Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

May Feature Profile

Daniela Seggewiss – Time Flies When You Are Doing What You Love

The Blogs

How to Subcontract work

Me and My Guitar: Part One

Times Up! Time to Move Forward

SoundGirls News

Shadowing Opportunity w/ FOH Engineer Kevin Madigan

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

https://soundgirls.org/scholarships-18/

Accepting Applications for Ladybug Music Festival

Amsterdam SoundGirls Tour & Social

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-chapter-one-year-anniversary/?instance_id=1285

SoundGirls London Chapter Social – June 17

https://soundgirls.org/event/glasgow-soundgirls-meet-greet/?instance_id=1272

Shadowing Opportunities

Telefunken Tour & Workshop

SoundGirls Expo 2018 at Full Sail University

Round Up From the Internet

Rock n Roll In Brazil: A SoundGirl Explains

20 Questions With Catherine Vericolli

Catherine Vericolli is the owner, engineer, manager of Fivethirteen Recording Studios in Tempe, Arizona. She is a lover of all things analog who has personally headed all console installations and outboard wiring at Fivethirteen since the studio’s first console and 2″ machine in 2006. She also co-edits Pink Noise Magazine and teaches classes at The Conservatory Of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Tape Op Podcast Episode 16: Susan Rogers

As an engineer Susan really got her start working with Prince from 1983 to 1988, including albums like Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, Parade, Sign o’ the Times, and The Black Album. Her other studio sessions have included artists like Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Rusted Root, Tricky, Geggy Tah, and Michael Penn. She is currently the director of the Berklee College of Music’s Perception and Cognition Laboratory, and is an associate professor at Berklee.

SoundGirls Resources

Directory of Women in Professional Audio and Production

This directory provides a listing of women in disciplines industry-wide for networking and hiring. It’s free – add your name, upload your resume, and share with your colleagues across the industry.

Women-Owned Businesses

Member Benefits

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

How to Subcontract work

There are a number of good reasons to subcontract work. Subcontracting allows you to do more work than you could on your own, to spend less time on tasks you don’t want to do, or to hire someone to do a task better than you can.

What qualifies as subcontracting?

Anytime you pay someone else to do part of a job you are hired to do; you are subcontracting. If you’re hiring an assistant for a gig (and you are paying – not the client), you are subcontracting. Whether you’re paying a sound editor or a mastering engineer, when the client is writing you a check that covers everyone’s costs, you are subcontracting.

Tips for subcontracting

The most important part: let your client know. Be transparent about the fact that you’re hiring help. Generally, if there’s a good reason for it, there won’t be a problem. If you’re working an event, you don’t want anyone asking, “who’s this and why are they here?” If a client is asking you a question about work someone else is doing, you don’t want to be caught off-guard not knowing the answer because of someone they don’t know about.

Put your subcontractor’s deadlines and rates in writing. It doesn’t have to be a formal contract – even a simple email like, “Thanks for helping with this project. Like we talked about, my budget is xx, and I’ll need a Pro Tools session from you by Friday morning.”

Pay people fairly and pay on time. If you wouldn’t want your boss keeping half of your pay and doing none of the work, don’t do it to other people.

Don’t undercut yourself. It takes time to handle logistics, communication, and other tasks to keep your subcontractors working and your clients informed. Keep track of these hours so you can work it into your budgets.

Be available for questions and help. When someone is working for you, they want you to be happy with their work. Some people need more support than others to get the work done.

Don’t subcontract lightly. If you’ve made a commitment to a client then subcontract because a better gig came along, it can reflect poorly on you (unless it was planned/discussed before committing in the first place).

Know when you should pass the gig to someone else vs. subcontracting. If you’re not going to be involved, someone else is doing all the work, and they’re not using your gear or studio it might be easier (and less liability) to have them work/get paid directly.

Hourly or task rate?

The only time I subcontract at an hourly rate is if the client is paying hourly, too. If I need an assistant for a 4-hour gig and it goes into overtime, I want myself and my assistant to get paid fairly for our extra time. Most of the time when I subcontract it’s a set price to complete a task by a certain deadline. They can work whatever hours and pace they want (day or night) as long as the work is done when I need it. I have a pretty good idea (based on experience) how long it would take me to do a task so I usually set rates based on what I would reasonably expect to get paid to do the same job.

The reason I don’t do hourly for tasks is if someone takes 8 hours on something that would take me 4 hours, it’s coming out of my pay (not the clients). Plus, when you have an hourly rate for a task, there’s no incentive to work faster. In fact, some people may work slower. When you have a task rate, there’s incentive to work faster. If someone gets a job done in half the time than planned and the work is done well, they earned it!

If there’s a problem with material that causes the work to take longer, I may go back to the client to authorize an additional charge (before doing the work). When I subcontract, I also budget 5-10% for “misc charges” to cover anything unexpected that comes up which can include subcontractor overages.

Who to hire

Subcontracting taxes in the US

In the US, if you pay someone over $600 in a year (total), there’s some tax paperwork needed:

W-9 form Form W-9 – IRS.gov Ask for this when you ask for an invoice.

In January of the following year, you’ll have to issue a 1099-MISC form. One copy needs to go to the worker and another to the IRS. There are a few ways to do this:

A 1009 form has to be sent to your worker by January 31. The IRS copy has to be received by February 28 (for physical mail/USPS) or March 31 for electronic filing.

Any time you send a W-9 or a 1099 your social security number is revealed. For protection, you may want to get an EIN number (Employer Identification Number) which is free from the IRS. You can do this online, and the process is very simple. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

Resources:

Get an IRS EIN Number to Protect your SSN on W9’s for Self-Employment Income

The difference between subcontractors and employees

Shadowing Opportunity w/ FOH Engineer Kevin Madigan

SoundGirls Members who are actively pursuing a career in Live Sound or Concert Production are invited to shadow FOH Engineer Kevin Madigan.

The experience will focus on FOH Mixing. This is open to SoundGirls members ages 18 and over. There is one spot available for each show. Call times are TBD and members will most likely be invited to stay for the show (TBD).

Graham Nash

David Crosby

  • June 17 Mayo Performing Arts Center Morristown, NJ
  • Sept. 15 Palace Theatre Manchester, UK

Please fill out this application and send a resume to soundgirls@soundgirls.org with Kevin Madigan in the subject line. If you are selected to attend, information will be emailed to you.

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

May Feature Profile

Daniela Seggewiss – Time Flies When You Are Doing What You Love

The Blogs

Times Up! Time to Move Forward

How to Write About Women in Sound

Murphy’s Law

SoundGirls News

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

https://soundgirls.org/scholarships-18/

Line Check! Experience Sound Check a Grammy Nominated R&B/Pop Artist

Accepting Applications for Ladybug Music Festival

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-digico-sd12-training/?instance_id=1304

https://soundgirls.org/event/melbourne-soundgirls-chapter-social-2/?instance_id=1286

Amsterdam SoundGirls Tour & Social

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-chapter-one-year-anniversary/?instance_id=1285

SoundGirls London Chapter Social – June 17

https://soundgirls.org/event/glasgow-soundgirls-meet-greet/?instance_id=1272

Shadowing Opportunities

Telefunken Tour & Workshop

Round Up From the Internet

Calling All Crows is fighting against sexual violence in the live music scene. Work with them to design a sexual violence prevention campaign for your next tour. Programming includes: fan volunteers at each show raising awareness about sexual violence and asking other fans to support the campaign; trainings before some or all of your shows for volunteers and venue staff; pre-show trainings with band + 25 fans in select cities; messaging from stage and social media; partnerships with local rape crisis centers; text hotline; and more.

 

Fever Ray is Smashing Boundaries with her Female Crew

In an industry that continually struggles with gender diversity, Dreijer is smashing boundaries, breaking free of the patriarchy and creating an enterprise that is driven by women and individuals not bound by gender. According to her team, who shared their uncensored thoughts before taking the stage in London, the results are radical. It’s so nice to play with strong women that give you the freedom to express yourself.

 

Roadie Free Radio Interviews Jason Sprinzen, author of the forthcoming book about legendary sound and lighting company, SHOWCO.

 

SoundGirls Resources

Directory of Women in Professional Audio and Production

This directory provides a listing of women in disciplines industry-wide for networking and hiring. It’s free – add your name, upload your resume, and share with your colleagues across the industry.

Women-Owned Businesses

Member Benefits

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

SoundGirls Members who are actively pursuing a career in Live Sound or Concert Production are invited to shadow Monitor Engineer Aaron Foye. Aaron is currently on tour with Willie Nelson.

The experience will focus on monitor mixing. This is open to SoundGirls members ages 18 and over. There are two spots available for each show. Most call times will be at 11 am (TBD) and members will most likely be invited to stay for the show (TBD).

Please fill out this application and send a resume to soundgirls@soundgirls.org with Willie Nelson in the subject line. If you are selected to attend, information will be emailed to you.

 

How to Write About Women in Sound

PSN Europe recently interviewed me about my work as a sound designer. Aside from the fact that it’s an articulate, interesting article – thanks to the writer, Tara Lepore – there is one key thing that makes it stand out for me. Although I had the opportunity to mention my work with SoundGirls, and how we work to support women working in sound, at no point does the article define me as a “woman working in sound.”

In my seventeen years working in the industry, I believe this was the first time I haven’t had to answer a single question about why there aren’t more women working in sound/music, or on a similar gender imbalance-based theme. It was both a relief and hugely refreshing.

Interviews like this are necessary.  To the writers and journalists: female sound engineers, producers and designers have answered enough questions about why or how or what’s it like to be a woman working in sound and music. Talking about why women make up only 5% of the industry only serves to reinforce the message that women are an anomaly. The way you encourage more women into audio is to show women, particularly WOC, succeeding in various areas of music and sound. Make it clear to the female sound experts of the future that there are paths open to them. Put the focus on our careers, not our gender.

Instead of asking women what we can do about the industry’s gender imbalance, ask the people and organisations who influence the industry what they plan to do about it. The answers to those “women in the sound/music industry” questions are well documented – we, the women, have been talking about it for years. Take those and investigate the causes, put out a call to action, challenge those in a position of power who can instigate change.

Don’t force women interviewees to act as a spokesperson for all “women in sound.” If gender expression is a crucial part of an interviewees’ work, then it should be included – in a way that works for them. Let them bring it up. If they don’t, then it’s probably not something they feel is relevant to their career.

Highlighting sexism and sexual assault in the industry is important and relevant in the current climate, but it shouldn’t be the whole conversation. Nor should anyone expect women to share their experiences. It can be challenging enough to fight everyday sexism without having to relive the trauma for an interview unexpectedly. If it’s an article about sexism, then that should be made clear upfront so the interviewee can decline if they wish. Otherwise, ask whether it’s relevant for the article.

If you’re interviewing a woman sound professional about her work, it comes down to this: would you ask a male audio expert a question with the same angle? If not, then it’s probably unnecessary.

I welcome any writer who wants to support women and girls in the sound and music industries. The best way to do this is to let us talk about what we love: sound and music. Ask us about what we’ve created, what inspires us, what artists we love and the gear we like to use. Take the opportunity to promote the hundreds of amazing women sound engineers, producers, and designers and the work we do. Not the lack of us.

Resources for a more inclusive industry

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

May Feature Profile

Daniela Seggewiss – Time Flies When You Are Doing What You Love

The Blogs

Systematic Inequality, Part 2: Culture, Culture, Culture

What is in my toolkit?

Consideraciones para realizar un diseño de refuerzo Sonoro.

Considerations for a Sound Reinforcement Design.

District of Screen Composers

SoundGirls News

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

https://soundgirls.org/scholarships-18/

Line Check! Experience Sound Check a Grammy Nominated R&B/Pop Artist

Accepting Applications for Ladybug Music Festival

Representation on Panels – Music Expo – Boston

Philadelphia SoundGirls Chapter May Meeting – May 19th

SoundGirls Productions Meet & Greet

https://soundgirls.org/event/orlando-soundgirls-chapter-social-2/?instance_id=1273

https://soundgirls.org/event/melbourne-soundgirls-chapter-social-2/?instance_id=1286

Amsterdam SoundGirls Tour & Social

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-chapter-one-year-anniversary/?instance_id=1285

SoundGirls London Chapter Social – June 17

https://soundgirls.org/event/glasgow-soundgirls-meet-greet/?instance_id=1272

Shadowing Opportunities – Berlin

Shadowing Opportunities

Telefunken Tour & Workshop

Round Up From the Internet

Creative licence is key: Sound designer Kirsty Gillmore on producing theatre audio

 

 

 

Primavera Sound Instates Zero Tolerance Policy Against Sexual Aggression and Harassment

 

Live Nation Launches the Women Nation Fund to Boost Female-Led Biz

 

SoundGirls Resources

Directory of Women in Professional Audio and Production

This directory provides a listing of women in disciplines industry-wide for networking and hiring. It’s free – add your name, upload your resume, and share with your colleagues across the industry.

Women-Owned Businesses

Member Benefits

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Systematic Inequality, Part 2: Culture, Culture, Culture

In my last blog post, I discussed the ways in which culture influences the media that we create, consume, and how we interpret it. Expanding upon that this month, I will explore how culture affects every aspect of our lives. Every single thing that humans do is cultural. We are a product of the culture that we are raised in – but that’s not to discount the existence of free will. This means that everything that we do, from what that we eat, to the way we eat is all culturally defined. And there is more variation than you might initially think. The first time I experienced any amount of “culture shock” was a couple of hours after I landed in Romania. Thinking my Romanian upbringing would have prepared me for anything, I was utterly taken aback when my well-meaning family members ordered Pizza for my sister and I. The pizza had a whole fish on it, and everyone ate the pizza with a fork and knife. After spending over ten hours on a plane, and adding the jet lag, I was actually shocked by this (literally) fishy pizza. My family found my shock amusing. To them, fish pizza is normal; and eating pizza with your hands, well that’s borderline barbaric.

Culture is what tells us what “normal” is. The process of learning this “normal”  is called socialization; which describes a variety of processes that can range from overt to so subtle you probably didn’t even notice it. An overt process would be something like a company handbook with a list of values and typically a page that you sign agreeing to act accordingly while on the clock. More subtle socialization could be in the form of negative repercussions and/or positive reinforcement. For example, I have developed the mouth of a sailor. As a complete coincidence (it wasn’t a coincidence), my cursing increased drastically when I started working as a stagehand. My cursing was positively received and therefore reinforced, while the use of what I like to call “SAT vocab words” was met with mostly confusion and a dash of resentment for being pretentious. That’s how I learned what sort of vernacular (that would be an example of a pretentious “SAT Vocab Word”) was “normal” for stagehands. It happened pretty quickly, and I didn’t really notice until my cursing started to bleed into my personal life.

 

One of the “normal”s of the live event industry is the predominantly male workforce. When I show up on the show site and am the only woman, that is normal for me and everyone in the room. In a different cultural context, this lack of a female presence would be very noticeable. However, we in the industry have been socialized into this normalcy. Male is the default and female being different, creates a situation in which I arrive on show site and I am the other. I feel this on the daily from comments about “you’re a young and competent tech, and a woman!”  to dress codes and apparel not taking the possibility of women into account.

The inherent masculinity of the industry is yet another roadblock that women face. Recognizing these cultural norms, and then challenging them is an essential step in achieving a more equal workspace. We need to actively socialize current and incoming industry members in a manner that includes more than just white men. Changing the whole culture of an industry will be a long and arduous process, but it will be well worth it. Studies have shown again and again that more diverse and inclusive workplaces are more productive. So if the ethical standpoint that women are human beings that deserve to be treated equally isn’t enough of an argument for you – there is an economic incentive as well.

As always, work hard, do your best, and make yourself proud.

Tia Azimioara interest in live sound engineering began while studying the clarinet at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where she took a class on music technology. She would go on to double major in Anthropology and Classics at Lawrence University while working as a sound tech. She googled and youtubed her way through shows and concerts. She fell in love with the fast-paced, trial by fire world of live production. After graduating she began working any live events that she could. After two years she has completely fallen in love with her varied and fast-paced life; today you can find her doing anything from slinging deck at a concert venue in Doc Martens, to working as in IT specialist for a corporate event in a suit. She is not sure what the future holds, but would like to use her training in anthropology to help make the industry more inclusive for everyone. 

 

 

What is in my toolkit?

There is one thing every engineer should have, and that is a toolkit. It does not have to be a full box of random tools, but just a little kit with handy tools and necessities for you to carry with you in your bag. I have recently upgraded mine with tools and things that I use the most. For me, it is also important to keep my kit compact and only with things that I really need. Every toolkit should be customised to your own needs!

Tape – Electrical tape, gaffer tape & masking tape – you name it. Should live in your bag always.

Drum keys – I am not a drummer, but I always carry drum keys in case a drummer have forgotten theirs. Tuned drums sound better and makes your mixing a hell of a lot easier!

Hex key (Allen Key) – In all the different sizes, good for drum pedals, DJ speaker stands, etc.

Lighter – I am not a smoker but always have lighters with me in case an Apocalypse is around the corner. Seriously though, I’m sure one day I’ll think that I need one and then I will. Better be safe than sorry!

Flashlight – For tight and dark spaces, though most smartphones nowadays have a built-in flashlight, it is always handy to have one in case you need to use your phone for something else.

Adapters – All kinds of adapters – Jack adapters, XLR adapters, RCA adapters – they are always needed and the more, the merrier (because they do tend to disappear).

Multi-tool – If I could only bring one thing with me to a deserted island (or gig) it is the multi-tool for multi-purposes.

Cable cutter & cable stripper – Whenever you need to repair a cable, a cable cutter & stripper will save you a lot of time rather than using scissors.

Sharpies & Pens – For labeling, buy a multi-pack of sharpies and always have loads with you. As with the adapters, the sharpies tend to grow legs and walk away!

Measuring tape – So handy for the odd jobs. I have had to measure stages, workspaces, desks, pianos, etc.

Batteries – Always good to have extra batteries especially AAs & AAAs.

USB sticks – For backing up session files. Have some tracks on it for testing CDJ’s or good for recording stereo tracks on digital desks!

Earplugs – Invest in a good pair of earplugs, trust me it is worth it. Mine are custom-fit from RealAudio, but there is plenty of companies making custom-made ones in all price ranges. Always have some spare disposable foam earplugs though for an emergency, in case you forget your good ones or if anyone in your surrounding needs a pair.

Headphones – If you can afford to get a good pair of IEM’s that is great, but if you cannot afford it just any pair will do, trust me, a pair of shit headphones are better than none!

Super glue – Seriously good to have when needing to fix and hold together something quickly.

I fit more or less all of these things into a medium makeup bag that I bought from Primark (In the U.S I think the equivalent is Walmart) as I wanted something compact that I could have with me anywhere I go.

Another good thing to have at work or home is a soldering iron to repair cables. We live in such a wasteful society and repairing XLR’s, and Jack cables are so easy to do yourself! If you are unsure of how to solder cables, ask for help!

If you have a Smartphone there is also a few good apps to have downloaded on your phone:

Sound meter – To measure dB, not always the most accurate but if you do not have a real dB measurer, a sound meter app will at least give you some idea of how loud it is.

Laser, Clinometer & Bubble level – 3 in 1 app, good to have if you do not have the real deal. Again, it is perhaps not the most accurate but better than none!

Google translate – If you are working abroad or communicating with someone who may not speak your language fluently Google translate is the one to help you out on the go! There is no reason for things not to be communicated properly when we are so lucky to have such a great tool to help!

I am sure my toolkit will continue to grow, but for now, it has got everything that I need on a daily basis.

It will save you so much time to invest in the tools you need the most. You will not have to ask around for it when you need them, and you will know how to use them correctly.

How is your toolkit looking, is it up to date?

 

X