The Ground Breakers | The Next Generation | Kick Ass Women in the Music Industry
The Ground Breakers
Giving Back to the Audio Community – Lenise Bent
Producer/engineer LENISE BENT is one of the first women recording engineers and has worked on many iconic records including “Aja” by Steely Dan, “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp and “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac. She was also the first woman to receive a platinum album for engineering on Blondie’s AutoAmerican.When Music and Science Collide – Darcy Proper
Darcy Proper became the first female engineer to win the GRAMMY for the Best Surround Sound Album category in 2008 for Donald Fagen’s “Morph the Cat” album. Darcy not only achieved these despite being a minority in her field, she accomplished these while she lived thousands of miles away from the center of the American ...Helping Filmmakers Tell a Story – Deb Adair – Re-Recording Mixer
Deb Adair is a freelance re-recording mixer. Deb has been nominated for an Oscar (for the film Moneyball), has won three Emmys and nominated for an additional five, and has won two Golden Reel awards as Sound Supervisor. In the past couple of years her film credits include Entourage, Pele, and KeanuFrom “Girl Engineer” to Re-Recording Mixer – Sherry Klein
Sherry Klein is an Emmy-nominated re-recording mixer and a pioneer of women in audio in both music and television. Sherry became a recording engineer at Larrabee Studios in the late 1970s – one of a handful of female engineers in Los Angeles at the time and possibly one of the only female re-recording mixers in ...Dedication and Perseverance – Meegan Holmes
Meegan Holmes has worked in live sound for over 25 years doing everything from system teching to mixing monitors and FOH. She is now in Global Sales for one of the largest sound system providers in the world, 8th Day Sound – Los Angeles.University of Crash and Burn – Rebecca Wilson
“Mixing a club tour tends to be your first step as an engineer. It’s hard knocks, different gear, various spaces, nothing is ever the same. A lot of club gear it is broken, blown and bad, but that’s where I learned the most about phase reversal and troubleshooting. Clubs tours can accelerate one’s understanding of ...Kira Roessler – Bass Player, Roadie, Fan, Academy Award Winner
Kira Roessler might not view herself as a groundbreaker and even downplays the fact that she has been paving the way for women in male-dominated fields for most of her adult life. She is a bass player, singer, and songwriter and is best known for her work with Black Flag and Dos.Norah Seed – Finding your Dream Job
Norah always hung out with the FOH engineers and asked a million questions about how stuff worked and why they did what they were doing. Norah loved the technical aspect of how things workedCynthia Daniels – Taking the Leap and Living Your Passion
Featured Profile: Cynthia Daniels Cynthia is an embodiment of someone living the dream despite the odds stacked against her. Succeeding in a male-dominated industry and making a living in music, doing what she lovesBecky Pell – Audio Dharma
Independent engineer Becky Pell has been working in Live Sound for the past 20 years. She’s been Monitor Engineer for Aha, Il Divo, Muse,Darryn de la Soul- Passing it on to the next generation
Audio Engineer and creator of Soulsound.co.uk, Darryn de la Soul is passionate about taking the knowledge she and other engineers have gained through experience and passing it on and helping qualified people find work.Adventures in Sound
Live Sound Engineer Kim Greiss has been working in the business since the early 90s. Having spent years at such San Fran fixtures as the Warfield, Shoreline, Slims and the Filmore, Kim also has done her share of touring.A Walk in the Park- Magali Couturier
Magali Couturier has been working as an independent Monitor Engineer for 19 years. She’s toured with The Dandy Warhols, Rufus Wainwright, My Bloody Valentine, Gary Numan, Duffy, Nick Lowe, Natasha Beddingfield and more.Karen Kane – Woodstock Inspires A Life in Music
Inspired after attending Woodstock in 1969, Karen Kane began a journey that would start by learning to play music and wind up forty years later as a well respected audio engineer with countless awards to her name, owning a professional studio, and teaching the next generation of audio engineers.The Ones That Make it Have a Gift- Melissa Britton
Independent engineer Melissa Britton has been mixing monitors for Jazz great Dave Koz since 2001. She spent her early days mixing five nights/week in night clubs and working for Dowlen Sound in Colorado.Traveling the Long Road – Karrie Keyes
Beginning her career in live sound at the age of 18, Karrie Keyes has been the monitor engineer for Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder for 24 years. She’s also spent 10 years 1990-2000 as monitor engineer for Red Hot Chili Peppers and has mixed a very diverse list of additional artists.It’s about the Music- Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato
With a career that spans more than 25 years, Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato has made a living mixing FOH for a wide variety of artists and musical styles. Starting with the band ‘Spin Doctors’ in 1992, Michelle has been touring the world as an independent FOH Engineer, mixing major label artists.High Tech Gypsy – Amy Powelson
Amy Powelson goes where the work is and where the wind blows, working in professional audio for over 20 years. Amy most commonly works as a FOH engineer for corporate and broadcast events, and as a monitor engineer on festivals.Teaching the Next Generation: Barbara Adams
Barbara Adams has a full plate. Not only is she the Full time House Engineer at Tin Angel- a listening room in Philadelphia, part time engineer at World Cafe Live, also in Phili.,Leslie Ann Jones- Part two
Leslie Ann Jones Part TwoLeslie Ann Jones- Having the Courage to Raise Your Hand
Multiple Grammy winning Recording Engineer Leslie Ann Jones is a true trailblazer. A most respected and revered engineer among her peers with a career spanning decades, Leslie has had the pleasure of working with many incredibly talented artists PART 1…Claudia Engelhart – Attention to Detail
Claudia Engelhart has been working in live sound for the last 30 Years. Raised by artists and musicians in Berkeley, CA, Claudia began her live sound career at the legendary jazz room Keystone Korner in San Francisco.Kathy Sander- The First of the Five Percent
Kathy Sander was one of the first women sound technicians on tour. She did her first tour in 1974, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and went on to be the first women audio technician on tour with Clair Bros.
The Next Generation
Karol Urban – Sound and Storytelling
Karol Urban CAS MPSE (Grey’s Anatomy, New Girl, Station 19, Band Aid, Breaking 2, #Realityhigh) re-recording mixer, has built a diverse list of mix credits spanning work on feature films, TV series (scripted and unscripted), TV movies, and documentaries over the last 18 years. Describing herself as “part tech geek and creative film nerd” she ...Catherine Vericolli – Owner, Operator, and Manager of Fivethirteen
Catherine Vericolli has been working in professional audio since 2003 and is the owner, operator, and manager of Fivethirteen a professional recording studio in Phoneix, Arizona. In her spare time, she teaches audio at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, AZ, co-edits Pink Noise Magazine and speaks on industry-related panels.The Road from Montreal to Louisville – Anne Gauthier
Anne Gauthier is a self-taught independent recording engineer, producer, and drummer originally from Montreal, Canada. She just became the head engineer at La La Land in Louisville, KY.Daniela Seggewiss – Time Flies When You Are Doing What You Love
In the end, it all comes down to the ability to make it happen, which in my opinion is one of the main characteristics of the live sound / live concert industry. There is no second chance. We have the one chance to get it right so if something goes wrong we look around and ...Heather Augustine – Patience, flexibility, and persistence
Heather Augustine’s introduction to theatre sound happened almost by accident. Now Head of Sound for the US National Tour of Les Misérables, she recalls how in high school, it was initially acting that drew her to theatre, “I loved that idea that in theatre you can break the mold and push boundaries.” It was a surplus ...Natalia Ramirez – Tuning her way into the music industry
As a young violin player from Medellin, Colombia, Natalia Ramirez never imagined becoming the GRAMMY and Latin Grammy multi-awarded producer’s right hand.Anna Frick – Being Fed by the Universe
Mastering Engineer at Airshow Anna Frick got her start in high school producing an album for a friend that was a singer-songwriter. She had no idea what a producer did or what the job responsibilities were, but they ended up recording and producing an album.Finding the Gems – Grace Banks
Grace Banks is an independent studio engineer based in London, UK. She has worn many hats in the field including recording engineer, mix engineer, musician, producer, and composer.From Stage to FOH – Alice Wilder
Alice Wilder is a Front Of House engineer based out of New York City. She currently works for M.I.A., Wolf Parade, and Austra, and has done FOH for Foxygen, Divine Fits, Sleigh Bells, The Drums and Diana amongst others, as well as monitors for Third Eye Blind.This is Why I Do This Job – Caroline Sanchez
Caroline Sanchez works in Broadcast Audio as an A2, RF Tech, and Pro Tools Op on recording trucks. She also works in live sound as an A2 and AV work. Sanchez is freelance and regularly works for ABC, NBC, MTV, and Music Mix Mobile.Breaking Tradition – Brinda Sreenivas
Brinda Sreenivas is a Freelance Sound Engineer from India. Born in Bangalore – India, her early life was filled with music, teaching herself to play piano by ear but this fell off when her parents were unable to send her to piano lessons. Her passion for the music industry never died even though she knew ...Erika Earl – Always be yes-sing! (say it out loud)
Practice, patience, and a relentless desire to succeed -Erika Earl is the Director of Hardware Engineering at Slate Digital where she directs teams and engineers in the technical development of hardware products from concept to launch.A Life in Insurance Diverted – Holly Ann “Boots” Latcham
Boots almost quit sound – signing up for classes with the Farmer’s Insurance Company, she was one test away from becoming a licensed insurance agent, when she got an email from Bobnet.org. It was a call looking for a Minneapolis based engineer to work with an up and coming band. “Thinking I had nothing left ...Riding the Roller Coaster of Live Sound – Rena Kozak
“Do not be intimidated by anyone. You have as much or more right to be there as anyone else”.Bella Blasko – Creating a Safe & Supportive Environment in the Recording Studio
At first I was intimidated by all of the gear, but now I’m so comfortable in the studio, and I want to help the musicians I work with to feel at ease in that environment as well.From the Mosh Pits of Orange County – Whitney Olpin
My best advice is whatever path you choose, make sure you live every moment. Get the most out of every relationship and connection you make along the way. I’ve been doing audio for only six years now, but not once has someone looked at my resume. I would be ignorant to say I’ve gotten to ...Beckie Campbell – Versatility and Passion
Being pleasant and communicating properly without being a jerk, or having her defenses up, helps toward being treated as an equal member of the team. There are always exceptions to this rule, but by following her own advice, Beckie is still working and making it in this industry saying your character will take you much ...Kirsty Gillmore – A Diverse and Rewarding Career
Kirsty’s message is about being consistent, persistent and open to opportunities. She says “It’s great to have your heart set on a particular career in sound but don’t be put off if that doesn’t pan out at first. Once you know the fundamentals of sound, you can apply them to lots of different career ...On the Go With Jessica Berg
Must have skills include: a positive attitude, showing up on time, perseverance, having a solid understanding of signal flow, training your ear to hear different frequencies, time management, ability to take charge when needed, ability to troubleshoot technical issues and/or find resources, remaining calm under pressure, and being able to maintain a professional demeanorTiffany Hendren – Dedication, Hard Work and Emotion
As a full-time sound engineer, she is involved in making people feel the emotion in the music the way that she does, albeit a little differently. Whether it’s pushing up the fader for a particularly awesome guitar solo or dialing in the perfect vocal effect for a more intimate song, it’s hugely rewarding to watch ...On the Road with Jenny Douglas
Jenny Douglas is a front of house engineer and tour manager. She has worked with numerous artists including In This Moment, Walls of Jericho, Napalm Death, Stick To Your Guns, Amity Affliction, Relient K, New Found Glory, Russian Circles, Senses Fail and The Get Up Kids.Cedar House Productions Co-Owner – Suzie Brutke-Smurdon
Suzie Brutke-Smurdon has always loved music and knew she wanted to be involved in the music industry, but being a musician and performing in front of a crowd was not for her. Instead, she started looking at audio engineering with a plan of going into music production. She is now the Co-Owner of Cedar ...Catharine Wood – Producer, Engineer and Owner of Planetwood Productions
Catharine Wood is a professional mix, mastering, and audio post-production engineer. She produces singer-songwriters, composes music for film and television and owns and operates her own Los Angeles-based studio, Planetwood Productions.Megan Benavente – Passion for Music
Megan Benavente is a freelance engineer based in Los Angeles and is one of the FOH Engineers at the legendary Troubadour, one of the best rock clubs in Los Angeles.Michelle Desachy – Fighter – Forging a Path
Growing up in Mexico City, where the environment and cultural ideology is definitely patriarchal, Michelle believes it is still open for women. That there are as many opportunities for women as men, but you must be prepared and not be afraid to knock on doors. Then take the opportunities when they are presented. Michelle says ...The Road to 23db Productions – Fela Davis
By Karrie Keyes Fela Davis graduated from Full Sail University in 2002 and works as a live sound and recording engineer. Last year she started 23db Productions with Denis Orynbekov. 23db Productions offers multi-track recordings to bands that Fela and Denis work with. 23db Productions offer mixing and mastering and music production services and produce social ...Pro Audio Girl – April Tucker
April Tucker works in post production sound and currently works for 20th Century Fox and as an independent freelancer. She started her career in post production in 2004 and has been doing freelance work since 2007.Thriving on Chaos – Karen Weigold
By Maxx Brunet Karen “Keeks” Weigold grew up in Toronto, Ontario (Canada). She was always passionate about arts, and spent the first 18 years of her life as a dancer. When the time came to apply for post-secondary education, her love for the entertainment industry pushed her to attend the Toronto Film School’s Sound Industry Program. ...Breaking the Barriers of Sound from Colombia
Never think that just because you are the only girl in the group, you are less capable of doing things. Just because we can’t lift 50 pounds with our arms, it doesn’t mean that we are not good audio engineers. I have met a lot of women that get discouraged because they believe that there ...Attitude is Everything
Independent Engineer Amanda Davis is currently on tour mixing FOH for Janelle Monae. Although she started out briefly in the studio world she quickly found that Live Sound was where she wanted to be.Hooked on Live Sound
Chez is an independent sound engineer based out of Los Angeles that enjoys work surrounding FOH, including mixing, teching, and designing sound systems. She is currently touring with the artist, LP (iamLP.com) as her Tour Manager and FOH Engineer. Chez started her career in sound by attending the Art Institute of Seattle where she studied ...Exploring EDM – Producer – DJ – ARIES DENG
Aries Deng is a Los Angeles-based DJ & EDM producer. Born in Beijing, China, Aries moved to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue her love for music during her high school years.Mr. SoundLady – Rachel Ryan
Rachel Ryan has been working as an independent audio engineer for the last eleven years. She is currently doing monitors for The Strokes and FOH for PHOX. When she is not touring she works at the Brooklyn Bowl as both a FOH and Monitor Engineer.Breaking Down Doors in Brazil
Thirteen years ago Fernanda Lemos was a musician in a rock band; today she is the only woman working as a sound engineer for Loudness, the second largest sound company in Brazil. Loudness was founded in 1976 and has become the premier production company in Brazil, providing sound for international touring artists such as Rush ...A little bit of everything- Kerrie Mondy
For someone who only began working in live sound 2 1/2 years ago, Kerrie Mondy is a very busy woman. Along with being a FOH Engineer, Kerrie is currently the Resident Engineer/Sound Designer for New Line Theater,From The Philippines to Ojai
Raised by professional musicians and encouraged to become computer-savvy, Jett Galindo developed a love for music and technology. Jett grew up surrounded by music, both parents are professional musicians, and her father encouraged all his children to be well versed in the technology of computers.A Life in Sound
Gil Eva Craig is an independent Audio Engineer and Music Producer working in professional audio for the last 18 years. Gil got her start as a recording engineer in 1996 and still owns and operates her own mixing and production studioKim Watson- You Have to Learn From the Best
UK based sound engineer Kim Watson has been a freelance audio engineer since 1999. Kim’s foray into live sound started with a love of music and desire to work in the music business. “I always knew I wanted to be in the music industry, I just never quite knew in what respect.”Taking the world by storm, one tour at a time- Suzy Mucciarone
Suzy Mucciarone has been working for MSI for more than 12 years. Starting out as a stage tech, and moving on to co-systems and PA Fly tech on later tours, Suzy had the opportunity to work with people who she believes displayed the standards in audio and conduct that should be achieved on all ...Grace Royse – Rock & Roll Not a Pipe Dream
Rock and Roll was no ‘pipe dream’ for Grace Royse. Despite all of the discouragement from those around her and closest to her, Grace fought her way through to a touring career as a live mixer, never giving the negativity an ounce of energy.Fleetwood Mac Tours with the Next Generation of Women in Audio
Hope Stuemke and Meg Tempio join the Fleetwood Mac audio crew…Mudhoney Inspires Career in Sound
Christina Moon found herself at a Mudhoney show at Summer Nights at the Pier, and walked up to their soundman and asked him “What she had to do to be him?”Sarah Welsh – It Runs in the Family
Sarah Welsh was born into the world of sound and at age thirteen is possibly the youngest girl working in audio.
Kick Ass Women in the Music Industry
Leyla Kumble – Founder of Girls are Loud
As a consumer of music you may not pay attention to how many artists playing on the radio, or on your Spotify list are female. It may not come to mind to ask yourself if a woman produced your favorite song, or if it was a woman who engineered the album of your favorite band. But, ...Miranda Hull Customer Care at Harman PRO
Since 2011, Miranda Hull has worked for Harman PRO brands leading in the Regional Sales Office, now called Customer Care. In less than a year Miranda had a son and was diagnosed with 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Compounded with Lupus, and company-wide changes, Miranda quickly learned the value in work/life balances in a tech-focused industry. Miranda ...District of Screen Composers
Empowering Women & Youth in Music Film Composing
District of Screen Composers – Empowering Women & Youth in Music Film ComposingVanessa Mering – Marketing Manager at HARMAN Professional
Vanessa Mering is a marketing strategist with 15 years of experience at leading audio technology companies. Over the course of her career, she has played a key role in launching a variety of industry-shaping innovations—from democratizing music creation at M-Audio/Avid, to defining the future of live sound with HARMAN. In her current position as Marketing ...GIRLSCHOOL 2018
GIRLSCHOOL is a music festival that celebrates women-identified-fronted bands and women artists. After spending a decade as a “sideman” in the alternative rock world, where you really don’t see a lot of other women around—onstage or on your crew—I started to really miss and crave the camaraderie of women.Finding Your Passion: Katy Templeman-Holmes
Katy Templeman-Holmes is the Director of Marketing for Professional, at HARMAN. She started out in recording and broadcast engineering before moving over to the business side where she has worked for Euphonix in Technical Sales, then to SSL for Business Development, and finally to HARMAN. At Harman, she has held several roles including; as a Product ...Bringing your Musical Ideas & Dreams to Reality
Singer, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker, Betty Moon shares her advice on how to release music and make a splashFounder of Tom Tom Magazine – Mindy Abovitz
The Future is Female and, in the drumming world, women are breaking their own glass ceilings by supporting each other – and now they have a voice.Seizing the Opportunities – Dawn Birr of Sennheiser & Neumann
“Take every opportunity you can. You never know who you will meet now and then again meet later in your professional life. Believe in your skills and abilities, no matter how disingenuous that may feel in the moment or how loud the negative voice is inside your head. Find the people ...Never Take No for Answer – Yuna Qian
She acknowledges how difficult it can be working as a woman in audio, and described her experience as “frightening,” and “overwhelming” at first because of the fast-paced workplace, and the lack of women in similar roles. In her experience Women have to put in more work just to be viewed as competent. She urges ...Madame Gandhi – On Women in the Industry
I think that being able to share the experiences of other women is really empowering. I think that each of us as women who are doing well owes it to each other to give each other the tools we’ve learned along the way. I think that successful people are not threatened by the success ...Annie Stoic – LD and Assistant Tour Manager for Joan Jett
Annie is currently the Lighting & Assistant Tour Manager for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts who just finished up touring with Heart and Cheap Trick. In addition to her Tour Managing position, she is guitarist for her all female band Jackknife Stiletto.Anna Bulbrook’s GIRLSCHOOL
GIRLSCHOOL is a music festival that celebrates women-identified-fronted bands and women artists. After spending a decade as a “sideman” in the alternative rock world, where you really don’t see a lot of other women around—onstage or on your crew—I started to really miss and crave the camaraderie of women.Rachael Sage – Singer-Songwriter – Producer – Label Owner
I learned the ropes of every facet of running a label by being very hands-on in those early years, from overseeing an intern, to applying to festivals, to sending promos to indie record stores, to working with a publicist. I did all my own album art and somehow had the energy to do all of ...Erin Barra – Educator, Songwriter, Producer, Music Technology Consultant
Erin Barra has a wide ranging skill set educator, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and music technology consultant. Erin specializes in music technology integration, she works with artists/bands looking to integrate laptops and digital technologies into their writing, production and stage setups.Vanessa Silberman – Producer, Recording Engineer, Label Owner and Artist
Go for it and don’t be afraid! Take risks and try stuff that is completely different. My advice in general is that music is the thing that connects us whether young or old. Take the time to make whatever you are working on the best it can be, while staying on deadline. Race or gender ...Molly Brickson Williams – Founder of Smart and Savvy Travel
I share your anxiety about hotel rooms not being ready when the buses arrive, or your pickiest crew guy getting stuck in a middle seat. I know the weight your job carries, so I do everything in my power to make it all go smoothly for youBackLine Tech – Kelly Macaulay
Meet BackLine Tech Kelly Macaulay. Kelly has been working as a backline tech for 25 years and has worked for Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Rosanne Cash and many more. How did you get started in the music business? I took a break from my horse career and got a job in a rehearsal/recording studio. How long have you been ...Jill Meniketti- Artist Manager
I’ve been around the biz most of my life, as my brothers were musicians. Then I married a rock star (together 33 years, married 31). Rest assured, I was never the Spinal Tap girlfriend.Daniella Peters-Initiative Creates a Job
Daniella Peters is the head of the Sales Department and part of the management team at Rat Sound in Camarillo, CA. Like many in the music industry, Daniella essentially created her job.Claire Murphy – Back Line Tech
Claire got her start the same way as hundreds of backline techs do, by playing guitar and realizing the band thing just was not going to work out.Karen Anderson- Smaart Woman
Karen Anderson is COO and Director of Marketing for Rational Acoustics the developer of Smaart. She started out at Meyer Sound in the early 90s.LP – Creating Music on her Terms.
LP spent the better part of four years touring the country in a van, honing her skills as a fierce performer. Her songwriting credits include the Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Joe Walsh.SoundGirls.Org interviews Jackie Green of Audio Technica
Jackie Green is Vice President of R&D/Engineering at Audio Technica. She’s been involved in the development of several of ATs innovative products and technologies.