Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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What Will We Do When Our World Returns?

My last day of work was March 13, 2020, and I’m still just as confused and anxious about it as the day our industry shut down.  Since I was 15 years old, I have never gone this long without working, and I really just don’t know how to feel about it.  I work in the arts because it feeds my soul, but can I afford that luxury anymore?  Is it fair to ask me to get another job?  Getting another job for me would mean getting another career, which would mean starting from zero, but I can’t afford to go back to school or pay for new training while I’m unemployed.  And what if I and a bunch of other people like me in my industry have this thought?  Then who is going to work in entertainment when it IS back?  Maybe I should just apply my sound skills to a non-live sector, so podcasts, radio plays, editing, etc.  Again, isn’t everyone going to be trying to do that, so won’t that completely oversaturate the market and make it impossible for most to work?  If I just hang tight, stay unemployed, and wait for the world to reopen, how long will that take, and how long can I actually last like that?  These (and many more) are the questions circling my worried mind every second of every day.  I’m watching companies fold.  I’m watching venues lock their doors forever.  What if that happens to one of my regular gigs?  What’s going to happen to me and to my colleagues, friends, and family?

The entertainment industry is famous for using two phrases:  1. “There’s no business like show business” 2. “The show must go on.”  Since I have no control over what our future holds, I’m choosing to put my faith in those two mantras.  They’ve gotten me through sticky situations many times in the past, it stands to reason that they will work their magic now.  I mean, we’ve all been there.  We’ve all had way too many notes piling up at the last minute, or not even teched the end of a show before the first preview, or listened to a host of sound gremlins making their presence known during that final preview, yet, opening night always comes, and the show always goes on.  It’s the magic of theatre.  Yes, you read that right, I’m openly relying on magic now.

So, let’s skip ahead to the part where entertainment opens back up.  We all know it will not be all at once, and we all know it will not be like it was before.  My plea for anyone reading this is to please be open, respect the process, and please be kind to each other.  We’ve been doing a lot of good work that needs to continue when we reopen. Jobs will be scarce, and we will all need them, but we need to remember what we’ve been working on for our community. We will encounter companies affected by the pandemic trying to hire entertainment workers for less than they are worth because “that is all they can afford right now.”  We can’t let that happen.  Look, I get it.  We all need work, but if we sell our skills for less than they’re worth, that is the price those producers will start to expect from you in the future and everyone else that does the same work as you.

We’ve been working hard on solidifying our standards, and we can’t waffle just because we hit a bump (or hill, or mountain…) in the road.  It’s not good for you, it’s not good for me, it’s not good for our community.  We need to remember that we have pledged to be allies and accomplices for marginalized people. We need to continue that work. Don’t take jobs from racist companies. Don’t keep quiet about discriminatory practices. Don’t turn a blind eye to misogyny and homophobia. You might say to yourself, “I have to keep this gig, I need the money, I’ve been out of work for so long,” but just remember that the company you are working for needs you too.  If you, if everyone makes a stand together, refuses to work in inequitable situations, who will they have to turn to?  Those companies will be faced with two choices: Change their policies, or shut their doors.  We need to remember not to be greedy. Don’t take overlapping jobs.  Give one of your fellow community members a shot at survival too.

Brace yourselves, I’m going to quote High School Musical now….We’re all in this together.  I know that’s just about the most Pollyanna thing you’ve heard from me, but I really can’t convey the sentiment any other way.  We really are all in this together. And we are stronger together.  And we know that. So this is one of those times when it’s going to be really tough to always do the right thing, but that’s what integrity is doing the right thing even when it’s tough and even when no one is watching. Stay safe, my friends.  Keep your heads up, and keep moving forward.  We will get there together.

 

How Can We Boost Intersectionality in Audio?

 

Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. It is no secret that women, people of color, and other minority groups are highly underrepresented in our audio industry. So how do we change this? We need to understand intersectionality and practice intersectionality as a WAY OF THINKING and ACTION, and not just a word.

Understand and Recognize Differences

Stating that you “don’t see color” is a problem. A huge problem. Understand and recognize there are many different people from all walks of life. Race,  gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. These character traits are what make each and every one of us individuals and unique. Besides being prejudiced against people who are different from you, learn to embrace differences and recognize your own differences. Understanding and recognizing differences can help the audio industry hire and create a safe space for minority groups.

Increase Representation

How many times have we seen audio companies host panels and seminars with only white cis-gender men on the panel? It is truly disgusting, and when these companies are called out about this, very little is done about the matter. Why is this? We need to increase representation. In order for us to increase representation in the audio industry, we actually need to hire minority groups. Generate panels with more people of color and women in our industry. There are very few if any women or people of color in executive positions. There is not one Black-Owned audio touring company on a large scale in the US. Before you hire your “homeboys” and skip over resumes of names that “sound Black”, please understand the damage that is being done for individuals and groups who already suffer from discrimination disproportionately. There are a lot of racists in power and in positions that inflict their racist ideology in society and jobs. This is also true in our industry.

Join the Conversation

Staying silent and ignoring social justice reforms and racism is not okay. Ally is not a noun. Ally is a verb, something you do and continue to do because it is right. Speak up against racism, homophobia, misogyny, and every other form of hate and oppression. Join the conversation against hate and create a conversation in the workplace. We saw many companies speak up standing with BLM but continue to discriminate against Blacks. We need to continue to educate ourselves and each other.

More on creating an inclusive industry

How to Find the Best Candidate for the Job

Twi McCallum on Hiring Black Designers and Creatives

Twi McCallum on The SoundGirls Podcast

For the Men Who Want to Support Women in Audio

A Guide to Supporting Women in Sound

Black Technicians Matter

On Current Events and the State of Our Industry

Women in Audio – Music Blogs, Collectives, and Organizations

A More Inclusive Industry

 

 

 

Recording through Live Stream Services – August 17

 

SoundgGirls & Female Frequency Webinar with Ali AMAC McGuire.  Moderated by Vanessa Silberman.

Learn how to record and collaborate from home through Zoom and other live stream sources

Monday, August 17th – 6 pm-8 pm EST

Register here

Ali “AMAC” McGuire is a Gold Record Mixing Engineer and vocal producer. Having worked with artists from Joji to WifisFuneral, Shordie Shoridie, Slushii, Sophia Reyes, Lizzo, Phi11a, Kelly Rowland, PNB Rock, The Kooks and more.

A MAC got her start in Philadelphia PA doing FOH at live sound venues all over the city then moving on to touring with acts like Fetty Wap, Post Malone, and T Wayne.

In 2017 A MAC decided to move to LA to work in the studio with the best in the world. After getting her first studio job at Melrose Sound in Hollywood she branched off to work with labels such as Atlantic, Warner, GOOD Music, 88 Rising, Hitco and more. https://www.amaculent.com/

Vanessa Silberman is an international touring singer, guitarist and songwriter from Brooklyn, NY (via Los Angeles, CA). She is also a record producer, engineer, an independent A&R and runs an artist development Label called A Diamond Heart Production.

Vanessa’s live shows and music has been compared to the raw bare bones rock ‘n roll of Nirvana along with the appeal of Liz Phair and Chrissie Hynde, authenticity of classic artists such as Patti Smith and Neil Young mixed with the pop sensibilities of commercial radio artists such as Green Day and Metric.

Widely known for having a very strong DIY ethic and wearing many different hats in the music business —Vanessa has worked for heavy hitter’s in the music business such as Producer / Songwriter Dr.Luke as well as for many companies and places ranging from the Foo Fighter’s Studio 606 to Epitaph Records.
https://www.vanessasilbermanofficial.com/

Female Frequency
Female Frequency is a community dedicated to empowering female, transgender & non-binary artists through the creation of music that is entirely female generated.

The first Female Frequency EP made entirely by women is available here–>
femalefrequency.bandcamp.com
femalefrequency.com

Mary Mazurek – When One Door Closes Keep Knocking

“We don’t hire women engineers, but you can answer the phone if you want.” Mazurek remembers, “That completely blind-sided me. I couldn’t say anything else, other than ‘No, thank you.’” And she hung up the phone.

Mary is a Grammy-nominated recording and live broadcast engineer and works in radio production at WFMT Radio. She also works independently with clients and teaches at Columbia College and DePaul University in Chicago. She got her start at the legendary Universal Recording Studios in 1991. Unfortunately, they also closed in 1991.

In 1993, she took a job as an “Occasional Overnight Board Operator” at WFMT Radio. Her role at WFMT eventually expanded and Mary found herself engineering larger projects working with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, etc.

With a last-minute request, she engineered the recording of the clarinet concerto for the album Liquid Melancholy: Clarinet Music of James M. Stephenson on the Çedille label. She along with Çedille engineer Bill Maylone were nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical for the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

Mary has been at WFMT for 27 years and engineers the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. Broadcasts. She is also the engineer and music producer for WFMT’s signature program Live from WFMT, and is the engineer for Impromptu. She is responsible for the majority of the approximately 225 yearly live music heard on the stationHer credits include The Chicago Chorale, Civic Orchestra of Chicago Radio Broadcasts, International Music Foundation, LA Guitar Quartet, Howard Levy, The Search, etc.

Mary is an active member of The Recording Academy and served as governor and the Classical Task Force chairperson for the Chicago Chapter. Additionally, she is a committee member for the AES Chicago Chapter and a member of the larger organization’s Education and Diversity and Inclusion committees.  Mary is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is based primarily in sound and image, and her work in this realm has been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Mexico, and Berlin. She received her M.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College, Chicago, IL, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Art Theory from IDSVA, Portland, ME.

Mary’s first brush with audio was as a youth when she dissected her mother’s Wollensak reel to reel tape recorder, Mary says “she wasn’t very happy about that.” In 1988, she would enroll at DePaul University as a music major (she began studying piano at age 11), but they also had a relatively new major called Sound Recording Technology. Mary had no idea what that entailed but knew she could do it.

“Even though I possessed no audio background, I fell in love with recording through my undergraduate education at DePaul University. I had a really great experience there, and our recording classes were held at Universal Recording (originally founded by Bill Putnam) under Murray Allen, and Tom Miller.

It never hurts to ask and always be early

“I’d arrive early to class at Universal Recording, and one day I got up the nerve to go into Murray Allen’s office and asked if I could assist there. He said yes, and I immediately started assisting jingle sessions, voiceover sessions, even had the opportunity to sub as an A2 on the Oprah Show on a few occasions because of that relationship. But one of my most valuable experiences was assisting Universal’s only woman engineer Lorita De La Cerna recording Foley for the restoration of Orson Welles Othello.”

The importance of saying No and not giving up

When I tried to get a job after I graduated, one prominent Chicago studio told me that, “We don’t hire women engineers, but you can answer the phone if you want.”  That crushed me, but I eventually was hired by WFMT Radio as an Occasional Overnight Board Operator, and then I worked my way up. Now I engineer most of their 225 yearly live music broadcasts.”

Re-Recording the mental tape

Before being hired at WFMT, Mary found that she could not get one single call back from the studios she had applied at. She soon found that she was doubting her ability to be a recording engineer, doubting her instincts, and just wanting to fit in with the guys. She noticed that her male colleagues were getting gigs, so she would try to be more like them.

The doubt started to re-record her mental tape and it sounded like “You’re a woman, you can’t be an engineer. You’re second-class,”

Mary would pretend like this did not matter, as many women engineers do, and continue on until she became physically ill. Doctors discussed diagnoses of Hashimoto’s, Crohn’s disease, and the possibility of lupus.  This was a big wake-up call. She realized in order to improve her health; she would have to re-record her mental tape. Mary took charge and began to re-record the tape with a new narrative where feminine qualities like empathy, intuition, compassion, and kindness were strengths that benefited her work.

Excerpted from the speech Mary gave in 2018 at the Recording Academy Task Force On Diversity and Inclusion at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

You can read more here 

The importance of mentors and saying Yes

I had several mentors. I am grateful to Murray Allen who gave me a chance first to enter into DePaul’s recording program and then to assist at Universal Recording. My teacher Tom Miller who taught me from the ground up. Finally, Lorita De La Cerna for being a female mentor and role model. They taught me how to work with individuals, teams as well as independently.

They taught me to be open and to look for opportunities in every experience.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

As her role at WFMT continued to expand, Mary started engineering larger projects. One that she loved was working with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The live radio broadcast was derived from Ginsburg’s Opera and Law Lecture with members Lyric Opera’s Patrick G. And Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. These talented vocalists along with collaborative pianist Craig Terry performed famous operatic scenes that dealt with law and justice.  WFMT’s sister station WTTW simultaneously shot video for a segment on their program “Chicago Tonight” using Mary’s audio. One of the cameramen commented, “Your audio is the best audio that we ever receive.”

WFMT: Impromptu Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Visits WFMT

Again the Importance of saying Yes!

In 2018, Mary got a last-minute call to record The Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra with clarinet soloist John Bruce Yeh, both of whom she had worked with several times. Taking the gig meant making a major equipment upgrade on her part, but she took the gig and the concerto along with chamber music recorded by Cedille’s engineer Bill Maylone became Liquid Melancholy: Clarinet Music of James M. Stephenson.

When Mary heard the finished production, she entered it for Grammy consideration. She thought that the soloist might be nominated as he had won in the past, but when the Grammy nominations were announced she found that she and Bill had been nominated for Best Engineered Album, Classical.

The Grammy nomination has given Mary the opportunity to be more selective on the work she takes but is still at WFMT, Columbia and De Paul. She is dedicated to mentoring women in the field, volunteering her time with SoundGirls and AES, and dedicated to speaking about her career and diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Less than 5% of Audio Engineers are Women — This is My Story

A typical day for Mary

The great thing about it is that there isn’t a typical day. Some days I will go out for a remote and broadcast live music on location, other times it’s a live broadcast from the WFMT studio. Some days I work with a video crew, others there’s post-production. I also write and produce web content for WFMT.com. I teach audio recording and production once or twice a week depending on the semester. I generally don’t go looking for freelance clients, but if someone approaches me with an interesting project, I’ll generally work with them. I am occasionally asked to speak or give masterclasses on recording or podcasting. And I’m writing a Ph.D. dissertation on the aesthetics of noise, which includes some examples on how it is utilized in art and music.

Staying organized and focused

I think part of it is due to a sense of responsibility instilled in me at a young age coupled with loving the work. Also, if there is something that I really want to do, I just figure it out.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love microphones! I love placing and adjusting them and noticing how that changes the sound and recording with them.

What do you like least?

Being rushed.

What is your favorite day off activity?

Self-care.

What are your long-term goals?

To win a GRAMMY Award. I’m getting closer. Better my health. Finish my Ph.D. Continue to support women in this industry.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I was told in 1991 by a prominent Chicago studio, “We don’t hire women engineers, but you can answer the phone if you want.” It wasn’t only the shock of being told that, but I began to doubt my abilities and worth as an engineer.

How have you dealt with them?

I also have a stubborn, “I’ll show you” side. I’m very determined, so work really hard to improve myself, or as Steve Martin said, “Be so good that they can’t ignore you.”

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

This might be the best time to enter the industry because there are growing diversity awareness and initiatives to help women and non-binary identifying people. SoundGirls is doing great work in this area. But you still have to be diligent, do your best work, and figure out how to improve.

Must have skills?

In my specialty of classical music, you must know how to place microphones and follow a score.

Favorite gear?

My pair of DPA 4011s! I use them all of the time.

More on Mary

A Conversation with Grammy-Nominated Sound Engineer, Mary Mazurek

Haymarket Opera Interview

Less than 5% of Audio Engineers are Women — This is My Story

The SoundGirls Podcast – Mary Mazurek: Grammy-nominated engineer, DPAs, & matcha tea

Mary on Working Class Audio Podcast

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

 

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers 2021

Blog for SoundGirls

Are you passionate about the industry, do you want to share your experience and knowledge with the SoundGirls Community?  Then you may want to become a blogger for SoundGirls in 2021.  Our bloggers volunteer for a year of blogging (can be extended into 2022) and choose how often to submit blogs (once a month, every two months, or four blogs for the 2020 year)

If you are interested, please apply here


Things we are looking for in our bloggers

Although we are mainly looking for people who can write well, are organized, and passionate.  All areas of audio & music are welcome to apply. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Industry Knowledge

Not only is understanding the industry from a concept/fundamental standpoint important, but having real-life experiences is essential for any great blogger.  Having real-life experience allows you to share those experiences, learn from those experiences, build relationships, and learn things that are not taught from reading a book.

Passionate

Great bloggers must be passionate about what they are writing about.  We believe if you are writing about things you are not interested or knowledgeable in, it will show in your writing and to your readers.  People who are passionate about a topic or industry find it much easier to write about things that others with similar interests would enjoy.  Long-term, you have to LOVE what you do.

Writing Background/Experience

Of course, if you have a writing background or you have acquired good writing skills through years of experience, it will help keep your blogs to be engaging and more enjoyable.  Using proper grammar, descriptive verbiage, and compelling headlines can keep readers engaged in your content longer.  We think overall if you are naturally a good writer, it will allow you to create high-quality content much easier and more efficiently.

Organized

A great blogger should be very well organized.  It will be important to plan and manage your writing schedules.  Like running your own business or planning your week for your full-time job, blogging should be no different.  Brainstorming blog ideas and creating a writing schedule all need to be organized to maximize your work schedule.

If you fly by the seat of your pants (as many people do) and are disorganized, it will most likely lead to inefficiencies in your blogging.  You can also find yourself so consumed with daily tasks, that your content quality suffers because you are just trying to rush through the writing process to get something out.

Strong Work Ethic

Having a strong work ethic turns good bloggers into great bloggers.  Someone that is able to stick to a schedule, exceed personal goals and expectations, and push themselves, will stand out from the crowd.  Many bloggers are writing for their own blog so it is not exactly a situation where they are getting paid for each post they write.  So it takes a person with a strong work ethic to see the long term benefits and keep pushing themselves to consistently produce great content.

Network/Industry Reach

A blogger that has a large network and is known in the industry will make it much easier to promote their content.  As we all know, even if you write great content, you still need to promote it.  If you have built personal relationships with industry veterans, it can help earn credibility personally and for your blog.  If you can shoot a few messages and e-mails to key people in the industry who you know will promote your content to their networks, that can be extremely powerful.  Essentially you are leveraging your network and industry reach to promote content, gain feedback, and even help contribute to your blog.

SEO Knowledge

Having basic SEO knowledge is a plus for any blogger.  Bloggers who understand the benefits of good keyword research, how to promote content, and maximizing the potential of each post, will gain a larger readership in a shorter amount of time.

Goes Against the Grain

To be a great blogger, you need to sometimes go against what everyone else is doing and do something that is away from “the norm”.  Coming up with unique ways to stand out from the crowd is a way that great bloggers get found.  It could be a post, design-related, new way of promotion, unique content delivery, or something that has never been done before in the industry.

Social Media

Generally, bloggers spend a good amount of time on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.  Being active on various social networks and engaging with people on a regular basis will help bloggers get noticed.  If you are consistently promoting other users’ content, those users will begin to notice and return the favor.  If you read other industry blogs and leave thoughtful comments or even personally contact the blog owner, this is all-important for building your network and getting noticed.

A plus for a great blogger would be being a power user on social bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit.  If you have the ability to promote content and others in the community, notice and promote it as well.

Enjoys Sharing and Helping

Great bloggers genuinely enjoy helping others.  Many bloggers blog because they want to showcase their knowledge in the industry.  Of course, that is part of why people blog, but it should not be the only reason.  Gaining satisfaction out of helping others in your industry is a trait that all great bloggers have.  Taking the time to personally reach out to someone asking a question or for thanking someone who leaves an intelligent comment on your blog is going above and beyond.  It shows that you do care about what others are saying.

Teatrófono; La cultura al alcance de todas las clases sociales

En el siglo XIX el teatro y la opera eran conocidos por ser entretenimiento exclusivo de la alta sociedad, sin embargo, las personas con menos poder adquisitivo no ignoraban su existencia y era claro que deseaban poder disfrutar de estos espectaculos.

Esta necesidad fue la que impulso al ingeniero e inventor francés, Clement Ader, en la invención de su ambicioso y novedoso proyecto. Ya que el no comprendía porque la cultura no podía estar al alcance de todas las personas. Todo un revolucionario de aquellos tiempos.

Así que, como le era imposible llevar a todas las personas al teatro, llevo el teatro a todas las personas. Creando lo que se conocía como teatrófono. Y bueno estamos de acuerdo que no es el nombre mas creativo o bonito, pero sin duda era la herramienta que cumplía con todo lo que Ader buscaba.

Esta tecnología consistía en transmitir por medio de líneas telefónicas, osea en tiempo real. El audio de la presentación que se estuviera realizando en el teatro, y vaya que el sabia lo que estaba haciendo, ya que hacia apenas un año atrás había estado directamente involucrado en la incorporación de todas las líneas telefónicas en Paris, así que podemos decir que estaba en su campo.

¿Pero como es que esto funcionaba?, pues se colocaron aproximadamente 80 transmisores telefónicos, repartidos en todo el escenario. El objetivo era crearles esa sensación tridimensional a sus cerebros, lograr que los oídos de los receptores estuvieran lo mas inmersos posibles en el ambiente del teatro o recinto donde se estuviera realizando la transmisión. (Estamos hablando de la creación de un sistema binaural muy adelantado a su tiempo.)

Diagram of the théâtrophone prototype at the Opera, during the World Exhibition in Paris

luego esta señal es enviada a una enorme  ̈central telefónica ̈ donde las señales son seleccionadas y enviadas hasta el receptor de destino.

Este receptor se encontraba en los domicilios, era muy parecido a un teléfono. Pero su mayor diferencia es que este no contaba con micrófono, solo tenia un par de auriculares, uno para cada oreja. Continuando con la lógica que el sonido fuera lo mas inmersivo posible.

Aun llevándolo a las casas y haciéndolo mucho mas económico, esta opción seguía no estando al alcance de todos. y nadie podía parar esta misión educativa y sobre todo tan buen negocio. El teatrófono se podía encontrar en los mas populares bares y restaurantes de la ciudad. Y por una moneda de 50 céntimos se podía escuchar 5 minutos del recital que se estuviera presentando o por 1 franco podías escuchar 10 min. Y así tener a un mundo mas conectado.

 

Y si era tan buena idea entonces, ¿Por qué murió el teatrófono?, es que este no murió. Evoluciono, la tecnología fue avanzando y con ella llegaron maneras mas sencillas de comunicarnos, de ofrecer servicios parecidos a este y muchos mas accesibles. Ya era muy costoso mantener un sistema como el teatrófono comparado con las nuevas tecnologías. pero no podemos olvidar la historia y los inventos que nos han ayudado a llegar a donde estamos, si hoy en día disfrutamos de plataformas digitales como spotify, Apple music o hasta el mismo YouTube es gracias a ideas innovadoras como estas.

Y nosotros, ¿Qué legado le estamos dejando a nuestras futuras generaciones? ¿de que manera nuestras innovaciones podrían evolucionar en los próximos siglos?

Fuentes: https://tecnovortex.com/un-invento-adelantado-a-su-epoca-el-teatrofono/ https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/50196/Droumeva2005.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowe d=y https://hipertextual.com/2020/05/spotify-siglo-xix-teatrofono referencias y links externos de https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Théâtrophone


Maria Fernanda Medina, de Tegucigalpa Honduras. Estudie una Lic. En Tecnología Acústica y Sonido Digital en la Universidad Galileo de la Ciudad de Guatemala he ejercido mayormente en el área de audio en vivo. De manera independiente, Y con empresas de alquiler de Audio. Desarrollándome en el área de Backline, Stagemanager y Producción. Tanto en conciertos internacionales como festivales nacionales . actualmente, mi pasión por el audio y el compromiso social que siento con mi país me han encaminado en la divulgación y educación. Faceta que exploro y disfruto cada dia mas.

 

Theatrophone – Culture within the reach of all social classes

 

In the 19th century, theater and opera were known to be exclusive entertainment of high society, however, people with less purchasing power did not ignore their existence and it was clear that they wanted to be able to enjoy these shows.

It was this need that prompted the French engineer and inventor, Clement Ader, to invent his ambitious and novel project. Since he did not understand why culture could not be available to all people. A true revolutionary of those times.

So, since it was impossible for him to bring everyone to the theater, he brought the theater to everyone. Creating what was known as a théâtrophone. And well we agree that it is not the most creative or beautiful name, but it was undoubtedly the tool that he was looking for

This technology consisted of transmitting through telephone lines, in real-time. The audio of the presentation that was taking place in the theater, and boy did he know what he was doing since just a year ago he had been directly involved in the incorporation of all the telephone lines in Paris, so we can say that was in his field.

But how did this work? Approximately 80 telephone transmitters were placed, distributed throughout the stage. The objective was to create that three-dimensional sensation in their brains, to make the ears of the receivers as immersed as possible in the environment of the theater or venue where the transmission was taking place. (We are talking about creating a binaural system well ahead of its time).

This signal is then sent to a huge “telephone exchange” where the signals are selected and sent to the destination receiver.

This receiver was in the homes, it was very similar to a phone. But its biggest difference is that it did not have a microphone, it only had a pair of headphones, one for each ear. Continuing with the logic that the sound was as immersive as possible.

Even taking it to the houses and making it much cheaper, this option was still not available to everyone. And nobody could stop this educational mission and above all, such a good business. The theater phone could be found in the most popular bars and restaurants in the city. And for a 50 cent coin, you could listen to 5 minutes of the recital that was being presented or for 1 franc you could listen to 10 min. And so have a more connected world.

 

 

And if it was such a good idea then, why did the theatrophone die? It didn’t die. It evolved, technology was advancing and with it came easier ways to communicate, to offer services similar to this, and many more accessible. It was already very expensive to maintain a system like the theater compared to new technologies. But we cannot forget the history and inventions that have helped us get to where we are if today we enjoy digital platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, or even YouTube itself, it is thanks to innovative ideas like these.

And we, what legacy are we leaving for our future generations? How could our innovations evolve in the coming centuries?

Sources:

https://tecnovortex.com/un-invento-adelantado-a-su-epoca-el-teatrofono/

https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/50196/Droumeva2005.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://hipertextual.com/2020/05/spotify-siglo-xix-teatrofono

References and external links from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Théâtrophone


Maria Fernanda Medina is from Tegucigalpa Honduras. She received a BA in Acoustic Technology and Digital Sound at the Galileo University in Guatemala City. She works in Live Sound as a sound engineer, backline tech, and production.

 

Tour Manager Marguerite Nguyen

Marguerite Nguyen is an independent tour manager who has worked in the industry for 25 years and has been on the road since 2000. She got her start working as a production assistant and has done everything from Merch to VIP ticketing and Meet & Greets. She now tour manages some of the biggest names in the industry Coldplay, BTS, Janet Jackson and Charlie Puth.

While she always loved music, she had no idea she could have a career in it. She went to college and received a degree in Mass Communications, Radio/Television Broadcasting from VCU in Richmond Virginia.  Marguerite says Honestly I chose my degree cause I just wanted an easy A. I had to go to college, that was the next step in my education career as dictated by my Asian Family. They thought I was going to be the next Connie Chung.” She spent her time at VCU on college radio and became the program director in her senior year. It was then she realized that maybe she could work behind the scenes  “I thought maybe I’d end up at NPR or similar, working behind the scenes.”

During her senior year, she had a few internships that really highlighted the path she would take. “My senior year internships were so pivotal to me. I was fortunate to be shown two roads. One I thought wanted and one I didn’t know existed. I think without the Promoter Internship which eventually led me to my mentor Matt Miley, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The promoter internship led to working with a local promoter in the ’90s. It was during this time that she realized that there were very few women tour managers and decided to set this as her goal. Working on the promoter side of things helped her immensely to learn the business. Her mentor Matt Miley would eventually offer her a touring gig with The Indigo Girls. From there hard work, gaining experience, and a great attitude led to her successful career working with some pop’s biggest acts.

We asked Marguerite a few questions about her job

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I have to say, I love touring and my job. The travel. Making people smile. I love everything about it. I love a daily routine but at the same time, troubleshooting whatever comes my way. And accomplishing impossible tasks. It’s not rocket science. We aren’t curing Cancer over here.

We all work really hard to make that show happen, being away from our homes, families, partners, etc.  So whatever I can do to make people’s days go by better + have a laugh at the same time – I’m in.

What do you like least?

I guess what I like least is that there are people in the world that want to make things more difficult vs easier.

What is your favorite day off activity?

My day off activities have been long gone. (note tour managers do not have days off) But I do like discovering good food in different places around the world. And seeing old friends in said towns.

What are your long term goals

I don’t really have aspirations to be a manager or go higher than where I am currently. I’ve always wanted to be a TM and I’ve done it at a level I never thought I’d be at. Oh one thing actually to retire before being sent home in a box.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced? How have you dealt with them?

I think every woman in every industry in the world has faced hardships in some sort of fashion. For me, it’s been sexism, ageism and racism. I try not to let it bother me, I mean I know it’s there, in my face all the time. But I’ve been fortunate to be around a great team of people who support me in those trying times. Ultimately, the less energy you give it the less power it has.

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

Be kind. Be kind to everyone and not the proverbial you see the same people going up as you see going down.

I treat my singer the same as my runner as the security guy sitting outside my office and the cleaning staff that do rounds during the day.

Never stop learning.

Hone your craft. Perfect it.

Favorite gear?

Tumi Luggage, Good Tennis Shoes and Sunscreen.

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

 

SoundGirls Living History Project

The SoundGirls Living History project is a collection of interviews with audio industry veterans. The project seeks to highlight the careers and achievements of women and underrepresented groups in audio. Interviews are conducted by SoundGirls members, with guidance from experienced interviewers in the audio industry.

For interview subjects, the program can be a way to share your story to an audience who may not know what the industry used to be like, or about the types of jobs that women have performed in the industry for decades. Interviews will be available publicly in our Living History Project and for educational use and research and through our social media, YouTube channel, and The SoundGirls Podcast.

The oral history interviews are typically unedited and will be archived in their original form.

Subject Requirements

The types of interview subjects we are looking to include in the project (only need to meet one of these requirements):

Why participate?

For a volunteer interviewer, doing an interview can give you an opportunity to spend time (virtually) with a professional you may not normally get to talk to. You will also be contributing to sharing stories that might not be heard otherwise. During the pandemic, interviews are a good way to get some social interaction, learn something new, and have something unique to add to your resume.

The total time commitment for one interview is 2-3 hours. Interviews will be 1-2 hours in length, require some basic research (internet search) to find background information on your subject (to help with questions), plus time to write questions (with guidance). Interviews take place by Zoom.

For interview subjects, the program can be a way to share your story to an audience who may not know what the industry used to be like, or about the types of jobs that women have performed in the industry for decades.

Proposals

Proposals are open to SoundGirls members. If you are interested in doing an interview for the project, please email soundgirls@soundgirls.org and include:

Completed Interviews

 

 

 

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