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I Went Back To Work For 12 Hours 

A few weeks ago, I got a call from a production company.  They were doing a telethon and needed another sound engineer.  This was the first live job offer I had gotten in seven months.  I was wondering what this moment was going to feel like, and maybe because it happened so much sooner than I anticipated, I just didn’t feel mentally prepared to handle this situation.  The situation of simply discussing the details, negotiating, and then accepting or declining the offer.  I have done this thousands of times.  I did not expect my mere act of participating in the offer conversation to be rusty, but it was, I guess because I had a lot of new things to consider.

First of all, I was nervous about working at all.  I was nervous about being around so many other people.  The event was going to be outside, so that was a plus, but it would be in an outlet mall in LA on a Saturday.  Of course, I would wear my mask the entire time.  I thought about needing to get a fanny pack so I could keep my “Covid kit” on me at all times.  I was also worried about endurance and stamina.  Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t spent the entire pandemic on the couch eating bonbons, but it’s difficult to keep my step average up without a weekly 14 hour show day.  I also had to provide a negative Covid test result.  I didn’t have much time to schedule an appointment in time for me to get results back before the event, and I worried about that unknown variable—when, exactly, would I get the results.  Also, what if I was Covid positive and had to back out at the last minute?  Ok, I realize this is a lot of “ifs” but this is just a small window into how my brain processes new information.  It is exhausting, I admit, but I am rarely unprepared as a result.  So, all of this is what made me feel rusty.  There are so many new things to consider before deciding to take a live events job during a pandemic…to decide if it’s worth it.

I decided it was worth it.  I would take a Covid test, and I knew everyone else would be required to as well.  I would definitely wear my mask the entire time and wash my hands often and thoroughly.  I would social distance as much as possible, and completely “scrub in” when I arrived back home again.  Many of my friends would also be working this gig, and I wanted to work with them again.  So I took the gig and scheduled my Covid test.

I took my Covid test at Rite Aid 9 days before the event.  By the way, I totally recommend this testing method.  It’s free, and you don’t need insurance.  You can schedule online, you are given the test in the Rite Aid drive-through, and you administer the test yourself, which I did and then returned through the window drawer.  I got my negative test results three days later.  The gig was great!  It was exciting to be kept on my toes since the event was a live broadcast.  Mostly everyone was masked.  There were a few shoppers here and there that were unmasked.  My set up and check were really easy and uneventful.  I spent the rest of the day setting up backline for one of the other stages and just generally cleaning cable paths.  It was very hot, of course, I was wearing all black, and wearing a mask just made the heat worse—not that I would have ever gone without it.

The event went on with no problems.  I will say that many things about our run were adjusted or cut right there on the fly, and that was new to me, (I don’t generally work in tv) so I was on high alert the entire time.  I was definitely tense.  As soon as the event was over, I felt myself release a lot of tension, and my head immediately started throbbing.  I had the worst headache for the rest of the night.  I found myself debating whether or not to stop what I was doing and going to wash my hands every time someone coughed near me.  The load-out was 3 hours long, and I really did have a difficult time getting through it.  Pre-Covid, it would have been no problem.  Post-Covid, I had reached my limit.  I was hot and tired, and fighting a stress headache.  After load out, I drove home and arrived just before 3:00 am.  I was so sore, so tired, but also really fulfilled.

The reason I’m choosing to write about this day is that I’ve thought a lot about those 12 hours.  There was nothing extraordinary about the gig, except that we were working an event in the middle of a pandemic.  It was just weird, and I think that’s ok.  I think it’s ok that I had new anxieties and handled myself differently.  I wasn’t as strong as I normally am, and I think that’s ok too.  I was a little too excited to work again and was maybe a little overwhelmed by the whole process, and I think that we’re all going to find that going back is going to be different, and however we react will be normal, because this is new.  I also don’t know if taking that gig was the right choice.  I don’t know that it was the wrong choice either.  I’m glad I did it, and I’m happy to report that I am still Covid-free.  I think I will probably be less anxious the next time I work.  I’ve now seen which preparations are useful, and what else still needs improvement.  I was very glad to see that the majority of the public were wearing masks, and behaving cautiously and courteously.  We need more of that for us to get back to work.

When you get back to work, if you feel anxious or different or nervous, just know that I did too.  I’m sure others are too.  It’s ok.  Just take one minute to breathe and center yourself.  We are who we are because we can adapt easily—figure out how to work with what we’ve been given.  It will get easier each time.  We will have “normal” again soon.

Everything I Need To Know About Sound Design, I Learned From Ruth Bader Ginsburg

 

Ok, maybe not EVERYTHING, but what I mean to say is that I can (and do) apply RBG’s wisdom anywhere.  We lost a champion of the people, a defender of equality, and a warrior among women when we lost Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and it’s up to us to make sure that her legacy is carried out for ages to come.  It sounds lofty, I know.  Carrying out her legacy does not mean that we need to be as notable as she was.  It doesn’t mean that we have to decide the fate of millions of people.  It just means that we have to stand up for what is right, and speak up for what we believe in.  We can do this in our own little corners of the world.  From the moment we wake up until the moment we close our eyes, we make decisions.  Some decisions are small, and some decisions hold more weight and can affect more people.  Let’s just take an extra breath and ask ourselves, “What would Ruth Bader Ginsburg Do?”

“It helps sometimes to be a little deaf (in marriage and in) every workplace, including the good job I have now.”

This seems like a strange way to begin a Sound Design blog, but hear me out, it’s impossible to hear the macro when we’re so focused on the micro.  I don’t know if this is what RBG meant by this, but this is how I’m choosing to read it.  It’s hard to see our place in the world when we can only see ourselves.  I once composed an opening sequence for a show I was designing.  It was perfect, I absolutely loved it and was really proud.  During tech, we ran the opening.  During the hold, the director looked at me, scrunched up his face, and said, “I don’t think the opening music is working.”  It was really the last thing I expected him to say, and now I became hyper-focused and aware of that music.  We ran it again, and I listened to the music.  Intently.  I closed my eyes, I moved to the center of the house, and I listened.  The director said, “See what I mean?”  No.  I didn’t.  So we ran it again, and this time I kept my eyes open, and I noticed a costume piece I had not seen before.  It was bright.  The actors in the opening light looked light and cheery.  I wasn’t even listening to the music anymore, I was watching everything on stage, and I realized, my music didn’t match these elements.  I had to be a little deaf to it to realize that.

“My mother told me to be a lady.  And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.”

This one is easy but still important.  In the entertainment industry at large, we are compared to those that have come before us and even those that work alongside us.  As designers, it is imperative that we have our own voices, thoughts, and ideas.  What value is there in “doing it like the cast recording?”  Stay far away from “this is the way we’ve always done it.”  You don’t need that kind of negativity!  “This is the way we’ve always done it” is not good for design, and it’s not good for growth.  It’s ok to be the one voice that asks to do things differently.

“Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”

This is ever so true for Sound Designers.  We’ve all read the statistics.  Sound Design is a heavily male-dominated field, and it always has been.  What’s important to remember is that it won’t always be that way.  We’re starting to be recognized, we’re starting to be sought after and appreciated, and the next generation will learn from all of these women.  There has never been a lack of talented women in Sound Design.  There has been a lack of belief and trust in those women.  There’s been a lack of support, and now that is starting to change, but there is still work to be done.

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

There should not be one single aspect of your life for which this does not ring true.  It does not matter how big or small the situation, if you care about it-fight for it…thoughtfully.  I think about this when I’m designing if I come to a point where I’m defending an endangered cue.  It’s at the forefront of my mind when advocating for students’ opportunities.  When I’m questioning a policy, I remember these words.  And when I’m being an ally and an accomplice in industry-wide equity, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s words give me confidence and grace.

Look, the fact of the matter is, I could have written this blog about any job in any industry and still been able to apply RBG wisdom.  The reason why her words are so applicable to every situation is that they are always about the human experience.  Let the small things go, be an individual, assert yourself, equality, equality, equality.  One more little piece of advice from me:  You can have a role model and still be an individual.  If you’re looking for some enlightenment, it doesn’t get much better than Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

 

Twi McCallum on Hiring Black Designers and Creatives

An Interview with Twi McCallum – The Woman Behind the Letter 

On June 8, 2020, broadwayworld.com published Twi McCallum’s Open Letter to the Theatre Community on Hiring Black Designers and Creatives Twi McCallum Shares an Open Letter to the Theatre Community on Hiring Black Designers and Creatives.  I came across this letter the following day, and I have to admit that I was quite struck by the letter’s tone.  You really must read the entire letter for yourself, but I can tell you this:  Twi gets right to the business of letting the entertainment industry know that hiring a Black cast does not mean your EDI box is checked.  She writes that she’s, “tired of “inclusion” being exclusive to the actors, writers, producers, musicians, and dancers,” and that’s exactly the tone I’m talking about.  She’s tired of it, and who wouldn’t be?  The play does not stop at the stage.  As everyone knows, that’s only the beginning, so why isn’t this inclusivity reaching backstage, to the shops, the design studios, etc.

I’ve seen this letter pop up in my social media feed several times since the first time I read it, and I’ve re-read it a few times.  Each time I did, I couldn’t help but thinking, “I wonder who’s reading this and what they’re doing about it.”  I reached out to Twi because I wanted to know more about her thoughts behind this letter, what made her write it, and what did she hope to accomplish with it, and I wanted to know what makes Twi tick.  She graciously agreed to be interviewed, and here’s what she had to say:

You recently wrote an open letter to the theatre/arts/entertainment community on hiring black designers and creatives.  Can you talk about your impulse for writing that letter?

The contents of the letter have been thoughts I’ve had drafted in my iPhone’s notepad for about 2 years, and sentiments I’ve felt since I was in undergrad (before I dropped out.) I attended Howard University, an HBCU, in their technical theater program. Although I was at a Black college, the school’s focus was to serve the acting students, so I was often told, “nobody cares about the designers and technicians” as if I shouldn’t use my artistry as an activism platform the way the performance majors were encouraged to. Here I was, about four years later, seeing a fantastic video from a Black Broadway actor going viral on social media, speaking out about racism he’s experienced. However, it was a little discouraging because Black actors are often given the platform to speak out. The thought of “representation” in entertainment is often limited to seeing Black actors, writers, directors, producers, musicians, and dancers getting big roles. Artists like me who work behind the scenes and are often nameless are seldom included in this “representation” picture. The letter is still evolving, I have several drafts of it and I plan to republish it next summer with a review of how I think the industry has progressed (or not) over a year.

Did you expect the letter to be so widely received?  What was your reaction to that?

I still have no idea how “widely” my letter has been received, especially since I intentionally have not opened the links where it’s been published– I learned as a teenager not to read reviews and comments because some people intentionally say unkind things. BroadwayWorld posted on its Instagram page that they were opening their writing slots to Black people in light of the uprisings, so I saw that as my chance to write an open letter through the lens of a Black femme (and disabled) sound designer who works in theater as well as tv and film. I also submitted the letter to a few Black publications, who surprisingly did not publish my letter, which I assume is because they focus on highlighting actors and directors and don’t care about the Black artists who work behind the scenes. That rejection was a little discouraging until I started getting emails from veteran sound designers, former teachers, and regional theater companies that I worked for. I am still afraid of getting blackballed, but so far all of the responses from my network have been positive and encouraging. I’m sure that every minority designer can relate to my sentiments about physical abuse, sexual harassment, delayed payment, and wondering why a show with a Black cast/director has no Black designers. I chose not to name-drop particular companies where I experienced blatant racism, but I’m sure they all read it and wept.

What kind of responses have you gotten from industry folks?

Most of the responses from industry people have simply been to the effect of, “great job using your voice eloquently” and “you are a great role model.” I’ve also been invited to speak on a few panels since my letter was published, and my proudest result has been joining the EDI committee of Theatrical Sound Designers & Composers Association. Moving forward, I am trying to collaborate with the non-Black veteran designers to figure out ways to get more Black designers into job slots at regional and off-Broadway theaters in the upcoming seasons.

Who are your mentors, and why?

I have four mentors, who all have been warm and gentle towards me in different capacities. In no particular order: Nevin Steinberg, who has passed my resume along for at least 1 design job, and texts me every once in a blue moon to check-in, which goes a long way for me. Megumi Katayama, who took a chance and hired me as her design assistant at Long Wharf Theater in November 2019. I was grossly under qualified at the time but I was able to learn so much and being able to put that show on my resume opened doors for me. Mike Backhaus, the sound supervisor at Yale School of Drama, is a fantastic resource for all the engineering and mathematics-related sound things I haven’t mastered yet–he’s terrifyingly intelligent. Finally is Wingspace Theatrical Design, an advocacy organization for professional directors and designers based in NYC, and I’m being mentored by Sinan Zafar and Kate Marvin who have already helped me make important decisions in my career like unions, school, books to read, etc.

Can you describe the most comfortable and most equitable collaborative artistic situation for which you have been worked on?

My favorite production so far has been Frankenstein at Kansas City Rep in March 2020, we made it to opening night and then closed due to the virus. This is my first LORT stage as a sound designer, so I had big shoes to fill. This was not a “Black” production, both of the performers/writers were non-Black. The director was a non-Black woman, and I was the only Black designer on the team. When I saw the promotion for the show on the KC Rep website before arriving for tech, I was terrified because I had already convinced myself I was out of place. However, the organization didn’t make me feel like their token teammate. They trusted me, I got paid on time, it was a safe space to ask questions and expect a respectful response, my sound team picked me up when I fell short, and overall that level of comfort allowed me to produce my work to the best of my ability.

It’s a common discussion in this industry that once the “old guys” are gone, the upcoming younger generation will be able to enact real change for future generations.  What is your response to this scenario?  Do you think there is hope for meaningful change while the “old guys” are still here, or is it too late?

To an extent, I see many of the “old guys” helping to create real change for future generations. Of course, there are still racists popping into the conversations especially on social media, such as the situation with the Black producer who wanted to hire a Black film editor and got backlash from veteran White editors. At least in the sound design network, some of the old guys are showing up for EDI conversations and speaking up about the tangible actions they can take, such as making a commitment to bring on an emerging Black designer for one of their regional productions in a future season.

Job access is a multifaceted issue, including stems like pay disparity (because minorities are expected to work for free), education level, and access to expensive equipment if you’re a designer who comes from a low-income background. Institutionally, White-run theaters create barriers by hiring the same old guys consistently, and not having contact information listed on their website so that emerging designers can submit their resume to the producers/production managers, which creates a sense of exclusivity. Old guys making room is a good step towards getting more Black designers into these seats since many of them overbook themselves for productions that their design assistants are responsible for, but it’s not the only solution.

What is your dream project?

As a sound designer who works for the stage and the screen, this is a two-tiered answer. My dream project in theater: anything on Broadway! I already have my co-designer picked out for when I get hired for my first Broadway production, and yes she is a Black woman. I’ve had my eyes set on designing for a Broadway-bound director like Kamilah Forbes and Stevie Walker-Webb, along with a list of 30 other big directors I admire.

My dream project for cinema: post-sound mixing for many Beyonce films! She’s producing great content and I think she would love me as her post-sound girl.

However, the icing on the cake would be if I’m not the only Black, femme, and LGBTQ person on those technical teams. In a few years when I can grow as a businessperson, I want to have the power to train and recruit diverse engineers, A2s, foley artists, dialogue editors, etc who look like me.

Do you think that the pandemic outbreak has overshadowed the BLM movement and related initiatives that are being executed in the entertainment industry?  If so, what do you think folx can do to stay focused?

I don’t think the pandemic outbreak has overshadowed the BLM movement, I think it’s the other way around. In regards to visibility, the problem is that non-Black counterparts participated in the temporary activism for about a week or two, then things went back to normal for them. Black people collectively are still mourning, marching, and organizing not only for George Floyd but also for Breonna Taylor, and new/rediscovered cases such as Elijah McClain, Oluwatoyin Salau, Sandra Bland, Tony McDade, and Riah Milton. Black women, trans people, and disabled people are often not cared for in these movements as much as Black men are. I want everyone if they have the capacity, to show up as much as they can, sign petitions, and donate to grassroots organizations instead of large nonprofits that aren’t proving where the funds are being allocated. BLM is an ongoing movement, even when the fire settles down.

What advice do you have for young technicians, designers, crew, and any other “unsung heroes?”

Advice on your job hunt: Send out your resume as much as possible! Cast your net wide. Last year, I sent my resume to about 80 theaters and directors I wanted to work for and only heard back from 6, but those responses turned into jobs.

Advice on creativity: practice, practice, practice. Practice your QLab, ProTools and other industry-related software, sign up for free webinars, join lots of industry organizations, watch YouTube tutorials, etc.

Advice on being comfortable in your own skin: My favorite quote is by a man named Michael Todd, “…planted and under-qualified” which means we may not always have enough experience or readiness for a job, but still take the opportunity when it comes and do your best.

Resources for hiring a diverse production crew

Wingspace is committed to the cause of equity in the field.  There are significant barriers to accessing a career in theatrical design and we see inequalities of race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability across the field.

Parity Productions is a formidable producer of new work, that also ensures that they fill at least 50% of the creative roles on their productions with women and trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) artists. In addition to producing their own work, they actively promote other theatre companies that follow their 50% hiring standard. Artistically, they develop and produce compelling new plays that give voice to individuals who rebel against their marginalized place in society.

Production on Deck Uplifting underrepresented communities in the arts. Their main goal is to curate a set of resources to help amplify the visibility of (primarily) People of Color in the arts.

POC in Audio Directory The directory features over 500 people of color who work in audio around the world. You’ll find editors, hosts, writers, producers, sound designers, engineers, project managers, musicians, reporters, and content strategists with varied experience from within the industry and in related fields.

The EQUAL Directory is a global database of professionals that seeks to amplify the careers and achievements of women working behind the scenes in music and audio. Any person around the world can add their name and claim their space. And, any person looking to hire a more inclusive creative team can find professionals in their area.

Twi McCallum is an NYC-based sound designer for the stage and screen. Her first jobs in the big city were a technical theater apprenticeship at New York Live Arts and an IATSE Local 1 stagehand gig at Manhattan School of Music.

Off-Broadway credits include Women’s Project Theater. Selected television/film credits include ABC, HBO, Warner Bros, CBS, and NBCUniversal. Selected regional credits include Kansas City Rep, Cape May Stage, and Long Wharf Theater (assistant design.) Twi has also designed Parity Production’s spring 2020 production of “Mirrors” at the New York Theater Workshop.

Selected Awards/memberships include USITT Early Career Mentee Grant, Post New York Alliance, SoundGirls, and Disney Creative Careers Fellow.

The SoundGirls Podcast – Twi McCallum: Hiring black designers and creatives

Twi McCallum Interviews Bobbi Banks for The SoundGirls Living History Project

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

 

 

Black Technicians Matter 

Before I get into this blog, let me say that I am writing this with very high emotions.  My heart is breaking for BIPOC.  I am horrified by the overwhelming lack of acknowledgment and responsibility in regards to the aggressive use of police brutality that has plagued this country for years, decades, even centuries.  I am utterly sickened by the blatantly flagrant display of racism that pours out of the White House every single day.  So, yes, it’s possible that you are reading a different, maybe more fiery tone from me today because I am fired up.

In an effort to provide some kind of tangible support, I want to use my small platform here to discuss some ideas for the future, when we’re able to live and work freely in the world again (remember, even through all of these recent atrocities, we’re also still in a pandemic).  One day, we will be healthy again.  One day, we will be able to work again.  One day, people will start forgetting the protests, the rallies, the news.  That’s the time that we need to remember that even when we’re not inundated daily by all of these disgusting displays of inhumanity pouring in through social media and other news outlets, it will still be happening and will continue happening until enough of us start using our fiery emotions as fuel to actually DO something about it.  It’s not just the inhumanity toward BIPOC that is a problem, it’s also white complacency, and, frankly, blindness.

A couple of summers ago, I hired a crew of seven sound technicians to support my theatre company’s summer season. Generally, most of my hires come from the USITT convention, KCACTF, and SETC.  A couple of weeks into the summer, one of my interns said to me,” I just wanted to let you know that I think it’s really great that this crew is mostly women and mostly people of color.  You’ve created a really inclusive department, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it.”  Wow.  What a fantastic compliment that I, in no way, deserved.  What she said was true.  They were mostly women, and they were mostly people of color.  It’s just that I didn’t do that on purpose, and I didn’t even realize that’s what we had until she brought it up.

I was blind.  I have to imagine that, as a black woman, the person that said this to me probably enters almost every situation looking around the room to see how outnumbered she is in terms of race.  I didn’t think of that, because it’s something I never do.  I really don’t walk into a new situation and think, “Oh good, at least there are other white people.”  That summer’s beautiful blend of racial variety was a complete accident.  I learned from it, though.  I learned that as a person who regularly hires other people, I have an obligation to make sure that I am not just going through the same old motions and that I am using my privilege and my position to promote diversity and equity.

This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the organizations I listed above, in fact, it’s quite the contrary.  USITT, KCACTF, and SETC provide so many opportunities for so many young people throughout the year, and I would be lost without them.  They all have many subgroups within their organizations that are specifically geared toward marginalized communities such as BIPOC, Women+, and LGBTQ.  I just think we can all be taking another step.

Maybe we should recruit specifically within HBCUs.  In researching for this blog, I very easily came across this list of HBCU schools offering performing arts programs. I also came across this HBCU list which provides useful statistics related to the schools and their demographics.  It takes two minutes for that extra Google search, and then finding department faculty email addresses after that is easy!  As I’ve already mentioned, the theatre organizations and conferences I’ve encountered in the past are doing a good job of continuing to promote diversity and inclusion, but this thought led me to Google search “black theatre conferences,” and the first hit was for The Black Theatre Network.  What a fantastic recruitment opportunity that I have been missing out on.

My point is that I don’t want us all to relax when the heat is turned down.  Let’s keep moving forward.  Let’s take another step—push a little harder.  I want to challenge shop heads, recruiters, and managers to remember this blog during hiring season, and ask yourselves if there’s something else you can do.   It’s our responsibility as artists to never stop learning, and never stop growing.

Diversify You Crew

The EQUAL Directory is a global database of professionals that seeks to amplify the careers and achievements of women working behind the scenes in music and audio. Any person around the world can add their name and claim their space. And, any person looking to hire a more inclusive creative team can find professionals in their area.

POC in Audio Directory

The directory features over 500 people of color who work in audio around the world. You’ll find editors, hosts, writers, producers, sound designers, engineers, project managers, musicians, reporters, and content strategists with varied experience from within the industry and in related fields.

While recruiting diverse candidates is a great first step, it’s not going to be enough if we want the industry to look and sound meaningfully different in the future. Let us be clear: this isn’t about numbers alone. This is about getting the respect that people of color—and people of different faiths, abilities, ages, socioeconomic statuses, educational backgrounds, gender identities, and sexual orientation—deserve.

 

The ABCs of Women in Theatre

Maybe it’s the quarantine getting to me, or maybe it’s the fact that two of my quarantine cellmates are six and eleven years old, but for this month’s blog, I decided to go a little Dr. Seuss on you!  I’ve given you the name of a woman of theatre you should definitely know of for (almost) every letter of the alphabet.  I’ll give you just a taste of the genius that each and every one of these women were and are, but if I were you, I’d take these names straight to Google to soak up every bit of info you can after you read this blog.  Enjoy!

A is for Aphra Behn to start this off right.  She was a seventeenth-century woman playwright.  It seems she was a leader in feminism too and wrote on hot topics, arranged marriage, to boot.

B is for Bradley, Lillian Trimble’s last name.  Being America’s first woman director is what gave her fame.  She loved Melodrama.  To her, it was the best.  She broke into the scene with her play, The Woman On The Index.

C is for Cheryl (and her last name) Crawford, too.  She was a producer when for women, it was new.  She founded Group Theater and Actors Studio when she moved to New York from Akron, Ohio.

D is for Dianne, her last name is Glancy.  She’s a Native American Playwright, specifically, Cherokee.  She’s published over ten plays and written even more.  She also writes literature and poetry galore.

E is for Eugenia Rosenthal, she went by Jean, for short.  She pioneered a path of the technical sort.  Born in 1912, she was always a climber, she paved the way for women lighting designers.

F is for Frances Goodrich, you want to know her.  She’s a 1956 Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner.  She and her husband, and this takes the cake, won those two prizes for their Diary of Anne Frank. 

G is for Georgia, in this case, Georgia Stitt.  She’s an American composer, and she’s the real sh*%!

H is for Hrotsvitha, a very FIRST first.  To leave her unmentioned would be just the worst.  She’s probably the very first woman playwright, a tenth-century nun, her art was a sight.

J Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron are the first women writing team to win the best score for Fun Home.  Another first definitely not to be missed, this musical featured the first lesbian protagonist.

K is for Kitty Clive, a diva of her era, she was one of the first to play the lead in The Beggar’s Opera.

L is for Lorraine Hansberry and remember this one.  The first black woman produced play on Broadway was hers: Raisin in the Sun.

M is for Micki Grant, she helped pave the way.  She’s one of the first women composers of Broadway.

N is for Nell Gwynne, 1650 English born.  At 14 she hit the stage, acting, of course.

P is for Peg, Peg Woffington of England.  She pioneered “breeches” roles, cross-dressing women.

R is for Rebecca.  Can you say Lenkiewicz?  Have you heard of her 2008 play, Naked Skin?  It was produced at National Theatre on the Mainstage, a first for a woman playwright during that day and age.

S is for Sara Barielles, we all love this queen.  She led the all-women creative team for Waitress in 2016.

T is for Tony (Antoniette) Perry.  You’ve heard of the Tony Awards, right?  Same Person.  That’s scary.

V is for Vinette Carroll, she directed on Broadway.  The first black woman to do so, by the way.

Z is for Zelda Fichandler.  In 1950, she founded Arena Stage in Washington DC.  Arena Stage won the first regional Tony in 1976 and was the first to move to Broadway a show of their pick.

These women are heroes, bad-ass superstars.  Let’s always make history remember who they are.  Through pandemic ramblings, or word-press, or pen, keep spreading the word of these powerful women.

 

The COVID-19 Schedule for the Freelance Sound Designer Mom

Yes, it’s another article about life in the Corona Virus quarantine.  My world, along with all of yours, has been completely turned upside down, and I just wanted to share what I’ve been doing to cope, rest, learn, and thrive.  I want to remind readers that this is just my personal experience, and no one should feel like there is something they HAVE to be doing while sitting at home every day in quarantine.

I have a husband, two kids (11 and 6), a dog, and a tortoise.  My husband and I have both been laid off due to the Social Distancing Policy.  I am still teaching my one college course (now online), but other than that, we have a lot of downtime.  We’ve both been home since March 13, and I have been having the hardest time trying to fall into some kind of “normal” schedule.  At first, I tried getting my kids up at our regular time. They got ready for the day, we had breakfast, and then we would start on schoolwork.  My kids’ teachers are sending “enrichment only” assignments for the time being, so this is basically just busy work that doesn’t count for a grade, which very much contributes to my anxiety.

While they were busy working, I would clean the house and disinfect as much as possible. Before I knew it, it was noon, so I would make lunch, walk the dog, work on my class prep, and stress about trying to read every CV19 update.  5:00 pm would seem to appear directly after lunch, so I would make dinner, try to squeeze in a fun activity for my kids, try to keep up with the influx of webinars, zoom meetings, free software, trial versions that everyone in my industry is releasing right now, and then I would get the kids in bed and basically pass out on the couch.  Rinse and repeat for several days.

I was feeling completely worn out, but also completely unproductive.  How can I be busy all day long and still feel like I’m not getting anything done?  I didn’t have a regular 9-5 job before the world shut down, so I don’t have 8 hours of meetings/classes/calls/tasks to complete every day as if I were at the office.  I decided that trying to push my life along my “typical” schedule in a completely atypical scenario is completely crazy and the cause of my sense of being out of control.  I’ve been working on a new schedule, or plan, or daily goal….whatever you want to call it, to help keep my day-to-day feeling equal parts productive and creative. Here’s what I’ve come up with…at least for this week.

7:00 am: Wake up, curse my body for never allowing me to sleep later than 7:00 am, scroll social media/email/messages on my phone in bed.

8:00 am:  Make sure kids are up and getting ready, get up, shower, make breakfast.

8:45 am:  Feed family, start kids on school work (either assigned from school or make something up—6 year old wants to learn about every US President, 11 year old is writing a book), check on UI/IRS stimulus/any other artist relief options (links below).

9:30 am:  If it’s Monday, prep my class for the week.  If it’s any other weekday, look for one industry-related task to complete.  It doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes I download a new software I found on one of my “Corona Discounts” list (links below).  Sometimes I work on music. If it’s Wednesday, I edit and publish my podcast. As long as I have done something that benefits my career, I feel good.

11:00 am: Force kids and dog outside, ride my bike either around the neighborhood or to the store if necessary.

12:00 pm: Make lunch, feed family, enlist family in daily house cleaning.  I will say that my house is maintaining a pretty decent level of cleanliness with this daily activity in place—much better than letting it pile up for days and then being forced into a major deep cleaning.

2:00 pm:  Chill. Do something fun with the kids, or not.  Whatever the mood is. If they want to play video games, that’s ok.  I’ll read, or watch something, or work on a project with my husband. I also try to call/Zoom/Facetime someone around this time.  My whole family is really missing our personal interactions with others, so I try to make sure that we’re all connecting with someone outside of the home daily.

5:00 pm:  Make dinner, feed family, play a game or watch a movie with the family.  Throughout the day, we can really all be doing our own thing, and I try to get us all in the same room for a couple of hours to wind down together.

8:00 pm:  Start the kids’ bedtime process, hang out with my husband, fall asleep whenever I fall asleep.

This is what I start with, and where I need to make changes, I do.  If I want to throw this entire schedule out the window for a day, I do.  I have a very short list of things I HAVE to do: Keep family alive, do stuff for jobs I am currently getting paid for, get money somehow.  It does make me feel better to get something new done, but sifting and searching through all of the myriads of offers that are out there now (training, classes, downloads, free trials, etc.) completely overwhelms and paralyzes me to the point of ignoring it all and doing nothing.

Of course, I am SO completely appreciative of everything all of these companies and organizations are offering, I’m just still working on how to process it all. Only asking myself to find one industry thing per day to work on has really helped me with my anxiety, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed in this way, I really recommend this “one day at a time” approach.  I’m including some of the links I have been accessing. Just remember that you are doing the best you can do. This is temporary, and nothing is more important than your health and sanity.

Coronavirus giveaways: the best free software and services for musicians

What is Zoom

Online Resources List and Training Links During the COVID-19 Shutdown UPDATED April 8, 2020

SoundGirls Training List

SoundGirls COVID19 Resources

Unemployment Insurance Provisions for Creative Professionals in the CARES Act

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side Hustles for the No Work Drought

As freelancers, we’ve all experienced dry weeks or months and are often struggling to find work to fill in the gaps.  The wave of the dreaded Coronavirus has only pushed this drought into high gear. Many of us rely on events that include large gatherings of people, or feature people that have traveled from other countries that may have a larger amount of confirmed Coronavirus cases, so when those events are canceled, so are our paychecks.

Over the years I have tested out different side hustles, so I thought I would share the list of things I’ve tried.  There are really millions of weird little side jobs out there, so, no, I did not just Google that for you, I’m giving you a list of only things that I’ve personally tried and liked.

Too Good To Be True

First and foremost, do not bite on any “quick cash” listings.  Remember what your mom always said: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.  Remember how I said I’m only sharing personal experiences? Yeah. This is one of them.  And by “one” I mean an embarrassing number. I’m not going to list the specific listings, because I’m not here to put anyone on blast, but just remember that any job worth doing will take some work to get to the good part.  If it’s easy, it’s sleazy. You have my permission to use that.

Teaching

 The longer you have been working on your craft, the more you can start to call yourself “an expert in your field.”  I don’t say that out of vanity, it’s what I was told when I started teaching without having an education degree. I landed a band director job straight out of college, and when I reminded those that hired me that I did not have an education degree, they said that was ok because I was considered “an expert in my field” and as long as I could pass a test for an emergency teaching credential, I would be good to go.  That test, by the way, is definitely the easiest academic-style test I have ever taken. I easily passed. For me, that teaching job was a full-time job, not so much a side hustle. It did, however, help me land my next teaching job, which only required 20 hours p/w of my time. I got to extend my emergency credential, and this time, I was also serving as the Resident Sound Engineer of a theatre in the same city. Teaching classes those 20 hours per week gave me some financial stability, and really helped keep my own knowledge and education sharp.  That same year, I also taught piano lessons, flute lessons, and voice lessons out of my home. Currently, I am an adjunct professor at a CSU. I teach one class two days per week, and it is just a really great source of steady income.

Teching

I live near a casino, and for the past three years, I have been working as an audio technician in the showroom that brings a new live act 1-2 times per week.  I love it. I love it because I can come and go as needed, so when I’m designing a show for theatre, I don’t stress. I also love working at the casino, because every week I set up a different console, or watch a different FOH engineer, and I always learn so much.  The kind of side hustle that keeps you learning is definitely the best kind.

Online

There are many online job opportunities, but the one that I tried and really liked was rev.com.  This is a transcription service, so being able to type quickly and accurately is key.  Bonus for having great ears, because some of the files you are transcribing are really poor audio quality.  You choose how often you work, but once you’ve chosen a project, you have a time limit in which it needs to be completed.  There are resources that help you out, so if you get stuck on an impossible sentence, you basically just send up a flare, and help is on the way.  As I said, good things don’t come easy, so there is a bit of a ramp-up to this job. You have to pass a typing test, and then you have to take several jobs that will only make you a few dollars each but will also only take 10-15 minutes to type.  Once you’ve earned your keep, you can start choosing jobs that will bring you more like $50-75 and (if you’re pretty decent) should only take 1-2 hours to type. Best of all, no face mask or Clorox wipes needed!

Whatever your side hustle, remember that it should stay on the side, so don’t pick up something that makes you buy a bunch of new equipment or requires a ridiculous amount of time.  Do try to find something that’s fun, keeps you learning, and most importantly, brings the $$$! Cheers and Happy Hustling!

You can find a list of side hustles here   

 

Women in Sound Design

An Interview With The Only Two Women Ever Nominated for a Tony Award in Sound Design

This year, Jessica Paz changed history by becoming the first woman to receive a Tony Award nomination for Sound Design for the Musical Hadestown.  Jessica won that Tony, which also gave her the distinction of becoming the first woman to EVER win a sound design Tony in either category. Prior to this, only one other woman, Cricket S. Myers, had received a nomination for Sound Design of the play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo in 2011.

The Sound Design category has existed since 2007, and in 12 years, only these two women have received nominations. As we have seen from The EQL Directory, there is no shortage of talented, professional women Sound Designers in this industry, so why is it so difficult for them to get work in Broadway theatre, and more importantly, what can we do to change that dynamic?  In an effort to gain a little more clarity on this subject, and to learn a little more about Jessica and Cricket and their work processes, I decided to go straight to the sources.

Here’s what they had to say

Elisabeth: How long have you been a sound designer, and what first drew you to this industry?

Jessica: I have been a Sound Designer for about 15-20 years, I first started as a mixer for community theater.

Cricket:  I’ve been a Sound Designer for 20 years now. I have always loved theater, I fell in love with the crazy energy backstage and knew that the theater life was for me. I didn’t find sound until much later in life but it fits me well. I started as a physics major before switching to theater, so acoustics and all the technical side of sound comes very naturally to me. But it’s the creative side of sound design that fuels me from day to day.

E:  What were some of the stepping stones that helped you move from regional theatre to Broadway/Off-Broadway?

J:  I answered a job posting for a sound operator for an off-broadway play with LAByrinth theater company, which is how I met one of my mentors who then hired me as an assistant on shows going forward.

C:  I went to grad school at CalArts and graduated in 2003, and started assisting people around town. In 2004 I assisted on a show at SCR that transferred to Manhattan Theater Club, and which gave me my very first Broadway credit. I got my first BIG design (at the Mark Taper Forum) in 2006, there were four sound cues and I was SO excited and so nervous! But I developed an amazing relationship with Center Theater Group, and which lead to me sending a very bold email in 2008. I saw Bengal Tiger on the list of announced shows at the Kirk Douglas Theater, which is operated by CTG. Moises Kauffman was directing and I emailed the production manager, to let her know that if they didn’t already have a sound designer, I was REALLY interested. Sure enough, they set up a meeting with Moises, who is amazing, and I was in. The next year, the show was remounted at the Mark Taper Forum, and then in 2011, it transferred to Broadway with Robin Williams playing our Tiger.

E:  What has been your favorite design, and why?

J:  Hadestown because I feel it’s the show that helped define my style.

C:  I think one of my favorite designs was for a production of Bent at the Mark Taper Forum. Moises Kaufman directed, and the focus was always about storytelling. The whole second act takes place in a concentration camp, with a giant electric fence dominating the stage. I had a series of buzzes and hums that shifted and came and went throughout the act, subtly changing the tension in the room as the characters’ stories developed. There was a lot of collaboration between the lighting designer, Justin Townsend, the scenic designer, Beowulf Boritt, and myself as we created this world and as it changed thought out the show.

E:  What’s the one piece of gear or software you can’t live without?

J:  Apple Mainstage

C:  Well, it’s hard not to say QLab. It changed the way I design. I no longer had to mix things down in headphones, burn it on a CD and then hope it sounds the same in the theater. I can leave sounds as individual files and mix them in the actual theater.

E:  What are your thoughts on the phrase “In show business, it’s all about who you know”?

J:  I think who you know is helpful, but it isn’t the only road to success.

C:  I have found that to be very true! Almost all of my work comes from word of mouth. Someone recommends me, whether it is a director, or a production manager, or another designer. Networking is a huge part of the job. Now, this goes both ways. If you are a pain to work with, or treat someone poorly or do an awful job, that gets “known” very quickly too. Be careful not to burn bridges as you go!

E:  Who are your role models?

J:  Nevin Steinberg, Abe Jacob, Mark Menard

C:  I have been so lucky to have a lot of great mentors and role models! Jon Gottlieb and Drew Dalzell were so incredibly supportive and instrumental in starting my career. I got to assist some amazing designers while working at the Mark Taper Forum, gentlemen such as Darron West, Mark Bennett, Obadiah Eaves, and Paul Prendergast. All of them became role models and were very supportive of me as I found my way in theater.

E:  Cricket, you made theatre history when you became the first woman to be nominated for a Tony for Sound Design.  Jessica, you made theatre history when you became the first woman to win a Tony for Sound Design. Can you describe the feeling you had when you found out the news?

J:  I was elated, not only to have been nominated, to win but because I hope it will inspire other women in the field.

C:  I never thought it would happen! I had a friend, Brian, ask if I was going to wake up at 5:30 am to watch the announcement online and I laughed and said there was absolutely no reason to do that. Brian stated that he would get up and watch for me. I smirked and said “well, call me if you hear my name” Sure enough, 5:38 am, my phone rings and it’s Brian! I admit I continued to check the website ALL DAY long because I was pretty sure the Tony committee would come to their senses and take the nomination away. I was designing an outdoor concert for a middle school that day and the drama teacher spent the entire day grabbing folks and proudly declaring that she had a TONY nominee running her concert! It was surreal and exciting and amazing.

E:  In your opinion, what else needs to happen in the industry to give women in audio an even ground to stand on?

J:  I’m not sure I know the answer to that other than to keep encouraging women to show up and take a seat at the table.

C:  Producers need to take a chance. Hire someone they might not know. Directors have to ask for women designers. Designers need to hire more women as assistants and on the sound crew. And when a designer can’t do a show and is sending recommendations to the producers, include women on that list.

E:  What advice do you have for the next generation of women in audio?

J:  Show up, bring your whole self to the table, do your best work each day, keep learning. Be generous.

C:  Keep kicking ass every day. There’s absolutely no reason why those jobs shouldn’t be yours and don’t let anyone tell you anything different. Treat the folks around you with respect, and they will treat you the same way.

I also asked Cricket why she thought that in the history of the Sound Design Tony Award category, only one other woman besides her had been nominated.  She said, “Because there have only been seven women who have even designed on Broadway, designing less than 20 shows over the past 17 years. With 35-50 shows opening each year on Broadway, women Sound Designers make up a TINY percentage of the hired designers. If women aren’t given the opportunities to design the shows, then how can they get the recognition for them? Producers need to start recognizing the extraordinary talent and experience that women Sound Designers can bring to a show.”

For the past 5 years, Porsche McGovern has been doing a study on gender parity in theatre, and to quote her, she says that “we have been getting closer to gender parity in design in LORT theatres, “albeit very slowly and with a good chunk of caveats….the percentage of she designers in sound design positions only went up by 0.3 percent (in 2019).”

The rest of the statistics from Porsche’s study are equally alarming, and you can read all about the all too slow rise in gender parity in theatre here: Who Designs and Directs in LORT Theatres by Pronoun: 2019

If you are a Producer of theatre, I challenge you to reach outside the box for the 2020-2021 season.  Make it a personal goal to hire at least 50% of your designers and directors OUTSIDE of the “Straight white male” category, and I’m speaking to Producers of ALL theatre, not just Broadway.  Designers, follow Cricket’s advice, and staff your shows with women! Recommend each other, speak up for each other, fight for each other, because we all know that change is not going to happen without our strong voices on the forefront.  And since I can’t share it enough, here’s The EQL Directory to get you started.

 

Stage Managers and Sound Designers

Together Forever

2020 is the year of the stage manager, so this is the perfect time to talk about how I get the most out of my Sound Designer/Stage Manager relationship!  The Stage Manager is the one person that probably knows the most about the show and the actors. They are also the one who is going to make sure your design is executed exactly as planned at each and every show.  Basically, the Stage Manager is someone you really want in your corner, so I want to go over just a few of the ways my relationship with Stage Managers has been beneficial.

First of all, I completely support listing the Stage Manager as a part of the creative team.  I’m stating this, maybe obvious (to some) fact, because it just doesn’t happen a lot. Frankly, I’m still beating the “LIST THE SOUND DESIGNER IN YOUR POSTS” drum loud and hard, because that title is also one that is often left off…. I guess because you can’t see that design in a photo.  So if I have to constantly remind people that Sound Designers are part of the creative team and need to be listed in posts, I can’t imagine how much harder that fight is for Stage Managers. Let’s just think about it for a minute though. What defines a creative team? Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a succinct “Theatrical Creative Team” textbook definition, but I did find this “Advertising Creative Team” definition from smallbusiness.chron.com, and honestly, it totally fits:

A creative team is made up of several key members, starting with a creative director,  and including copywriters, editors, graphic designers and artists, and web developers.  In short, it’s the group of people that comes up with advertising ideas and brings those ideas into being.

This is basically the same for theatre, right?  The Director, Choreographer, Music Director, and Designers are the key members that come up with the ideas and bring those ideas to the stage.  But from the first concept meeting, the Stage Manager is also there. They are running the meetings, taking notes, and sending those notes out to the team.  The Stage Manager is keeping track of all of the action that’s going on in rehearsal and keeps the rest of the team updated daily. They will remind the director of Designers’ ideas, and likewise, let Designers in on things that might help or hurt their design idea—like informing a Sound Designer that a group of actors are constantly blocked to be in a place where a speaker was going to be.  They are the ones firing sound cues in rehearsal and reporting on how it was received by the director, and any good stage manager will practice calls over and over until their “GO” lands at that perfect swell in the music that will ensure every audience member leaves feeling all the feels. That’s art. Stage Management is an art form, and they have every right to be recognized as part of the creative team, and basically, what I’m saying is that the more we openly recognize that fact with our Stage Manager friends, the better the working relationship is going to be.

I mentioned that the Stage Manager probably knows more about the actors than anyone else.  This is really useful to the Sound Designer of a musical. For years, I would make my plans about which microphones to use, which lavs to put on actors, what I would use to change the color of the lavs if needed, what kind of tape or another attachment method to use, and which style of mic belts to assign well ahead of tech on my own.  Many times over the years, I would run into situations where I was changing tape on an actor because they were allergic to what I was using, or switching out a mic belt because of a blocking direction that was just given, or what have you. It was frustrating, and would often create a domino effect if I was short on equipment or supplies.  I soon learned that consulting the Stage Manager while I was preparing these plans alleviated a lot of those issues for me before I even met the actor. The Stage Manager would not only know the nuts and bolts information, like allergies and blocking, but also more personal things, like actor preferences: This actor likes to wear the lav on the left side of the face, that actor has their own mic belt, etc.  Once I realized that I could unlock that info ahead of time, it was a definite level up for me.

The Stage Manager is also very invested in protecting your design and maintaining its original intention throughout the run.  There are sometimes situations in which microphone and lav placement are very specific, and I’ll tell a Stage Manager that if this position moves an inch one way or the other, the sound will change.  Many of the Stage Managers I’ve worked within the past take that information very seriously and will note actors throughout the run for the sake of the design and the production. I’ve also worked with Stage Managers in the past who, during rehearsal, will bring up things I’ve said in the past about which circumstances give us the best sound quality if it looks like the Director is blocking actors to be somewhere or do something that is not conducive to excellent sound quality.  Because I like to keep a line of open communication between myself and my Stage Managers, I’m able to count on them to be my voice, even if I’m not in the room.

When it comes to theatre allies, Stage Managers are definitely a group of people I want on that list.  I want to know that they care as much about my design as I do, and will give their all every night to make sure that it is executed perfectly.  I think that as Designers, we can sometimes feel overprotective of our work, and it’s sometimes hard to remember that the questions, the emails, the regular check-ins from a Stage Manager are all in pursuit of the same goal as us—a perfectly crafted piece of theatre.

 

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