Touring Life and Motherhood or How You Can’t Have it All

Note – I do know a few men in the industry who have sole custody of their children and face many of the same issues.

After the birth of my daughters, I took some time off and did not work at all. As reality sunk in, I came to realize that touring was going to be difficult if not impossible. I thought about going back to school and getting a teaching degree – still one of the professions that allows for a schedule to be with your kids. I eventually returned to Los Angeles and took on a general manager role at Rat Sound – which really was doing a bit of everything, similar to what I did before but kept me off the road.

It was pretty great for awhile – I was able to achieve a balance between work and raising my daughters. Then the Chili Peppers launched a 17 month world tour, which I turned down. It took a while for this sink in, as I embraced my new life – I came to really miss being on the road and I wrestled with this for a while – but there did not seem to be any option. I started to work local shows again, but this I found pretty difficult to balance – the long hours, the child care bill, trying to function as a zombie the next day.

Then I was offered REM and I was determined to do it – I did not know how I was going to make it work – but I knew I wanted that gig. After many discussions with the girls dad, we came up with a game plan to make it work. In the end, the gig ended up falling thru as they wanted a FOH and Monitor team, engineers that had worked together for several years. My team was Brett Eliason (PJ FOH Engineer) and he could not do the tour.

It ended up being for the best – as parents we had worked out what we were comfortable with, what I needed to be happy, and what we felt was best for the girls.

It basically broke down to:

That yes, the girls would be okay with a nanny or my sister taking care of them if we were both touring.
That ten days was about the amount of time – they could be without one parent. (This some how worked out for a long time – as our tour schedules did not overlap very much).
I would limit myself for the time being to touring with Pearl Jam – as they did not tour that much, there were long breaks in between legs, and they typically did not go out for more than 5 – 6 weeks per leg.
The RHCP were touring with a schedule of three weeks on, two weeks off.

And that is what we did for years – still do – but now they are self sufficient and I think look forward to us being on the road. The girls had an extended family that they felt safe with and were loved. It also made them independent. Plus they got to travel with us several times and got to see some cool places.

Of course, this would not have been possible without a father that was willing to be a full time dad. I think this made him a better father – and the girls were bonded to both parents. We both made sacrifices to do this – There were tours turned down on both sides, mixing challenges and experiences that were missed. Yet, when I was home it was 24/7 and for every championship softball game I missed – I was there for most of the season.

I guess what I am trying to share is that you can be a mom and have a career in audio. It is not going to be easy, but life is not easy. You might choose to work a constant theater gig over touring, or work part time doing local shows for a sound company. You might switch to an AV gig. Even with the sacrifices made – I always felt it was better than working a 9-5 job with the kids in daycare. And I still got the rush of working a live concert. Would I have followed the path I did without kids – I will never know.

I would love to hear how others have balanced this or are attempting to.

The Sound Girls of Brazil!

By: Karrie Keyes

I recently had the chance to meet with some of the women of Mulheres do Audio while on tour in Brazil. Mulheres do Audio are a group of women audio engineers in Brazil, with membership around 126. They meet once a week to study, learn, and share their experiences. The women I met all have a passion for audio that drives them to succeed in not only a male dominated industry but country.

Mulheres do Audio – (Women’s Audio)

According to the United Nations Gender Inequality Index (GII), Brazil ranks at 62 amongst 187 countries. The United States comes in at number 23. Iceland has the narrowest gender gap, coming in at number one with Finland. Followed by Norway, Sweden, the Philippines, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Switzerland, and Nicaragua. The report analyzes four key areas; health, access to education, economic participation, and political engagement. While North America comes in top for economic opportunity, education, and health, Asia and the Pacific lead the way in political empowerment.

Ana Luiza Pereira a member of Mulheres do Audio shares with us some of the issues facing women in Brazil.

The majority of the population does not have access to good quality essential services such as education, health and transportation. For women, who traditionally have the role of taking care of the home and children, there are not good quality public childcare centers, so for those dealing with young children there’s no alternative other than housekeeping, occasionally doing day jobs like domestic work. Women that do work outside the home are not valued or respected.

The wage difference between men and women is up to 30% according to recent researches. Brazilian law condemns wage discrimination between men and women, yet contracts are made in a concealed way, considering different job positions for the same functions or anything else to justify a different wage.

There’s also the racial and ethnic discrimination. Although there is a lot of miscegenation, racism is a sad reality with black and poor women suffering more prejudice at work and school. Affirmative politics have been applied in public higher education schools in an effort to give more opportunities to the African descendants, but the population in general is still not conscious about the history and prejudice is very present even at the universities.

Unfortunately, sexist violence has been reaching extreme conditions at all social levels, but again, the poor suffer the most. Only recently we’ve been having campaigns against sexual harassment, but it’s an old practice which is rarely reported due to the embarrassment women suffer. There’s still a long way to go… Even though we have a woman president for the first time, the government has not been showing real results in politics for equality due to its commitment to bankers, international investors, corporations and all other capitalism agents to whom gender equality is not a primacy. Social movements have been making a great effort to denounce all those kinds of injuries. It is crucial to demand the government take immediate actions to acquire women’s rights and respect.

All of the women I met were willing to stand up for their rights and were vocal in demanding to be treated equally. Unfortunately, they face many of the same obstacles we face in the States and the rest of the world. Often silenced to keep a gig, not wanting to make waves, and just trying to prove yourself under heightened scrutiny because you are a woman. Many of the women were told over and over again that they could not be hired because they were not strong enough to load equipment and trucks.

In Brazil it is even harder to stand out or shine with a certain expertise or field. There are very few men or women working in audio that can consider themselves a FOH engineer or Mastering Engineer. I was told by the women that they must be well versed in all aspects of audio. There simply is not enough work. One day they will be working in the studio, the next a live show, then working on a broadcast. In live sound they are expected to be able to do everything, often times being responsible for the set-up of equipment while mixing FOH and Monitors. Although, not unusual in the States, especially when starting out, you will hopefully be given to the opportunity to hone your skills to a specialty.

It is also important in Brazil to obtain a degree of some sort in show production, although programs at the Universities are limited. It is often the first question employers ask. Many of the women have pursued film school and working in film production. Others have pursued courses in recording and music production; one is a course in Tecnologia de Gravação e Produção Fonográfica (Recording Technology and Phonographic Production) at the Universidade Estácio de Sá, Rio de Janeiro; and Produção Musical (Music Production), at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, São Paulo. There is also a graduate course offered in the Cinema and Audiovisual called Imagem e Som (Image and Sound) offered at Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos a free university.There are other private universities that offer graduation courses in Radio & TV and Audio Visiual. Most employers want completion of programs at IATEC in Rio de Janerio and IAV in Sao Paulo

Ana Luiza works primarily on film sound post production, and as a sound editor and designer. She currently teaches at Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos as a sound design professor. Ana Luiza decided to teach to provide women with a role model and contribute her expertise so that students would have a specialized learning experience.

All of the women take advantage of learning on their own, pursuing online tutorials and courses. They have maintain two facebook pages Female Pro Audio, which is a closed group and was created after AES in 2012 and Mulheres do Audio, which highlights how many women work in the field of sound in Brazil and around the world. Female Pro Audio was created to answer the questions all of us Sound Girls hear over and over again- ‘Wow, a woman in audio, you are the first one I have met. Are there other women? How many women? What got you interested in audio?’ Then they invited all the women they knew to join.

Eventually Female Pro Audio started to organize weekly meetings in Sao Paulo, and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend one of their meetings. They developed a study plan, outlined subjects to talk and learn more about, and found a recording studio to meet at. The meetings are held at FlapC4 and the women have been meeting since the fall of 2012 to share their experiences, impressions, and what actions they can take to reduce the sexism they face in professional audio. They are able to network and find jobs, it is also a safe place for them to blow of steam. Mulheres do Audio on Facebook is the SoundGirls.Org of Brazil. It puts a face to the women working in professional audio throughout the world and a place where they can meet each other.

The Women’s Audio Mission and SoundGirls.Org have been sources on inspiration. Mulheres do Audio has also been a source of inspiration to SoundGirls.Org. It was truly a wonderful experience sharing the afternoon with these women and glimpsing a part of their lives. Several of the women came to see the monitor world on the Eddie Vedder solo tour and were able to watch the crew line check, again we shared tips and stories it was truly inspiring experience I will not soon forget.

SoundGirls.Org will be highlighting their stories and experiences in the future and I encourage anyone traveling to Brazil to get in touch with them.

What does a sound engineer do?

Click on the links below for a description of each job.

Teaching the Next Generation: Barbara Adams

Barbara Adams has a full plate. Not only is she the Full-time House Engineer at Tin Angel- a listening room in Philadelphia, part-time engineer at World Cafe Live, also in Phili, she occasionally works as a freelance Engineer/System Tech for two production companies and does freelance work mixing FOH for regional bands touring the North East and Mid Atlantic states. Barbara is also the owner and business manager of Burn Down Studios in Germantown PA, Adjunct Professor of Sound Reinforcement at Drexel University AND as if that’s not enough she is a mother to a five-year-old son.

In the pages of the Rolling Stone

Even though she wasn’t a musician, growing up, Barbara Adams was all about music. At around 14 years old, while flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone magazine, she came across an ad for Full Sail which sparked her interest in music production. As graduation grew closer, it wasn’t easy convincing her mother that audio engineering was what she wanted to do, but she was hooked on the idea of working in music production, and enrolling in Full Sail seemed to be the best route. “ Being fairly shy at that time in my life, I wasn’t comfortable going to a studio and trying to learn that way. I was more apt to learn in school.” “When I was 20, I finally had the opportunity to go to Full Sail, and let’s just say, I learned not to be so shy anymore. I took every opportunity I could while I was there to get out and learn. When I graduated, I came home and started as an intern at a studio.”

She’s been going ever since

Following her graduation from Full Sail in 1995, Barbara started as an assistant engineer at Sonic Recording Studios in Philadelphia. Three years later, she found herself feeling stuck and very unhappy. While attending Full Sail, she had found her passion was in Live Sound, and the studio life just wasn’t cutting it. “ I was thrilled when I started working with local bands at various clubs in the Philadelphia area. Around 1998 I got a job as monitor engineer at the Trocadero and moved to doing live sound full time.” “I love the challenges I face every show. It is what drives me to be better. This industry is constantly changing, and to move forward, you have to adapt. Although it is not given every time, one of the best things is to hear an audience member tell me how great the show I just mixed sounded. And band members who smile when they see me because they know it’s going to be a great night.”

Several years later, Barbara expanded on her education by receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration, Legal Studies & Entrepreneurship; Management from Temple University. “I had been working in the music industry for about five years, and I was seeing a lot of the businesses I worked for being run very poorly. I decided to get a degree in business because of that. I think it helped me to understand entrepreneurship better.”

During this time she was also working as a Monitor Engineer for Electric Factory Concerts. “In 2005 I left Electric Factory for a production manager and front of house position at a smaller club called Grape Street, while still freelancing with bands and various production companies. When Grape Street closed in 2008, I started at the Tin Angel. “ At the Tin Angel, I work every show we have which can vary week to week, but averages about 4 shows a week.” At World Cafe Live, where she’s worked since 2010, “I do mostly morning shows which can be private events, Live Connections sessions, or their weekly kid’s show. The kid’s show is one of my favorites because my son gets to come to work with me and helps me set up.” For the past ten years, Barbara has also been working freelance with DBS Audio and FSP Productions, doing monitor mixing and system tech for festivals such as DC’s Jazzfest, Boston’s Summer Arts Festival, Appel Farm Festival, Bethlehem, PA’s Musikfest, and many other events.

Keep learning and keep forging on

Barbara has had some hurdles to overcome. “Attitudes… sometimes it is my own. It took me a long time to realize you can’t please everyone all the time.” Also, “Being a girl in the music business is an obstacle itself. I have been overlooked for positions I was well qualified for because I am female, and I have been through many instances of sexual harassment.” Barbara has dealt with these situations by enduring and learning from every obstacle, forging on to better herself and her craft. “I get schooled every day I work. I am constantly learning, even after doing this for nearly 20 years.” She also says, “keeping her head up and growing a tough skin” have helped her survive in the business. Working in sound reinforcement doesn’t leave much time for her to spend evenings with her family or social outings with friends. “ My schedule is the opposite of most people I interact with now, especially being a mom.”

If you want to enter the field of professional audio, Barbara recommends figuring out how you like to learn. “For me it was school, but if that isn’t your thing, then go out and meet some people. Be outgoing, but not arrogant. Be open to learning, be open to trying things. When things get tough…don’t give up. Keep learning and keep doing it. Listen to the good advice and throw away the negativity. Learn from your mistakes, and you will become better than you ever imagined. “

Must have skills:

People skills are first and most important. This is a business of who you know and building a network is critical.

Listening skills, use your ears! Listen to the band and the audience and make adjustments where you can.

Know signal flow and gain structure. It will make your job so much easier.

From Rolling Stone to AES and back.

“ While I was at Full Sail, I was able to attend my first AES conference as a representative from the school. The school took promotional photos of all of us who attended. The picture they took of me was used a year later in that very same ad that got me interested in production to begin with. It was my face that graced the Full Sail ad in the back of Mix Magazine in 1996.”

When asked about her long-term goals, Barbara replied “ At many points in my life, I have wanted to have my own venue. But knowing the amount of money and work that takes, I don’t know if I have that same strong desire anymore. Lately, education has been a focus of mine. I enjoy passing on the knowledge I have gained to the next generation. I am an adjunct professor at Drexel University and am currently looking for other opportunities to teach live sound.” Barbara is doing just that by creating SoundGirls.Org’s ‘Lessons in Live Sound.’

Barbara Adams can be reached at soundarella@verizon.ne

Since this profile ran, Barbara Adams has been busy. We caught up with her for an update!

Barbara Adams is an audio engineer and educator with twenty-five years of experience in the music industry. She specializes in live sound and production management. Her strong and varied experience also includes recording engineer, stage management, and artist management.

Barbara is an Assistant Professor at Rowan University teaching Sound Reinforcement and Audio Recording in their Music Industry Program. She also is the booking manager for Rowan Music Group, the program’s record label, and artist management services. By night she is busy as engineer and production manager at The Locks at Sona, Philadelphia’s premier listening room. She occasionally works as a freelance Engineer/System Tech for several production companies and does freelance work mixing FOH for regional bands touring the North East and Mid-Atlantic states.

As the SoundGirls Philadelphia chapter president, she is always looking for ways to help mentor and guide new engineers in the field of live sound and bring together the Philadelphia community of SoundGirls. And as if this wasn’t enough, she is the mom to a very busy pre-teen son who enjoys helping mom at gigs if he isn’t playing hockey, playing music, or in school.

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

FOH ENGINEER

What does FOH Engineer stand for?
FOH stands for Front of House and the FOH Engineer, (sometimes referred to as Band engineer or soundman/soundwoman) is responsible for mixing the sound for the audience at a concert. What you hear coming out of the PA speakers is for the most part under the control of the FOH Engineer. Other factors can have an impact on the mix such as; the quality of equipment, venue acoustics, stage volume, how well the band plays, etc… These are at times beyond the control of the FOH Engineer.

What does an FOH Engineer do?
Simply put: Each individual instrument on stage has it’s own microphone and input, from the lead singer all the way down to the individual drums and cymbals on the drum kit. The FOH Engineer manipulates the levels and equalization of the various instruments and vocals blending them together, adding reverb and effects as needed, to produce a mix of the band which is amplified through the PA system.

The level of creativity and freedom a FOH Engineer has with the mix varies from artist to artist. Sometimes a band or artist has a clear vision of what they want to sound like live. It is the FOH Engineers job to interpret and re-create this via the sound system. Sometimes a band leaves their sound entirely up to the FOH Engineer.

It is usually up to the FOH Engineer to decide or at least recommend what microphones to use on each instrument and vocal. On large tours the FOH Engineer provides a technical spec of what the sound system requirements are. This generally reflects their preferences in microphones, mixing console, outboard gear, plug ins, PA system, etc… and any other details pertaining to how the system should be set up.

FOH Engineers can be very involved in the set up and tuning of the PA System or they can rely on the system tech to do that and just mix the soundcheck and performance.

How is a FOH Engineer different from Monitors Engineer?
A FOH Engineer mixes the the band to be amplified through the PA system for the audience to hear. A Monitor Engineer mixes the instruments and vocals on stage for each individual performer to hear. A FOH Engineer is only responsible for mixing one mix for all of the audience to listen to while a monitor engineer is responsible for many different mixes depending on what the performers need to hear. They listen to these mixes through either speakers on the stage or in ear monitors, or a combination of both.

What kind of background or skills do you need?
An understanding of the basic concepts and terminology of audio and sound reinforcement, signal flow and proper gain structure as well as the technical knowledge to operate various mixing consoles and equipment. A well trained ear and ability to recognize frequencies.

You should comprehend the principles of equalization well enough to be able to create the tonal picture that is desired.

Good communication and people skills are a must. Not only will you be dealing with the artist but also various other representatives of theirs including but not limited to: their management, label reps, agent, family, and friends. Tact and diplomacy are incredibly beneficial.

A background in electronics, physics of sound, and mathematics is also helpful but not necessary.

From The Philippines to Ojai

Jett at The Mastering Lab

Joanne ‘Jett’ Galindo hails from Quezon City in the Philippines. Quezon City is the largest of the metro cities that make up Manila. Raised by professional musicians and encouraged to become computer-savvy, Jett developed a love for music and technology. Growing up in a fairly progressive country in regards to gender equality, (ranking at number six on the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report and electing two women for president since their independence) Jett did not feel there were barriers to pursuing a career in Audio. Jett followed her love of music and technology and is now the mastering assistant to multiple Grammy award winner Doug Sax.

Jett grew up surrounded by music, both parents are professional musicians, and her father encouraged all his children to be well versed in the technology of computers. Jett has always been drawn to music and technology. She started a band with her siblings and cousins when she was in third grade, took piano and voice lessons, and designed her own website in 1998. Jett initially wished to pursue a degree in music or computer science in college. Her parents wanted her to have a stable career and discouraged her from pursuing a degree in music. The computer science program at Ateneo de Manila University strictly limited the number of students they accepted. Jett settled on a degree in Psychology, as the science of human behavior intrigued her and would allow her to pursue music on the side.

Jett often joined choirs while she was in school, but her passion intensified in college, where she became part of Ateneo College Glee Club and later the Ateneo Chamber Singers. The Ateneo Chamber Singers would go on to tour the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Singapore and forever change the path Jett was on. During the tour she met up with a friend and fellow alumnus of the Ateneo Chamber Singers. This friend was pursuing a degree in the music business and contemporary writing and production at the Berklee College of Music. It dawned on Jett that a career in audio engineering was what she wanted. It was the perfect way for her to combine her love of music with technology.

Jett had just turned 18, and with no formal audio engineering programs in the Philippines, she did the next best thing – applied for internships. She was hired on at SFX Digital Sound Studio, much to the dismay of the senior engineer who did not realize Jett was a girl. Jett earned his trust by being present at every recording session no matter how long they ran. She slowly moved up the ranks and eventually engineered her own sessions, recording, mixing, and mastering. Jett immersed herself in as much multimedia as possible as she prepared to study abroad. She eventually enrolled in the Berklee College of Music.

At the Berklee College of Music, Jett completed a degree in music production and engineering, with a minor in acoustics and electronics. She gained valuable skills and insights and was involved in location recording sessions. She also enrolled in Grammy award-nominated Jonathan Wyner’s Mastering Class.

Jett’s experience with mastering at this point had been hands-on training in the studio, for studio clients. She observed the senior engineer at SFX Studios using Wavelab, making minute eq adjustments. How he used limiting and stereo compression and noise-shaping to complete the final process of a studio album. Jett would eventually master her own recordings, but her knowledge was limited to the resources that were available in the studio. Jett’s eyes were opened in Jonathan’s class.

Jonathan engaged his students and was able to take technical topics and make them less daunting. He introduced his students and Jett to mastering in the analog domain, using standard outboard gear such as the Weiss MKII equalizer and compressor, Millenia NSEQ-2, TC6000 limiter/effects unit, and many others. Jonathan gave Jett a firmer grasp on the standard signal chains and routing used in mastering and she gained a deeper knowledge of the various techniques used to tackle specific problems (M/S, linear phase vs minimum eq, etc.). Jett was also exposed to more mastering DAWS, such as Sound Blade and Sequoia.

After graduating from Berklee, Jett secured an internship in Avatar studios in New York and eventually was hired as a recording engineer for resident producer Jerry Barnes. During her time engineering for Jerry Barnes at Avatar, Jett was able to work with renowned artists Roberta Flack, Nile Rodgers, and Brazilian Band- Jota Quest. Her years spent in choral groups paid off as well and she was invited to provide background vocals for Grammy-winning producer David Kahne. Engineering for Jerry Barnes challenged Jett as both an engineer and musician and pushed her to be the best she could be.

Avatar Studios

When asked about the skills she obtained at Avatar, Jett says “Oh, tons, but the first few things that come to mind are time management, consistency, and attention to detail.

Jett goes on to explain:

“Every recording facility has its own set of protocols and idiosyncrasies (from the way you arrange mic stands in the live room, to how the mic cables are wrapped). As an intern, you are also responsible for thoughtfully tracking every piece of gear that goes in and out of the extensive microphone/outboard gear inventory. Coffee and food runs happen every day. It’s also a known fact in-studio internships that part of your job is to maintain the upkeep of every studio in the building, this includes cleaning the toilets, mopping the floors, vacuuming the carpets, you know the drill. You have to systematically accomplish these tasks throughout the day. Attention to detail is critical, as different sessions running simultaneously will ask for different things throughout the day. Studio C would request you to bring over a U87 (not a U87Ai), whereas Studio A would ask for 2 monk stands (rather than regular mic stands). Maintaining a high quality of work while attending to other tasks is tricky, but you eventually come up with your own rhythm and strategy. If you ever make a mistake, don’t let it get into your head and just focus on doing a good job hereafter.”

Jett originally planned to stay in New York, working as a producer’s engineer, when she decided to apply for a position at the Mastering Lab. She knew she was ready for a new set of challenges and mastering would provide them. She also felt that the time spent working with Jerry had taught her how to critically listen for the nuances needed for mastering. She now works as mastering assistant to Grammy award winner Doug Sax, founder of the first independent mastering facility, built-in 1967. Originally based in Hollywood, The Mastering lab relocated to Ojai, CA in 2003. The Mastering Lab is most famous for mastering artists such as Pink Floyd, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Diana Krall, and Paul McCartney.

The Mastering Lab
Main Room

Jett has been at the Mastering Lab for just eight months and is a rookie compared to her colleagues, Robert Hadley and Eric Boulanger. Both Robert and Eric have worked on Grammy award-winning projects and both are highly acclaimed engineers in the industry. Jett works in all facets of mastering formats: CD 44.1 kHz / 16 bit, vinyl, Mastered for iTunes, surround sound, and high-resolution audio. Jett has always been passionate about the full scope of audio engineering but was drawn to mastering because of the unique experience of listening to multiple songs, with the objective of making the whole gamut sound cohesive as one full album.

Jett finds that in mastering she can immerse herself in a lot of diverse music. One day you’re working on a rock track, then the next day, a concept folk album about Moby Dick. You get to expose yourself to a lot of music as a mastering engineer. Jett finds the level of precision and consistency needed in mastering to be both challenging and rewarding.

Jett reflects on the process of the signal chain “ it has to be set up accurately before the actual mastering takes place–choice of word clocks, line amps, AD/DA converters, etc. If you don’t get the setup right, there’s no shortcut but to redo your mastering from the start”.

Jett Galindo, Doug Sax, and Greg Calbi

Jett’s long-term goals are to be an independent and reputable audio mastering engineer with her own loyal clientele. She looks up to other female mastering engineers who have made it in the industry, such as Darcy Proper of Wisseloord Studios, Emily Lazar of The Lodge Mastering, and Mandy Parnell of Black Saloon. For Jett, these women reaffirm the fact that with passion and dedication, gender does not become a deciding factor when it comes to success in the audio industry.

Jett has faced a few obstacles because of her gender, she explains “a few individuals I’ve come across have treated me differently based on the assumption that I don’t know as much as them. One guy told me upfront that I didn’t know what I was doing, when in fact, I was following setup instructions correctly and he wasn’t. In these instances, I just assure myself that as long as I focus on doing a good job as an audio engineer, any negative assumption/stereotype as a woman in this industry will ultimately be irrelevant. It’s helped me get through a lot of these types of barriers. In fact, people who treated me differently, in the beginning, have eventually realized that I’m just as able as any professional and I eventually earned their trust and friendship”. For the most part, though Jett has been surrounded by awesome colleagues that have been very supportive.

Jett offers this advice to women wishing to enter into professional audio – “It’s already a given that you have to love this field if you want to become an audio professional. But in addition to that, you have to remember to love the journey. There will be a lot of obstacles but it’s all part of the experience, and you should learn to thrive amidst these setbacks. Keep your eye out for opportunities, make sure to work on your portfolio, keep track of your achievements and put them on a resume, learn to promote yourself.”

“There’s a lot of online resources for anyone to get a head start on learning about audio production and I highly encourage getting yourself immersed in that environment. I’m glad organizations like SoundGirls.Org and Women’s Audio Mission exist because it empowers women to pursue a career in audio.”

Jett’s Recommendations:

Coursera.org offers regular free audio production courses ℅ Berkleemusic.com
Playwithyourmusic.org is another free online music class created through a collaboration between MIT and NYU Steinhardt
Music & Audio Tuts+ is an online audio community that gives free and premium audio engineering and music production tutorials

Must have skills: Communication skills (highly underrated). Resilience to the ever-changing technologies we face as audio engineers

Favorite gear: ATC SCM-150s. In surround. Also a huge fan of the Mastering Lab’s custom mod’d LA2A limiters.

Jett plans to stay in the United States and be as close to the action and latest in technology as possible but wants to make sure she gives back to the music industry and audio engineering in the Philippines.

Jett Galindo has been busy since our 2014 profile. She currently has engineering credits spanning different genres and with several legendary artists (Bette Midler, Randy Travis, Nile Rodgers, Roberta Flack, and Gustavo Santaolalla, to name a few), Jett carries on the legacy left behind by her late mentor, mastering legend Doug Sax (The Mastering Lab). She now works as a mastering engineer alongside Eric Boulanger at The Bakery, located at the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City, Los Angeles.

For more information about Mastering and a Q & A with Jett Galindo see the following links:
The Art of Mastering
Q & A with Jett Galindo

Jett is a contributor to iZotpe contributing several articles on Mastering. Check out all her articles

A Life in Sound

GIL EVA CRAIG

Gil Eva Craig is an independent Audio Engineer and Music Producer working in professional audio for the last 18 years. Gil got her start as a recording engineer in 1996 and still owns and operates her own mixing and production studio, The Secret Beehive. This past May, she co-produced an album with Charlotte Yates and has done sound design and written original music for several theatre productions. Her passion though is live sound, and she currently is the FoH Engineer for The Wellington Ukulele Orchestra and works for the family business, Western Audio Engineering.

Gil’s interest in audio started in her teen years, as she would make ‘multi-track ‘ recordings using her brothers Walkman and the family boom box. Recording a guitar track first on the Walkman and then playing it back off the boom box, while recording a second track with the boom box, recording on the Walkman, and so on and so on. Reflecting back on this tracking technique Gil says “It didn’t take too many generations before my recordings turned to unintelligible satanic hiss”. Eventually, she was able to purchase a four-track cassette recorder, followed by a host of recording setups including; ½ inch 8 track, 1 inch 8 track, adats, 2 inch 16 track, and finally a 24 track hard disc recorder and Protools.

Gil spent the early years of her career recording and mixing demos for bands while trying to fund her studio. Initially, she was lured to live sound with the promise of fast cash to fund her studio. She started mixing bands at the local bar and quickly found that she not only enjoyed it but preferred it overworking in the studio. She has continued to work in both the studio and live environments. Gil has worked on several theatre productions, in which she has won awards for sound design.

Gil stumbled into sound design for theatre productions, as well as writing original music, when a mutual friend recommended her to a sound designer. She was hired to write music for a production of Penumbra that he was working on. At this point in time, the only theatre experience she had was as a musician in two amateur productions of Shakespeare. Tim Spite, a theatre director, attended the production, liked the music he heard, and hunted her down. He offered Gil the chance to compose and sound design on his next production. Gil continued to work on several of his productions, including a production of December Brother that she won a Chapman Tripp Theatre award for best sound design. The Chapmann Tripp Theatre Awards are New Zealand’s equivalent to the Tony Awards.

Sound Design for theatre productions encompasses two main disciplines; the technical design and the creative design. The technical design includes the speaker and playback system, programming the playback software and the digital consoles. The creative design is the sound effects, atmos, and music.

Gil was recently involved with the production for ‘360, A Theatre of Recollections. The production includes a surround sound and music design, and the audience is seated inside a circular stage, on swivel chairs. Gil programmed the show into a Q lab, and was able to run eight discrete outputs to six surround speakers, overheads, and subs. The sound designer, John Gibson, wrote the score utilizing surround sound to create the illusion of being surrounded by singers and players at key points in the score.

The Evening Post Onslow Brass Band.

Gil’s extensive music background has surely helped throughout her career. She was trained in classical guitar starting at the age of ten and took up the trumpet when she was fifteen. She briefly played the Soprano Cornet and Flugelhorn, before settling on the Tenor Horn. She played as a musician in several bands, including a “file-under-difficult-listening” art band that was mixed by her future husband. She also played in a Brass Band called The Evening Post Onslow Brass Band.

Playing in the Brass Band provided a brilliant musical education, Gil explains that “playing in an A grade brass band was demanding, as a big part of being in the band was playing in contests. The test music for the A grade is challenging, much of it sonically pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a large brass ensemble. The time spent in rehearsals pulling these amazing and complicated pieces of music apart and making sense of them, coupled with what I learned at university and a modern music course I took, was the best musical education I could have wished for”.

While Gil did not have formal training in sound engineering, as at the time there were not programs offered in New Zealand, she did embark on a degree in music. Eventually, her engineering work took priority and she did not complete her degree. She feels that the time spent on her music degree gave her a solid foundation for sound engineering. She was taught the basics of harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, acoustics, and ethnomusicology. As for the technical side of things, she learned by reading, observing, and hands-on experience.

Hands On – The Family Business

Gil’s husband, is a partner in Western Audio Engineering, a professional live sound production company. For over a decade, the couple lived in the PA workshop (warehouse), which also housed her studio. This allowed her free access to outboard gear and mics for her studio and live gigs, and she found herself surrounded by sound gear 24/7. Instead of flowers on the kitchen table, there was a soldering iron. Gil reflects on her time spent living in the workshop “It was awesome living in the workshop for nine of those years, then I started to hanker for vases of flowers on the kitchen table, and nice vintage glassware that wouldn’t get smashed in a week”.

Currently, Gil works mainly in live sound, and her job duties at Western Audio include whatever needs to be done; stage patching, show prep, loading trucks, equipment maintenance, FOH, and Monitors. Recent gigs at Western Audio have included; mixing the entertainment and anthems for an international netball match, mixing live elements for a wearable art show, a stage patch for a festival, and monitors for a small outdoor festival.

As an independent engineer, Gil mostly mixes FoH, and does a small amount of sound system and playback design for theatre. She tours as the FoH engineer for the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, who regularly tour New Zealand and occasionally Australia. She recently shared her experiences mixing them with SoundGirls.Org, you can check it out here: Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Gil does monitors for the Pink Floyd Experience, which regularly tours New Zealand and Australia and has done sessions in South Africa.

Gil explains what she enjoys the most about touring “I like that every day is different, but the same, as you are setting up the same rig (give or take a few variables) each day, but are in different places. It’s a perfect blend of routine and novelty. Also, being part of a team, but with a certain amount of independence. Both of these factors completely suits my nature”. She also loves to travel, which fuels her fascination with airplanes and her love of photography. Her days off usually include visiting galleries and museums and taking photographs. The thing she likes the least is finding food, being gluten intolerant is a challenge. Aftershow pizza is out.

Women in sound in New Zealand

New Zealand is a very small country, with only about 4 million people, so women in live sound are fairly scarce! I think I am the only woman who is currently touring. In all the years I have been doing live sound, I have met three New Zealand women working in a technical capacity. One is a good friend of mine and is head of audio for the New Zealand Festival of the Arts. A female engineer is definitely still a novelty to some house guys when I meet them for the first time. When last touring with the Pink Floyd Experience, I got the classic ‘so you sing backing vocals’ a couple of times.

Advice for Women starting out

It is important to learn at least one instrument and be able to read music. Learning to speak the language of musicians is invaluable. Invest in a professional set of earplugs and take steps to protect your hearing. Take time to learn and try out different areas of audio to see where your passion lies and what fits your personality.

Gil feels she would not last in today’s modern recording environment with its emphasis on computer-based recording and pro tools editing. She once worked on a film production and immediately knew that was not a good fit. At some point, you just gotta jump in. I have met two women who have gone through audio school, who have yet to mix a show because they are afraid. I’m still afraid! Just today I agreed to mix a monitor gig and now I’m thinking why the f*** did I say yes? Learn by osmosis and observing, but you have to observe and surround yourself with people who are really good at what they do!

Must Have Skills

Aside from the obvious technical ability, having diverse musical experiences both as a listener and player gives you a huge head start. I’m grateful for every second I spent playing in the brass band, orchestra, guitar and brass ensembles, various pop/rock bands and the howling I did in the file-under-difficult-listening performance art group. Human communication skills: basically really listening to what people say and knowing what questions to ask. Which means you can translate ‘my monitor sounds mongy’ into ‘its right on the edge of feeding back at 250.

Favorite Gear: I am mad about and completely obsessed with reverbs. My favorites are the Bricasti M7, AMS, lexicons 460 and 300. I am also very fond of the Sony R7, and have a soft spot for the Yamaha Rev 7. I just love them. I haul my Bricasti to all my shows. The one show last year I couldn’t take it to, as we were traveling on a plane so small it was basically a van with wings, I really missed it. The Sony M7 is an underrated treasure, possibly because it’s not easy to program. It’s got its own thing going on sonically.

While I don’t really get overly gooey over microphones, I do really like DPA 4061’s and 4099s. I think they sound great. I used 4099’s on a couple of trombones recently, fantastic. My favorite consoles are Midas digital consoles. I like how they sound and love the VCA and Pop group concept as you can program it so it’s under the fingers, very nice. I have done a few things on the pro 1 lately, which I call the kitten console because it’s impossibly little and cute. When coupled with a DL251 stage box to expand up to 40 channels, it’s amazing what you can do on it.

Album mixes:
Charlotte Yates’s Beggars Choice and ‘Archipelago’
Rosy Tin Tea Caddys All Mountains are MenChris Prowse’s Waterfront Collective’s Trouble on the Waterfront’ and The Shiner
Flea Bite’s – In Your Ear and Circus of Fleas
Fatcat and Fishface’s Bird Brain Theatre Sound Design:
-Sound design and music for several of Tim Spites Seeyd Theatre plays, 2006 – 2012, including the award -winning December Brother
-Sound design and music for Ginette MacDonald’s My Brilliant Divorce 2008
-Sound design for Centrepoint Theatres The Raft 2009
-Sound System Design for 2010 New Zealand International Arts Festival show 360
-Sound system design for Chris Wards award winning sound design for The Lead Weight 2011Awards: Gil has been nominated for several Chapman Trip theatre awards, and won best sound design for The December Brother in 2010. She also mixed Tui award winning albums Trouble on the Waterfront by The Waterfront Collective, and Circus of Fleas by Fleabite and tracked another Tui winning album Dog Breath by FatCat and FishFace.Live Sound:
-Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra – FOH engineer
-Pink Floyd Experience – Monitor engineer
-World of Wearable Arts – FOH engineer
-The Woolshed Sessions – FOH engineer
-Rosy Tin Tea Caddy – FOH engineer
-Claude Rains – FOH engineer

History of The English Brass Bands

The English Brass Bands got their start during England’s Industrial Revolution. They were originally organized and financed by mining and milling companies to keep the working classes from politically organizing. In 1860, there were around 750 brass bands in England. Today the English Brass Band tradition is found throughout New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the United States. The Salvation Army has kept the tradition alive in the United States.

English Brass Bands are made up cornets, flugelhorn, tenor horns, baritones, trombones, euphoniums,B-flat and E-flat basses and percussion. The bands are made up of 28 to 30 members and their programs can include original music, traditional marching songs, hymns, and medleysBands in New Zealand are graded into four levels A grade to D grade. A grade being the top grade, and D being the equivalent of a beginner band. In Britain, the equivalent is 1st – 4th grade, with the addition of the Championship Section. The Championship Section is the best of the best and includes famous bands such as Black Dyke and Grimethorpe.

The contests in New Zealand consist of each band preparing a March, a Hymn, and an original piece. They are also given a set test piece. The A Grade is very competitive, and as the contest becomes closer; the bands practice several times a week, with extensive rehearsals on weekends. Each player is expected to continue practicing at home. Several bands have tempted top players from England by helping them relocate to New Zealand.

Leslie Ann Jones- Part two

Don’t be afraid to raise your hand

Women can sometimes hold themselves back out of fear of failure, whereas men will generally jump at opportunities to take on something new even if they’ve never done it before. It’s often a challenge for us to overcome the feeling of needing to be proficient at something before agreeing to take it on. Leslie recognized this herself in the early days of her career. “Wanting to be of service as an assistant and yet trying to be ready so when the moment came to be thrown into the fire, even though I might be nervous, to just do it was challenging. And yet to this day, that is what molded me. My curiosity, my willingness to try different things, to step out of my comfort zone on purpose.”

“To tell you the truth I NEVER really felt comfortable and secure. I always felt like there was so much I didn’t know, and so much I needed to learn. Even before I became a professional, when I would walk into Hi-fi stores or instrument stores and ask questions, it was really to try and get a better grasp of terms. When I worked at Capitol Studios, we started doing more film and TV scores. But the method of working and the language was so different that I ended up taking a film sound class just to get more comfortable with the vocabulary and the work-flow. So for me, it never stops. I guess deep down now I am secure in knowing I will figure it out. Every step of the way I learn more. I still ask questions, even of my contemporaries.” Leslie adds that for women to push past their comfort zone and take the necessary risks to advance in their careers, “The most important thing is to raise your hand, say yes, and then find a mentor or someone you can tap into to help you along the way. At ABC I was so fortunate to feel like everyone there, from the tech staff to the engineers to the artists had a vested interest in my success. But you have to be open to that.”

Leslie has taken on many challenging projects because she does raise her hand and say yes. Recently she took on a live project called “The Hidden World of Girls.” “I was asked to do it by Laura Karpman, an Emmy-winning composer and client, and friend of mine. She composed the music for the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz centered around The Kitchen Sisters. They (Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva) had a radio show where they asked girls to call in and leave a message about their “hidden world,” things about them others didn’t know. They were fascinating stories, and a whole full-length performance was built around those voice recordings, Laura’s music, and the music of 3 other women composers, all conducted by Marin Alsop and the Cabrillo Orchestra. And to add to the challenge, it was being performed where that festival is always performed, in a civic auditorium that also gets used for things like basketball games. I decided to mix it in surround. My assistant and trusty sidekick Dann Thompson and I brought a whole pro tools system and played all the voices off that. It all had to be timed perfectly like an old radio show. In fact, that is what I wanted the audience to experience…to close their eyes and be transported to these different worlds. There were a lot of masters, err mistresses to please. Laura, of course, asked me to do it because of my orchestra experience, I have known and admired Davia and Nikki for a long time, and then there was Marin and the orchestra. Nothing was done to a click, so that made it even more challenging. But she is a great conductor. It all took care of itself.”

Having started in this business when women audio engineers were extremely rare, their number still has not increased greatly over the past 40 years. The answer to why this is difficult, but Leslie offers two ideas: One being that girls need to be given the tools they need while they are in middle and high school. “ Girls tend to be more concerned at that age with peer pressure, boyfriends and puberty. They need to be supported for their convictions and their tenacity and regarded for raising their hand first, regardless of the consequences. That is why organizations like Girls, Inc., and The Institute for the Musical Arts are so important. They build confidence.” And again, having the courage to take risks and seize opportunities when they arise, “. I think it is still a big leap to go from being a great assistant to having all the responsibility for running the session. I saw it as a means to an end. I could still be involved in the creative aspect of making music but in a different way.”

Leslie, Bonnie Raitt and June Millington, circa 1979

For those who are interested in getting into the business, Leslie feels that an education in the recording arts is essential for anyone looking for a career as a recording engineer. Equally as important though, is the creative part of the job which cannot be taught in school. Especially for those wishing to become producers. “Being a producer and what the job entails has so much to do with what the artist needs. There are very few multi-room studios now where one can get experience working on different projects, different genres, and alongside different engineers.”

Leslie has seen many engineers come and go and notes an important trait shared by the most successful engineers and producers is, “not getting upset. If there is a problem, just deal with it and keep the session going and the artist happy. I recently participated on a panel at AES in New York titled “What Would Ramone Do?”. It was a tribute to Phil Ramone, the producer and engineer legend. Al Schmitt told a great story about Phil; that if there was ever a problem in the studio, like a technical problem, he would just go out into the studio and start rehearsing with the band, or call for a dinner break and buy some time, all without letting on what was happening. When things were ok, they’d swing back into the session, and no one was the wiser.

Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound

Setting yourself apart from the competition is key to getting the job, and as with anything it takes more than technical skill. “Still to this day I remain impressed by people that will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Extending themselves, showing up, asking questions, staying after school. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is this entitlement some younger kids feel that means they don’t have to do any of that. Communication skills, writing (yes penmanship), being of service, all of those will make you stand out. Find something you are great at and make the most of it.” “To paraphrase a famous character, there is no thinking, only doing.”

Leslie Ann Jones has certainly done…a lot.

“You really have to walk in every day ready to make music, no matter what that entails.” “Making records is a creative process, and that needs to be the focus. Remember what I said about Roy Hallee having all his tools in place? Then he could go ahead and be creative. Making records, making music is about joy and having fun. Our job is to make sure that happens.”

Leslie’s list of clients, projects, and accomplishments over the years has been extensive, and she says the diversity has helped her longevity in the business. Helping artists and composers fulfill their aspirations, and being able to do that in a facility that honors the creative work that helps make that happen, is one of the most enjoyable parts of Leslie’s job. Working at Skywalker Sound, she says she’s had the pleasure of working with some of the most creative and talented people she’s known.

Leslie with one of her Grammys

Like most women, Leslie finds it challenging to have a career and a life at the same time. “Both are very important to me as one feeds the other. That balance continues to be challenging, and I think it is harder as a woman than as a man. I don’t have children, but I have watched many of my contemporaries have families and children. Unfortunately, we live in a society where it is still seen as the woman’s main responsibility for parenting, even when the Dads are great parents and our work is quite time-consuming. “ But when asked if she could imagine herself having chosen another career path Leslie replies, “I can’t imagine having chosen something else. I have a great career, exciting, challenging and fulfilling. I am surrounded by music all the time. I get to work with incredibly talented and creative people. Well, perhaps a little more time to make my 2nd wine would be appreciated.” : -)

Leslie Ann Jones- Having the Courage to Raise Your Hand

Multiple Grammy-winning Recording Engineer Leslie Ann Jones is a true trailblazer. A most respected and revered engineer among her peers with a career spanning decades, Leslie has had the pleasure of working with many incredibly talented artists at several historic studios and is presently Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound, where she’s been since 1997.

To say her list of accomplishments is impressive is an understatement. Here are a few:

First Woman Recording Engineer at ABC Studios in Los Angeles 1975

First Woman Engineer at the legendary Automatt Studios in San Francisco, 1977

First Woman National Officer of The Recording Academy

Sound engineer and Road manager of one of the first American all-women bands- Fanny, in the 1970s

Multiple time Grammy Award nominee and five-time Grammy Award winner for:

2003-Winner for Best Chamber Music Album- The Kronos Quartet, ‘Berg: Lyric Suite’

2005-Winner Best Jazz Vocal Album- Dianne Reeves, ‘ Good Night and Good Luck’

2010- Winner Best Engineered Album, Classical- Quincy Porter, Complete Viola Works

2015-Winner-Best Engineered Album, Classical- Laura Karpman-Ask Your Mama

2019-Winner-Best Engineered Classical-Kronos Quartet-Terry Riley-Sun Rings.

In 2014, Leslie was nominated for two Grammys: Best Surround Sound Album- Signature Sound Opus One, and Best Engineered Album, Non- Classical- for Madeleine Peyroux, ‘The Blue Room.’ ( A category she shared with fellow engineer: Trina Shoemaker, and also the first time two women engineers had been nominated in the same category).

You never know where the road will take you

Growing up with musical parents, (her Father was novelty drummer, percussionist, and bandleader Spike Jones and her mother- singer Helen Grayco), Leslie’s introduction to the music business started at a very young age. Musician friends of her parents were always visiting the family home, and that led to Leslie being exposed to a wide variety of musical styles and sounds. Spending so much time around musicians from such a young age also gave Leslie incredible insight into working with artists. From her Father’s creative use of unusual instruments (cowbells, brake drums, foghorns, and such) and her mother’s style of singing and introduction to the styles of Sinatra, Bennet, and Streisand, [1] Leslie’s young ears were already being primed, and she was forming a set of skills that would be invaluable in her later career as a recording engineer.

Leslie’s parents and brother Spike Jr.
Photo Credit: Photo Agency

Leslie started playing guitar around age 14, after receiving one as a Christmas gift. She then formed a musical group with some family and friends[2] which proceeded down the all too familiar road of performing, recording, getting a record contract, and then getting dropped due to the ever-changing record company scene of the 1970s.

Her interest in audio was piqued when she found herself in charge of the sound for the last rock band she was in. Though she had a knack for mixing, Leslie felt that being self-taught on guitar she didn’t quite have the chops to be on par with those she admired like; Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and Stephen Stills, so she focused her attention on becoming a producer like the legendary Producer/Manager- Peter Asher. She began arranging music for other’s bands and acquiring PA gear. “Then when the band broke up, and I found myself with a small PA system, I started mixing live sound and formed a company with friends who also did live sound. We pooled our equipment and went to work! I seemed to have a natural talent for it, even though I was not mechanically or electrically inclined. So I had to work harder at some aspects of it, but I loved to mix.”

During the same time, Leslie had a day job at ABC records working in publicity and artist relations. In her desire to become a world-famous Producer/Manager, Leslie had the foresight to know she needed to learn more about audio engineering and approached the studio manager for a job. [2]

It took some time though before she was engineering records. “My first job at ABC Studios was as a “production engineer.” I was on the 4 pm-midnight shift. In those days U.S. based record companies would send a 1/4″ 2 track tape called an EQ copy to their foreign affiliates, and those affiliates would press LPs and cassettes using the EQ copy. That way it had the same sound as the US releases.

My job was to make a copy of the EQ master that was generated by the mastering room so it could be sent overseas. We also had a large cassette duplication machine and would make cassettes for all the label execs and artists and producers working in the studios.”

Some months after she had started, she finally began doing setups for sessions. Next, she volunteered to assist on a session and then did nothing but assist many engineers for months, later engineering their overdub sessions when they got too busy. The studio manager, Phil Kaye was a bit unsure in hiring Leslie, as female engineers were an extreme rarity in the 1970s. “We did have a female mastering engineer at ABC, Lois Walker, so the presence of a woman in a technical position was not foreign. But being in a mastering room and being in the trenches of a live recording or mixing session were not really the same thing”.

Despite that, Leslie found that the men she worked with at ABC Studios were supportive, being patient with her, as she learned. Something that probably wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t open to accepting people’s help. [3] “I had so much support from the staff engineers at ABC who all took me under their wing: the late Barney Perkins, Reggie Dozier, my boss Phil Kaye, and of course Roy Halee, but it was also the first time I was taken off a session because I was a woman.” Roy really laid a foundation for me and the things I learned from him are branded into my DNA: Work ethic; making sure all your tools are as you want them so you can just go to work and be creative; Zero on a meter is important; using your ears; the value of reverb (he was a master). “

In those early days, Leslie had to walk the fine line of showing people you can do the job with confidence, rather than arrogance. “Once I got thrown into sessions with outside clients I would still get asked when “the engineer” was showing up. I would say I was the engineer and of course would be met with some skepticism. That lasted about a half-hour into tracking. Once they realized that, not only did I know what I was doing, but they loved the sound, then I could do no wrong. Plus having a sense of humor (thanks, Dad) helped immensely.”It was at ABC Studios that Leslie finally engineered her first album with John Mayall, called – A Hard Core Package.

The Automatt

When Leslie moved to the Automatt in 1977, Fred Catero was the only other engineer at the time, and it wasn’t clear whether Leslie would be his assistant or another First Engineer. All it took was a client to call who didn’t have an engineer and Leslie was it. At the Automatt, she had the chance to learn from Roy Halee, Fred Catero, and David Rubinson. “Roy came from CBS in San Francisco (later called The Automatt), so when I got there, I felt a little like I was following in his footsteps.”

“Roy’s contemporary Fred Catero taught me the art and value of recording many things on one track given limited “real estate,” 24 tracks in those days. How to stack tracks, how to do live bounces of backgrounds or horns when you didn’t have enough tracks. And both Roy and Fred were master editors.”

“And David, well he was what I had originally aspired to be…a great producer and manager. He could make great records and then go upstairs to his office where he made sure his artists got the best follow through. He and Fred trusted me with their demos, their artists, and later with many of the groups that came to record on their own. David also taught me about creating songs from 16-minute jams and how to listen and create on the spot. But my fondest memories of David were not recording-related at all. He had a great wine collection and a palate to match, and it was my first experience with that. That became my second passion, and after all these years I have just made my first wine.”

During her time at The Automatt, Leslie was lucky enough to have recorded the first digital multi-track recording session in San Francisco on the 3M tape machine, Carlos Santana’s album- ‘The Swing of Delight.’ Later at Capitol, she fell in love with the sound and operation of the Mitsubishi X850 and X880 32 track, which was later superseded by the Euphonix 48 track disk-based recorder at Skywalker, “because I was able to record 48 tracks at 24/96.” “None of those are available any longer, but they were all great in their day. They allowed me to use technology to enhance my work.” Some of Leslie’s other favorite pieces of gear include: a Neve 88R which is an analog console, one of the first digital reverbs, a Lexicon 224, EMT plates, “and yet I also use new things, mostly microphones.”

Use what you’ve got

The Automatt at one time had a staff of 6 engineers, 3 of which were women. “It was the Bay Area of course, infinitely more tolerant. But that ratio was unheard of…probably is still to this day.”

“At The Automatt, I first started working on sessions with all women. That was the era of ‘women’s music,’ primarily folk music specifically marketed and created for and by women. Women-owned record labels, musicians, producers, engineers artists, distributors, festivals, etc. Mostly lesbians, all feminists. It was when I first encountered being hired because I was a woman and what that brought to the sessions. Because the Automatt had a split staff, many times on regular projects, we would have a woman 1st engineer and a male assistant or vice-versa. One producer, in particular, would “cast” the sessions based on the vibe he wanted for the artist. I started to realize that being who I was and bringing that to whatever session I was doing was the most important thing I could do.”

Of Leslie’s many skills, being open to adapt to whatever situation comes her way and always ready to seize an opportunity, “not being afraid to raise my hand,” are two traits that helped pave the way to the top of her profession.

While she admits that trying to find your way in a room full of guys can be challenging, Leslie also sees that women bring a different set of skills in the way we approach our jobs, with the ability to multi-task better than most men, being one. Also, “there seems to be much less ego with women than men (for better or worse). We are more prone to work with people as team players. Maybe that is why I have always enjoyed being on staff. Those qualities are really important if you are going to show up at the same place and work with the same people all the time. BUT having said that, those attributes can be our downfall as well. I liken it to female chefs. We make great assistant engineers/sous chefs, but it is quite a leap from there to the Big Chair…to being in charge of the session/kitchen or restaurant. Still to this day that seems to be the most difficult transition.”

Leslie moved to Capitol Records in 1987 where she was hired as a staff engineer and became known for engineering Jazz, Vocal and Classical. She had a roster of regular artists such as; Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Bebe, and CeCe Winans and others. She also won her first Grammy for Dianne Reeves- ‘Good Night and Good Luck.’

Ten years later Leslie accepted the job of Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound. Having begun her film-scoring career with the movie Apocalypse Now during her years at the Automatt, Skywalker would allow Leslie to showcase both those skills and her talent for music recording while also bringing her organizational skills as Studio Director.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Touring Life and Motherhood or How You Can’t Have it All

The Sound Girls of Brazil!

What does a sound engineer do?

Concert Sound:

Studio Engineers:

Other Categories To Explore: