Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

Five Reasons to Join TSDCA

A bunch of us SoundGirls bloggers who work in theatre are also members of the TSDCA, which stands for Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association. I’ve personally been involved in TSDCA since around 2017 and became a more active member once I began freelancing in NYC. During the pandemic, the friends I had made through TSDCA provided a great source of Zoom camaraderie and company, and through TSDCA, I’ve gotten to work with them on some really exciting projects that help to further awareness and advocacy for those working in theatrical sound. So for this month’s blog, let’s dive into what the TSDCA is, what it does, and why you should join!

Let’s start with the basics: What is TSDCA? From the mission statement: “The Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA) is a professional membership organization of sound designers and composers for the performing arts working in the United States. Through advocacy, ongoing education, mentorship, and outreach, we seek to advance our community and promote sound design and composition as vital artistic components of the collaborative art of live theatre.”

The TSDCA began in part as a reaction to the news in 2014 that the Tony Awards for best sound design of a play and best sound design of a musical were being eliminated. One of the reasons that the Tony Awards committee cited for the elimination of the awards was that many Tony voters were abstaining from voting in these categories because they didn’t feel they understood the role of sound design in production enough to judge it objectively. Another was that many of them considered sound design to be more of a technical trade than an artistic contribution, and therefore less worthy of the same creative recognition that is awarded to scenic, costume, and lighting designers (side note: there is still no Tony Award for video/projection design). These two discoveries made it clear that we, the theatrical sound community, were going to have to do some major educating and advocating if we wanted to be seen as equal peers to our visual designer counterparts and earn back the recognition of that equality through having a Tony Award category that recognized our work. And so the TSDCA was born!

 

One of many petitions that circulated back in 2014 to support reinstating the Tony Awards for sound design.

 

TSDCA’s current membership consists of folks from all around the country (including some from around the world) who work in many different facets of theatrical sound design, not just those who consider themselves sound designers. For example, I joined TSDCA as an Affiliated member because as a theatrical mixer, I feel the work I do is closely aligned with that of my design colleagues, and that it’s important for me to join with them to help better the industry we all work in. Affiliate membership is for those who work in conjunction with sound designers, such as mixers, sound supervisors, and production audio heads. Think of it as the “friend of the family” membership tier 🙂 In addition to Affiliated members, there are Professional members (those working as sound designers professionally), Early Career Members (out of school/training and in one’s first 3 years of professional sound design work), Emeritus members (folks retired from the field), and Supporting members (those who want to be involved but aren’t yet working in theatrical sound, such as students).

TSDCA is an all-volunteer organization, i.e. no member is paid to do anything administrative, such as serving on the board or chairing a committee. Membership fees are affordable and scaled by membership tier in order to be equitable. Plus, financial assistance paying dues is always available to those for whom it presents a barrier. We want you to be able to participate without breaking your bank!

And SoundGirls Members receive a 50% discount on membership using the code Soundgirls

So, what are some of the perks of being a TSDCA member? Here’s my personal Top 5.

NETWORKING

It’s been said before, and I will say it again: this business is 99% about who you know, and who knows you. If you’re an aspiring designer, mixer, production audio, or anything else related to theatre sound, joining TSDCA is a fabulous way to meet people and learn about possible work opportunities! True story: I can trace every single job I got in my first year freelancing in NYC to connections I made through TSDCA. It really does work like that!

On the formal networking side, TSDCA has lots of resources as well. All TSDCA members are listed in the member directory, which is available to the public. You can add as much or as little detail as you want to your public profile, such as contact info, where you are based, what you do in sound, and more. Whenever someone asks TSDCA co-chair Lindsay Jones for a hiring recommendation, he sends them straight to the member directory, so you DEFINITELY want to be on there! There is also a job board that is available to members only, and lots of great opportunities get posted there every week.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

TSDCA hosts various learning events all year round, both in-person and in the past year, virtually. We have an annual meeting in early summer that is packed with sessions on everything from working in content creation software like Krotos, to learning how to read through the fine print of a contract. These webinars are frequently available to the public (particularly the ones during our annual meeting) but some of them are members only. And if you can’t make it to a live session, almost all the videos are later posted on the TSDCA website. TSDCA members also often get discounts on software, sample libraries, and training courses from our corporate sponsors, which include great brands that you’ve definitely heard of like Meyer Sound, Rational Acoustics, and Shure, to name a few.

Additionally, early in the pandemic, some TSDCA members started the Facebook group “Student Sound Designer Connection,” where folks in school/training (or of school-age) can connect with each other and professionals. This allowed a lot of folks who were learning from home in 2020 to not stagnate their education and made even more resources available to learners who might not have a lot of opportunities to learn about sound design or take sound design courses at their school/program. The group is open (pending moderator approval) to anyone who is a sound student (you do not have to be formally enrolled in a sound design or even theatre major) or wants to support sound students.

 

You can join Student Sound Designer Connection without being a member of TSDCA!

 

CREATIVE OUTLETS OUTSIDE OF WORK.

Especially during the pandemic, TSDCA put together chances for a lot of us to stretch our creative muscles, which was really important during the work drought of 2020. During our first virtual annual meeting last June, we hosted a creative challenge where interested members worked solo or in teams to put together an aural response to imagery picked out by the steering committee. This led to possibly more intra-TSDCA collaboration than any of us had ever done before, since it meant folks on opposite coasts, or in different stages of their careers could work together on something stimulating and fun! For my part, I took it as an excuse to get back into playing my long-neglected trumpet and recorded for two original compositions that came about as part of this creative challenge. Since then, we have also hosted a creative challenge for the Student Sound Designer Connection group, plus we reprised it as part of the 2021 Annual Meeting, which was also virtual.

Even outside of these one-week projects, there are plenty of chances to participate artistically in TSDCA. Member Michael Roth hosted a series of composer salons over the course of the last 18 months on Zoom, which led to members getting to bring in pieces they were working on to be assessed by the group or to talk to professional composers whom Michael was able to secure as special Zoom guests. For those who are not as interested in composing, you can work on the TSDCA podcast, which is an in-house operation spearheaded by member Josh Samuels. If you’re into graphic design or writing, you can help out with the website or newsletter. Like creating video content? You can submit ideas for Instagram posts, or do a one-day member takeover of the page (fun fact, the Instagram is managed by none other than yours truly! Give us a follow at @tsdca_official).

Here’s a screen-grab from a composer salon where we put on a virtual performance of “In C” by Terry Riley! You can watch the whole thing here: https://youtu.be/vw0sIONmsBo . And yes, while I’m not visible in the video, that is indeed me on trumpet ☺

 

MAKE THE INDUSTRY BETTER

TSDCA was founded because we, the sound design community, discovered there was a need to advocate more strongly for ourselves. That mission remains core to what we do, and lots of great projects have been born from our desire to show the world what theatrical sound designers do and why it matters. Some highlights of past and current advocacy projects include:

The 2019 winners of the Pat MacKay scholarship. Look out for the 2022 application to go live next spring!

IT’S JUST A GREAT HANG!

Did I mention yet that we’re also just a super fun group of people? I’ve made many close friends through the weekly TSDCA zoom hangouts, some of whom I have never met in real life due to not living/working in the same regions. We have holiday parties, informal gatherings, a chess club, and sometimes even game nights. It can be hard to maintain social connections in this industry, with the crazy hours and non-standard schedules. And of course, it’s good to have friends outside of your work community as well. But speaking for myself, the fact that I could hop on zoom once a week and escape my apartment to be with friends (if only metaphorically) and talk about the industry we all missed dearly made a big difference in helping me get through the first phase of the pandemic. We’re always chatting on our members-only Facebook and Slack groups, and we love when newly minted members join us for events that are not about learning, but just plain FUN.

If I’ve made my case well, and you have decided that joining TSDCA is right for you, head on over to TSDCA.org to learn more or apply! And use the code “Soundgirls” to receive 50% of your initial membership fee.

Mixing a New Musical

 

Getting any show up and running is hard. Layers upon layers of new information are being added to the piece once the actors move from the rehearsal space to the performance venue, and it’s all happening very quickly. As a show’s A1, I am hard at work preparing my script, generating paperwork, programming the console, and in some cases also working as a hand on the shop build and/or load-in. Design elements are coming together throughout the tech process. Ideas are tried, then retooled, and tried again. However, one thing that usually isn’t changing is the actual script of the show. Not so on new work!

New pieces, and especially new musicals, come with their own set of unique challenges. Sometimes members of the writing team are present throughout the rehearsal process, making rewrites and changes to the piece as it gets staged. Rehearsal reports sent out by the stage manager will include new script pages and/or change logs, all of which can make it harder to get familiar with a show in advance of tech and previews. Songs may be moved around in the script, new scenes or characters might be added, entire sections may get cut. The entire product is constantly evolving!

Personally, new musicals are my favorite kind of shows to work on, despite all these added challenges. In fact, part of why I love them so much is precisely because of these added challenges! It’s really special to be part of a work that is being shown in its full form for the first time, and it really does keep me extra engaged when I’m in the tech and preview process. The audience has no preconceived notions of what the show is going to look or sound like, and as the mixer, my role in facilitating the storytelling is even more crucial, because no one has ever heard it before!

So, how should one approach the preparation process when mixing a new musical? In general, the process is the same as with existing work, just with a few added hurdles.

Do your homework as per usual

Familiarize yourself with the material in advance as best you can, whether it’s through demo recordings or by watching run-throughs in the rehearsal hall. The new musical I am currently mixing was meant to be produced in 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was adapted into a radio play and released on audible, with the fully staged production postponed to this summer. So, since a new musical likely won’t have a cast album yet, I was able to use that audible recording to do my “homework” of getting to know the general feel of the scenes and songs, even though I knew that the show would likely change a lot in the year that passed between when the radio play was recorded and this summer when we would finally get to do the show for an audience.

Prepare for new pages

This is probably the most labor-intensive part of the prep process on a new musical. As the script changes, whoever is tracking those changes (usually someone from the writing team or stage management) will bring you new replacement pages to insert into your book, or a change sheet with lines that you should write in on your own (some shows do one or the other, on my current show, Row, they do both). This means you’ll be doing quite a bit of transferring your notes from old pages to new ones. For that reason, it’s all the more important to develop a shorthand for yourself that you like, so that you can do all this rewriting as quickly as possible. For example, I will abbreviate my Band Master fader as “B” and my Vocal reverb fader as “V”, then I use musical crescendo/decrescendo markings for my dynamic moves. Writing “B < -5” is a lot faster than having to transfer the full words over and over again every time a new page comes in! Other little symbols I like to use are up and down arrows for pickups, slashes for when characters’ lines overlap, and my favorite, a little glasses symbol for when you should look at something specific for a cue (this is a common practice among musicians to remind themselves when they should watch the conductor).

Don’t get rid of your old pages!

As Gibbs’ Rule #11 teaches us, “Everything is subject to un-change.” A new scene might not work, and you might go back to the old scene. Keep all your change logs and cut pages handy in case you need to re-insert them or reference them for any reason. Fun fact: I once did a new musical whereby the end of the run, my stack of cut pages was basically the size of the finished script!

My current stack of old pages for Row.

 

Practice but don’t memorize yet

As you mix a show more and more times, you will naturally begin to develop muscle memory for making your pickups and fader moves. However, on new work, it’s important to not let habits set in too soon in case things keep changing. I have on occasion caught myself making errors because my hands got too used to doing a scene a certain way and then the scene was re-written. Pay extra attention to any lines that you use as cues for yourself in case they change!

Consult all your sources

Since we’re talking specifically about musicals, it is likely that songs will change in addition to book scenes as the show develops. Make sure that you are getting updates from the music department in addition to the ones you get from writing/stage management. Sometimes the piano/vocal will have more current information than the libretto! Also, even if you don’t read music, it can be super helpful to have access to the piano/vocal score to consult as you figure out the timings of band moves and console scenes.

Try to program flexibly

As a general rule, it’s good to leave yourself “buffer” console scenes/snapshots as you program in case you decide you need to add things or adjust DCA assignments. This is even more true on a new musical. For example, the console on Row is a Yamaha CL5, which can accommodate up to 300 console scenes. When I laid out my DCA tracking prior to programming the show, it looked like I would need about 60 scenes to do the whole show. So rather than start at Scene #1 and go sequentially, the first song is scene #10, the second song is scene #15, etc. That way I have room to add more scenes internally without having to renumber every subsequent scene. To save time and hassle, also try to program in a more minimalist way than you might on an existing show so that you can adapt to changes more easily. Inevitably you will find yourself having to go through 10 separate console scenes to make a single change to all of them because of a script/song change, but the fewer times you have to do this the better. ☺

My console scene tracking sheet for Row. Notice the skips between numbers!

 

The thing to remember most of all on a new musical is that while rolling with the punches as things change can be stressful, it’s all in service of the art. I once worked with a choreographer who when he needed to adjust something would say on his god mic “I’m making a change” and the whole company would reply “Change is GOOD!” I’ve made that quote my new musical motto. The reward of knowing that all of the work that the creatives are putting in (and you alongside them) is truly helping to tell the story better will make it worth it when the show finally gets “frozen” (this means no more changes are allowed) and makes its world premiere in front of its first-ever audience!

The “Gibbs Rules” of Being a Stagehand

When I was in high school, my family’s go-to TV show was NCIS. We’d put it on in the background over dinner, or watch reruns on the USA channel when nothing else good was on TV. By the time I left to go to college, I must have subconsciously taken in hundreds of episodes!

For those who aren’t familiar, the show is about a team with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who work to solve murders of Navy or Navy-affiliated persons. The team is lead by Special Agent Gibbs, a former marine with a big heart and a sometimes short temper. He’s far from a perfect person, but he has a strong moral compass that he uses to inspire his team to do their best work to solve these mysteries. One of the ways we learn about Gibbs’ particular brand of moral code is through a philosophy known as Gibbs’ Rules. The NCIS Fan Wiki defines them thus:

“Gibbs’s Rules are an extensive series of guidelines that NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs lives by and teaches to the people he works closely with.” (Source: https://ncis.fandom.com/wiki/Gibbs%27s_Rules). Some of the rules are things you might expect to hear on a crime TV show, such as “Never let suspects stay together” or “Always wear gloves at a crime scene.” Others, however, are more universal and can be taken as good lessons for life in general. Some of my favorites of these include “When the job is done, walk away” and “Don’t believe what you’re told. Double-check.”

As I started getting more involved in theatre throughout high school and college, I started trying to figure out how to compile everything I was learning into a sort of guide for myself. Classmates, teachers, and mentors were giving me all sorts of great tidbits of advice, and I was scribbling them all down in an unorganized jumble to be able to refer back to later. I began thinking about how I could organize it into some sort of guide that I could add to and share as my career continued, and naturally, Gibbs’ Rules came to mind!

I called the document I wound up creating “Gibbs’ Rules of Stage Management,” because initially, I was training to be a stage manager. But as I got into mixing and sound design, it seemed like a lot of the rules didn’t have to just be for stage managers. And the more people I shared them within different fields of entertainment, the more I realized that a lot of them can be applied pretty universally across our industry. So here, for your perusal and enjoyment, are some annotated selections from the 2021 Gibbs’ Rules of Being a Stagehand. If you would like to see the entire collection, it will be posted on my website, beccastollsound.com, in the next few days!

2021 Gibbs’ Rules of Being a Stagehand

Rule #1: ALL HUMANS ARE STUPID (AND EVERYONE’S HUMAN).

This is one of my favorites. It speaks to the fact that people make mistakes, and it’s important to cut people slack and not hold it against them.

Rule #6: GIVE LOTS OF THANKS, EXPECT NONE IN RETURN.

Unfortunately, those of us who work behind the scenes are often not adequately recognized for our contributions, especially compared to the onstage talent. Try your best not to let it get you down or give you a bad attitude.

Rule #7: EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

In stage management and production management, it is common to put “subject to change” in the footer of most paperwork. We’re making organic art after all, and we’re making it in the moment, so there’s no way to predict everything that will happen!

Rule #11: EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO UN-CHANGE

A corollary to Rule #7. Especially applicable on new musicals, where a scene or song that got cut yesterday could go back into the show today. Keep good archives, and don’t throw anything out until closing!

Rule #13: IT’S PROBABLY GOOD IF AT LEAST ONE PERSON KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE.

This one was inspired by the actual Gibbs’ Rule #3, which is “never be unreachable.” But in this age of smartphones, push notifications,  and constantly feeling the need to be “on-call” for work, I think it’s important to reclaim the ability to take time for yourself and not have to immediately answer to everyone. On the other hand, if you simply stop picking up your phone, people might worry that something has happened to you because that’s the kind of world we live in now. So strike a healthy balance between the two.

Rule #19: IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.

In NYC theatre this is commonly known as the “5 block rule.” Meaning that if you are talking smack about someone or something within 5 blocks of the theatre, it’s going to become back to bite you. Everyone knows everyone, and no one will ever forget you. People’s friends/assistants/partners will refer or recommend you and it counts. Read the room and don’t burn bridges.

Rule #24: IF YOU CAN’T SAY YES, DON’T SAY NO.

People are going to ask you for impossible things. People are going to ask you for hints that aren’t your job to do. Saying “no” just shuts the conversation down rather than fostering collaboration. Even if something is 100% impossible, the best answer to start with is “I’ll look into it” or “let me get back to you.”

Rule #25: THE SHOW MUST GO ON (EXCEPT WHEN IT CAN’T).

This rule is credited to my stage management professor, Tina Shackleford. And wow, does it read differently post-pandemic!

Rule #26: WHEN IN DOUBT, DRESS TO IMPRESS.

My mom came up with this one ☺ If appearance or apparel is something that helps you to feel motivated or prepared, by all means, use that to your advantage! Dress in a way that makes you feel awesome on the inside but also shows you are prepared for the occasion, whether it’s a corporate interview or an arena load-in. And always wear close-toed shoes.

Rule #33: NOTHING CAN BE TESTED TOO MANY TIMES.

This rule is from Shannon Slaton, author of the excellent book Mixing a Musical.

Rule #34: KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS ONLY 1/3 OF THE JOB.

Credit for this one goes to NYC-based sound designer Dan Miele. As I’ve outlined in many a blog post, so much of this job is people skills, improvising, and just making things work in a very short amount of time! Yes, the hard skills matter, but the soft skills (plus a good attitude and a willingness to collaborate) matter almost as much if not more!

Rule #35: ALWAYS READ YOUR CONTRACT.

Always Always Always! Read the whole thing. Top to bottom. Read all the fine print. Ask questions about anything in it that is unclear. Run it by mentors and friends.The last thing you want is to be blindsided by something you signed before you fully understood what you were signing. Just read it!

Rule #40: DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STAY IN YOUR LANE.

It’s noble to want to help people. In theatre we all pitch in to make it work, right? The problem is that it can be easy to over-exert yourself trying to help others, and suddenly your own job begins to suffer as a result. We’ve all been there. Over the years I have come to see having my one specific job to do as an absolute blessing in disguise. It allows me to focus on the things that are mine to control, and not worry about the things that aren’t. So if it’s not your job, don’t do it. If it’s not your problem, don’t make it your problem. Not trying to be everything to everyone is not only an act of self-preservation, but it is better for the overall show if everyone is able to take on their own workload and not burn out doing the jobs of other people as well. So as often as possible, make best efforts to stay in your box.  Do your own job well and trust that others will do theirs.

As always, comments and questions welcome! What are some of your personal “Gibbs’ Rules?”

Make Room for Mental Health

 

 

Summer is almost here. For some of us, this means we are one step closer to a long-anticipated return to our work. For others, it means learning that gigs we thought would be there when things reopened will not be. For a lot of us, it’s a mix of both.

I am working my first load-out post-vaccination this week, and I know for me, it has been an odd transition back. It’s relearning to do this work both physically and mentally. It’s bringing everything we have learned during this time away back with us, and redefining what we think of as “normal.” Because it turns out that what we called “normal” in the Before Times was kind of a mess, and for my part, I was barely holding it together and had no idea.

By a coincidence of timing, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I’ve had a lot of chances these past weeks to reckon with my feelings about reopening, diversifying our workforce, and eliminating toxic practices in every way that I can. For me, the first step of this is just to give each other a lot more space to be ourselves and bring our whole selves to what we do. We are human beings, and just as our bodies need food and rest, our emotional systems need care and attention. For too long we have learned to shut our emotions in or leave them at the door for the sake of the gig, when in fact this is the OPPOSITE of what we should be doing. Theatre is a business that prides itself on being a community, and communities take care of themselves and the people within them. That is what a healthy workplace is all about.

There are a lot of resources out there that are tailored to helping those of us working behind the scenes to focus on our mental health better. The “I’m with the crew” conversations are a great place to start.

 

Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to take a course in Mental Health First Aid training that was offered by Behind The Scenes, a nonprofit focused on helping entertainment industry professionals who need financial assistance due to an injury. In the past years, they have expanded their resources to include guides on ways to talk to your coworkers about mental health and resources on where to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one. The course I took taught us how to spot when someone may be having a mental health issue at work, and how to use the ALGEE method (Assess/Approach/Assist, Listen, Give Info, Encourage professional help, Encourage self-help) for rendering aid to a colleague who has begun behaving in ways that are, to use a term from theatre, “out of character” for them. While we tend to shrug off things like being late, looking tired, unkempt clothing, or not meeting work deadlines, in some people these behaviors can be early signs of a worsening mental health or substance abuse issue.

While I thought that this course was going to be much more technical and difficult, a lot of it was just about listening. Simple as that. Learning to listen without judgment to people, and without forcing them, encourage ways that they might seek additional help. As a society, we are not in the habit of answering the question “How are you?” with anything other than “good…” but what if we did? Maybe even this small act of showing vulnerability would help to open others up to what we are going through and create a safe space where we can discuss our issues and feel less alone. Listening patiently and without judgment is the key to making those safe spaces, and especially in this age of social media, we need to say once and for all that it is okay to not be okay some of the time.

This brings us to the next step in Mental Health First Aid: giving reassurance and, where applicable, encouraging the person in need to seek more help, possibly through therapy or with a Certified Peer Specialist (someone who is trained and shares the lived experience of the people they help, similar to a sponsor in a Twelve Step Program). The idea of going to therapy is so stigmatized, especially here in the US. And of course, for a lot of freelance folks, there can also be a massive cost barrier, or it can be hard to find someone whose schedule can work with yours. A trained therapist or counselor can give you informed feedback on your situation and teach you ways to cope with the ever-changing world. Especially during lockdown and quarantine, I have seen my old anxieties and nervous habits creep back into my daily life, and one of the things that have helped to keep me sane and organized is my weekly video chats with my therapist. If you are wanting to learn more about this, a great resource is the Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder. They specifically list therapists who either have worked in show biz themselves or specialize in working with clients who are in entertainment.

The Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder is a great resource to find a mental health professional who “gets” what we do!

 

The other word besides “Mental Health” that gets stigmatized in our society is “Trauma.” This came up in a public session I attended as part of the TSDCA Annual Meeting called “Re-entering the Workforce in a Time of Trauma.” It was facilitated by Taryn Longo, who is a trauma therapist and part of the team that puts together the “I’m With The Crew” webinars. The word “trauma” may sound extreme to describe what this past year-and-change without work has been like, but it really is exactly what we’ve experienced. In Mental Health First Aid class, we defined trauma as an event that is physically and emotionally harmful and can have long-term effects in functioning and well-being. By that definition, the entire world population has no doubt lived through a trauma. Between the devastating illness and deaths that have resulted from Covid, the racial justice uprisings that punctuated last spring and summer, and now the anxiety surrounding live events finally reopening, we need to acknowledge the insane time that we have just lived through. We will not be able to heal unless we learn to nurture ourselves and treat our emotional wounds the same way that we would a physical injury, and acknowledging the trauma is the first step to helping us move through those difficult emotions and towards a better state of being.

This is where self-help and self-care comes in. For some people, this mental health strategy can be easier to wrap one’s head around than seeking professional help, and it too can be a great tool for healing! I know that for me, developing a daily routine to deal with not having a show schedule was a huge part of getting through the pandemic. Some of the things that have gotten me through have included committing to a consistent sleep schedule (and getting 8 hours of sleep no matter what!), practicing yoga every morning, meditating (I use the Headspace app), going outside at least once a day, and socializing with my friends on Zoom. The best part is that these coping strategies can still be a part of my day even when theatre jobs do come back! I really do plan to do this, because incorporating self-care into my day just makes me feel better. And when I feel better, I do even better work, I can do a better job of being there for others, and I find that I simply enjoy every aspect of my day more. Even the boring stuff like washing dishes!

The more you can take care of yourself and give yourself the space you need for mental health, the more you will be able to show empathy for others. Modeling this behavior for those around you also plays a big part in destigmatizing talking about mental health and seeking treatment. Just taking a few deep breaths before starting your work for the day can help to ground you and set an example for others that taking care of yourself in public is not just okay, it is welcome without judgment wherever you are. And that can go a long way towards helping others recognize that it’s okay to need help and that seeking help before an issue worsens can lead to more positive mental health outcomes.

As Taryn Longo said in the TSDCA session, “it’s not about making things ‘nice’ or ‘okay’ cause sometimes they’re not okay.” If we can learn to unlock what is going on in our emotional selves, ask for help when we need it, and create a safe place for others to be open about what they are going through as well, we will create a new “typical” workplace that is far less toxic and closed-off than the one we had in March of 2020.

Download the self-care action plan Self-Care Template_R

If you are thinking about suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline Network is available 24/7 across the United States. 

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE 

1-800-273-TALK (8255) [24/7 Hotline] 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish) 1-800-799-4889 (TTY)
This hotline is available 24 hours a day.

CRISIS TEXT LINE 

Text “MHFA” to 741741 to speak with a compassionate, trained crisis counselor, a volunteer who has been trained to help with problem-solving and will address the caller’s situation.

More Resources

Musicares – https://www.grammy.com/musicares – MusiCares provides a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community in three key areas: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services, Health Services, and Human Services:

Backline – https://backline.care/ – Backline exists to connect music industry professionals and their families with a trusted network of mental health and wellness providers

The Roadie Clinic – https://www.theroadieclinic.com/ – The Roadie Clinic exists to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle. The Clinic is committed to providing a safe space for roadies and their families to heal while off the road, and to advocate for – and empower them to obtain – a healthy work environment

Mental Health Awareness Month

 

On Mentorship

We talk a lot about the importance of mentorship in this industry, and in general. While I may have studied theatre sound design in college, I feel like so much of the learning I have done has been through mentors who have given me a chance to watch them work. Now that I have gotten a few years of career experience under my belt, it has been super rewarding for me to take up that mantle and start mentoring myself. So, for this blog, I want to talk about my own experience progressing from mentee to mentor.

“There’s a very ancient saying, but a true and honest thought, that if you become a teacher, by your pupils you’ll be taught!” – from The King and I. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Photo by Matthew Murphy

My first major mentor was Chris Evans, head of sound at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh. I was lucky enough to intern with him in the summer after my junior year of college, right when I was figuring out that I might want to mix musicals professionally. As Chris worked in an IATSE house (which meant that as a non-union worker there were limitations on what tasks I could do), my jobs included marking up scripts, making paperwork, and pulling sound effects. But mostly I just got to watch a brilliant mixer do his thing. I learned so much from just getting to be in the room with professionals and seeing how people behaved gave me a profound understanding of our industry. I returned to school that fall determined to channel all that I had learned from my new role model and be the best person I could be, not just the best mixer.

As I went on in my career, I collected a host of other mentors, some of whom probably don’t even know I think of them that way. I met folks through work, by shadowing them on shows, or by attending trade shows like USITT and AES. It can be awkward to approach someone when you have no footing in the business yet, but if I showed a genuine interest in what they do and a respect for their time and knowledge…the doors would magically open to me. And really, I can’t think of any other way that I could possibly have learned so much about the industry.

As I moved up in the ranks at my regional theatre gig, I kept in touch with mentors like Chris, but I also slowly began to mentor my apprentices. They each came in with different backgrounds, so while they all were hired to do the same job (be my A2 and assistant), it felt good to learn about each of them and try to tailor the experience to what they specifically wanted to learn about, whether it was mixing a musical, being a better A2, or doing cleaner paperwork. I could give them a safe place to learn on the job by handing over responsibilities a little at a time and share stories about when I had been in their shoes as an apprentice myself a few short years ago.

Even then, I still felt like I had so much to learn myself, but I was now squarely in the middle of the progression of my career. I wasn’t at the top yet (still nowhere near it!), but I was at least a few “rungs” up the ladder. I could now speak from personal experience about getting one’s first job, but also about getting a second job, or moving to a new city for work, or any of the other career hurdles that I had somehow managed to overcome. And as I continued to learn from mentors of my own, I could immediately pass that wisdom on, and hopefully save my mentees from falling into some of the pitfalls that I did, or that my mentors had during their early careers.

3 generations of Goodspeed Musicals Mentorship gathered safely at my pandemic wedding! L to R: Rob Baldwin, Olivia Denison, me, Jay Hilton. Photo by Eric Brushett Photograhpy.

Once I finally started working in NYC, I felt like something shifted. I began to get approached by teachers to guest-lecture for their students, and by young people asking me questions about getting into theatre. At first, I approached these encounters with an imposter-syndrome-fueled dread.  The way I saw it, I too was still making it up as I went! I had no idea how the NYC theatre scene worked, having just arrived there myself in January of 2019. I could give no advice on how to get a job, how shop builds worked…how could anyone think that I was a good example of someone to learn from? The first few times I mentored, I think this nervousness definitely showed! But, as I stood in front of my first group of students, I realized something. All you can give is your own story, and as “once in a lifetime/the stars aligned” as your career path seems to you, even sharing that information goes a long way to demystifying this world of theatre. And once I got a little better at doing it, I discovered I kind of liked it 🙂

After that first fateful experience guest-lecturing, I figured out my spiel a little bit. I kept inviting young aspiring mixers to shadow me at Rock of Ages, and did my best to connect with people who are underrepresented in NYC theatrical sound. However, it was during the pandemic that I really felt myself cross the proverbial bridge from mentee to mentor. I don’t know how it happened, but as we were all pivoting to life at home, suddenly people needed more guest lecturers in classes, or assignments to replace being on run crew for shows. And not only was there a need, but I suddenly had the time to fill it! The first months of 2020 I had been working multiple shows on top of each other basically nonstop (which by the way I DO NOT recommend!), and the effect was beginning to really deteriorate me physically and mentally. I wanted to continue being there for any young person I could, especially young women. And when the shutdown happened, I tried my best to keep paying it forward, even without being able to invite folks to shadow me at Front of House.

I’ve had a couple of great mentoring experiences this year. I took on my first SoundGirls mentee, zoomed with a young aspiring designer after this year’s virtual USITT, and most recently, did a structured 10 week program through Sound Thinking NYC where I helped my mentee complete a composition she wanted to work on. Again, my experience and career path didn’t always match my mentees exactly, but I found that I could help guide them in the right direction, or at least offer my takes on where they could go to learn more about the subjects that excited them. These experiences have been one of the absolute highlights of this time away from work for me, because no matter where my mentees were on their career journey, it was completely ok that none of us knew the answers! I would say things like, “well, I have no idea what job advice I can give right now, but here’s how it worked pre-pandemic.” The shared feeling of “making it up as we went” made me feel like I could be honest about my own uncertainties. And while at first, I worried that I was setting the wrong example by not having the answers, it turns out that my admitting what a mystery this line of work is made it ok for them to feel that way too.

Some of this year’s class of SYNYC mentees at one of our virtual meeting!

To me, this is the heart of mentoring, and what makes it different from just teaching. Sure, plenty of practical learning might happen by osmosis, but your job as a mentor is first and foremost to just do what you do, lead by example, and be honest about your struggles. We all want to come back to an industry that is more inclusive, more just, and more tolerant of people’s individual needs. And I believe that those of us who are mentors have a responsibility to keep opening doors in the industry to make that change happen for those coming up behind us.

The Changing of the Guard – Training subs and replacements on a show

 

Last month, in Tips and Tricks for Subs and Replacements, we discussed how to put your best foot forward when learning to be a sub or replacement on a show. This month let’s look at the other side of the equation, when you are the one running the show and someone new is coming in either to sub for you, or to take over the show entirely. We will mostly discuss training subs in this post, but the training principles and tips should apply in both scenarios.

Why is having a well-trained sub so important? Well, the old saying “the show must go on” applies equally on stage and backstage! Just as actors have understudies for their roles, it is important that no one person’s health or availability is the “single point of failure” on a production, such that the show literally cannot go on without them if they must call out. Additionally, you don’t want the show to simply “go on” without you. You want it to be as good as it is when you’re the one mixing! When your sub is mixing the show, they are representing you, your work, and the entire sound department, so you want to know you have someone who is going to do their best job and be a good ambassador on your behalf.

Think of your show as this tower, and don’t let one person’s absence be the block that breaks it!

I like to break the training process into 3 phases: Pre-Prep (before your sub’s first official day), Training (when your sub is learning to mix the show), and Hand-Off (when the sub finally gets “hands-on faders” and starts mixing the show). Depending on your sub’s prior mixing experience, this process can take anywhere from a few days to a month. Typically, I will ask for 16 performances (2 weeks, assuming 8 shows a week) to complete this process, and I have this is the typical timeline in NYC.

Phase 1: Pre-prep

There is a lot you can do to make things easier for your incoming sub before they are even hired. The first of these is to maintain a good mix script! If you read my last blog, you know that I take paperwork and formatting very seriously, because they’re the best tools we have to convey all the information that is needed to mix the show correctly. If your script is paper, think about making a digital version, or at least a scanned PDF. That way your sub can have access to all your notes as they put together their own copy of the mix script. Collect any additional paperwork or training materials that might be helpful to them and organize it all in some sort of shared folder. For example, if a new sub was to join my show, they would be added to a private Dropbox which has my mix script, a blank script, the score, face pages (for learning people’s names), startup/shutdown instructions, show recordings (audio-only and conductor cam), and hands videos that my current sub filmed when he was training so that he could reference them while practicing. Back when I was a stage manager, one of my sayings was “the book matters more than you do,” and this idea certainly applies here. When your sub is mixing for real, you won’t be there to answer questions, so as much of that info as possible needs to be written down and easy to reference.

A sneak peek inside the contents of the “RoA_SoundSubs” Dropbox

Phase 2: Training

Once your sub is in the building and training has officially begun, you will want to give them at least a few performances to get familiar with the show, the mix, the pace, and the sound before they start practicing. They should watch the show from the audience at least once before moving to FOH to shadow you. Once they are shadowing you, this is when they can be building their script, taking notes, and asking questions. On Rock of Ages, I had a small table with a video shot of the stage over to one side, plus our console had an overview screen that I could angle towards my sub at the table. This allowed them to watch both the show and a mini-version of my DCAs moving in order to see my strategy for making certain pickups in real-time, and without having to be right on top of me at the console :). If you’re able, try to explain certain things to your sub in real-time while you’re mixing. The more context you can give your sub for why you approach scenes the way you do, the easier it will be for them to mimic your moves. Everyone learns their own way, so give your sub room to do the prep they need, whether that’s watching you, marking up their script, or mixing along with pennies or a practice console. If they are newer at mixing and need more guidance, do your best to instruct them on what to focus on as they train, and what notes they should put in their script to make things as clear as possible.

Phase 3: Hand-off

It’s finally time for your sub to start doing some real mixing! Rather than just have your sub dive in head-first and mix the whole show their first time, it’s best to give them bits and pieces of the show to start with and build up from there. There are 3 common methods that I know of for handing off a show: “top-to-bottom,” “bottom-to-top,” and my personal favorite, “inside out.” If you are handing off a show “top-to-bottom,” you will have your sub start by mixing the beginning the show, and then you will take over and do the rest at a logical “hand-off” point, such as during an applause break. The next night, they will again start mixing from the top, but go on for longer before handing back to you. This way, they are always mixing the show in sequential order, and they will always be starting by mixing a part of the show that they have done before. This can help to build confidence, depending on your sub’s experience and personality. “Bottom-to-top” is the same method, just backwards. Your sub starts at the end of the show (for example, with the finale) and then your “hand-off” point moves earlier and earlier. Handing off “bottom-to-top” can be great because the regular mixer sets the tone for the show, and the sub has a benchmark that they can follow once they take over.

Finally, handing off “inside-out” is when you have your sub start with mixing small sections in the middle of the show, then build out from there until they reach the “bookends” of each act. I love this method because I can tailor my sub’s hand-off schedule to them more specifically. It also has the same advantage as “bottom-to-top” where I can start things off and give the sub a sense of where their levels should be that night. Typically, I will first give my sub some easy stuff to mix in the middle of each act, such as intimate dialogue scenes and solo or two-character songs. I’ll try to make sure that they get a section with some sound effects if the show has those so that they can get used to juggling that responsibility with making their pickups. The next day, I will either add entirely new chunks of the show to their list or extend the length of the chunks they are already doing. Again, this is dependent on the content of your show and the experience of your sub. In this method, the original A1 will find in a few days that all they are mixing is the beginnings and ends of each act, and finally, the whole show will be “handed off!”

These methods all take some advance planning to make sure that your hand-offs are clean, and it’s good to make sure your sub, stage manager, and music director are all privy to the plan each night. You don’t need to go into major detail about who is mixing which exact lines of dialogue, but those folks will be able to give good notes about what they are hearing and what might need adjusting between you and your sub.

Clean hand-offs are key here as well!

 

Optional Phase 4: Noting and Brush-Ups

If time allows, try to make sure that your sub-mixes at least one entire performance by themselves prior to your planned absence day, if applicable. If things are progressing well and your show is fully handed off, the last thing I like to do is give my sub one show where I am not at the console with them, so that they can practice “flying solo.” At this show, I will sit in the back of the house so that I can get to the console quickly if I need to, but mostly I will try to write my notes down and stay out of their way! This really is the only way that your sub will learn to solve problems and make decisions without you there to help, which is exactly the goal of training them in the first place!

Once your sub is fully trained, you should make a schedule for them to come in and mix a brush-up performance every few weeks, with you noting them from the house. Even if you aren’t planning to take a day off, it’s important to make sure your sub stays fresh, and that can be hard to do if they go months without mixing a performance!

What if your theater isn’t in the habit of hiring and training subs? I know from personal experience that it can be hard to sell a producer on this idea, especially in low-budget venues or on short show runs. If you are met with resistance, ask your producer to think of it this way. Training a sub is like taking out an insurance policy for the show. Putting in the time and resources to train a sub in advance will likely result in a higher quality mix than if someone untrained must attempt to mix the show “cold.” Or in the worst-case scenario, the producer might have to cancel an entire performance and refund everyone’s tickets. Hopefully avoiding both these outcomes is in their best interests too!

On a side note, one of my sincerest hopes is that when theater returns post-pandemic, the need for trained subs, paid sick days, paid personal days, and thorough contingency plans will be taken much more seriously by everyone. No one should ever feel like they must “power through” if they aren’t feeling well, and I think that we all now realize that having a sick person in the building is not worth the risk it poses to everyone else! No more “war stories” about sick A1s trying to mix with their sinuses totally blocked or with a nausea bucket next to them (I, unfortunately, speak from personal experience on both). Also, we have always known that this work can be mentally taxing, and I hope that when we reopen workers will feel that they can advocate for themselves better in that arena too, whether by asking for support outside of work or taking a mental health day without fear of repercussions.

I hope this post and my previous blogs have helped to shed some light on this important aspect of running shows! Whether you are the sub or are training the sub, these tips and tricks will help you make sure that your show sounds the best it can, regardless of who is mixing it.

Tips and Tricks for Subs and Replacements.

A lot of folks’ first “big break” doesn’t come in the way that you might expect. Mine was a matter of good timing, mostly. I had just finished a run as the A2 on a small new musical, and during the load-out week, my boss pulled me aside and asked to discuss something with me. The show running at the theater’s main stage had become a giant box office hit and was going to extend its run by an additional month. However, the current mixer on that show had a conflict with the final weeks of performances, and my boss, who would usually cover for him, had other things going on. So, did I want to do it instead?

The “In-Out” sheet provided by stage management outlining what understudies and subs are in the show that night. Paperwork created by Pamela Remler, Alison Simone, and Christine Seppala.

 

I had never been a substitute or replacement on a show before. Ever! I think I might have understudied someone when I was in the ensemble of the eighth-grade musical? But I definitely never went on. Shows in school and college also tend to have really short runs, and often the sprint to get the show open is so crazy that no one gives a thought to having to possibly replace an actor or technician at a moment’s notice. So as a result, these skills are most often learned “on the job.” And they are important skills to have because subbing or replacing someone on a show is how a LOT of people get their start in the industry!

Being a substitute or replacement on a show definitely comes with its own unique set of challenges. Regardless of the situation, it’s always tricky to be the new kid. You’re coming into a group that has already formed, and in all likelihood, they have a bond that comes from having been through the process together up to that point. So, not only are you trying to learn to do your new job, but you are also navigating the social situation and seeing how you are going to fit in. Plus, on the practical side, you will not have been privy to all the decisions that were made throughout rehearsals, tech, and previews, which led to why things are done the way they are. You’re getting a lot of new information but without the underlying context.

 

How I felt my first-day training on Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. Don’t worry, everyone was nice!

Sounds challenging, right? But fear not! There’s a lot you can do to set yourself up for success. So, with that, here are a few best practices for making your transition into a show as smooth as possible.

*quick side note for definitions: I think of a sub as someone who covers for the current mixer in the case of a planned or unplanned absence, and a replacement as someone who is training to take over mixing the show full time. Sometimes they overlap, certainly, there are differences, but hopefully, these tips and tricks will help in either case.

Do as much homework as you can!

One great thing about joining a show that is already up and running is that you don’t have to come in as blind as on an original production. As soon as you’re hired, ask to see the show. See it as many times as you can from the audience before you start watching it from the mix position. This will give you a great sense of how the sound system is laid out, because in all likelihood the show feels pretty different under the balcony vs. second row orchestra. That knowledge will inform your understanding of why the mixer does things a certain way, and how the balance that you hear at FOH is translating to the audience.

If you can’t be in the theater prior to your start date, get any recordings or cast albums that exist and listen to them nonstop. The show that I first came in on as a replacement was a new jukebox musical called Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, so there wasn’t a cast album of any kind. My solution? I made a Spotify playlist of all the original songs so that I could at least get a handle on the lyrics, even though the songs in the show were in different arrangements and keys. Ask for any scripts, scores, and show paperwork, so that you’re as familiar with the material as you can be before hitting the ground running.

Read the room

Your first day at the theater should be 99% about listening and observing. What is the vibe like backstage? How does the current mixer interact with people? You can get a lot of knowledge from watching them because they know the people they work with and how to interact with them. They will know which actors want to chat, and which ones would prefer to be left alone to get into character. At least when you’re first phasing in, follow the current mixer’s usual walking paths and tendencies. It will help to create a sense of continuity, because your new coworkers will see that you are not here to rock the boat or upset the existing balance.

Of course, if you get the sense right away that there is some tension, use your judgment about how you might do things differently when it’s just you there. And certainly, you shouldn’t do anything that you are uncomfortable with, or mimic a behavior that you think is making other people uncomfortable. You are your own person, after all. Don’t be afraid to ask your mixer questions about why they do things a certain way or speak to people a certain way once you’re able to talk privately later. But when making those first impressions, take a leaf from the Hamilton book and “talk less, smile more.”

Respect precedent

A follow-up to #2. As we’ve covered, things usually are the way they are for a reason, even if you aren’t sure what that reason is yet. When you start learning to mix the show, do it as identically to the current mixer as you can. Do not change any programming! This is considered rude, as the Mix Bible and Control Group assignments is the original mixer’s main artistic contribution to the piece. Sure, if you’re a replacement, you may do some cleanup of the show file once you’re on your own (spelling errors and such), but for now, mix the original mixer’s show, and mix it their way. Also, if a show runs in multiple cities (e.g., there is a New York production and a touring production), those productions are likely set up to be exact replicas of each other, so that if someone is transferred from one to the other, they aren’t suddenly learning a new way to mix a certain scene. Everyone who mixes the show needs to be able to do it the same way, so you risk creating inconsistencies between mixers if everyone has their own slightly different show file. You should definitely have your own script, set up in a way that makes sense to you, but to make this script you should be copying the notes out of the current mixer’s script exactly, and taking cues where they take them. If you’re replacing someone on a show, your mix will naturally evolve over time, as other folks in the company swap in and out, or after a director or designer comes to note the show. But for now, your job is to do what the current person does.

 

Left-Brad Zuckerman’s original mix script for Rock of Ages Off-Broadway. Right: my version of the mix script. Same notes and info just conveyed in two different ways.

Form smart alliances

In my opinion, the 3 most important relationships that a mixer on a musical has are with the Stage Manager, the Music Director, and the House Manager. Including you, these are the 4 people whose jobs really have no breaks! Y’all are busy the entire show, steering your own related parts of the ship that come together to make a whole production. The stage manager will be able to give you insight into the actors, the general energy backstage, and other things that may help to inform your mix that evening. They can also be an ally when working through scenarios such as a a split track (when there are multiple actor absences and lines/vocals need to be reassigned to do the show “person-down”), a post-show speech, or a special event onstage. The music director is depending on you to make sure the band is coming through well to the house, as well as to the monitors. They will appreciate knowing that you are on their side! The MD knows the show better than almost anyone, and they will know when you might need to make an adjustment based on a sub musician or understudy actor. Finally, the house manager will be able to tell you about any weird audience/patron situations that may affect your mixing. Plus, you can work together to catch audience members using their cellphones to text or bootleg the show, because sometimes you have a better view of the audience than the ushers! This is an ENORMOUS pet peeve of mine personally, and I am grateful to the many house managers who work hard to minimize distractions for those of us who are out in the audience making the show happen.

 

Learn everyone’s names (and pronouns!)

I used to tell my apprentices that if they only learned one thing in their time working with me, it should be the names of the band members and their subs. I was only half-joking when I said it! This is one of the simplest things you can do to build trust and respect with people. Ask for a face page (a document usually made by stage management, with small photos of the company with their names and pronouns listed underneath them). Study it. If there isn’t a face page, make your own! Get a program or playbill, which should at least have photos of the cast, plus names of the orchestra and crew. Resort to googling and social media stalking if necessary. And if you forget, don’t be afraid to ask! I once walked right into the wardrobe room and said to one of our awesome stitchers “you are always here, and you are so helpful, and I cannot remember your name or pronouns!” Once he told me, I never forgot. Plus, I turned my forgetfulness into an opportunity to build respect not just with this stitcher, but with the whole wardrobe department. It showed everyone in the wardrobe room that who they are and what they do on the show was important to me.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions! The more information you have, the better you’ll do at finding your place and doing your job as well as the person before you. Work hard, be patient, and show a lot of respect. If you’re a replacement, know that you will find your own role in time, so there’s no need to rush it. If you’re a sub, just focus on keeping things consistent on the nights that you are there.

Mid-way through my training on that first sub gig, the music director came up to the original mixer at intermission and said, “the show sounds good tonight!” To which the original mixer replied, “I’m not mixing the show tonight!” That’s how I knew I was doing it right. I had worked hard not just to learn to mix the show, but also to create a smooth and seamless transition between the outgoing mixer and myself. And someone not knowing that that transition had even happened truly was the best compliment of all.

Look out for my next blog in April, where I’ll flip the scenario and talking about TRAINING subs and replacements!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Me with my aforementioned “game face”

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

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

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

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

60ish Minutes to curtain: Compartmentalize your time

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

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

30 Minutes to curtain: Get in The Zone

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

5 minutes to curtain: Final Touches

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

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

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

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

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

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

My New Years Resolutions for Broadway/NYC Theatre

Hello all, and thanks for reading and supporting SoundGirls! A quick intro to give context to my first post here. My name is Becca, I use she/her pronouns, and until March 12th 2020, I was a freelance sound engineer working primarily on Off-Broadway shows in New York. My main gig was as the Head of Audio for the 80s hair metal jukebox musical “Rock of Ages” where on March 11th I mixed my 175th show, a personal record for me! I often supplemented that work by doing shop preps and load-ins/load-outs on other shows during the day. I’ll talk more about my specific trajectory in some future posts.

The subject of my first post is my particular wing of the live sound industry: NYC Theatre. Including but definitely not limited to Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, etc. I’m going to refer to it as “Broadway” just for clarity of writing. It’s an industry I love, and I can’t wait to get back to it BUT…like any relationship, it’s important to step back now and then and reevaluate the terms. So, with a new year upon us, and at least six months to go before anyone is likely to be working on a show with an audience in New York again, here are my New Year’s Resolutions for Broadway.

If we’re going to be a “family,” support families!

The pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on folks who raise children. Lack of access to childcare with schools closed has pulled a lot of parents out of the workforce and forced a lot of people to choose between keeping their job or supporting their families. Of course, everyone in theater, parent or no, has been out of work for some time now, but when we come back, we can’t simply go back to the way things were. New York State’s Paid Family Leave law is a good start, but the way that sound jobs work means you are usually juggling multiple employers and can’t always pool your benefits, or use time off when you need it most. I have a friend whose partner gave birth to their child during the run of a show he was engineering, and all he was able to get was 1 week off unpaid.

The Broadway Community takes pride in the fact that we have each other’s backs, and that has to extend father. Make childcare at work more accessible. Make Paid Family Leave the law of the land nationwide for all workers, not just for the parent who is pregnant (if applicable). Provide places for breastfeeding folks to pump. Don’t just put pregnant people on disability and call it a day. The realities of workplace sexism and the “motherhood penalty” should already be things of the past, let’s not bring them back into the room with us.

“Women have to see it to be it.” So show it!

Jeanine Tesori spoke those amazing words when she and Lisa Kron accepted the Tony Award for Best Score for their musical “Fun Home”. They were the first all-women team to win the award. Jessica Paz took that one step further in 2019 when she became the first woman to win the Tony Award for Sound Design (as co-designer of “Hadestown” with Nevin Steinberg), having been only the second woman ever to be nominated in either the play or musical categories. Jeanine, Lisa, Jess, and so many other women have punched enormous holes in the glass ceiling of Broadway, but the work is not done.

The nominees for the 2020 Tony Awards were announced this fall, and the voters are only judging a small number of shows that opened prior to the March 12th shutdown. This year, there are zero women nominees for Best Sound Design or Best Score. But here is the even more key point: had the Broadway season gone on interrupted, there would still not have been any women eligible to be nominated for Best Sound Design (play or musical), and only two women would have been eligible for Best Score nominations. The Tony Awards may be a single New-York-Centric event, and they certainly don’t represent all of the amazing theatre being made in the US, but they are one of the few theatre-themed live TV broadcasts that reach the entire nation in a non-pandemic year. Representation matters, and we need a whole lot more of it

Open the gates to “The Room Where It Happens”

There are enormous access barriers to working one’s way up in New York. The few schools with theatre sound programs are exclusive and expensive. The pay starts low and the rent is high. If you’re freelancing you often need to work multiple shows at once to cover your costs, which stretches you thin and also takes opportunities away from other people who might benefit from them. Working on Broadway specifically requires a union card, and getting one can take years if you don’t have a connection or the “right” experience. People hire people they already know or people their friends already know, and the cycle perpetuates. For my part, I know I will be challenging myself to cast a wider net the next time I am in a position to hire or recommend someone for a gig. I’ll be looking at it as a chance to open a door, not help someone already on the inside.

Support the people you serve

So many New Yorkers have no connection to the theater, despite the fact that the unofficial world headquarters is in their city. Tickets are expensive, arts programs in public schools were already in bad shape, and local budgets are reeling from the costs of the shutdowns. Multitudes of research have shown the positive effects that arts education has on students, even if they don’t end up pursuing a career in the arts. But let’s expand the definition of what “arts” is. When a student group has a post-show talkback, make sure it’s not just actors and directors on stage taking questions. Broadway shows should partner with schools to give workshops not just on singing and dancing, but on songwriting, producing, stage managing, and of course sound. Getting kids interested while they are young will not only grow and diversify our future workforce, it will make sure we have a future audience to come and support that work.

We have to get serious about sustainability

Climate change is real, and it’s not going away without serious action from the top down. Broadway, with its high profile and wide reach, can be a trailblazer on the path to make our everyday lives less destructive to the planet. Specifically, to sound, the Broadway Green Alliance recommends that at a bare minimum, we make the switch to rechargeable batteries and start to limit the amount of single-use products we use to handle wireless microphones. Buy personal belts with sweat-proof packs for each actor to eliminate single-use sheaths/plastic wrap/condoms. Switch to Green Seal Certified cleaners to cut down on alcohol swabs and abrasives. Encourage paperless schedules and scripts, and make them easy to update/reconcile. Use LED light bulbs in EVERYTHING. All this is barely a drop in the bucket, but if we begin to lead by example, we can inspire change in others and make green thinking the norm.

So, with all that in mind, Happy New Year to you all, and let’s work on building the Broadway we want to work in when we come back!

X