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Finding the Right Companies to Freelance With

Freelancing is a standard part of our industry and the way many organizations find their labor for various kinds of shows. As freelancers, people often worry about where their paycheck is going to come from; including how they are going to cover things such as insurance, taxes, and the grocery bill. However, there are other aspects to freelancing that need consideration as well. Yes, freelancing is about the paycheck just like most work, but it is also about being your own boss, in which you get to pick and choose who you work for and what you do each day. As you are choosing companies to partner with I think there are a few things that can help quality companies stand out.

As I’ve mentioned in many blogs before communication is essential, make sure you are getting the information you need to do the job and to succeed at the event. You are partnering with the company that has hired you while also representing them onsite. Everyone needs to be on the same page to make sure the entire team succeeds. This means there must be good communication involving all of those contributing to the event.

A freelancer needs to be able to trust the company they are working for. Trusting that the company will follow through on their commitments, provide the tools needed, and pay your invoices within a timely manner. Make sure the company holds their full-time employees accountable. A lack of accountability could result in tough events, missed content, and terrible communication. Also, as a freelancer, the company also needs to trust you. Trust that you know your craft and will remain flexible as the client will change their mind, and to be prepared for what the event needs.

Trust also brings understanding; any company you would be willing to work for must understand that you are a freelance employee. You will be working for other people and taking on different events and projects. Your schedule will be full at times when the company calls; they need to be ok with you saying no, and still be willing to call you next time. You are not obligated to work for the same company all the time, that would be a full-time job, but if the company doesn’t recognize that or gets angry if you’re not available it might not be a good fit.

The overall culture and feel of the company are essential too. We all know the stereotypical angry techie. If the whole company is like that, it might not be a great environment to work in. Look for a positive working group that builds teamwork, communication, and is prepared for their events. The long days can get tough, especially when things don’t go according to plan. Working with a negative crew will only make it worse when you reach hour 16 of that supposed to be 10-hour event. Freelancing is an excellent opportunity to work a variety of events with many different people and partnering with the right companies can make the experience that much better.

Mixing with a Toddler

Being an Audio Parent is a challenge but also incredibly rewarding. Managing pregnancy in the audio industry is a lot about self-care. Managing an infant and working in the audio industry is about mental and physical exhaustion. But then everything starts getting easier, you catch up on sleep, and you start feeling like yourself again. At the same time, this little personality is starting to emerge – they talk, say words, and have lots of preferences (Including music. It’s fascinating what my son likes and doesn’t.)

The biggest challenge we’ve faced with a young toddler (for my husband and me since we both work in audio) is balancing the things we each want to do – especially gigs or projects that involve our free time – with what everyone else wants to do. Who takes priority and when? How do you balance and keep everyone happy?

The hard stuff

Basic life tasks are more complicated. The analogy I use is taking a cat in public. Can you imagine going out to dinner with a loose cat and try not to disrupt anyone else? How about waiting in a long check-out line with a cat? Or being an airplane? It gives a new appreciation for a working parent who can show up on time, do their job without making mistakes, and can stay level-headed and cordial throughout.

Mom’s guilt gets worse. One of the most difficult things a working parent faces is not being there when your child needs you. It’s gut-wrenching when your child doesn’t want you to leave when you’re trying to get out of the house. Missing out (on activities or milestones) is a huge source of mom guilt. While I love seeing videos – like my son bowling for the first time while I’m at work – I’d rather be taking him myself.

Work guilt gets worse. In the past couple of years, I’ve seen some of my friends (without kids) make huge leaps in their careers. I’m genuinely happy for them but it’s also a reminder that my foot isn’t on the gas pedal. It’s a tough place because you’re totally capable of doing the work. It stinks to turn down a gig you want cause you can’t find a babysitter or you can’t be on call 24-7 (which is what is expected on some gigs). I’m constantly evaluating: Is this opportunity good for everyone (family, client, and me) or just for me? Am I going to come out of this gig feeling positive and fulfilled or just wiped out? Before the question was just, “Is this going to help my career or not?”

A toddler becomes your most demanding client. A toddler is a bit like an artistic genius with poor social skills. Every day they say or do something amazing or new but then they have a tantrum or 5 out of nowhere. You can’t use logic with a toddler who’s melting down because they want to wear clothes in the bath. The level of patience it takes on a daily basis can wear you thin some days. It’s affected my choice of work at times (very similar to morning sickness during pregnancy.)

Working nights is getting more complicated. Working swing shift wasn’t that big of a deal with an infant (it worked pretty nicely, actually). It’s harder when toddler activities tend to be in the morning (things like classes, playdates, preschool, etc).

The good stuff

Moms are more productive at work. Studies show women with children are more productive at work than women without children or men (whether they have kids or not!)

Working can be healthy for your kids, too. A Harvard Business School study shows kids who have an employed mom are just as happy as kids with an at-home mom. Daughters who had a working mom tend to do better in their careers, too.

Having a toddler enables you to connect with a wider variety of people at work. Talking about kids is an easy way to relate and to break the ice with some people who are reserved or private otherwise. I’ve gotten some great parenting advice through work, too.

You zero in on what’s important. When you have a lot of interests (or ambitions) and don’t have a lot of free time, it forces you to prioritize what’s most important. You don’t realize how much time you can lose by having too many interests (I think this is common in audio where we want to learn a lot of different skills, software or gear, types of work, etc). It may help you achieve goals faster to put energy into one or two things at a time.

You feel closer to the community, not further away. When you’re spending time at places like parks, play gyms, and playdates, you connect with more people in “normal” jobs than when you’re fully immersed in the audio industry. It’s a reminder we can relate and support each other in a way others can’t. (LA is a quirky outlier, though. Our preschool asked if either parent worked on-set as part of their emergency questions.)

For me, having a toddler has motivated me to start something new: a blog about kids and sound called Sound Is Fun. There’s a lot of interesting research about sound relating to kids that I had never heard before in the audio industry. For example, did you know children under the age of 5 are more at risk of hearing damage than adults? Since their ear canals are shorter, the sound pressure level is actually 10 dB higher. Background noise affects test scores and learning for kids and teens and it affects how toddlers learn language (tip: toddlers need dialog and vocals much clearer than an adult would for intelligibility). There is a lot to be explored in this area and I’m looking forward to learning more about it.

 

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

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

November Feature Profile

Berenice Hardiman FOH Engineer/ Tour Manager


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory


The Blogs

Prepping Your Studio for a Hurricane

Entendiendo los convertidores AD/DA

Understanding AD / DA converters


SoundGirls News

https://soundgirls.org/event/pittsburgh-soundgirls-chapter-kickoff-meeting/?instance_id=1397

https://soundgirls.org/event/vue-audiotechnik-soundgirls-demo-and-reception/?instance_id=1398

Workshop in Sound Post-Production

https://soundgirls.org/event/vue-audiotechnik-soundgirls-demo-and-reception-2/?instance_id=1399

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-social-2/?instance_id=1393

SoundGirls Launches Initiative for Members Working in Production Sound

GIRLSCHOOL 2019

https://soundgirls.org/namm-2019-badges-for-soundgirls-members-2/

NAMM Mentoring Session 2019

She Rocks at NAMM Ticket Orders

https://soundgirls.org/event/qsc-soundgirls-tour/?instance_id=1394

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Los Angeles Monthly Shadowing Opportunity

https://soundgirls.org/shadowing-opportunity-brad-madix-and-annette-guilfoyle/

Shadow Beth O’Leary ME Tech on Kylie Minogue

Shadowing Opportunity w/ FOH Engineer Sean “Sully” Sullivan

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-mentoring/


Round Up From the Internet

Latin Grammy History for the first time  a womann has won the award best producer of the year. Congratulations to Linda Briceño


SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

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

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

“In order to make change, everyone has to agree there’s a problem to solve in the first case,” says Anna Ingler, co-founder of the Upfront Producer Network, which represents 100-plus female and gender-nonconforming producers in Sweden.

It’s estimated that less than 5 percent of all audio professionals are women. Many people in the music industry are—and have been—working to solve this issue by providing educational, networking, and community resources to increase diversity in these fields. And yet, the excuse still exists: “We want to hire a woman, but we couldn’t find one.”

Introducing the EQL Directory, powered by SoundGirls and made possible by Spotify. The EQL 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.

“[We] face the myth that there are not very many women or non-conforming people working in audio, and because of this people don’t even bother to look. The EQL Directory proves that this is not true,” says Karrie Keyes, co-founder of SoundGirls and Pearl Jam’s long-time sound engineer.

“This is a great tool to create more opportunities for women,” says TRAKGIRL, a successful producer who has worked with everyone from Jhene Aiko to Belly to Omarion. “We have to continue the work and create more inclusion and diversity in male-dominated spaces; we have a lot of work to do, but this is an awesome start.”

The EQL Directory was made possible through a partnership between Spotify and SoundGirls, a nonprofit founded by Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato dedicated to expanding opportunities for girls and women in music.

“SoundGirls already had this global directory of women in audio and production, and we were excited to support their organization and initiative by helping them make it more beautiful, more useful, and more visible within the industry,” says Kerry Steib, Spotify’s Director of Social Impact.

The EQL Directory is one of many initiatives Spotify has developed to support equity in the audio industry. In August, we created three full-time residencies in our Secret Genius and Spotify studios to support hands-on career development for female studio engineers, The Equalizer Project’s success has continued with networking dinners and a recent Producer Camp in Sweden, and The SoundUp Bootcamp, an accelerator program for aspiring podcasters in underserved communities has been launched in the U.S., UK, and Australia.

“The goal is for the EQL Directory to become a go-to resource for audio professionals and to remove the excuse that you couldn’t find a woman for a particular job,” says Steib. “We know that increasing equity for women in these fields is a complex problem to solve. We have to work with great partners across the industry and come together to create solutions.”

To guide our commitment to increasing equity in these fields, Spotify and Secret Genius have assembled a team of some of the most talented and in-demand professionals to create a new EQL Advisory Board. TRAKGIRL, along with Lauren D’elia, Jin Jin, Kesha Lee, and Ali Tamposi will help shape the future of these programs.

The EQL Directory is also made possible through collaborations with organizations who provide resources to women in the field, whether that’s educational programs or networking opportunities. Visitors to the EQL Directory can find resources from initiatives and organizations like the Audio Engineering Society, Beatz By Girlz, female:pressure, Gender Amplified, Girls Make Beats, Instituto Criar, Secret Genius, shesaid.so, SoundGirls in Mexico, The Equalizer Project, The 7% Series, Upfront Producers Network, and the Women’s Audio Mission.

Understanding AD / DA converters

Generally, an analog-digital converter is an electronic device that converts an analog voltage input to a digital number. The digital output can use different coding schemes, such as binary, although some non-electrical or partially electrical devices can be considered as analog-digital converters.

The resolution of a converter indicates the number of discrete values ​​it can produce over a range of voltage values. It is usually expressed in bits.
For example, a converter that encodes an analog input of 1 to 256 discrete values ​​(0..255) has a resolution of 8 bits: that is, 2 raised to 8. The resolution can also be defined electrically and expressed in volts.

 

ANALOG SYSTEM AND DIGITAL SYSTEM

Electronic circuits can be divided into two broad categories: digital and analog. Digital electronics use magnitudes with discrete values, while analog electronics use magnitudes with continuous values.

A digital system is any device intended for the generation, transmission, processing or storage of digital signals. Thus, the digital system is a combination of devices designed to manipulate physical quantities or information that are represented in digital form; that is, they can only take discrete values.

For the implementation of digital circuits, logic gates (AND, OR and NOT) and transistors are used. These doors follow the behavior of some functions.

A system is analog when the magnitudes of the signal are represented by continuous variables, this is analogous to the magnitudes that give rise to the generation of this signal. An analog system contains devices that manipulate physical quantities represented in analog form. In a system of this type, quantities vary over a continuous range of values.
Thus, an analog magnitude is one that takes continuous values. A digital quantity is one that takes a set of discrete values.

An analog signal is a voltage or current that varies smoothly and continuously. A sine wave is a single frequency analog signal. The voltages of voice and video are analog signals that vary according to the sound or variations of the light that corresponds to the information being transmitted.

Digital signals, in contrast to analog signals, do not vary continuously but change in steps or in discrete increments.

Advantages of Digital Circuits

• Reproducibility of results – Proof
• Ease of design –
• Flexibility and functionality
• Programmability
• Speed
• Economy
• Constant technological progress

The method of digital signal processing also enables the implementation of more sophisticated signal processing algorithms. It is usually very difficult to perform precise mathematical operations on signals in analog format, but these same operations can be carried out routinely on a digital computer using the software.

The ADC converter (Analog-to-Digital Converter – Digital Analog Converter) has to carry out the following processes:

1.- Sampling of the analog signal.
2.- Quantization of the signal itself
3.- Coding of the result of the quantization, in binary code.


The sampling of an analog signal

The graphic representation of half positive cycle (+), corresponding to an analog electrical sound signal, with its corresponding harmonics. As can be seen, the voltage or voltage variation values ​​in this sinusoid can vary on a scale.

To convert an analog signal into digital, the first step is to perform a sampling (sampling) of it, or what is the same, take different samples of voltages or voltages at different points of the sine wave. The frequency at which the sampling is done is called ratio, rate or also sampling frequency and is measured in kilohertz (kHz). In the case of digital audio recording, the greater the number of samples taken, the higher the quality and fidelity of the resulting digital signal.


During the sampling process, numerical values ​​equivalent to the voltage or voltage existing in different points of the sinusoid are assigned, with the purpose of carrying out the quantization process.

The most commonly used sampling rates or frequencies for digital audio are the following:

• 24,000 samples per second (24 kHz)
• 30,000 samples per second (30 kHz)
• 44 100 samples per second (44.1 kHz) (CD quality)
• 48,000 samples per second (48 kHz)

 

To sample an analog electrical signal and then convert it to digital, the first step is to take discrete voltage or voltage values ​​at regular intervals at different points on the sine wave.

Therefore, a signal whose sampling is performed at 24 kHz, will have less quality and fidelity than another made at 48 kHz. However, the greater the number of samples taken, the greater the bandwidth needed to transmit a digital signal, also requiring a much larger space to store it.

Quantization of the analog signal

The quantization represents the sampling component of the variations of values ​​of voltages or voltages taken in different points of the sine wave, which allows to measure them and assign them their corresponding values ​​in the decimal number system, before converting those values ​​into a binary numerical system.


 Coding of the signal in binary code

After the quantization has been carried out, the values ​​of the voltage taps are represented numerically by previously established codes and standards. The most common is to encode the digital signal in binary code.

An example of an analog electronic system is the speaker, which is used to amplify the sound so that it is heard by a large audience. Sound waves that are analog at their source are captured by a microphone and converted into a small analog voltage variation called an audio signal. This voltage varies continuously as the volume and frequency of the sound change and is applied to the input of a linear amplifier.
The output of the amplifier, which is the amplified input voltage, is fed into the loudspeaker. It converts, again, the amplified audio signal into sound waves with a much higher volume than the original sound picked up by the microphone.

There are systems that use digital and analog methods, one of them is the compact disc player (CD). Music in digital form is stored on the CD. An optical laser diode system reads the digital data from the disk when it rotates and transfers them to the digital-to-analog converter (DAC, digital-to-analog converter). The DAC transforms the digital data into an analog signal that is the electrical reproduction of the original music. This signal is amplified and sent to the speaker. When the music was recorded on the CD, a process was used which, essentially, was the inverse of the one described, and which uses an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

 

Entendiendo los convertidores AD/DA

Generalmente, un conversor analógico-digital es un dispositivo electrónico que convierte una entrada analógica de voltaje a un número digital. La salida digital puede usar diferentes esquemas de codificación, como binario, aunque algunos dispositivos no eléctricos o parcialmente eléctricos pueden ser considerados como conversores analógicos-digitales.

La resolución de un conversor indica el número de valores discretos que este puede producir sobre un rango de valores de voltaje. Generalmente es expresado en bits.

Por ejemplo, un conversor que codifica una entrada analógica de 1 a 256 valores discretos (0..255) tiene una resolución de 8 bits: o sea, 2 elevado a 8. La resolución puede también ser definida eléctricamente y expresarse en volts.

SISTEMA ANALOGICO Y SISTEMA DIGITAL.

Los circuitos electrónicos se pueden dividir en dos amplias categorías: digitales y analógicos. La electrónica digital utiliza magnitudes con valores discretos, mientras que la electrónica analógica emplea magnitudes con valores continuos.

Un sistema digital es cualquier dispositivo destinado a la generación, transmisión, procesamiento o almacenamiento de señales digitales. Así, el sistema digital,  es una combinación de dispositivos diseñado para manipular cantidades físicas o información que estén representadas en forma digital; es decir, que sólo puedan tomar valores discretos.

Para la implementación de los circuitos digitales, se utilizan puertas lógicas (AND, OR y NOT) y transistores. Estas puertas siguen el comportamiento de algunas funciones.

Un sistema es analógico cuando las magnitudes de la señal se representan mediante variables continuas, esto es análogas a las magnitudes que dan lugar a la generación de esta señal. Un sistema analógico contiene dispositivos que manipulan cantidades físicas representadas en forma analógica. En un sistema de este tipo, las cantidades varían sobre un intervalo continuo de valores.

Así, una magnitud analógica es aquella que toma valores continuos. Una magnitud digital es aquella que toma un conjunto de valores discretos.

Una señal analógica es un voltaje o corriente que varía suave y continuamente. Una onda senoidal es una señal analógica de una sola frecuencia. Los voltajes de la voz y del video son señales analógicas que varían de acuerdo con el sonido o variaciones de la luz que corresponden a la información que se está transmitiendo.

Las señales digitales, en contraste con las señales analógicas, no varían en forma continua, sino que cambian en pasos o en incrementos discretos.

Ventajas de los Circuitos Digitales

El método de procesado digital de señales también posibilita la implementación de algoritmos de procesado de señal más sofisticados. Generalmente es muy difícil realizar operaciones matemáticas precisas sobre señales en formato analógico, pero esas mismas operaciones pueden efectuarse de modo rutinario sobre un ordenador digital utilizando software.

El conversor ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter – Conversor Analógico Digital) tiene que efectuar los siguientes procesos:

1.- Muestreo de la señal analógica.
2.- Cuantización de la propia señal
3.- Codificación del resultado de la cuantización, en código binario.

La representación gráfica de medio ciclo positivo (+) , correspondiente a una señal eléctrica analógica de sonido, con sus correspondientes armónicos. Como se podrá observar, los valores de variación de la tensión o voltaje en esta sinusoide pueden variar en una escala.

Para convertir una señal analógica en digital, el primer paso consiste en realizar un muestreo (sampling) de ésta, o lo que es igual, tomar diferentes muestras de tensiones o voltajes en diferentes puntos de la onda senoidal. La frecuencia a la que se realiza el muestreo se denomina razón, tasa o también frecuencia de muestreo y se mide en kilohertz (kHz). En el caso de una grabación digital de audio, a mayor cantidad de muestras tomadas, mayor calidad y fidelidad tendrá la señal digital resultante.

Durante el proceso de muestreo se asignan valores numéricos equivalentes a la tensión o voltaje existente en diferentes puntos de la sinusoide, con la finalidad de realizar a continuación el proceso de cuantización.

Las tasas o frecuencias de muestreo más utilizadas para audio digital son las siguientes:

Para realizar el muestreo (sampling) de una señal eléctrica analógica y convertirla después en digital, el primer paso consiste en tomar valores discretos de tensión o voltaje a intervalos regulares en diferentes puntos de la onda senoidal.

Por tanto, una señal cuyo muestreo se realice a 24 kHz, tendrá menos calidad y fidelidad que otra realizada a 48 kHz. Sin embargo, mientras mayor sea el número de muestras tomadas, mayor será también el ancho de banda necesario para transmitir una señal digital, requiriendo también un espacio mucho mayor para almacenarla.

La cuantización representa el componente de muestreo de las variaciones de valores de tensiones o voltajes tomados en diferentes puntos de la onda sinusoidal, que permite medirlos y asignarles sus correspondientes valores en el sistema numérico decimal, antes de convertir esos valores en sistema numérico binario.

Después de realizada la cuantización, los valores de las tomas de voltajes se representan numéricamente por medio de códigos y estándares previamente establecidos. Lo más común es codificar la señal digital en código numérico binario.

Un ejemplo de sistema electrónico analógico es el altavoz, que se emplea para amplificar el sonido de forma que éste sea oído por una gran audiencia. Las ondas de sonido que son analógicas en su origen, son capturadas por un micrófono y convertidas en una pequeña variación analógica de tensión denominada señal de audio. Esta tensión varía de manera continua a medida que cambia el volumen y la frecuencia del sonido y se aplica a la entrada de un amplificador lineal.

La salida del amplificador, que es la tensión de entrada amplificada, se introduce en el altavoz. Éste convierte, de nuevo, la señal de audio amplificada en ondas sonoras con un volumen mucho mayor que el sonido original captado por el micrófono.

Existen sistemas que utilizan métodos digitales y analógicos, uno de ellos es el reproductor de disco compacto (CD). La música en forma digital se almacena en el CD. Un sistema óptico de diodos láser lee los datos digitales del disco cuando éste gira y los transfiere al convertidor digital-analógico (DAC, digital-to-analog converter). El DAC transforma los datos digitales en una señal analógica que es la reproducción eléctrica de la música original. Esta señal se amplifica y se envía al altavoz. Cuando la música se grabó en el CD se utilizó un proceso que, esencialmente, era el inverso al descrito, y que utiliza un convertidor analógico digital (ADC, analog-to-digital converter).

 

 

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

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

November Feature Profile

Berenice Hardiman FOH Engineer/ Tour Manager


SoundGirls Panel – Career Paths in Film & TV at Sony Studios


The Blogs

Should I Stay or Should I Go?


SoundGirls News

Sexual Harassment Seminar

https://soundgirls.org/event/orlando-soundgirls-social-4/?instance_id=1388

Workshop in Sound Post-Production

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-social-2/?instance_id=1393

SoundGirls Launches Initiative for Members Working in Production Sound

GIRLSCHOOL 2019

https://soundgirls.org/namm-2019-badges-for-soundgirls-members-2/

NAMM Mentoring Session 2019

She Rocks at NAMM Ticket Orders

https://soundgirls.org/event/qsc-soundgirls-tour/?instance_id=1394

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Los Angeles Monthly Shadowing Opportunity

https://soundgirls.org/shadowing-opportunity-brad-madix-and-annette-guilfoyle/

Shadow Beth O’Leary ME Tech on Kylie Minogue

Shadowing Opportunity w/ FOH Engineer Sean “Sully” Sullivan

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-mentoring/


Round Up From the Internet

Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines for Convention and Conference Policy Committees.


SoundGirls Resources

 

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

A More Inclusive Industry

Events

Sexual Harassment

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

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I think we all reach a point in our lives where we might feel a little lost on our path. All of us who are in the entertainment industry, know how lucky we are to have the opportunity to work in a creative field. The few of us who actually followed our dreams or perhaps just happened to stumble upon them.

However, like anyone else we can also feel a bit lost and unmotivated, feeling like there is no purpose in what we do. I recently felt like this, craving something new and learning new things.  I felt like I wanted to move on from where I am currently at.

Writing this I felt a struggle, as I felt like I’ve been on autopilot the last two months, and therefore have nothing to say or write about, feeling generally unmotivated. Not because I had little to do, but because the festive season is approaching and having learned from last year, I wanted to get a head start on all the craziness that is waiting around the corner.

Looking back at these past two months, contrary to my feeling of lack of motivation, I have been very productive and done plenty! Is that perhaps why I felt like I wanted to move on as I know what to expect and the excitement (and stress) is not what it used to be? The adrenaline you get from the excitement of not knowing what is ahead of you? Maybe.

I guess that though we might feel stuck, unmotivated or lost, it does not mean that we actually are. Perhaps there are small changes we can do to change our circumstances, make things more exciting or possibly it is time to go, to move on in life and seek a new adventure?

Step back and evaluate

Look at where you are, what is going on around you? Are there things that could run better, smoother & more efficient? Is your workplace in order, do you have everything you need to do your job properly?

Sometimes you need to take a step back to take two steps forward. Identify what is causing you to feel unmotivated. Will moving on solve your problems or will it actually just make you feel more lost? Are you prepared to move on?

Can you change your situation?   

Are you able to change things at work to make things more/less challenging? It is important to feel challenged and to learn new things, but if it is too challenging it can result in stress.

Challenge yourself, set goals in your work- and personal life. There is always room for improvement even if you are already doing a great job.

If things are too challenging and stressful, ask for help and maybe take a step back. Troubleshoot and take one thing at the time.

What is your purpose?

We all need a purpose to feel fulfilled in life. What are you working towards, do you have a plan?

Sometimes you need to walk away from situations that are not fulfilling. Sometimes it is about saying no and establishing boundaries. Sometimes it is not your job that is unfulfilling, but your personal life and that affects your work life. Sometimes you need to stay to grow.

What do you need to reach your goal? Are you in the right place, right scene, right city or even in the right country?

Deal with it

It took me a good couple of months to shake away the lack of motivation and decided to make a few changes in my personal life rather than in my work life.  I felt like I wanted to leave and to move on just because I did not want to deal with things in my personal life. I took a step back, evaluated and changed my situation, and this is something we need to do regularly in life.

So the not so simple question is; will you stay or will you go?

 

 

Berenice Hardiman FOH Engineer/ Tour Manager

Berenice Hardiman is a veteran of the industry having first been inspired after seeing Pink Floyd at the Liverpool Empire, which was her very first concert.  “I immediately knew that I wanted to be part of whatever that “thing” was that I had just witnessed, but of course I had no idea how to even start. I ended up doing computing at University in the late 70s, which of course, ironically, has actually ended up being very useful. I’d always gone to loads of gigs all over the world, and as I reached my late 20’s, I decided that if I was ever going to make the leap into the music industry, time was ticking away.”  So taking a huge risk, Berenice decided to sell her house and buy a PA system with her partner Dave Claxton. From there they proceeded to mostly teach themselves. “We got books from the library and talked to anyone who would spare us 10 minutes. I’d been hanging around the periphery of the music industry for years so I had some useful contacts to press into service. Luckily, it transpired that I was able to achieve a good FOH sound and Dave took to doing monitors. We worked out very quickly that buying a monitor desk would give us the edge over other local PA companies.”

“We built up the company over the next ten years or so covering tens of thousands of miles, first in a Ford Transit and then building up to a 7.5 tonner (truck), doing the sort of gigs where you learn your trade and people generally seemed to like what we did. By the early 2000’s it had become obvious that in order to continue expanding would involve massive capital commitment, and by that point work with our main client, Midge Ure, had reached the point where really we didn’t have time for any other shows, so we took the decision to sell off most of the gear while it was still worth something, and put on our white gloves.”

Currently, along with being FOH Engineer and Tour Manager for Midge Ure, Berenice also handles most of Midge’s bookings, does contracts, invoices, designs his merchandise, runs Midge Ure’s webshop and website and whatever else needs to be done.  “We started off providing the system; then he asked me to do FOH and TM as he liked what he’d heard me do for the support act on the previous tour. We carried on like that for a while until 1998 when I told him that he really should have his own website and online store as I felt that was the way to go. Somehow it ended up falling on my desk! Merch design followed on from that in an obvious sort of way. Then he left his manager of 25 years, and I decided it was time to stop being a hire company as it would have needed massive financial investment to continue, so it made sense for me to take over booking the shows. After all, we had been doing his shows for over ten years by that point so knew all the venues

The Show Must Go On!

As anyone who has been on tour knows, things are not always what they should be, and some gigs and productions leave a lot to be desired.  The lack of attention to detail by some service providers/promoters is one of the things Berenice hates about touring. “We had a fairly prestigious festival show recently that descended into a total nightmare for me. The in-ears hadn’t been set up prior to our arrival, one of the keyboards didn’t have a power supply, the drum riser was the wrong size, half the rider was missing, and if that wasn’t enough I discovered the mix position was on a gantry in the roof of a round metal building. I literally couldn’t hear a THING I was doing. I also couldn’t get down to hear what it sounded like where the audience was.”

Clearly, Berenice has a history of doing whatever it takes and keeping a positive attitude, which are key to being successful. “Obviously we have done loads of gigs where it’s gone horribly wrong for whatever reason, but we’ve always managed to scrape by somehow! That’s what it’s all about though, making the best of things and getting the show done. Once, there was the time when the truck windshield wiper motor went on our way to a show in mid-Wales, some 4-hour drive away, and the only solution was to rig up some bits of wire and pliers so we could move them manually every now and again… we made the gig though!”

“Once, I nearly got stabbed when somebody pulled a knife on me at a show a long time ago when the only way to avoid our desk being stolen by a rioting crowd was to lie across it! We were doing a Soca band in a drinking club in Southall called the Tudor Rose. What we didn’t know was that there was a big boxing match being shown in the venue after the band and I suddenly became aware we were somewhat outnumbered! Not only outnumbered, but by people who REALLY wanted a load of audio gear!! They didn’t get it though.”

When asked what Berenice likes most about her job,  “Nothing beats standing behind the desk with a great PA and making it sound fantastic!”

Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato and Berenice Hardiman at Rock Of Ages Festival in Rottenburg, Germany

What advice would you give young women wanting to enter the field of live sound or professional audio?

“Be very sure it’s what you want! Home life is bound to suffer. I’m lucky that I work with my other half because otherwise, we would never see each other. We worked every New Year’s Eve for about 15 years! The downside is that we never really switch off from “work” which is ok for us because we love what we do.”

As it is with most veteran live sound engineers, when Berenice started her mixing career, consoles were of the analogue format.   If you understood signal flow, you could walk up to any analog desk and familiarize yourself with it rather quickly- a luxury that no longer exists in the current digital age. Coming from a computer background, Berenice made the transition from analogue to digital consoles fairly easily.  “ My only issue still is that at the back of my mind I know that if an analogue board goes down, you can generally row to shore somehow, but the same is simply just not the case when you go digital. Having said that, there are so few old boards out there that work flawlessly now that it’s a small price to pay for being able to just simply load your show, and off you go with a few tweaks!”

The vast array of digital platforms and the complete lack of uniformity among them can be intimidating if not overwhelming to a less experienced engineer.  Berenice’s suggestion for learning different consoles- “RTFM!!! and then install the offline editor and play with it… YouTube is a very useful resource.”

What is your favorite gear?

“I’m a big L’Acoustics fan! And I don’t like to go anywhere without a trusty TC Electronics D2 with a footswitch. I’m not really into carrying racks of valve compressors etc.”

What’s in your tool bag?

“Now? A bag full of XLR/jack converters, my headphones, a footswitch, and some lucky Chinese money a fan gave me in 2009!”

What do you feel is the biggest mistake you made throughout your career? What did it teach you?

“I once tried to fix a power amp during soundcheck and forgot to unplug it first! It taught me not to panic because things get forgotten!”

What would you say are some ‘must have’ skills?

“Calm, methodical thinking in a crisis, and keep your eyes and ears open all the time.”

“Being able to cope with very little sleep and crap food also helps!”

“As far as audio engineering goes, a very wise man once described a very well respected engineer to me… he’s a really great engineer, there’s nothing between his ears and his fingertips, and I think that’s still a very sage opinion. In my opinion, there are far too many engineers out there who overanalyze stuff rather than just feeling the sound.”

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