (especially anything live) is a tough one to be in. We do this because we love it.

What are some of your favorite “must-have” skills?

I love this question! I think the ultimate skill is being NICE and knowing how to ask questions. I wouldn’t mind at all if I never worked with another grumpy sound person again, and I’m glad that archetype seems to be dying out a little. Coming into a venue, I would rather have my house person know little, but be inquisitive and pleasant, than having someone who seems bitter about being paid to be there, or someone who means well, but doesn’t know when to say “I’m not sure what you’re asking for” or “Could you show me how you want this done.” The other more literal “must haves” would be to have some knowledge of frequency recognition. Not that anyone has to be like “oh that 2.5 khz in the guitar is driving me crazy”, but like knowing if something sounds “muddy” or too “sibilant”, and where to search for that. Rational Acoustics has a great bumper sticker/t-shirt logo called “The Seven Bad System Dwarves” which is a great visual representation of naming what you are hearing. Getting good at it can make it much easier to ring out stage monitors too. The biggest baseline “must-have” skill is undoubtedly knowing signal flow and being able to (calmly) troubleshoot. That is where the signal starts (microphone), where it ends up (speaker), and the path it is going in between (XLR, stage box, split, mixer). Knowledge of signal flow is essential to troubleshooting a system.

Any gear/gadget favorites?

I love my Sound Bullet, it’s so handy for troubleshooting, or going through and testing cables – and it’s smaller than a Q-box. My P-Touch Cube labeler was a life-changing investment. I love that you can connect to it via Bluetooth & the app saves all your recent labels. My Leatherman Wave (I don’t like the spring of a Gerber) is my most reliable tool, but I wish I had it in pink. I have this little duster guy (Hin from Howl’s Moving Castle) that makes me smile when I see it. Dusters are very helpful, especially during a very dusty festival and the days after. The Hoto 4-in-1 rechargeable compressed air capsule (it blows and sucks!) is a new addition, but I’m excited to take it out. I got it for my husband, but it worked so well that I stole it for a tour. I have a Ryobi drill that is small and USB-C rechargeable – I like that it’s light and doesn’t take up much room in my pelican. There are lots of mics I like, so I’m gonna tell you the one I don’t like. I don’t like the Beta 52 on its own, I mean, as an out it’s fine, but to use it by itself without an in? Mid. I will shout out Se, their mics are gaining a lot of popularity and for good reason. I love their stuff, especially the V7 vocal mic & V-Kick. Shure is also always a solid brand (even if I beef with the B-52 on its own). We got a pair of Shure 313s (pretty ribbons with a red grill), which we use on guitar amps with JBrekkie and Alex G. We paired them with SM57’s and it’s just phenomenal. The 313 adds such warmth – it even managed to get a compliment from a guitarist using IEMs once. Now that’s saying something! As for consoles, I like the Allen & Heath D-Live, especially the CTi1500. It’s small, but a powerhouse. It has my favorite workflow, it’s very intuitive. It feels like it has combined many good features of other digital desks. I appreciate that A&H listens to their consumer base and tries to improve based on their end user’s experience. Onboard-wise, the Point Source Enhancer (PSE) as an option for gates is a game changer on a noisy stage. Also, I use the heck out of the Dyn-8 multiband comp/dynamic eq.

What’s in your backpack/pelican? Any fun clothing items that you can’t live without at work?

In my backpack: laptop, folder for stage plots/input lists, an organizer for chargers/essential cables, Pinecil Soldering Iron, my Sound Bullet (TSA will always think it’s a vape and I should probably put it in my pelican), Nintendo Switch, Analogue GameBoy, my IEMs (JH16v2), ear protection, foldable tote bag, tiny cosmetics pouch (inside is hand cream, facial mist, lip balm, perfume, dental floss).

Pelican: RF Explorer, talkback (SeV7 Switch), hot pink 6ft XLR with black Neutrik connectors, assortment of audio adapters, turnarounds, Y’s, and cables, Sharpies, several USB sticks, headlamp, flashlight, hearing aid vacuum, alcohol wipes, assortment of tapes, headlamp, spare IEM’s, 4-in-1 air compressor (doubles as a vacuum), small drill, soldering iron, small vice grip, solder, extra iron tips, fanny pack with gloves, wire strippers, flush cuts, microdriver (for cable creation, microdriver is essential for phoenix connectors & also straightening out the wires inside a CAT cable). I also keep a “self-care” kit: body wipes, sunscreen, hand cream, body spray, spf lip balm, tide sticks, lint roller, ointments, bandaids, Listerine (doubles as mic cleaner in a pinch), Advil, tampons, hair ties. Everything in my pelican is inside a bag or case. I use Klein tool bags to hold different collections of things, as well as Pelican micro cases to hold adapters and small things that I want extra protected. I like the quality of the microcases, but they are a tad heavy. Also, I have three pelicans: mic pelican (this one is waiting for the day I pick up a Foh tour), a small pelican for short-term gigs, and the Green Monster. Green Monster is a Pelican 1615 Air. I love her, but she gets above flyweight a little too fast. Oh! Small stature person hack: grip tape on the face of your pelican! Gives you a sturdier ego riser 🙂

As for fun clothing items (or general tour items), I cannot live without: I want to be buried in my Patagonia rain jacket and Tilley hat. Lifesavers for outdoor gigs! I like Bombas socks, Lulu Align Leggings, big oversized sweatshirts, and Brooks sneakers. Saving your feet is very important. Buy socks that are comfortable on your feet, and bring two pairs of comfortable, well-fitting shoes to alternate between. I always bring a heating pad, a foldable yoga mat, and resistance bands for working out. I also keep a lacrosse ball handy to roll out any knots or sore muscles.

Also, wanna take a second to shout out Amy Truong (@amytrng on instagram), they share so much information in terms of well-priced gear/clothing, audio info, label creations, RF workflow, and Costco finds. I live for their reviews, recommendations, Disney thrift finds, and their entire audio journey. Go follow them!!!

Do you have any certifications/memberships you’d like to spotlight?

I just took the Rational Acoustics Smaart Essentials course. Although I’m not a certified user because I haven’t taken the test (I wanna practice first), the class itself was extremely informative.

Tell me about something you wish you could change about the touring industry?

I wish there was a union or something for freelance engineers. It would be nice if we could earn healthcare and vacation time or something.

Any shout-outs or thank-yous you’d like to include?

Shoutout to my folks, One F Jef and Dawn McLaughlin – thanks for always supporting me and being the fantastic people you are. Huge shoutout to my Local 917 family in Atlantic City! Love y’all. Shoutout to the Brooklyn Bowl in Fishtown crew, and Local 8. Giant shoutout to Rachel Dispenza, you are a gem and I love us learning together and being able to tour with you. I am so appreciative of you my friend <3 A big thank you to Michelle: thanks for giving this small-town AC girl a chance to tour with the big dogs awoooo. Thank you to Deven, Katie, Kat, Collen, and Tim. Thank you TORI!!!!! Shoutout to all my wonderful audio leads in AC: Chris Carll, Timmy Antolini, and Dan Curley! Thanks to everyone in JBrekkie, Alex G, and Jessie Murph.
Starr’s Instagram: @good.on.mons

Profile by Victoria Butash

Victoria has worked in Live Sound for over eleven years and is currently on tour as a monitor engineer with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and works with Sylvan Esso as a monitor engineer. In addition, she works for Big House Sound, Inc. and Sound Image.

 

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants 2024

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

L-Acoustics is offering 4 grants for courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program. The Education Team has structured the grants to relate to certain job profiles to help the recipient advance their knowledge and skills in their respective fields:

These grants focus on offering access to in-person training via our packaged seminars. For in-person attendance of courses, hotel accommodations are included with the grant. Grant recipients are responsible for any additional travel expenses. If the recipient is unable to attend an in-person training, the recipient will be offered online training options instead. 

Prospective candidates must be members of SoundGirls and have until September 1, 2024, to submit their application. Winners will receive notification of their award by September 30, 2024, and an announcement will be made via the website and social media. Candidates can only apply for one choice of grant.

The recipient can choose to attend the courses at any time within the 1-year time frame starting from the time of being informed of their award.

System Technician Grant

This grant consists of enrollment to the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to mount, rig, cable, and connect a L-Acoustics system.

It also aims to give the learner knowledge of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1 year of access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

Apply Here

System Engineer Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant consists of enrollment to the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to design and calibrate a L-Acoustics system. It also aims to deepen the learner’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1 year of access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

Apply Here

L-ISA Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant invites the recipient to attend all the L-ISA-focused courses from L-Acoustics Education:

This grant empowers the trainee to design, implement, and calibrate a L-Acoustics L-ISA system. This grant also empowers the trainee to prepare, encode, and control objects in a L-ISA mix as well as create a mix in L-ISA when walking up to a L-ISA system with or without preproduction. It also aims to deepen the student’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1 year of access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

Apply Here

System Expert Grant

This grant consists of enrollment to the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

This grant aims to empower the trainee to advance their understanding in system optimization as well as learning about:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1 year of access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

Apply Here

Maintaining Sonic Expectations From Clubs to Stadiums: Part 1

 

With each tour I’ve been a part of, a few checklist items help me be successful at FOH regardless of the size of the show.

A friend last year asked what it was like mixing such a vast mixture of venues, and how I maintained consistency while still searching for the last 1%.  For context, we were jumping between Soldier’s Field, The Eagles Room, and outdoor venues. It was tough to paint the same sonic image every day, so I had to quickly employ a variety of organizational techniques and become pretty analytical of many elements to achieve that goal.

That experience has come in handy since, giving me tools to tackle both acoustically challenging venues and shows where every variable in my control hasn’t been consistent.

This spring I’ve been mixing on consoles of the day in small clubs, which offers a new set of challenges. Oftentimes I’m battling heavy stage volume, and dealing with consoles of the day and PA of the day makes it challenging to create the same auditory experience for the audience.

This is a glance at how I tackle the change in environments, first from a procedural and organizational perspective.

Spend time with show files

When using the venue’s house console, I familiarize myself before show day with YouTube, manuals, and other resources. Offline editors are also helpful for building a baseline so I can maximize time making noise.

On this tour, I’ve been lucky enough to use the same console two or three times. In these cases, I make sure I reset the output EQs and matrices so I can start fresh for the space.

If you’re touring on a dedicated show file, don’t be afraid to make adjustments as you progress. For the tour I was a part of last year, I had a stadium show file, my baseline show file, and something else to provide a starting point for clubs and weird venues. I also occasionally altered master bus processing depending on the line array being used, to maintain an expected depth of field among instrumentation and vocal clarity. This of course took time to organize, and I had notes to keep myself accountable. Also, changes between files were never big but were just enough to make sure I could deliver the same sonic experience.

Lastly, proper file organization goes a long way. Label your files with date, location, and other pertinent info so you have the most up-to-date changes available to you. I usually have a “start” and “end” to refer to.

My show files also generally follow a template I’ve created for myself. I have specific ways I prefer to use groups, VCAs, FX, and parallel busses that let me quickly set up an impactful and transparent mix.

 

Making noise

Listen to your PA as much as possible. Walk around the room and get a feel for what’s happening outside of FOH. Play your reference tracks, play a variety of them if you have time. Use Smaart and then your ears to tune the system to your target curve and adjust for tonality. Ask the local tech or SE for their input on the system and room, but also listen to the behavior of the equipment and the acoustics for yourself.

Another favorite, resources permitting, is to use multi tracks for virtual soundcheck if possible. If this is not a viable option, spending ample time with each input during line check can also go a long way.

These starting points are like a compass for tackling a myriad of situations at FOH. They let me stay flexible and also quickly build a mix or give me time to ensure my mix sounds the way I intend.

Work/Life (Im)balance: The Family Edition

 

At some point in your career, if you stick around long enough, one skill begins to take priority over all the others: Keeping sane amidst all the decidedly insane scenarios we deal with at work. Every industry has its sanity challenges, but the world of sound has several specific ones that land squarely on your shoulders at the exact moments you’re least equipped to deal with them. This blog is going to talk about what it’s like to raise a family when your spouse is also in the business and you’re both in production (spoiler alert: zero glamor to follow).

 

Let me tell you a production story

Not everyone coming to the soundgirls.org website deals with a theater schedule, but most of us experience some version of periods where your schedule is dictated by someone else and you’re left without enough time to take care of your own life. Do not be surprised—again, if you stick around long enough—that this gets harder the older you get.

Several years ago, I’d just finished two weeks of tech rehearsals for my new show, meaning I hadn’t slept or done the things I needed to do to stay sane for quite a while. The inside of my head felt like a newborn who didn’t like me and was accompanied by an angry, extraordinarily vocal chihuahua. I was lucky to remember how the coffee maker worked, constantly checked to make sure I was wearing pants, and was very aware that my head was most definitely not my BFF.

What it’s like raising a family with both parents in the business

I’m a custodial stepmom of five kids. The kids’ biological mom is not in their lives in any meaningful way and rare visits with her require court-ordered supervision. There were never any times when the kids were away spending the weekend with her. And because my husband is also in the business, we coordinated our gigs based on what the family needed. We relied heavily on childcare for the nights-and-weekends show schedule. Even when the kids were older, we had an “adult in charge” for transportation, refereeing, and emergencies (plus someone to hang out with the dogs). What our kids had been through before they came into our custody made this the very right thing to do.

For years, we needed to wrangle three jobs between the two of us to make ends meet, but we didn’t go into production—the term for starting a new show—at the same time. Production means ridiculous hours. Leaving the house around 6 a.m. and getting home sometime after midnight is not conducive to really any part of a sustainable lifestyle, particularly when raising a family. But at the time of this story, the kids were older, we both had offers, and we gave it a shot.

Don’t count your overtime paychecks in advance

Back to the story. We’re working ridiculous hours. It’s temporary, it’s part of the gig, and we’re making overtime. Then, stupidly, we had a conversation about what we were going to put the extra money toward…

What’s the phrase? How do you make the universe laugh? Tell it your plans. We thought we’d replenish our non-existent savings and maybe even get a weekend away just the two of us, which hadn’t happened since our honeymoon. The universe had other plans.

First, the washing machine broke, was repaired, then finally had to be replaced. The next week, the garage door went. After that, kid #3 suddenly required a college housing deposit that was inexplicably three times what it was the year before.

Then the door fell off the minivan.

I’m not making this up. And before you cast too much shade on me for having a minivan, they’re hella handy, and most regular-sized SUVs (at least back then) didn’t seat seven passengers. Plus, I’ve got a ’66 Mustang convertible, so…

Dig, if you will, a picture

We’d had a snowstorm. One of those snowstorms where most of the word shuts down, but Broadway doesn’t because the show must go on and all that. When you live outside of the city and commute by public transportation, that kind of weather makes things interesting.

At 11 p.m., my husband and I were standing in the parking lot after getting off the last bus out of the city due to the weather. We had a combined total of six hours of sleep between us. I open the sliding door and one corner of it hits the asphalt. It took a long moment to process exactly what we’re seeing.

Then? We couldn’t get the door all the way off, and we couldn’t get it back on. And our tools? All at work. Because production. The van was not drivable, we had a sitter at home to relieve us, and we both had 8 a.m. calls the next day. My fantasy of getting six hours of sleep evaporated before my eyes.

We had the van towed to our mechanic. Then to the dealer. Then to the dealer’s body shop, where it remained for ten days. We got it back just in time for my husband to fly off to Toronto for his next gig.

But I was still in production even while life continued breaking down all around me. My husband flew to Canada. My mom went into the hospital in another state. My dreams at night were of destruction and trying to solve problems that don’t have answers. I was sure I was going to be fired any minute and convinced this was the last job I’d ever be hired for. I hid on my meal breaks to try and regenerate enough energy to finish the next rehearsal session.

And? I was super embarrassed by how hard it was.

Sleep matters!

Sleep deprivation is an exponential power that exacerbates every single flaw and concern in your life. It makes your moods get extra, it hijacks your peace of mind, it drains your energy, it clouds your judgment, and it gets harder to deal with as you age.

The mantra I kept repeating through this production period was that not all of the things in my head were true and that all of the things both in and out of my head would pass. And I grabbed sleep wherever I could: on the bus to and from the city; on meal breaks underneath my console; and, one Saturday morning, I chose sleep over a shower.

That night the water heater went. Because of course it did, on a day when I didn’t shower and when the plumbers wouldn’t be able to come for a couple of days.

So, what’s the point?

Life doesn’t stop for work, and work doesn’t stop for life. Most of us in this business have a strong drive to be here. It feeds something deep in our souls. Frankly, if it doesn’t, people leave because it is too hard if you don’t love it superbad.

When we’re just starting out, most of us don’t have kids. We often don’t even have partners yet. It’s a lot easier to see how work impacts your life when it’s just you, and that’s where I encourage people who are beginning their careers to dig in. Make your own self, your health, and your peace of mind more important than the job. Yes, you have to work hard and sacrifice and take the gigs you may not love because they’re really good experientially. And you’re going to have times when you’re sleep-deprived, dealing with jerks, facing your insecurities, and all the rest.

But when you learn how to nurture yourself in those times, you can develop habits that serve you well throughout your career—and, can be the reason that you stick around long enough.

Here are my top three suggestions to start with:

Julie M. Sloan has served as A1 on Broadway’s Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, SpongeBob Squarepants, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, On Your Feet, Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 revival), Guys and Dolls (2009 revival), and Jersey Boys from its inception at La Jolla Playhouse in 2004, as well as the tours of Hairspray (First National) and Jesus Christ Superstar. She was A2 on Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud and the tours of Aida (First National) and Annie Get Your Gun (2000 Revival First National).
She holds a degree in Audio Technology from the Indiana University School of Music and has mixed everything from a tree planting ceremony with the Dalai Llama to monitors for GWAR.

She left full-time industry commitments to pursue writing and health coaching in November 2021. Currently a sub mixer on Broadway for both SIX and Hamilton, she is in the editing stages of her first book, Lights, Camera, Breakdown: Raising the Curtain on Workplace Well-Being.

Ianina Canalis Specialist in Live Sound – Spatial Audio – Software Development – Education 

Ianina has been working for Meyer Sound for the last four years and has been working in audio for over 20 years.

Early Life

Did music and audio interest you while you were growing up? 

I started studying music when I was 10 and I finished with a Teaching degree in music when I was 18 years old.

Musical Background?

I used to play guitar and saxophone and sang when I was a teenager. I loved playing classical music in small groups, and I also participated in playing in orchestra and choirs for several years.

When did you discover audio as a career path? 

When I was a teenager.

How did you get interested in audio? 

I studied music and I frequently went to listen to play to my friends but the sound was not good at all and I felt bad because concerts with my friends and the sound didn’t like me at all. I had the feeling that all the effort they made during the rehearsals was not reflected in the live show because it was almost impossible to listen to all the instruments or melodies.

Educational Background

Did you attend a University/College/Trade School? 

I got a degree in teaching music at the College of Music Juan Pedro Esnaola in Buenos Aires, Argentina where I come from. Then I got a double degree in Sound and Recording and Audiovisual Technology at the Universidad Nacional de Lanus in Argentina. Some years later, I went to the UK and studied for an MSc in Audio Engineering at Leeds Beckett University. And finally, I got a PhD in Science and Technology at Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Argentina

Career Start

How did you get your start?

When I started studying at the University, I felt that I needed another challenge, so I walked through the main avenue in Buenos Aires, where most of the theatres are and I knocked on all the doors saying “I want to participate as a Sound Engineer” but I didn’t have any technical skill at that time. In several places, they invited me to see some rehearsals and event setups.

In the Centro Cultural General San Martin, they told me that they needed people but there was no money. With great happiness, I began to participate in all the shows. I was so happy that I went six days a week because every day there was a different band and they had events of various musical styles; jazz, rock, folklore, music for kids, etc. After a few months, they hired me! I worked there for three years while I continued my studies and one day, they offered me a tour as a PA mixing engineer with Jairo (a well-known Argentine folklore singer). With a lot of enthusiasm, I quit and jumped into the touring lifestyle with different bands in Argentina and Latin America. Over 15 years on tour I worked with Jairo, Los Pericos, Virus, J. C. Baglietto, Jairo, Soledad Villamil, Lisandro Aristimuño, Duratierra, and more.

On the other hand, Gustavo Basso, an Acoustical Engineer, offered me to be his assistant at the Universidad Nacional de Lanús for the subject of Acoustics when I was 20 and that was the beginning of my path as a teacher-researcher. For some years, I assisted different Professors who taught audio subjects until I became the Live Sound teacher. In those years, with Jorge Petrosino, we created the Acoustics laboratory where research work is carried out. We published some investigations related to different topics like the Photoliptophone (Fotoliptófono), and human hearing perception over 20 kHz.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

In every part of my career, I learned different things. Everything was equally important, the beginning, the university, the tours, the teaching, the research, all that experience contributed to who I am today.

Did you have a mentor or someone that helped you?

During all these years I developed my career working on tours as a monitor, PA, or System Engineer and at the university as a teacher and researcher. I didn’t have a mentor, however, over the years I met wonderful people who were passionate about audio from whom I learned a lot and with whom we shared talks, experiments, research, and a lot of music, so the list is huge!

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

There is no typical day. At Meyer Sound I am the product owner of some software so, basically, I coordinate the design and implementation of them. Then, I can use the software we create like Spacemap Go and Nebra in shows and demos, which is great! And finally, we meet with customers, and they share their experiences so we can collect feedback to improve our software.

How do you stay organized and focused?

I am very passionate about everything I do, so I work for goals, I focus my job on small things we need to solve every day and also think of the big picture and plans for future challenges.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

There is a very creative part of my job that I enjoy. When we create software from the beginning there are no limits other than our imagination to produce a new concept, idea, workflow, etc. That creative freedom in a work team is very nice.

I also give some seminars or trainings, as I love teaching, I enjoy wonderfully these activities. And when I work on Spacemap Go demos I mix musical content keeping my passion for spatial audio and music.

I also have some side projects where I mix content for spatial configurations like Future Ruhr: A full dome film that won two Janus Awards at the Fulldome Festival in Jena, Germany in 2023. We won 2 categories: Best Spatial Audio Award & Best Full Dome Innovation & Creativity Film.

What do you like least?

I don’t like spending too many hours on the computer.

If you tour what do you like best?

I enjoy mixing music and spending time with people on the stage, at the hotel, on the bus, etc. In January 2024 I was in Argentina and worked on a short tour and I enjoyed every moment.

What is your favorite day off activity? 

I love to spend time in nature doing some sport. I love meeting friends and spending hours and hours talking and playing music. I also love dancing, so when I can, I go to dance salsa or tango.

What are your long-term goals?

I’d love to spend more time mixing.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

At various times being a woman was a challenge. I had the strength to overcome many situations, comments, and attitudes that would not have happened to me if I had been a man. From harassment to questions like which member of the band I had sex with to be the sound engineer. Some guys, couldn’t believe I worked with famous bands because I am good at mixing.

How have you dealt with them?

In a job, after much persecution and psychological harassment, I quit, and I didn’t say anything about the real reason why I was leaving. I was very young. A few years later, I learned how to answer and face uncomfortable situations. As I strengthened my career and my personality, these situations faded away. I think that many of the women who started in this profession 20 or more years ago, suffered many uncomfortable moments. Some of them could not endure such a hostile environment. And that is one of the reasons why we are still a minority. However, I believe that we paved the way for younger generations, and today, at least in Argentina, many more women and minorities are Audio Engineers, Sound Technicians, Lighting Engineers, Stage, etc. than 20 or 15 years ago.

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

The first thing I can suggest is that they pursue their dreams. If complex, stressful, and distressing situations appear they do not isolate themselves. There are a lot of SoundGirls and we support each other so it is important to talk and learn from our experiences. We are building communities and that is what helps us strengthen ourselves and overcome unfair situations. So don’t stay alone, look for more SoundGirls!

Favorite gear?

I love mixing with DiGiCo and Meyer Sound!

You can check out some Ianina’s work here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ0yzt_-gtM&ab_channel=IaninaCanalis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzBkQWXif8w&ab_channel=IaninaCanalis
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