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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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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

 

 

 

How to be an Ally for Marginalized Groups in Audio

It’s time to stop talking about the lack of diversity in the audio industry. and do something about it. In order to do this, we need to understand the barriers marginalized groups face, institutionalized sexism and racism, double standards, and unconscious bias. This will be a continuing series and this first webinar will two-parts.

August 13 and August 20

2 PM to 4 PM PST

Register for August 13

Register for August 20

Moderator

MIKE BANGS – GEORGE STRAIT AEROSMITH, ERIC CLAPTON, KATY PERRY, TOM PETTY, LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Mike Bangs 20+ year career includes experiences as a monitor engineer and production manager for A-list acts including Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, George Strait, Katy Perry, Tom Petty, Kid Rock, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. An early advocate of live digital mixing, Bangs assisted a multitude of others in making the transition from analog in the early 2000s. A pioneer in surfaceless mixing that naturally gravitated to Allen & Heath, he built a close relationship with the manufacturer and ultimately joined the company to provide support to those on the road using dLive mixing systems.

Panelists

JERRY LOPEZ – EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS, CHICANO BATMAN, THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Named one the best LA-area live sound engineers by LA Weekly, Jerry Lopez mixes it up between running his own production company (Jerry Rig Audio) and engineering for some of the top acts in the world. Over the last 25 years he has mixed and supported a diverse range of acts like Run The Jewels, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Chicano Batman, and The Neighbourhood.

KARRIE KEYES – PEARL JAM, EDDIE VEDDER, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SONIC YOUTH

Hailing from Los Angeles, Karrie has spent the last 29 plus years as the monitor engineer for Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder. Karrie started out doing sound for punk bands in Los Angeles in 1986 under the tutelage of Dave Rat of Rat Sound, where she spent twenty years helping to establish the company. She was able to gain an immense amount of hands-on experience and technical knowledge at Rat, which eventually led to her becoming the monitor engineer for The Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1990-2000. She first met and started working with Pearl Jam who opened for RHCP on their 1991-1992 Blood Sugar Sex Magic Tour. She has worked with Sonic Youth, Fugazi, and Neil Young.

JIM YAKABUSKI – VAN HALEN, AVRIL LAVIGNE, MATCHBOX TWENTY

With nearly 40 years as a professional sound reinforcement engineer, Jim started out mixing as club bands in western Canada in the early 1980s. He soon transitioned to a role as a concert staff engineer at dB Sound and the rest is history. Even with a packed schedule of writing pro audio books, penning articles for top industry magazines, mixing Peter Frampton, Journey, Avril Lavigne, Van Halen, Gwen Stefani, Matchbox 20 and basically any huge name band you can think of — Jim always has time to talk about the latest mix techniques, the coolest gear and fun audio tips and tricks.

DANA WACHS – MGMT, ST. VINCENT, M.I.A

A Brooklyn based Audio Engineer, Tour Manager, and Composer/Musician. Dana started her career in music in 1994, as bass player for the Dischord band Holy Rollers, which ignited her interest in live sound, after a national tour supporting 7 Year Bitch. Her first foray into the practice of live sound began after that at the Black Cat DC, and later the infamous 9:30 club.

Dana’s first national tour was as TM/FOH for Peaches supporting Queens of the Stone Age in 2002.  Her first International tour quickly followed in 2003 with Cat Power.  Since then, touring has kept her on the road 9 to 11 months out of the year with bands such as MGMT, St. Vincent, M.I.A., Grizzly Bear, Foster the People, Nils Frahm, Deerhunter, and Jon Hopkins to name a few.

Outside of touring, Dana composes and performs under the name Vorhees, with two releases on Styles Upon Styles (Brooklyn), and is currently composing her first feature film score.

SALIM AKRAM – BAD RABBITS, BILLIE EILISH

A multitalented and diverse musician, songwriter and engineer, Salim Akram is currently mixing monitors for pop superstar Billie Eilish (2020 Grammy Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year winner). When he isn’t behind an Allen & Heath dLive mixing console on sold-out global tour dates, he can be heard playing guitar at festivals and on tour with bands such as the post-R & B futuristic funk-punk group Bad Rabbits.

Webinar Part One

We will discuss

Institutionalized sexism and racism

How unconscious bias affects who is hired

Each of our panelists will share their experiences and insights on how we can move towards an inclusive industry where people are judged and hired on their skills vs. gender and race.

Questions and Answers

Webinar Part Two

We will discuss double standards, toxic masculinity, and creating a safe work environment for all.

We will be providing resources and checklists unconscious bias and sexism and racism.

Steps you can take personally take to be an ally.

Creating a safe work environment for all

Questions and Answers

Sexual Harassment in the Industry Seminar

SoundGirls will be hosting Kim Warnick, the Executive Director of Calling All Crows, Kim has over a decade of sexual violence prevention and response experience, including a specialized focus on workplace sexual violence since 2016, and six years of music industry experience, she was uniquely situated to design and lead the #HereForTheMusic campaign to prevent sexual violence at concerts and festivals.

The seminar will cover:

Kim Warnick, the Executive Director of Calling All Crows, is a professional with program design, project management, event production, facilitation, and communications experience in corporate, start-up, and nonprofit organizations. With a decade of sexual violence prevention and response experience, including a specialized focus on workplace sexual violence since 2016, and 6 years of music industry experience, she was uniquely situated to design and lead the #HereForTheMusic campaign to prevent sexual violence at concerts and festivals. After 9 tours with 3 different artists, she has opted to get off the road and settle into Long Beach, CA, a westward migration from spending most of her life in NH and MA. She holds a BA in Sociology from Harvard University, where her studies focused on social movements, organizational culture, and conflict and peacebuilding, including an intensive study in Rwanda.

 

SoundGirls Activity Pages

 

With each passing month, my little SoundGirl is growing by leaps and bounds.  This past month she started walking, and the month before that she figured out dancing.  Before long she should be able to hold a crayon without eating it first.  This is really exciting because there is an abundance of coloring pages for her to explore and learn from.  Taking a page from Sylvia Massy (check out the coloring books based on Recording Unhinged), I thought I would share some coloring and activity pages for SoundGirls of almost any age to enjoy.

Review of BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover

Review of BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover

I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw Spitfire Audio was offering a smaller version of their BBC Symphony Orchestra titled ‘Discover’ at an affordable £49. Not only this but if users can’t afford the ‘buy it now’ price, Discover is available for free if you complete a short questionnaire and wait 14 days to download.

What is BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover?

So how and why has Spitfire done this? The concept behind Discover is to create an accessible gateway into orchestral composition for music creators at every level. Discover is a smaller version of larger BBCSO editions and features the same professional and detailed recording process for 33 instruments and 47 techniques, but is under 200MB.

Download and installation

The download process for BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover is extremely clear and simple, and options are given for choosing from a version for either Mac OS X 10.10 or later, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Windows 7, 8 or 10, Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64X2. Once you’ve selected the correct option for your computer, you can then open BBCSO as a plugin that is compatible with most music creation software and DAWs. The download and installation was quick, with easy to follow instructions and took a matter of minutes.

The Instrument Sounds

As soon as I’d installed BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover, I was like an excited kid, eager to open a project and start making noise. The first thing that struck me was the realism of the instrument sounds; Spitfire Audio did not skimp on the quality in Discover, and I was instantly impressed. Another element that I appreciated was that Spitfire kept the playable range of each instrument voice true-to-life; a decision that not only keeps the caliber of the sound where it should be but one that will also benefit learners who are finding their way around the orchestra.

The controls available to each instrument are intuitive and easy to navigate in the plugin window, and everything is labeled clearly. All instruments have three sliders that control the amount of expression, dynamics, and reverb.

Playing techniques are specific to each instrument, with options including long vibrato, spiccato, pizzicato and tremolo on all strings (minus tremolo on double bass). Woodwind and brass instruments offer long or staccatissimo. The percussion section provides realistic staccatissimo techniques for harp plucks, celeste, timpani hits and untuned percussion, tubular bells, marimba, xylophone and glockenspiel.

Another unexpected surprise in the plugin window is the easy editing option of instrument tuning, panning and volume controls.

Advanced Articulation

Depending on which DAW you are using, your articulation controls and methods will vary. Babylonwaves have created free Cubase Expression Maps and Logic Articulation Sets which are created to assist those who are struggling with these elements in Discover. This can be really helpful for learning and understanding how articulation can be used, and this shortcut should add to the creative experience rather than feeling like a separate and arduous task. The Babylonwaves free download is available here. https://www.babylonwaves.com/2020/05/07/free-art-conductor-for-spitfire-bbcso-discovery/

Other notable points

The library can be installed on up to two computers at a time, which is a nice option for people on the go, who are away from their main workstation. Spitfire has made it easy to copy the downloaded folder over to other devices for this purpose. With this in mind, owners of the Professional and Core versions of BBCSO will automatically receive Discover for free, and all editions are fully interchangeable and compatible with each other thanks to mode switching technology. The other editions of BBCSO are Core at £399, and Professional, which is £899.

The approach Spitfire Audio has taken with the BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover edition is one that provides high-quality instrument sounds to all, while also offering an insight into the more advanced packages that users can aspire to own when they have maximised their options and need to move on up. Personally, I can’t praise Spitfire’s approach enough; they have created a truly accessible option for orchestral composition without fault – there’s no catch, no compromise on quality and no hard sell. Discover is a highly pleasing product that stands alone, delivers more than expected, and authentically supports music makers and composers of the future.

You can find out more about BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover and download here: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/bbcso/discover/

 

 

 

The Power Of Audio

The online podcasting space is a playground for creators to innovate, connect and influence. What was once an underground movement is now an oversaturated market of opportunity for brands to speak to their customers directly. The development and global reach of podcasts continue to show how digital-first talent can create a streamlined partnership between their unique content and a brand, leading to what can be a successful revenue stream for both parties. However, with the widespread belief that “everyone has a podcast”, the challenge becomes how to stand out, create distinctive formats and effectively position sponsors within podcasts. It is important to note how podcasts can give a voice to smaller companies and niche markets in a succinct way. Conversations around branded partnerships on podcasts have escalated as the combination of creativity, a new platform and a new audience is increasingly attractive to brands.

With wide-ranging genres and topics, podcasts are increasingly pertinent in the media world to compete with the constant production of online content. The new wave of podcasting has increased the number of online places you can go to for information. There is an unlimited possibility for people to learn from others. The function of a podcast does not always have to be educational; most are far from it. Many comedians have turned to podcasts as a way to showcase their best work, edited in a way in which suits them. There are very few unedited, raw podcasts as producers lean towards a more stylishly finished piece with soundbites, clean-cut features and intro/outro music. All these different styles could look to integrate a brand partner that matches the themes and tones of the conversations.

YouTube once acted as the progressive powerhouse, a petri dish of creativity. It was an evolutionary form of “edutainment”. Too many podcasts jumping out of our screens every day may suck the creative content out of the world if every comedy duo around starts to host their own weekly conversational podcast. The sponsored messaging within podcasts must continue to evolve and represent current climates and global situations. Both brands and hosts of podcasts must work together to design creative, relatable and concise ad breaks within the episodes. We are living in a world of constant search to experience real-life through a virtual form, whether that be via audio or video. We are also becoming more distracted, 64% of young people are “online” when watching TV (Social Chain, 2018). This means that podcasts must move with the times and speak to their audiences honestly and authentically, becoming more creative with every change they make in order to maintain our attention.

New forms of immaterial, digital labour envelope our everyday lives.  Podcasting can be a form of labour in which you are constantly immersed. In order to network and succeed, you could always record one more episode, the belief being that the risk of becoming irrelevant is managed through social connections. What must be avoided is the tragic love story of creativity and success. Creative media appeals to those with a forward-looking vision. Listeners could be described as the “losers that keep waiting to be seen”, the dreamers amongst us that place value on positivity. Podcasters can weaponise nostalgia, hitting us with anecdotes, comedy sketches and old-school ways of living, allowing escapism from the real world. If a brand can produce messaging and continuously engaging information via an ad read, listeners will return for more and be more likely to investigate the product or service being advertised and brands can ensure the value is felt with full effect.

Film and television often represent historical standards of unfair representation and social norms, whereas podcasts by new wave millennials advocate more activism in the media industry to encourage inclusive, multi-faceted and ambitious creations. The influence on attitudes via audio-visual communication and advertising can be staggering. Challenging conversations lead to progression. This activism will increase the integrity of creative industries. It is interesting to evaluate the difference in influence between mainstream television and radio programmes and new media. Presenters of television and radio can often feel detached from their audience. Particularly when working with unbiased corporations, where they’re unable to promote or discuss any of their own opinions. This means that the audience, although engaging in their millions, does not know anything about the personal life of the person they are watching. They are not invested in their lives. They have no attachment. In contrast, digital-first talent has amassed their following by being open and honest online and giving their truthful opinions on everything ranging from food to politics to veganism. In the current climate of hedonistic lifestyles, it is unsurprising that online social media talent can influence audiences more than mainstream media. Taking this into consideration, it could be confidently suggested that partnering with podcasts is a great way to reach new audiences and provide clear explanations of what a certain brand may offer.

As podcasts provide copious amounts of content with the offer of inspiration, ideas and advice to make business and life decisions, they can be incredibly influential. You feel connected to a person through headphones, carrying out active listening such as nodding your head, laughing or verbally agreeing with someone that is not physically there. It is an exciting time for brands to be involved with a new wave of creative entrepreneurs that are using a simple medium to build global connections around the world. Podcasts whether they be educational, comical, fiction or everything in between bring people together in a shared moment of relatability. Quick and easy listening styles of podcasts sponsorships leave people wanting more and the content can be made personal to all listeners. Brands should be on the lookout for a podcast partner that matches their brand values and demographic, as it will enable them to reach a new audience using a creative and effective ad format.

Anti Racism Discussion Group – August 9th at NOON PST

Anti Racism Discussion Group

Several of our members have asked that we start a discussion group on Anti-Racism Work.

We are forming a monthly discussion group, where we will study on our own a video, essay, book, etc. and then meet to discuss what we have learned and how we can apply it to creating a more inclusive industry.

For our first discussion we will watch

Ibram X. Kendi’s Lecture on How to be an Antiracist, at UC Berkeley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxa43H8m034

We will discuss key questions from the How to Be an Anti-Racist Book Club 

And explore and share our experiences within the industry.

If you want to read the book we encourage you to do so. You can order How to Be An Anti Racist directly from the publisher here or from your favorite Independent Bookseller. Consider ordering books from a black-owned bookstore find one here.

This discussion group will be in a safe space and we are working on rules to keep all members safe. We will be sending these out with the Zoom Link.

August 9th at NOON-2 PM PST – 3 to 5 PM EST.

This discussion is planned for 2 hours.

Register here

Why Anti-Racist work?

Using an anti-racist intersectional frame

An anti-racist intersectional frame recognizes all the different ways people and communities experience racism with respect to their identities. An anti-racist frame also recognizes that racism both in the United States & abroad is grounded in and motivated by anti-Black racism. Therefore, an anti-racist intersectional frame provides a conceptual tool to examine institutional and systemic oppression that Black, Indigenous & People of Colour (BIPOC) face because of both their race and identities while providing a guiding approach for working with and in communities and systems to create a more just and equitable society.

How does anti-racist work intersect with sexism and misogyny in the music industry? Intersectional theory asserts that people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression: their race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers.

An anti-racist intersectional frame is an action-orientated frame. It critiques society’s structure and its treatment of people and communities while providing a guiding approach for how to work towards a more just and equitable society.

Definitions

Central to using a frame is developing a shared language. The following breaks down individual concepts as a means to better understand what an anti-racist intersectional frame entails.

Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and challenging racism, by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices, and attitudes to redistribute power in an equitable manner.

Anti-Black Racism is any attitude, behavior, practice, or policy that explicitly or implicitly reflects the belief that Black people are inferior to another racial group. Anti-Black racism is reflected in interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels of racism and is a function of white supremacy

A racist idea is any concept that regards one racial group as inferior or superior to another racial group in any way.

Intersectionality is a concept and frame coined by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, to describe the ways in which race, class, gender, and other aspects of our identity “intersect” overlap and interact with one another, informing the way in which individuals simultaneously experience oppression and privilege in their daily lives interpersonally and systemically. Intersectionality promotes the idea that aspects of our identity do not work in a silo. Intersectionality, then, provides a basis for understanding how these individual identity markers work with one another.

Resources on Anti-Racist Work and Intersectionality

HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Intersectionality?

Intersectionality Matters: A Conversation with Kimberlé Crenshaw

SoundGirls Anti-Racist Resources

 

Introduction to LRADs

With the recent protests over the killing of George Floyd, the Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) and other acoustic weapons used by police have been making headlines once again. Since these devices are most commonly deployed against nonviolent protestors for crowd control, I thought it would be useful to give a brief overview of their development, use, and most importantly, how to protect yourself.

A Brief History of the LRAD

The LRAD, like many other police devices, was originally a military weapon. Work on “sound cannons” began in 2000, after an al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole [7]. The goal was to create a device that could be used to communicate with possible threats from a distance and disperse them with a high-pitched alarm sound if needed.

Developed by what is now Genasys Inc. (formerly the LRAD Corporation), the LRAD quickly spread from the Navy to the Army, before crossing over into law enforcement [6]. Since its adoption, the LRAD has been deployed domestically against protesters at protests such as Standing Rock, the Women’s March on DC, Occupy Wall St, and the Eric Garner protests. It has also been widely adopted by law enforcement worldwide [7]. Domestically, a Genasys Inc. press release from June proudly lists police departments in Portland Ore., San Jose, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, Columbus, Charleston, and Ft. Lauderdale as just some of the 250+ cities in which police have deployed LRADs recently [3], [6].

The LRAD 100x

The version of the LRAD that protestors are most likely to encounter is the LRAD 100x, although they may encounter other models affixed to vehicles or helicopters. A lightweight model marketed to police departments, the LRAD 100x may be standalone or worn by officers. The 100x peaks at roughly 137 dB, emits a 30˚ beam of sound with up to 5500 meters, and is loud enough to cause pain within 20 meters [5]. Like all LRAD devices, it operates within a limited frequency range of 200 Hz – 10,000 Hz, which means that the tones produced overlap with the most sensitive part of our hearing: the range of human speech [4]. This model may be used to communicate with targets directly, play pre-recorded messages, or emit painful tones intended to disperse people.

Questionable Safety

The peak volume of an LRAD can range from 140 dB to 160 dB, depending on the model. For context, according to the CDC, noise above 70 dB for a prolonged period of time is where your hearing begins to damage. Noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears. 140 dB is where you may feel physical side effects along with hearing loss. 160 dB is where eardrums can burst [8].

Despite their widespread use against civilians, very little research has been done into the long-term effects of acoustic weapons. Temporary and permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, nausea, migraines, disorientation, ear damage, and lasting sensitivity to loud noises are just some of the reported symptoms [2]. The damage caused by LRADs can also be exacerbated by police who are not properly trained on how to manipulate dispersal tone characteristics, do not use them at the recommended distance, or simply do not care about their targets. The ACLU and Physicians for Human Rights are two of many groups that are calling for the suspension of LRAD use by police [1]. Several excessive force suits have been filed against various police departments regarding their use of LRADs and other sound cannons on protestors, including a successful one in Pittsburgh and an ongoing one against the New York Police Department [2].

Protecting Yourself and Your Hearing

Since LRADs have a peak volume ranging from 140 dB – 160 dB, it is extremely important to be informed. A small amount of exposure to such high-volume sounds can have lasting effects.

 

Sources

  1. “Acoustic Weapons Fact Sheet”. ACLU [Online]. Available: https://www.aclu.org/fact-sheet/acoustic-weapons-fact-sheet (accessed July 9, 2020).
  2. B. Kesslen. “’Plug your ears and run’: NYPD’s use of sound cannons is challenged in federal court.” NBC News [Online]. Available: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plug-your-ears-run-nypd-s-use-sound-cannons-challenged-n1008916 (accessed June 29, 2020).
  3. ‘Genasys™ Inc. LRAD® Systems Deployed by First Responders and Law Enforcement for Critical Crowd Communications’, 2020 [Online]. Available: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/06/04/2043685/0/en/Genasys-Inc-LRAD-Systems-Deployed-by-First-Responders-and-Law-Enforcement-for-Critical-Crowd-Communications.html (accessed Jul. 29, 2020).
  4. L. Peskoe-Yang. “How to Dodge the Sonic Weapons Used by the Police.” Popular Mechanics [Online]. Available: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a32892398/what-is-lrad-sonic-weapon-protests/ (accessed June 29, 2020).
  5. “LRAD 2018-2019 Product Guide”. Genasys Inc. [Online]. Available:
  6. N. Khan. “Defend and Protect”. The California Sunday Magazine [Online]. Available: https://story.californiasunday.com/long-range-acoustic-device (accessed June 30, 2020).
  7. W. Nicol. “What is LRAD? The ‘sound cannon’ used by police, explained.” Digital Trends [Online]. Available: https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/what-is-lrad-sonic-cannon-explained/ (accessed Jun. 29, 2020).
  8. “What Noises Cause Hearing Loss?” CDC [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html (accessed June 29, 2020).

 

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