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Practicing Proactivity

 

Have you ever had a little voice in your head whispering that you don’t know what you’re doing? Ever looked around the room with a sinking feeling that you’re the least qualified person there? In small doses, these impulses can push us to improve, to get help and learn from those who’ve come before us. However, when that mentality seeps into our lives and latches on for months, years, or even decades, we find ourselves faced with the far more problematic Imposter Syndrome.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is the best representation I’ve found to conceptualize the progression that most people follow during their careers. As you can see, it’s not a linear road to travel, even in its most simplified form. As 2021 continues, and we hopefully start to make our way back to work, many of us are facing the discouraging outlook of a year or more of lost time in our careers. Most of us will have to take a few steps backward before we can go forward in rebuilding our professional confidence.

When I started my career I was excited: I’d wanted to tour since I learned that was an actual job and I was ready to hit the ground running. Instead, the ground hit me. I loved my crew and running shows and seeing the country, but there was a learning curve (like with any new job), and I was suddenly very much aware of just how much I didn’t know. Imposter Syndrome hit hard at that stage in my life and turned my learning curve into a confidence free-fall from my Summit of Stupid.

For such a sharp plunge on that graph it starts out deceptively small: a little voice in the back of your head harping on every mistake. That voice monopolizes your attention when you realize you’re making someone wait while you finish a project. It whispers, “they’re right” when you’re told, “It’s not something I can teach you if you don’t understand it.” These little things build on each other and grow until you wonder how you were even hired in the first place.

I spent most of my time as an A2 caught in a loop: I felt horrible at my job so I figured I should quit, but I’d be just as horrible at anything else, so I should just stay where I was, but I felt so horrible at my job…. That cycle went on for years before I found a way out. There were days I was depressed and didn’t know why, but also days I went out with the crew after a tough load in and laughed so hard that I squeaked. Once I was told that my brand of book-smart intelligence was good for nothing more than being a “party trick.” Other times I had shows I mixed where everything clicked and I fell in love with my job all over again.

Imposter Syndrome is a toxic relationship with yourself. It keeps you guessing at every turn: constantly off balance and convinced that the world is waiting for the right moment to pounce. The thing is, everyone other person around you is dealing with those exact same feelings. So, the good news is you’re not alone.

The even better news is this isn’t permanent. Imposter Syndrome is effective because it puts you on defense and instills a reactive state of mind. You no longer trust yourself to give an accurate assessment of your own skills. Instead, you take your cues from the words and reactions of those around you, and always give extra weight to the negative because it agrees with that little voice in your head. After all, why should you even try to improve when people who know so much more than you have told you you’re hopeless?

The best way to quiet that voice is proactivity. In a proactive mindset, you dictate your own self-image first and all other information is evaluated, but not treated as fact purely by default.

One of the best proactive moves I made was transitioning from an A2 to A1. Unknowingly, that was my final major step out of my Valley. Three years up the Slope, I was in tech for Saigon when a colleague told me he was worried that I didn’t realize how hard the show was to mix.

Reactively, my self-esteem would have curled up in the fetal position and that voice would have whispered what an idiot I was to think that I was even halfway decent at my job.

Proactively, I raised an eyebrow at a comment made out of stress-induced worry. After all, I’d spent as much time as I could working on my script, learning the show, and practicing the mix. While there would inevitably be a few mistakes, I had come prepared and I knew I could handle them.

Practicing proactivity gives you a solid foundation to approach a project or learn a new skill. And just like Imposter Syndrome, it starts small. It’s taking the time to relabel a cable instead of having to wrack your brain for its name every single load in. It’s refining the way you explain a project to the local crew so they don’t have to ask you to clarify the directions seven times. It’s signing up for a class or a workshop that the little voice says you don’t know nearly enough to attend.

These seemingly insignificant steps give you the building blocks for the rest of your career. Now, I’m particularly efficient at loading in and out shows because back then, in any proactive moment I had, I made one tiny tweak after another. Sometimes it was looming the end of a cable bundle a different way or even making a whole new loom for a special project. Other times it was pre-marking a tape measure to make instructions less complicated or taking pictures of an efficient case pack so it was easier to duplicate. Bit by bit the small fixes accumulated to make me more efficient, clearer, and more consistent.

Even after two years on my way out of my Valley, it wasn’t until the tech for Saigon where it actually hit home that I didn’t feel like an Imposter anymore. That month was challenging to say the least, partly because I was faced with many of my former triggers: not having all the answers, people getting frustrated, negative comments, and more.

That voice started whispering again, but when it did, I realized that I hadn’t heard more than a momentary peep from that insidious little thing in all of my previous two years as an A1. Without those triggers, that voice couldn’t sustain itself.

I was not the common denominator.

At that moment, I had the choice to drudge up my old, reactive habits or stick to my new, hard-won, proactive ones. Tech was still tiring and stressful, but I was better able to identify and mitigate my triggers. I did my best to address problems and solve what was in my control or ask for help with what wasn’t. If someone got frustrated I did my best to talk with them to see if there was an underlying issue. There was no way to avoid every frustration, but I could make sure I didn’t add to them unnecessarily.

If you find yourself with your own negative little voice, practice being proactive whenever you can. Even if it seems like it’s pointless, do it. One baby step at a time. Also, make a point to keep mementos. Did you have a great day, mix an amazing show, solve a tough problem? Write it down. When someone sends you a note or text or email telling you how amazing you are, save it, screenshot it, flag it. If you have a bad day, pull those out to remind you that this is temporary.

Lastly, find your kindred spirits: people who aren’t afraid to be honest when you need a swift kick, but will always have your back. (It helps if they work in the same industry and understand your world.)  Mine are my former A2’s, current dear friends, and the very people I ask to proofread everything I send to this blog.

Rachel, Mark, and Dan were with each with me for a year of my first three tours while I navigated a new chapter in my career as an A1. Touring with someone creates a unique bond in itself, but each of these three have gone well above the call of duty time and time again to offer support, help, and motivation anytime I’ve needed it.

It’s not an easy road out of Imposter Syndrome, but the only way out is through. Keep in mind that you are not alone, grab a friend, and do your best to get a little better, one baby step at a time.

 

Ask the Experts Recording – In-The-Box versus Out-Of-The-Box

In-The-Box versus Out-Of-The-Box

Join us for a webinar on recording and the pros and cons of mixing in the box or out of the box. This webinar will focus on both ways of recording and discuss the pros and cons of each. This is not a debate on what sounds better or is better.

This is your chance to get your questions answered by Jess Fenton, Vira Byramji, Jasmine Chen, Lenise Bent, and Christal Jerez

March 16 at 11 am PST/2 pm EST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated By Jess Fenton

Jess Fenton is a Producer/Audio/Mix Engineer based out of Brooklyn, NY specializing in music and podcast productions.  She is the creator of Proof In Music, a video series showcasing women working in music production who deserve to be seen but are often overlooked. PROOFINMUSIC.COM 

 

Panelists

Vira Byramji is an audio engineer specializing in studio recording and mixing. Vira’s entrance into the industry was through the legendary Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, where she was the assistant manager and a staff engineer. There she worked with major labels and high-profile clients such as Patti Smith, U2, Lana Del Rey, Sara Bareilles and HBO to name a few. As an engineer and assistant studio manager, Vira gained a range of experience from the back end of the music business to the creative and technical workings of running sessions. Ultimately, these two full-time roles drove her to pursue opportunities as a freelance engineer. After leaving Electric Lady, she began working with LA-based producer Jonathan Wilson. With him, she traveled to Haiti and there worked with Jackson Browne, to LA for Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy album, and engineered remote sessions for Roger Waters and Lucius at the start of their world tour. She has also kept herself busy in New York with local artists like Maya Hawke, Emma Caymares, producer/songwriter Jesse Harris, producer Thomas Bartlett and Tamar-Kali (composer of Mud Bound and Come Sunday soundtracks). https://www.virabyramji.com/

Jasmine Chen is a GRAMMY-nominated audio engineer and vocal producer based in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she moved back to Los Angeles and began interning at Forecast Recordings while working at IO Music Academy as their Partnerships & Studio Manager. During that time, she also freelanced as a production sound mixer & boom operator on film sets and helped sound design products for music software and studio furniture company, Output. From IO Music Academy, Jasmine was brought in as an intern for Heavy Duty Studios, where she honed her skills as a recording engineer and now holds the position as their house engineer and studio manager. Jasmine has worked on projects for Allie X, Berhana, Cass McCombs, Clairo, Conan Gray, Dove Cameron, HAIM, Jarina DeMarco, Johan Lenox, Jonah Mutono, Kaleena Zanders, Kelly Clarkson, Killy, Love Mansuy, Madame Gandhi, Snoop Dogg, Steve Jablonsky (film scores), and more. Jasmine on SOUNDCLOUD

Lenise Bent is one of the first women audio engineers & honed her skills on many iconic records including “Aja” by Steely Dan and “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp. She is the first woman engineer to receive a platinum album for Blondie’s “AutoAmerican” album which includes “The Tide is High” and the very first hit rap song with music, “Rapture”.

Lenise is also a post-production audio professional, specializing in recording and editing foley sound effects for many films and animated series and has traveled the world for Dreamworks supervising the foreign dialogue recording and producing the vocals for such
animated features as “Shrek”, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron” and “Shrek 2”. She also archives and repairs audio, instructs and consults for singer/songwriters.

Lenise is a long-standing member of the Audio Engineering Society, the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy and a voting member of NARAS. She is also a proud member SoundGirls, Women’s Audio Mission (WAM), Women in Music, the prestigious Hollywood Sapphire Group, The Blues Foundation, IASA (International Association of Sound Archivists) and ARSC (Assoc. of Recorded Sound Collectors). Though mostly working in digital recording formats, Lenise recently produced and engineered an all-analog recording with blues/rock/Indy band Primal Kings, recording to 2” tape, mixing to 1⁄2” and cut to vinyl from tape, all analog and completely out of the box.
To know more about Lenise Bent go to her website at www.lenisebent.com

Christal Jerez is an audio engineer with experience recording, mixing and mastering music. After studying audio production at American University for her undergrad and New York University for her graduate studies, she started working professionally at Platinum Sound Recording Studios in NYC. After 4 years, she moved on to work as Alex Tumay’s mix assistant at Do What Sounds Good Studios in Chelsea where she was able to work on records for PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Gunna, and more. Christal is currently working out of Los Angeles. www.christalssoniclab.com/

 

 

On Aesthetic Distance & Virtual Live Performance

 

In a theater, sound design is a mode of transportation into the world of the story. As we adapt to creating virtual live performances, however, we are up against greater challenges in effectively inviting the audience into the worlds we are building. In the virtual space, live performances are flattened – both literally and figuratively. So, the question becomes, how do we translate live theatrical performances to the virtual space in a way that offers a satisfying experience comparable to that of in-person theater? How do we address the lack of sensory immersion and narrow the gap in the aesthetic distance?

The X factor at home is huge and complicated – far beyond the question of what sort of headphones or speakers are used. How is the audience watching the show? Have they set everything up on their TV, lights dim, no distractions or are they balancing a tablet on the kitchen counter while they cook dinner, their kids watch cartoons, dog barks, and upstairs neighbors do jazzercise? Background noise and viewing setup aside, it’s more difficult to maintain focus at home. Distractions are everywhere, the level of commitment is much lower, and the energetic benefits of being in the room with other people are just not available. All of these issues prevent sensory immersion, widen the aesthetic distance, and impede audiences’ ability and willingness to suspend their disbelief.

In order to really transport our audiences without the control we typically have in a theater, we have to shift our approach. Narrative Transportation Theory (in the context of storytelling) suggests that reaching the state of complete mental absorption in a narrative hinges on two key ingredients: empathy and imagination. As sound designers, we certainly have tools to facilitate empathy along with the work of the text, the actors, fellow designers, etc. But imagination might be the most critical ingredient to pay attention to right now. How are we inviting our audiences to imagine?

In trying to convert our 3D medium to a 2D medium online, it makes sense initially to emulate television and film. And our audiences are already accustomed to enjoying television and film from the comfort of their own homes. However, virtual live theater is not television and it needn’t be. With incredibly tight budgets, the constraints of streaming platforms and accessibility to those platforms, achieving a production level comparable to that of a tv show is a maddening and often disappointing challenge. Beyond the production logistics, there is the issue of “Zoom fatigue.”

Over the past few months, I’ve been meditating on what variation of theater I would like to experience and how I would like to experience it. I desperately want to be transported and lose myself to a story while I’m trapped in my tiny apartment in real life. At the same time, I stare at my computer all day long and the idea of staring some more just for fun seems, well, not fun. I’ve also found it difficult to become immersed in virtual programming as I’m hyper-aware of virtual backgrounds, delays, all of the same things we grapple with behind the scenes. The risk of these elements is that they can stifle imagination rather than ignite it.

At first, my focus was on all of the incredible technology in our hands what innovative things we can do with it from our own homes. Lately, I’ve turned in the opposite direction. More specifically, towards radio plays. These are bare-bones times in need of bare-bones productions. Taking cues from radio plays along with gripping low-budget productions of any sort, memorable black box performances, anything that makes way for a “less is more” sort of approach is worthwhile. Right now, less is more. We certainly have less to work with, but we also need to allow more space for audiences to use their imagination and hopefully be transported into the story. Some of the designs may be best left to the mind’s eye or mind’s ear. We can perhaps benefit from paying special attention to what not to include. And, of course, I am biased towards sound (and would love to give my eyes a break), but I think this idea can apply more widely. In order to close the gap in the aesthetic distance, we have to craft a path towards the imagination.

Now, I am not advocating a strict return to radio plays. Nor am I advocating that we necessarily turn to sound-only media. In thinking about the process, however, live radio plays are a suitable jumping-off point. I certainly don’t have the answer to creating effective virtual productions and I can’t offer prescriptive advice or best practices as every show is completely individual. I do think, though, that there are some elements of a live radio play and its process that can enhance or at least refresh our approach in the virtual space.

Trying to capture attention by increasing stimuli can be more exhausting right now. Stripping a production down, counterintuitively, may offer a better opportunity for immersion. Knowing the challenges that we are up against, considering first what elements need to be presented and which can be forgone is a good first step to streamlining. Do we really need to hear that door close? Is it essential to see that room? As sound designers, we are already cognizant of silence as a strategic part of our design. What we do not hear is equally as important as what we do. We can expand this line of thinking to create more space in a production. What can be strategically left to the imagination? Then, keeping the two-dimensionality of the final product in mind, we can critically assess how each element is best portrayed, whether aurally, visually, as dialogue. The question being, what is the best way to provoke the mind’s ear or mind’s eye to complete the picture?

Lowering the complexity of virtual performances, in addition to making room for enhanced imagination, also allows for more focus and energy within the production. With fewer distractions and fewer opportunities for latency and glitches, actors and audiences alike have more space to relax and concentrate. The energy of live performance is one of the things that makes theater so compelling. When actors are in a flow state, completely absorbed in their characters and the story, all of their energy carries directly to the audience. With a stripped-down design, we can protect that precious energy.

Every show, every production can be approached, produced, designed in infinite ways, none of them right or wrong. As we all wrestle with creating live virtual theater, its limitations and possibilities, it is important to take a step back and re-evaluate our own personal design processes. For me, this has been a helpful way of reframing my work and my goals for virtual performances. It’s my hope that some of these ideas can at least come in handy when a virtual design hits a virtual wall. And when in need of some inspiration, go ahead and close your eyes and listen to some radio plays.

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.

 

Ask the Experts – How to Produce a Podcast

There’s a lot that goes into making a great podcast beyond pressing record and rambling for a while before hitting the upload button. From strategy and pre-production, how to record a podcast, and editing, through to distribution, our Ask the Experts webinar has you covered.

We’re going to talk about choosing a name and artwork, planning your topics, getting the most out of your guests, creating a narrative and cleaning up the sound in the editing and post-production stages, how and where to host and distribute your podcast, and a lot more.

This is your opportunity to have your questions answered by Fela Davis, Larry Millburn, Beckie Campbell, and Chris Leonard.

Tuesday, March 30th at 6 PM EST / 3 PM PST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated by Laura Clapp Davidson

Laura Clapp Davidson heads up the retail market development team for Shure. She brings passion and knowledge of gear that comes from over 15 years in the MI industry. When she isn’t talking about music equipment, she’s singing or playing through it as a professional singer/songwriter. Laura lives in her hometown of Guilford, CT with her two daughters, two dogs, two rabbits, and one very patient husband.

Panelists
Fela Davis

Fela is a graduate of Full Sail University with 20 years of experience in audio engineering and inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame in 2020. Her mixing experience at front of the house position includes Ron Carter, Brian Blade, Jose Feliciano, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and almost a decade with 6-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, mixing sold-out shows across Asia, Europe, Canada, and America.

Currently, I co-own One of One Productions Studio and a writer for Pro Sound News and Podcast Pro Newsletter. With many of her studio clients needing home audio setup, we began selling one and two-person audio kits. One of One Audio Kits includes Focusrite interfaces, Lewitt Microphone, Wireworld Cable, AKG or CAD headphones, and a waterproof travel case! Check out One of One Audio Kits and more audio related gear at our One of One Shopify store!

Larry Millburn

Larry Milburn, Producer: Award-winning filmmaker Larry Milburn has been involved as a producer/editor on several behind-the-scenes EPK’s and DVD documentary projects for both film and commercial production studios as well as advertising agencies such as FOX, Columbia Pictures, BBDO Detroit, RSA, and BMW.

It was with great pleasure that he was asked to co-produce the film SWEET BLUES: A FILM ABOUT MIKE BLOOMFIELD, directed by Bob Sarles and part of the 2014 Sony Legacy Boxed set FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS HEART TO HIS HANDS. As a cousin of Michael Bloomfield’s, this film helps to keep the memory of such a gifted guitar player relevant and alive. Along with film, music plays a large part of Larry’s life, and when he finds the opportunity to marry the two he takes full advantage. Since 2016, Larry has been the host of the podcast ROADIE FREE RADIO, a weekly series on which he interviews the men and women behind the scenes of the music and film business. He has also produced podcasts for wide range of his commercial clients.

Beckie Campbell

Beckie Campbell is a FOH, Mon Engineer, and Owner of B4Media Production. As a twenty-year veteran of the music business, Beckie has had the honor to help mentor and train teams for several theaters, live events, and houses of worship. All while touring as a FOH Engineer for major acts and still working local hometown gigs. Beckie has had the pleasure to work with major acts such as Indigo Girls, Altman Betts Band, The Commodores, Nicole Nordaman, Firehouse, Colt Ford, Ace Freely, Julian Marley, Gary Pucket and Union Gap, just to name a few. She has also mixed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, 30A Songwriters Festival, and does the live and on-air mixes for the City of Orlando Christmas Tree and 4th of July Live Shows. Early in her career, she was a Technical Director/FOH Engineer for two Mega Churches in Florida.

During the pandemic,Beckie has continued to find work including Producing and Training at HOW, doing installs for streaming, online training, and is one of the hosts of the SoundGirls Podcast and the Orlando SoundGirls Chapter head.

Chris Leonard

Chris Leonard has been in the professional live audio world for almost two decades, following in the footsteps of his father. As a monitor engineer with Maryland Sound International, he toured with artists like Tears for Fears, Don Henley, Disturbed,
Josh Groban, Anthony Hamilton and more.

Chris is currently Director of Audio at IMS Technology Services, where he has spent the last ten years overseeing and managing all aspects of audio for the Event Staging Division of the company. IMS is a full-scale production company providing audio, video, and lighting for special events, conferences, and conventions nationwide. A highlight while at IMS includes designing and mixing for the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl victory parade, with an estimated 800,000 + audience and the largest outdoor event in Philadelphia’s history. He has also worked on the last four Presidential Inaugurations.

Chris is a co-host on the Signal To Noise Podcast presented by ProSoundWeb. The podcast has over 70 episodes and has been downloaded over 100,000 times. The show features conversations with people from all corners of the live sound industry, from FOH and monitor engineers, tour managers, Broadway sound designers, broadcast mixers, and more. Chris’s current project, “How We Got Loud” begins with this podcast focusing on the stories of the people, technology, and passion that built the history of live sound, with many plans to grow and expand beyond the podcast in years to come.

 

 

Making Moves to Make Money

 

How making lateral career changes within the industry will keep you paying your bills.

“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.”

Maya Angelou

 

The last year has brought unprecedented obstacles to how and where we work. The landscape has changed drastically, and the future can feel overwhelming. We are placing a higher value on resiliency and adaptability not just to survive but to pivot and thrive while throwing new information about the pandemic. Events are booking, canceling, rescheduling, postponing, and that is stressful.  We reward people and companies that can look at their options and pivot quickly.

Over the last few months, I’ve been fortunate to see first-hand how events are coming back within different areas of the live event industry. We’ve seen anything ranging from virtual zoom performances to hybrid conferences to large crews in arenas doing broadcast-based events. The name of the game to fill my schedule has been about making lateral changes to keep my schedule full with gigs in live events.

Three years ago, I worked full-time in theatre. To avoid the dead season in my market, I quickly realized I needed to adapt and make a parallel move into corporate AV. I stayed in corporate AV up until March 2020. I noticed many production companies stick to using a core group of people to do virtual events. Hiring freezes created an interesting power dynamic. With the limited number of shows, many production people were out of work with the relatively small but highly competitive need for leads, but labor for events became more crucial. Good hands were (and are) quite literally hard to find as people take jobs outside of the industry.

I made the move into labor in arenas. I had always been hesitant to consider the arena environment for its notoriously bad reputation for treating women in the workplace. While it hasn’t been all peaches and cream, the first thing I noticed was how appreciative of my skillset they were. They genuinely seemed grateful and excited that I was there and a part of their teams because of my broad range of experience. The standards in my other workplaces made me exceptional as a new hire.

Now I’m offered more opportunities to work and train than I have in years. I’ve done so much online training that I’ve gotten to refresh my resume. I haven’t done as much audio as I’d like, but being willing to switch into different departments as easily as changing my days uniform (from black clothes to different black clothes) has made the difference in keeping busy. I’m taking a Covid-cautious camera class soon. Try saying that one five times fast. I’m also even getting trained in rigging, which will only make me more assertive as a candidate for future productions.

The uncomfortable change that this pandemic has put us all through has forced some of us to make decisions we probably would’ve never considered. I’m still taking corporate gigs as they recall more people back to work. I’m still working for multiple companies to keep my schedule full to pay my bills. But as the quote says above, stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but we can thrive in new ways we never could’ve imagined had we not taken that step.

Alyssa Freire is a live event technician and crew lead from Miami, FL. From theatre to corporate events, she takes pride in having a varied skillset and broad interest in all facets of events. She started her career in lighting and quickly found joy with the faders of another console. While having a strong focus on technical knowledge is crucial, Alyssa also focuses on social and communication skills to create strong interpersonal relationships with her teams. As a Cuban-American, the topics that are important to her are diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility in all forms. She is a proud member of TSDCA and ESA.

Read Alyssa’s Blog  

Should You Work For Free?

 

There has been some discussion recently on the topic of should you work for free? I often say to those looking to get into touring that they should try to get on a tour for the experience or ask if they can help someone who is doing the job they want to do. More times than not, when you are in a position of limited knowledge but have lots of enthusiasm to learn, you are not going to get paid for offering your services. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, there is nothing wrong with offering your time in exchange for knowledge from someone else. You are giving them an extra pair of hands and hopefully making their life a little easier that day, and in return, you are learning. There is an exchange of commodities here, but neither involves money.

We need money to survive of course, and I suggest offering your time for free in the beginning when you are in a position to do so. In my book, Girl on The Road, my strategy is to set yourself up with six months of living expenses for this exact situation. If you really want to learn how to do a job on tour, you need to actually go and do the job. Learning from a book or a course is great and the more knowledge you have going into it, the less overwhelmed you will feel. However, for a job like this (on tour), there is no substitute for going and doing the real thing. Unless you work for a sound company and get sent out on the road, paid, it is unlikely you will be able to tour and get paid from the start. Some people believe you should not do anything for free, it devalues you. I disagree. I believe that you won’t be working or as I see it “learning” for free for long. In this industry, its connections. Once you show competence and a good attitude, it is likely you will get more work and very quickly. Once you can offer your services and know the basics of what you are doing, you will get paid. You don’t need to know everything immediately but you can’t be purely learning and expecting to get paid. If you do, that’s a bonus and a wonderful one at that.

I would say everyone needs to take their own path. If you feel comfortable doing as I said above, then go for it. If you don’t feel comfortable giving your time and not being compensated with money, so be it. Whatever is comfortable for you. It doesn’t mean you won’t get to where you want to be, this is just my experience and advice.

I would invite anyone with questions or comments to reach out to me and we can discuss further!

More on Working for Free

Should You Work For Free? No Pay / Low Pay – Is It Ethical?

Working For Free

 

Getting Your Head In The Game – The Pre-Show Routine

Have you ever watched athletes arrive at an arena hours before the game begins? Or read an entire article that is just about how an actor gets into character for a film shoot? Do you know someone who has a weird superstitious ritual that they do before giving a presentation, or taking an exam, or even just before leaving the house?

These scenarios are alike because they show us that preparation is key.

The 2006 “Varsity Veebs” in our Homecoming pep rally outfits. Go Tigers!

For me, there’s a lot to be said for activities that help you get into a good mindset. Whether they be physical or mental, something about having a ritual for getting ready is both comforting and helpful. You would never expect a ballet dancer to perform “Swan Lake” without warming up first! The same principle applies to mixing a musical. For some shows, it can be a highly intellectual and involved activity, and the more you can put your “game face” on, the better.

When I got my first job mixing in New York, my designer and mentor came up to me one

Me with my aforementioned “game face”

day during preview performances and asked me if there was something I needed to do pre-show that I wasn’t getting time to do. He could tell that I was nervous before each show, and while some nerves can be a good thing, in my case being anxious was getting in the way of my performance. I was rushing into the show (which opened with two back-to-back ensemble numbers, no small feat to mix!) and he could tell. That observation got me thinking back to other times in my life that I’ve needed to do something extra to prepare myself and get in the right mindset, which led me back to my time in high school sports.

I played varsity volleyball for three years. I spent most of my time on the bench or filling in as line judge, but I loved being on a team, and I loved having a bond with this group of women that extended past the field. Activities like themed dress-ups on game days, stretching together for warmups, or having different cheers for aces, spikes, and blocks helped enrich the experience of a bunch of teenagers playing a sport. So, naturally, to mentally and physically prepare myself to mix, I took inspiration from them and developed the following pre-show routine. It’s a little bit athletic, a little bit mental, a little bit ridiculous, and totally essential to helping me do my best work.

90+ Minutes to curtain: Put the day behind you!

This is typically when the crew is called to set up for the performance (per union rules, the actors and musicians are required to be there 30 minutes pre-show, though many come much earlier). When I get to the theater (I always try to arrive early), I think of it as the start of my shift, even though it’s 6:30 pm. I go through the regular motions of show call: check-in with other departments, boot up the system if my A2 has not done so, see if any understudies or band subs are on. I also check in with my “work wife” aka our lovely house manager Nina, who lets me know what to expect from the audience (are there groups, is it large or small, etc). I know not everyone likes to know that info pre-show, but for me, it helps to know what kind of crowd I will be working with that night.

60ish Minutes to curtain: Compartmentalize your time

My awesome Mixing Slippers, aka black Hartjes brand arch support sneakers

Often, I will have notes to complete from the day before or adjustments I need to make before the house opens for patrons. I always do these as soon as I can after checking the system (I’ll detail that process in a later blog post). I also bring dinner or a snack to eat around this time so that I get a boost of energy right around 8:00 when the show starts. At “Rock of Ages” (the show I was working on immediately before Covid) our theater is in a basement, so often I will throw on a lot of zipper and Velcro layers to keep myself warm. Clothing that is easy to put on/take off is essential in case I need to shed a layer mid-show. My personal favorites: a hood-less sweatshirt, fingerless gloves, and athletic “snap” pants. That way you can take them off without needing to mess with your shoes! Speaking of shoes, I also change into my “mixing slippers.” Yes, I have separate special arch support shoes that I only use for mixing and never wear outdoors. I also have an awesome impact mat that I stand on while mixing, because I have a tendency to dance a lot and it helps protect my ankles and knees, which are a little worse for wear after those three years of jump spikes in volleyball.

30 Minutes to curtain: Get in The Zone

In theater we call this “Half-Hour,” and it is usually when the “House” opens for patrons (think “doors” in the concert world). I run the pre-show music once stage management gives me the OK, then head backstage. Things are pretty crowded, but I have managed to stake out a spot by my A2’s station that is usually unoccupied, and this is where I stretch. I have it timed out so that instead of needing to check my watch constantly, I can get a rough sense of how long I have by which song is playing (our pre-show song order is fixed). Plus, stage management gives calls at 15 minutes and 5 minutes to keep us all on track. Since the pandemic hit, I’ve become an avid practicer of yoga and meditation, so I’m eager to see how I might incorporate that in once I’m back.

5 minutes to curtain: Final Touches

I hope this isn’t gross, but always, always, always go to the bathroom before the show! There is no worse feeling than being halfway through act one and needing to pee. Plus, this way my hands are freshly washed before I head to the console.

Once I’m at Front of House, I check in with my A2. I won’t be able to hear the “Places” call once I’m in the audience, so he always radios me to let me know it’s been called, and we wish each other a good show.

I then do a final exercise I call “calibrating” my fingers. Basically, I run up and down my faders hitting a series of marks as closely as I can with all eight of my mixing digits. First, I throw to -10, then if I’m “off” I do it again. “Rock of Ages” is a “hot” show level-wise, so after that, I do +5s and -5s on each finger a few times. Last, I do 2 or 3 fingers at once and try to hit the same level on all of them each time for ensemble pickups. Check out the video below for a demo!

The very last thing I do before the show starts is a tiny mindfulness exercise that I learned from a friend in eighth grade. I once confided in him that I was having trouble focusing on tests because of everyone around me, and he said, “try putting yourself in a white box.” So, I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and try to really embrace the “here” and “now” of my world. All I need is the console and stage in front of me, and I do my best to wall off everything else (patrons, ushers, cell phones, noisy candy wrappers, etc).

On days when my timing is good, I’ll open my eyes, and my cue light will be on. This means stage management is signaling to make sure I’m ready to start. Once they turn the light off, that’s my cue to run the pre-show announcement, and we’re off!

It’s taken me about a year to fine-tune this routine, but it has been well worth the effort, and it really works for me. If you have a fun pre-show routine you love, I want to hear about it! Or if you don’t, maybe this post inspires you to develop your own. And who knows? Maybe someday we mixers will get articles written about us too.

Unity During A Pandemic

As I write this, I have just watched the United States’ inauguration of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. It was surprisingly moving for me. I was face-timing my sister, who lives back home in Sweden when her husband texted her to come downstairs. He was born in America and very eager to share this moment with her, besides, Lady Gaga was going to sing. So we said our goodbyes and I decided to check out the singer’s performance. It was good, and her belting made me stay on the channel. In addition to Gaga, Jennifer Lopez sang, and unfortunately, for I am damaged, her vocals were distorting, and it saddened me. Then in Spanish, she shouted “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” and I forgave the technicians…

Just before this pleasant interruption, in my otherwise busy day, I was lying on my sofa engulfed in a Swedish TV show called Fröken Frimans Krig (Miss Friman’s War). It’s a show about the fight for equality and the battle for women’s right to vote in early 20th century Stockholm. It deals with matters like women not being of legal authority. Because back then, her husband was her custodian and spoke for her. It brings forward the worryingly common fact, that many women died from giving birth. Finally, in Sweden, if you slept with someone you weren’t married to, you could be branded as a sex worker and had to report to an authority every week, where you were inspected for disease. It’s shocking to think how far we’ve come and it’s thanks to women like them. Nonetheless, let us not forget, these things are still happening in some countries.

Now, with the inauguration of Kamala Harris, I feel like I’m on the precipice of change once again. She is the first woman, the first black and south Asian to be sworn in as a vice president. This leaves me elevated and hopeful and I can see a brighter future. Concurrently I am ashamed for not fighting harder for our equality, maybe I am too comfortable to do so. If I was allowed to work and had a male artist say something inappropriate, would I say something back or hold my tongue? Or would my recent experiences, following these strong leading women, guide me to be bolder and confront any unkind words or actions.

Biden talked of unity. So far from what we all feel right now, as we are divided beyond our comprehension. Closed borders and further from our loved ones, even our neighbours. So even though we are all facing this pandemic together, we lack, from all world’s corners, unity. So my question to you, is how can we create unity beyond ourselves today? How can we as sisters, brothers, and non-binary unite in our differences in a global pandemic?

Well, today is historical indeed and a win for feminism and equality, but may it serve as a reminder of how far we have come and that it is up to each and every one of us to work towards it.

 

9 Ways To Prep For A Vocal Recording Session

Great vocal performance on a record does not happen by accident. Many factors contribute to making a recording session successful or not so successful. After 30 years of coaching singers and 15 years of recording them, I’ve gathered some tips that should help your next recording session go smoothly, giving you the result you are looking for; a killer record!

BEFORE SCHEDULING THE SESSION

It’s true that you can hold lyrics in front of you while recording and no one would know. But after all these years of working with singers and being a professional vocalist myself, something magical can happen once you cross over from the “on-book” to “off-book” phase. You can focus more on the emotion, the subtle use of air and vibrato, scoops, straight tone, falls, attacks and releases, articulation, riffs, runs and so much more. If you have the time, get off-book so the song is really inside of you. Which leads us to #2…

Maybe this should be an obvious one but, I’ve definitely had vocal sessions where the singer was still figuring things out; timing, phrasing, notes, etc. Now, when I record YouTubers who literally try to produce, record, film and release a song in less than a week, there is no getting around this. I actually enjoy helping these recording artists work through the songs in this way because it is like a combined coaching AND recording session (which I LOVE!) If creating content quickly is your current strategy then that is the way it has to be. Just remember, it definitely doesn’t work for every recording session or with every recording engineer. If you have the time, putting in the same effort as if you were going to be performing the song live without lyrics in front of you will elevate your performance dramatically.

Before putting in the time to rehearse the song, make sure that you are singing in a good, healthy key for your voice and a tempo that feels right. If you are using a karaoke/instrumental track then obviously, you are tied to the key and tempo of the track. While a karaoke track can be altered, the quality of the karaoke track will diminish ever so slightly the farther away from the original recording you go. So, a half step up, not too noticeable. Four half steps…noticeable. If you are creating your own instrumental with a producer (like I do for artists all the time) then take the time to find the right key and tempo before the producer starts working on it, if possible. That being said, it’s really easy to change the key and tempo of programmed instruments before anything is recorded.  Don’t just sing through it once and call it good. Sing through it a few times in a row to make sure your voice does not tire after a few run-throughs. Double check that you aren’t rushing or dragging as you sing along, which could be a sign that the tempo isn’t quite right OR that you need to work on your timing 😉 If you are rehearsing the song, prepping for the session while using the track your producer has created for you and feel like the tempo or key needs to change, let them know ASAP so they have enough time to make a new track and you have enough time to rehearse with it before the session.

Equivalent to filming yourself perform a song prior to the actual performance, the benefits of listening to yourself are enormous. Simulate the actual recording session at home, even if you are just recording into your phone using an app. Going through the process of actually recording should highlight spots that need a bit more work or help you plan your session better. Do you need to record the low, soft verses first before the big, belty choruses? Or vice versa? Do you struggle with phlegm because you ate a cheese sandwich an hour before? Did you notice the overall emotional delivery falls a little flat and could use more thought? Invite a music buddy to listen back and provide feedback on this “scratch track” version.

Even if it’s just one session with a coach prior to the recording session, this is a much safer, efficient and cost-effective way to record a song. Getting feedback after the recording session can be very discouraging. Forking out more money to re-record vocals was most likely not figured into your budget. Be sure to include funds in your budget for at least one coaching session prior to and if possible, during the session. It can relieve so much pressure to have a team member with you that is listening only to your vocal delivery, who knows your voice and what your goal for the song is. Totally worth the extra dough to have someone in your corner at the session.

DAY BEFORE/DAY OF SESSION

The next four pointers are specifically for the 24 hour period before the session:

Get a good night’s sleep the night before your session. Make sure the session isn’t scheduled for 10 am the day after a late-night gig or at the end of a long workday. Be as rested as you can.

Do your best to stay hydrated hours before the session in addition to drinking water during the session. Bring plenty of water so you can stay hydrated during the session. Adding a lemon wedge to your water can help break up phlegm if that is an issue for you. Warm or room temperature will keep your vocal folds and all other tissues involved in singing nice and pliable. See #9 for more specifics about this.

Arrange your schedule so you’re not running late or in a hurry to finish. If you got in the biggest fight of your life the night before with your SO, see if you can reschedule without a penalty (I never charge people for rescheduling because what’s the point of forcing a session to happen?) Take some time before the session to unwind, meditate, calm down, whatever you need to do to get your mind focused and clear.

There are hundreds of lists out there of what foods and beverages to avoid. For the majority of people, these lists are pretty accurate. But there are exceptions. Be sure to know your body and your voice and how it might react to certain foods, either positively or negatively. I always tell people my own story regarding typical “no-no” foods and my own voice. You will always see “caffeine”, “dairy” and “sugar” at the top of the lists of foods/beverages to avoid before singing, but I had one of my best vocal lessons ever when I was going through extreme stress in my life and was living off of Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha’s which are loaded with caffeine, dairy and sugar. I had had 2 that morning! But seriously, for me at that time, it worked. Keep a journal that connects what you eat, when you eat and when you sing with how your voice feels. You will start to see correlations between certain foods and how your voice performs.

I hope this has given you some tips that will help you rock your next record. Feel free to email or pm me on socials for specific questions!

Becky Willard is a Warm Audio featured artist, a music producer, recording engineer, songwriter, composer, vocalist and mentor. She began working with artists almost 30 years ago as a vocal and songwriting coach.  It was a natural transition from coach to producer as she guided singers searching for their sound and began recording them in her home studio.

In 2010, Becky founded Vox Fox Studios and has become the go-to producer for many Utah artists as well as artists from all over the world. These artists go to Becky to produce their music because they know they will get their best vocal performances, modern production sounds and mixes that are “radio-ready”.  As a songwriter herself and session vocalist, her songs and voice can be heard in dozens of TV shows and movies. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Becky is actively engaged in educating and inspiring young women in her community and worldwide to pursue music production and engineering.

Read Becky’s Blog

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