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The Modern Church Sound

I’ve been to my fair share of church services, and more than my fair share of contemporary/modern church services. Some of the mixes I hear are fantastic! Some of them, however, are less than stellar. Many times, churches don’t have a dedicated audio person and rely on volunteer help to run the service.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when putting a mix together either as a volunteer, or as someone who wants some tips on how to clean up their own mix.

Vocals

Vocals are the number one priority, and it’s a disaster if they get buried. If no one can understand the vocals, then nobody is receiving the message. Cutting out most of the low end is always a great start. Don’t be afraid to really get in there. Perhaps cut a lot more than you might normally, but it’s necessary to make plenty of space for instruments whose fundamental frequencies reside below 500. So I place a HPF at about 150 and a low-end cut at about 500 to get rid of any boxiness. I’ve also noticed that vocalists and speakers can be a little bit throaty, so doing a notch cut around 1k really helps clear the air. Business first, though, as any problem frequencies should get ousted and the octaves just below and just above it. Parametric EQs are great for this sort of thing.

The vocals should most definitely fit right on top, right in between any melody carrying instruments.

Guitars

I love a robust and prominent guitar sound, but there’s a time and a place (read: solo) for strong loud guitars. I wouldn’t consider contemporary Christian services as that place. I can already hear the crowds boo. I regret nothing. In general, though, I whole-heartedly believe that guitars can’t always be the main instrument. They have their spot and I love really ethereal licks, but this isn’t a metal show and there are often many more instruments on stage that could use some love.

Now, if it’s a nice acoustic guitar, let it ring out and carry a larger part of the mix. So let the acoustic take center stage (aside from vocals. Never, ever push the vocals away). I like my guitars with just a little meat at around 250-300, and plenty of sparkly high end without getting too much fret noise. When I notice the fret noise is really prevalent, I can’t un-hear it. The biggest difference between acoustic and electric guitars are that electric guitars can be really sharp and intrusive if you let them get away. Acoustic guitars have a tendency to be softer and percussive. If you have an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar coming in at the same level, you’d hear the electric guitar more because it is so “in your face”. The low end of guitars can tend to be a little tedious when you begin balancing it with the rest of the low end. Try cutting at 400 or 500 while still trying to keep that previously mentioned beef at 250. This is all a balancing act most of you are familiar with.

Drums

Drums can be considered the 2nd most important piece of the band behind vocals. Sometimes, congregants in churches have issues keeping on beat, so we need to make sure that a nice crisp clear drum set can be heard. Kick and snare, like most of the time, are vital. I like a very fat low end with a cracked snare. I boost my kick around 60 or 80 hz depending on what the feel of the song is, and boost just a tad at about 1k to keep some of that pedal in. When I’m able to have the top and bottom of the snare mic’d, I try boosting the top at about 250 or so with a deep cut at 500 so I can have that warmth. Then the bottom of the snare has a sharp boost at 1k to really give it that snappy cracked sound. I typically blend the two with slightly more top than bottom. I would recommend experimenting with the blends of the top and bottom, and even try flipping the EQ to see what that sounds like. Never be afraid to do something really strange. If it works and it sounds good, don’t question it.

I like my toms present, but not overwhelming. I enjoy my cymbals bright, but not harsh. If you aren’t slapping HPFs on things, you’re asking for some trouble.

I find a lot of churches use drum enclosures which adds a certain level of complexity to the mix. I love the isolation, but I really hate how boxed in it can sound. You’ll have to fight that in almost every mix on your kit. Start at 500 and sweep the low-mids until you find that ‘sweet’ spot. As far as miking goes, you shouldn’t put the overhead/cymbal mics too far away from the source. The further away you get, the more room you’re getting, which in this case is not a good sound. You should always do some pretty close miking to drums in live situations (at least more so than you would in the studio) but you just need to be very cautious when your drums are in a tiny Plexiglas case. Look anywhere from 250-1k on all your drum mics, a lot of grossness will be hiding there. If you have any say in it, I would recommend not completely enclosing the drum kit. Leaving the back unenclosed can give you so much more space while still directing a bulk of the sound away from the audience. With the back open, you’ll get less muffled bleed, and you can get nice deep meaty sounding low-end without having to erase the entire low-mids. With some of the smaller rooms, that may be difficult, but it makes a significant enough difference to maybe rearrange the stage plot.

Bass

I love a smooth bass line. I am a bassist, and I really enjoy when I can’t pick out weird sounding (or overpowering) bass in mixes. And by that I mean a nice round low end (I don’t always like the sound of frets on a bass) with a HPF on 60 with just enough finger noise around 2k or so to distinguish accented notes without overpowering the kick, or worse, the vocals. The kick and bass should be working harmoniously, not stomping all over each other. Don’t be afraid to use ducking to get them to behave. Multi-band compression, if you haven’t gotten to play with it yet, is a fantastic tool. Use it to punch through some of the lows while leaving the higher octaves a little more airy.

Keys

Pianos have been in churches for as long as they have been in existence. Nothing can replace a really incredible pianist. I envy those of you who can tickle the ivory fingers. Pianos are so naturally beautiful that there often isn’t much needed. That’s not to say I don’t slap on a HPF every now and again, but you should try to stay true to the piano and let it do it’s thing. The only thing I can say is make sure everyone can hear it in the mix.

Everyone mixes differently, and every congregation likes their music a little bit different. Because of the generation I grew up in, my mixes tend to sound a lot funkier and modern than some generations before me. As you should, I try to keep that in mind when I’m mixing.

You won’t always be mixing for a “funky” crowd. Sometimes you may need to mix a little bit outside your favorite or most comfortable style to suit the room. You should also try to be very careful about taking care of your ears. Sometimes, churches like their music really loud, and often times they like it really really quiet. Don’t rely on volume to make your mix sound better. Go and explore. Churches are great communities to express yourself without having any lash back. Play with that New York style compression in your live mix, see what happens! Don’t discount anything until you try it.

If I had to stress only a few points to take away from this, it’s that listen with your ears. If you just walked in off the streets, could you understand what the vocalist was saying even if the words weren’t on screen? Would you be able to hear every instrument? Would you want to come back again and listen to music in this room?

 

On the Go With Jessica Berg

Music has played a prominent role throughout Jessica Berg’s life. From an early age, she was often singing solos in choir and performing with her cousin’s bar band near the family cabin in northern Minnesota. At age 14, Jessica began playing guitar and writing songs with her best friend, one of which they recorded for a class project, and this began Jessica’s fascination with the world of audio technology.

In high school, she would often hang out at a friend’s recording studio, and another friend gave her a Tascam four-track cassette recorder. During her senior year, Jessica began performing at open mic nights and was featured as a solo artist on a local radio station’s weekly program, “MN Homegrown.” For Jessica’s high school graduation gift, her dad brought her to a studio in the mountains of Colorado to record a three-song demo. Soon after that, she joined a band and began performing around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area both as a solo artist and in bands, all the while practicing and learning the art of four-track recording.Jess Performing Early 2000s (Minneapolis, MN)

In 2002, Jessica decided to pursue her passion for audio and enrolled at The Institute of Production and Recording in Minneapolis, MN. Within her first year, she was offered a live sound gig working with Le Cirque Rouge Burlesque Cabaret Troupe. Jessica says, “Working with this group was the best way to cut my teeth in live sound. It was a theater-type crew, who rarely stuck to the script, and I was often working on crap gear that I had to make sound good. Sometimes I even ran lights. Everyone got paid off the door. It was awesome.” Working with the cabaret troupe led to another live sound gig working with Cuban jazz group Charanga Tropical. Both clients had shows regionally, so Jessica had the opportunity to work in a variety of situations with two very colorful and talented groups.

While still in audio school, Jessica began interning at A440 Studios, one of the last large studios operating in town and negotiated a paid assistant engineering gig for regional rock band Skywynd’s “Escape Plan” album. “The lead engineer had a young child at home so that he would leave every night around 5 or 6 and I’d take over. We were tracking to 2” tape and transferring into ProTools. I was in heaven,” she says.

Jessica also interned with legendary promoter Sue McLean, and would get paid work as a runner on her shows. Around this time, she also began running sound at The Dakota, one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world. Jessica remained on the house audio crew until she moved to Los Angeles in late 2013. “It’s an international listening room – Meyer had tuned it, it was intimate, and many shows were so attentive you could hear a pin drop,” she says. “I’ll always love that room.”

Not long after graduating from audio school, Jessica would become the dub room engineer at a top voiceover studio, Voiceworks (now Audio Ruckus.) Since the studio operated nine to five weekdays, the owner offered up the keys, and Jessica would bring in her clients in during off-hours. She was also on the call list with the Local 13 IATSE stagehand union for a year or so.

In 2006, she became the full-time Concert & Events Coordinator for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, running four outdoor venues with over 220 shows between Memorial Day and Labor Day, including large community festivals and other park events throughout the year. Jessica says, “I walked into a 122-year-old tradition that had been a bit neglected, and I was determined to help nurture and fix it. Gear was broken, figurative duct tape left everywhere, people were unhappy. I was given a file box with a stack of papers and a bag of keys, a Motorola phone, an office in a historical building, and told to ‘go’ – so I did.” Over the next three years, Jessica helped raised support from within the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, built a strong team of seasonal sound engineers, worked with local community groups to purchase new audio gear and introduced the concept of allowing Music in the Parks sponsorships to the organization’s Board of Commissioners.

During this time, Jessica also served as a board member of the Jackie Lee Robinson Foundation, who was one of the original founders of IPR, and in cooperation with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and other professional audio companies, helped to start the Ideawerks recording studio educational program in the parks. The program is free for youths aged 12-17. After her third season of running the Music in the Parks, Jessica decided to move on. Today, the Minneapolis Music in the Parks program has never been stronger and brings joy to thousands of people every summer.

During her time in Minnesota, Jessica received certification in Festival and Event Management through the University of Minnesota Tourism Department and was introduced to the Head of Production for the WeFest and the 10K Lakes festivals in Detroit Lakes, MN. The WeFest is the largest camping and country music festival in the nation. Jessica would start out working as a stagehand and work her way up to the Backstage Production Assistant. She was in charge of backstage production parking and would run sound for the VIP area near the backstage area, post- main stage show. Jessica has continues to work these festivals and says “We are like a big family, and I have learned what it takes to run a huge, multi-act, multi-day show. It reminds me why I got into the business in the first place – I love that crew.”

Jessica would go on to work for IPR as an Academic Coordinator and become a founding member of the Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project non-profit organization, bringing jazz music and education to youth into underserved communities throughout the local region. She would also return to school and receive a BS in Media Business. She never stops learning and seizes the opportunities presented to her.

As a graduation gift, one of Jessica’s closest friends in Los Angeles bought her a one-way plane ticket and offered her a place to live. “I knew I wanted to spread my wings and get out on the road more. I loved what I was doing in Minneapolis and the people I worked with, but it is the biggest small town you could ever be from. I figured I’d give it hell for two years and see what kind of magic I could stir up,” she says. So after breaking the news to her jobs and making sure they weren’t left high and dry, then releasing an album/love letter to her Minnesota life, giving away her furniture, and shipping a couple of pallets of boxes via Amtrak, Jessica flew to Los Angeles on Halloween in 2013. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she says. “As many wise mentors have shared – in this industry, if you either have a job or a place to live, you gotta make that leap.”

Soon after landing in Los Angeles, Jessica discovered SoundGirls while searching the term “sound girl” on the Internet. It was too much of a coincidence that she had started her website soundgirlproductions.com a year earlier, in honor of the endearing nickname given to her by fellow Dakota crew. Not only that, but Jessica had been involved with a few different “women in music” groups in Minneapolis, and she feels none had emphasized live sound in the way that SoundGirls.Org does. “I felt like I found my tribe,”

Quadron Tour 2015

Quadron Tour 2014

Jessica would check out the site almost daily and one day, a job post flew by on my Facebook feed. It read – “TM/FOH needed ASAP…” and included an email address. I responded right away and two hours later I was in a meeting at the Avalon in Hollywood, where an upcoming concert was in pre-production.

The woman hiring for the TM/FOH position brought me on as her PA for the Avalon show to see how we would work together. When the Avalon concert was over she said, “OK you’re hired, we’ve got a lot of stuff to do!” I was on the road as TM/FOH with Quadron less than a week later, opening for Mayer Hawthorne. It was a dream come true.”

That one gig has led to the next two-plus years of mostly touring work for Jessica, and the woman who originally hired her became a mentor. When she got back from the Quadron tour, Jessica worked as a Project Manager at Biz 3 (a publicity company) for about six months, while running sound at a couple of local LA clubs and doing one-offs working with her mentor.  Jessica applied and got on the call list with a stagehand company, which has led to a variety of different gigs throughout Southern California when she is off the road.

Dr. John

Dr. John

In late 2014, Jessica was offered a gig to be Dr. John’s tour manager during his US/UK Winter 2015 run. In the interim, Jessica accepted the gig of TM for Waka Flocka Flame. These two tours took up most of 2015, minus a six-week stint running monitors and working on the audio crew at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.

After returning from Dr. John’s tour, Jessica knew she wanted to reconnect with the SoundGirls community and signed up for the group’s SSL Live Training at Rat Sound.  She is excited to be volunteering with a growing organization and community that is achieving its mission – to help empower the next generation of women in audio, expanding opportunities for girls and women in the audio and music production fields, and sharing resources and knowledge through cooperation, collaboration, and diversity. Jessica shares, “SoundGirls is truly a haven for women in our field. I feel so fortunate to have found our community. The supportive vibes and being able to relate to each other is huge. It also led to my first paid touring gig out of Los Angeles, which has led to pretty much all the other gigs I’ve had since I left Minneapolis!”

Saint Motel Tour Crew

Saint Motel Tour Crew

As of late, Jessica is continuing her professional adventures in the freelance TM/FOH/MON world, mainly as TM with Phoebe Ryan. She also works on audio crews with a few production companies when home in the Los Angeles area. While her career is a primary focus, Jessica said that this year she’d like to pick up her guitar a bit more, sing a little louder in the car, remember to take five-minute dance parties when needed, and help our SoundGirls.Org community continue to grow and evolve on a global scale.

What do you like best about touring?

Time and space seem to shift, and there’s a lot of magic that happens in that flow.  The key is to not resist it.  Touring reminds me to live in the moment and make ‘em count.  What I like best about touring is that I get to work on my feet, literally and figuratively – tapping into all my life skills, knowledge and intuition to help make some really cool stuff happen in the moment.  I’ve also met some amazing people while working on the road, and I’ve been fortunate to have worked alongside some incredibly talented industry professionals along the way.  As an engineer and musician, for me personally, there are no other jobs that allow for such an exercise of the heart and mind quite like the ones in the touring industry.  There is always something new to learn.

What do you like least?

Being on tour can feel like living in a bubble.  It’s important to stay connected to loved ones while on the road and take time for self-care.  Post-tour depression is a real thing.

What is your favorite day off activity?

TMs don’t really get days off.  I usually enjoy my off days playing catch-up on life and work, finding some healthy food, maybe get a mani/pedi, and taking a walk in some nature if I’m lucky.  Sleep!

What are your long-term goals?

Health, happiness and love 🙂  To keep learning and evolving.  To master the SD5 and do a stadium tour.  To help make a difference every day, no matter how big or small.    

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I’ve definitely felt the challenge of having to prove my worth as an engineer and tour manager – which, being highly competitive fields, felt more like an educational lesson than any kind of obstacle.  Either I was learning or I was teaching someone else.  I dug in, took initiative, asked questions, got up in there with the rest of ‘em, pulled my weight, sweat, smiled, and kept a positive attitude throughout.  Was it easy?  Hell no.  But it has absolutely been worth it.  The uncertainty of a sustainable career in the beginning of my journey was an obstacle of sorts as well, since everyone needs to eat and have a place to sleep at night.  

How have you dealt with them?

I eat obstacles for breakfast.  We wouldn’t be worth our salt as engineers if we didn’t.  Every day on the job we are faced with creative problem-solving situations and asked to find the solution.  Whatever perceived barriers or obstacles I’ve faced, I simply try to not put too much energy into the problem and instead focus on the solution.  In the beginning of my career I worked whatever jobs necessary to survive and kept a low overhead, so that I could work with good people and take advantage of industry opportunities to further my skills.  Perseverance, connecting with my network of supporters, and my belief in myself carried me through the tough days.  Same goes for tour managers.   

Advice you have for other women and young women who wish to enter the field?

Do it!  It’s a life-long adventure.  Prepare to be in it for the long haul.  Be patient with yourself and ask lots of questions.  There are a significant amount of men in the industry who are supportive of women working in the field – don’t let the haters ruin it for all the good ones out there.  Embrace your gifts and talents and everything unique that you bring to the table.  Remember that women scientifically have better hearing than men.  You’ll have to passionately pursue your education, whether formally or in the real world because nobody is just going to hand it over.  Stay hungry.  Keep an open mind and explore all the possibilities.

Must have skills?

Must have skills include: a positive attitude, showing up on time, perseverance, having a solid understanding of signal flow, training your ear to hear different frequencies, time management, ability to take charge when needed, ability to troubleshoot technical issues, and/or find resources, remaining calm under pressure, and being able to maintain a professional demeanor.  I think working in the service industry is the best way to prepare for working in the field, as you learn almost all of these skills but especially how to work with different kinds of people.  Learn how to solder.

Favorite gear?

I’m admittedly not a gearhead, but I do love working on a large-format analog console.  Don’t get me wrong – flying around on a digital console has its own particular merits and brand of swagger.  However, having everything all laid out in front of me has a definite charm and feels like I’m working from a different place in my brain.  My other favorite gear would have to include the SM57 and SM58 microphones – because if you can’t do a show using only these microphones then, well, I don’t even know.  Sometimes that’s all you got to work with.  I love em for their strength and reliability.  An xlr sniffer/sender cable tester will become one of your best friends.  My favorite tour manager gear is my portable printer, hands down.        

 

Living and Learning

Eid Al Fitir was announced last week, marking the end of Ramadan. The opera house is currently dark as we are out of season. This means that the strict rules of no music, no eating, or drinking are more easily adhered to during this holy month. Many expats choose to take their annual leave during this period. However, the Sound and Broadcast department uses this quieter time for maintenance and training. For us, this is pretty exciting!

Post formal education, the training normally received ‘on the job’ in our industry can vary wildly. From workshops with experts at hire companies, to companies selling their equipment to learning a new mix for a show. In my experience, given the nature of our work, we are always very grateful to receive any guidance at all.

Training at the opera house takes two different but intrinsically linked paths. Primarily as expats, we are employed to train Omani colleagues as part of the Omanisation programme. We also have to consider the development of the skills of all team members for an effective show running.

On my arrival last July, under the guidance of our technical director, Ric Green, and head of the sound and broadcast department, Mike Compton, I started developing a skills competency framework. It was imperative at this stage, that we were careful to limit the framework to the most basic skills that we needed our trainees to perform during the season. This would mean that progress could be easily tracked. My previous three years spent in teaching was invaluable in applying solid educational theory to teaching and learning in this new environment.

The development of the framework depends on the whole department’s collaboration. The sound and broadcast department covers two areas, so we chose to have two separate frameworks- one to cover sound and the other to cover broadcast. Because of the nature of our season, we wanted the framework to be trainee-led. After agreeing on the areas that we wanted to cover, we then created four levels of competency. Since we have to presume any trainee arriving at the opera house has no experience of a particular area this is where we started.

Based on Bloom’s taxonomy, three further levels were then developed:

None: No skill in this area

Level 1: Can memorise equipment required or reproduce a basic skill after a demonstration

Level 2: Can interpret instructions or compare suitable skills in order to select the best method to complete a task

Level 3: Can demonstrate skill by applying knowledge

The frameworks have now been in place for 12 months. They have been successful in engaging the trainees, mainly due to the clarity of showing exactly what is required of them. It is easy for us expats to forget that we come from a culture of hundreds of years of western theatre, opera, and ballet. Oman has an incredibly rich heritage of music and performance and with the opening of the opera house, it has just embarked on its engagement with classical western arts. With this in mind, we must remain open-minded to this fusing of cultures.

In a recent department review of the skills competency frameworks, we discussed how we should now move forwards. It was agreed that we shouldn’t ‘add’ increasingly more difficult levels. This is because once basic skills have been mastered, trainees are able to engage in the work and develop at their own pace- much as most trainees in western theatre environments. However, we are leaving a legacy to any future leaders of the department and we are cautious that we should develop a training ethic that can be followed. With this in mind, we will work on an approach that identifies needs and pinpoints specific areas for development.

 

Interview with Producer Sound Engineer Juno Black

Does continuing your education within audio guarantee your success? Of course, not, nothing is guaranteed. Will continuing in higher education give you some type of lead way? I’d like to think so. I was taught audio by my father at a young age. As I grew into this passion, I taught myself and continued to grow with the technology. I learned a lot of lessons through experience, failing, and trying different things.

Nothing is better than experience, that’s part of the reason I choose to attend Media Tech Institute when I relocated to Houston, TX. Media Tech provided an atmosphere not only where I could learn. But I could also apply what I’ve learned up until enrollment and actually get my hands dirty on industry-standard, state-of-the-art gear. Yes, I know many schools offer similar products and experiences, but Media Tech was the best option for me and my buck at the time. The facilities extended the opportunity to work with multiple DAW’s and analog consoles. After taking a tour of the school I knew right then it was the place I wanted to continue persisting in my passion.

Many times we hear the topics of continuing education and being well rounded. I’ve written an article on being a lifelong student myself. Everyone learns differently and at their own pace, which is fine. Because you’ll never know where you’ll end up with that knowledge. No matter what, it will take hard work, having the right knowledge, and utilizing that knowledge. Then you can harness different learning curves to help you climb up the ladder.

Juno Black 2I took some time out to chat with Juno Black. A woman who has been active in music, video, and film since 1996. Juno has expertise in production, engineering, live sound, and more. Juno was born and raised in Colombia and studied and majored in music performance at Universidad Javeriana.

She didn’t stop there. Juno went on to study computer science and then found herself at the Art Institute of New England to pursue music production and engineering. A prime example of gaining proper knowledge to start along a road to a career you desire. She continues to experience different opportunities and has invested in the growth of her own career from the beginning, which leads me right into my first question.

What’s your point of view on higher education within the audio world?   

When I first started there was only a handful of learning programs. Now there are many more options and curriculums, everything is much more, specialized. I feel a structured program can make it easier. It gives you a head start, but it is the experience and practice that is going to get you wherever you want to be.

Do you think the degrees you have earned played a major part in your growth within the industry?

Honesty, I feel the quality of your work and attitude is what creates growth. Having a degree helps in certain fields. But at the end of the day, we are problem solvers and people pay to make issues go away.

How have you managed to keep up with the rapid pace of technology?

It’s challenging. Reading trade magazines, going to conferences, and being a part of organizations like AES and Infocomm are vital.

Your career has been very diverse thus far. How have you built such a strong portfolio within so many different aspects of audio?

I have always been a curious person, I wanted to learn and feel how different aspects of the music industry felt to me. It was hard for me to decide what I was most comfortable doing as a job, so I kept saying yes to projects that presented an opportunity to do something new.

Leading to your current position at Media Tech Institute. – Austin, TX campus. Why did you go into education and what courses are you currently teaching?

I wanted to help people achieve a level of proficiency focusing on what is important. I was running into people in the field that graduated a program and didn’t know basic concepts. I remembered even though I had gone to school the most important lessons I learned in practice. Now I am teaching audio 101 and 401 live sound.

Have you always wanted to teach? What are some pros & cons?

I had been thinking about teaching for a while. It’s really rewarding, but it’s hard to maintain focus with so many career choices in the industry today. I also miss traveling sometimes. It’s funny because part of teaching’s advantages is being steady in one place.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to climb the ladder and reach greater opportunities in audio?

Observe and learn from people that are in the position you want to be in. Pay attention and be present. Learn the science and concepts behind the gear, however, is best for you. Gear is a tool like a hammer. The objective is to nail it. Regardless of what kind of hammer or how it’s built you need to nail it. Network, anticipate problems, take care of all gear, and keep clean organized cable boxes. In that order.

There are a million different ways to obtain the information you need

Sign up for Commercial Integrator Magazine or Live Sound Magazine. Each platform has something unique to offer and each subscription keeps you informed on the latest trends and technology being used in the industry.

Attend trade shows it’s a form of hands-on experience with all the training courses and demos of new gear being offered. Another reason to attend trade shows is the networking opportunities. You get to talk one on one with influencers, recruiters, and representatives from manufactures all over the world, which can lead to endless opportunities for career growth. As an engineer, producer, musician, and more. Juno utilized similar pieces of the puzzle to build her professional success.

Stay up to date on the latest technology. Sometimes it seems like once you learn one digital console the next generation is being released.

Attitude is a key factor that plays into your success, as Juno stated. Many of us have horror stories of working with an engineer or producer that may be difficult to get along with. Being able to work well with others and learning to communicate with one another will be strong assets to have when working on any production team. Word of mouth is just a powerful as social media, if not stronger. You want to have good working relationships not only for future references but for recurring work opportunities. You want your name as wells as your work to carry a good representation.

Juno Black is a woman I’ve followed in the industry. Seeing her work in many ways has inspired me. Being able to ask a few questions and tell a piece of her story has been an honor. We can create our dream job by capitalizing on opportunities, being present in every moment, and having the knowledge along with the experience to back everything up. Let knowledge and experience carry you to wherever you want to be. Having a balance between the two will come over time, follow your passion, and don’t be afraid to try new things. You don’t necessarily have to have a certification or a degree. But you must know how to obtain the knowledge you need to get the job done. You can get in touch with Juno by visiting her website Junoblack.com

Media Tech is a year-long program where you obtain an audio engineering certification. Audio 101 is the first step in the process, it covers the basics of audio and 401/live sound is the last course in the curriculum. With this opportunity, Juno is placed in a very strong position to create change and set every student up for success in the program. When I was enrolled in Media Tech my 101 teacher was my 401 teacher as well. I was able to build a relationship with my instructor. I knew his skill set and his experience which pushed me to ask questions and soak up everything I possibly could. He became more than just an instructor, he became a mentor to me.

Mind the Culture Gap

The classroom fell eerily quiet. There’s a first time for everything. I had just announced to my top set year 7 (11 and 12-year-olds) science group that I was leaving in two weeks’ time to work as a senior sound and broadcast technician at a new opera house in Muscat, Oman. I had a few slides prepared on my PowerPoint presentation to show the geographical location and a few tourist snaps of the desert with camels. A sea of blank faces and open mouths starred at me. After what felt like a lifetime, Alfie piped up with,

‘Oman is the only country in the world to begin with O… Miss’.

In retrospect, I should have been more equipped to answer the barrage of questions to follow,

‘Will you have to wear a burka?’

‘Can women drive a car there?’

‘Will you have to eat goat?’

Much to my amusement, the questions in the staff room were not dissimilar at break time. And so began the start of the most extraordinary chapter of my working career.

Five years ago, The Royal Opera House, Muscat was the first opera house to open in the Middle East. His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said came to power in 1970 and has since transformed the country; building roads, schools and infrastructure. As part of his vision, Sultan Qaboos instructed the building of the opera house and hence the introduction of international arts and culture to the people of Oman.

The opera house essentially runs as a ‘Festival’ with our programming department booking a diverse selection of productions over the season. Last season this included opera from Vienna Opera House, ballet from English National Ballet, the Buena Vista Social Club, Maher Zain and Chinese Dragon Acrobats.

The sound and broadcast department is comprised of ten specialists, recruited internationally, including three Omanis. Between us, we speak six languages. As expats, we are contracted to train our Omani colleagues as part of a national ‘Omanisation’ programme. In day-to-day work, this presents itself as training ‘as we go’. Due to the importance and urgency of Omanisation, I have been lucky enough to be part of developing a skills-based competency framework. Although not strictly part of my job description, I have found immense satisfaction in delivering effective new training methods. Needless to say, this is now starting to be rolled out across other departments.

Having been a teacher I am aware of the sometimes subtle differences between hearing and understanding. Communication is a constant challenge within our team. A task that would be straightforward in a small sound team at home suddenly becomes a logistical (and health and safety) nightmare. Some of the practical ways in which we overcome these difficulties include employing translators, colour coding nearly everything, clear and concise labeling, and a work environment that lends itself to open team discussion. As you can imagine, the technical experience between us is immense and we are always learning new skills and different ways of doing things from each other. Diplomatic solutions are always only ever a conversation away.

It is all too easy to forget the enormity of our jobs here during our hectic season. The careful balance between respecting the Omani culture and delivering iconic opera and ballet from around the world is a constant. For example, in our department, we need to ensure that music is not playing during prayer times and that subtitles are provided in Arabic. Abiding by local customs and traditions is of utmost importance if we are going to have any hope of engaging with our audiences.

Family is an absolute core value here and an Omani will always put them first. For the expats who work here, this can be a hard pill to swallow. Our own cultures are often far from this ideal. Rehearsals can be called off at the last minute if there is even the slightest chance of rain. Many of our Omani colleagues live in villages many kilometres from Muscat and flooding wadis (normally dry river beds) can mean perilous journeys or even areas that are totally cut off for a few days. Situations like this in the West would be unspeakable. I’ve known colleagues in London to sleep in the theatre rather than stop the show during snowstorms! Likewise, if a family member needs assistance, work will be sacrificed.

Despite the searing temperatures and daily challenges of working in this diverse environment, I feel incredibly blessed to have my eyes opened to the reality of life in the Middle East. Western media is a bombardment of negativity towards this part of the world, hence the bizarre array of questions from my students and fellow teachers. Our opera house is a beacon of inspiration.

 

There’s More to Emergencies Than the Plan

In the wake of all the recent and horrible actions occurring in venues across the world, I had someone ask me what I am doing to teach my students how to be prepared for these situations. What am I doing to ensure their safety as well as the safety of the people attending events at venues under my supervision and when I am not there?

I could have told this person that we spend time talking about active shooters, running fire drills, working through emergency medical exercises, and more. This is true, we run these activities and have discussions every year. Each fall I sit with 30 students from age 18-22 to discuss and show them what to do in case this or that happens. However, just discussing and showing them isn’t enough.

We do fire drills, tornado drills, have active shooter discussions, and explain everyone’s roles in these situations, but it’s not enough. Information like this is lost over time without continuous practice.  Although these situations do occur, they are rare enough that the students may never directly experience them.  We must build a foundation of response and continually reinforce it. Yes someone could just follow a checklist and mark things off, but these situations are dynamic and rarely ever the same. Plus in an emergency – who will have time to check off the list?

In addition to the drills, discussions, and information we go through I also spend time trying to develop each person’s sense of self and work through how they might react in such a situation.  I spend time teaching them to ask questions. Ask questions about the procedure I am explaining, and how to work through it if it happens. To develop scenarios where they work through their thought processes on what should be done. I teach them to ask questions of those around them: What is the event? How many people are we expecting? Who is our point person for the night? Do I know everyone that is working? Have they all had the same training as me? Do I remember what I’m supposed to do?  Do I know where my resources are?

Next, I work toward having them become more aware of their surroundings.  Do I see the people who are entering the room? Am I able to walk through the fire lane in the dark without tripping? Do I know what the weather is like outside? Do I know what other events are happening in the building? Have I put down my phone long enough to be aware of something unusual? Am I greeting people as they walk by, so I might remember whom I’ve seen that day? download (13)

Now that they are working towards being more aware and are asking the questions they need to ask of themselves and others are they acting on what they are seeing? Did the clutter get moved from fire lane? Did I notify security of a bag that looks out of place? Have I communicated with venue management to express my concerns about a room that is getting too full?  They need to communicate what they see to help prevent escalating issues.

download (14)Finally, but no less significant they do need to know emergency plans.  They need to know what to do in inclement weather. They need to know who the point person is for every event. They need to have experience so they can think straight and have the necessary tools to keep themselves and others safe.  They need to comprehend the process and potential outcomes for Run, Hide, Fight.

There will be no perfect answer on what should be done in each situation. But we must educate ourselves, know the options, ask questions, be aware of our surroundings, communicate our concerns, and know the emergency plan.

 

Tiffany Hendren – Dedication, Hard Work and Emotion

By: Toni Venditti

Tiffany Hendren was one of those kids that listened to the teacher with one ear and had music playing in the other. Her hair hid the headphones of the CD player shoved into her backpack at her feet (yes, it was the 90’s). There was one CD; Aenima by Tool, that she listened to so many times that the disc stopped working!

Listening to music was (and still is) about feelings for Tiffany. She explains that music to her is like a rollercoaster of emotions elicited by a really great album and her mixes are based on these feelings that she gets to share with the audience.  As a full-time sound engineer, she is involved in making people feel the emotion in the music the way that she does, albeit a little differently. Whether it’s pushing up the fader for a particularly awesome guitar solo or dialing in the perfect vocal effect for a more intimate song, it’s hugely rewarding to watch people experience the music instead of just listening to it, and know that she has had a part to play in that.

When she was at school she was pretty set on being a performer – the kind of performer that made people feel the way she felt when she listened to a song. However, she was well aware that she had no actual talent to speak of, aside from a halfway-decent singing voice, and taking lessons of any sort was out of the question. It was her sophomore English teacher who opened up the world of sound to her by assigning her to do a report on what she wanted to be when she grew up. Tiffany still badly wanted to be involved in the industry, but her perceived lack of talent started her researching the other types of jobs available.

Her other interests were mainly in computing and electronics, so the tech side called out to her pretty loudly. At first, she thought of engineering in a studio, but then she found out that live sound engineers existed.  Growing up in a small rural-ish town, she had never been to a concert or any major experience and had only seen that type of event on TV. It never occurred to her that anything really went on behind the scenes, so to find this out was pretty exciting and the idea that she didn’t have to be on stage to be part of a live show was SO exhilarating. When she started going to concerts regularly, there was nothing more she wanted than to do live sound.

The next ten years took Tiffany in another direction. She joined the military and worked a couple of office jobs because having money was sort of a priority at the time. She also spent a fair amount of time working for a local/regional rock band, organizing the street team and doing merch and some light tour managing when they were on the road. Tiffany’s experience from the office jobs really paid off for this role when it came to paperwork, organization, and time management. At the same time she was taking classes for a degree in Public Relations – her fallback career choice was music industry PR. Looking back, Tiffany is convinced this is something she would have hated, so she is rather pleased she didn’t follow that path.

In late 2008, Tiffany was laid off from her last office job, starting a new direction in her life and leading her back to her first love. She started working in the coffee/merch shop of The Pageant in St. Louis. After a few months, an audio intern position opened up and Tiffany grabbed it with both hands. She spent the next year and a half interning in The Halo Bar, a 150 capacity venue attached to The Pageant, as well as reading and watching everything audio-related she could find.

Working in The Halo Bar involved a lot of what Tiffany refers to as “combat audio”. The gear is decently maintained, but as the gear is older things are more likely to break at the exact worst moment, which gave Tiffany the best experience in troubleshooting. The internship also offered the opportunity to learn skills in a lower-stress environment. When The Pageant’s full-time monitor engineer moved on to a new venue, Tiffany was offered his position. While not being exactly qualified, her boss had faith in her and within a few months, it was relatively smooth sailing.

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The gear at the Pageant is all analog at the moment. They have a Midas XL250 for monitors and a Heritage 1000 and two giant racks of outboard gear at FOH, and they all work!  Tiffany loves the sound of the analog Midas compared to most of the digital desks that are out there, but the venue is aware that it’s not the most convenient for visiting monitor engineers who don’t travel with a console. Eventually, they will go digital, at least in the monitor world, but Tiffany thinks they are secretly waiting for something tragically sad to happen to the XL250 first!

If you ask Tiffany what her favorite desk, PA, piece of outboard gear, etc. is, she will quickly tell you that it’s whatever is available and working properly! When touring with A Silent Film, it’s desk du jour. Some of her favorite shows have been mixed on an M32 from an iPad. Getting back to the feelings that music produces, Tiffany really enjoys mixing from the crowd instead of FOH – calling it unconventional but she personally enjoys the show a lot more and likes to hear exactly what the fans are hearing. Plus, the bar seems to be exactly where the FOH should be in a lot of smaller venues, and she thinks it’s nice to not be stuck under a stairwell or against a wall at the back of the room.  Tiffany tells us that it definitely helps that the iPad app for the M32 is surprisingly well done. If she had an endless budget, however, she would definitely prefer the DiGiCo and Midas Pro series desks.

The Pageant is currently in the process of deciding on consoles and PA for their new sister venue, the 800 capacity Delmar Hall. Tiffany will be the FOH engineer when it opens. She’s also continually learning and this year is taking a few classes that she is excited about – SMAART training and a stage electrics class.

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Live Sound Camp for Girls 2015

Mentors played a huge part in Tiffany’s learning. The Pageant’s FOH and monitor engineers, Randy Noldge and Adrian Silverstein, really took her under their wing when she first started learning sound. Tiffany says she wouldn’t be where is today without their patience and willingness to teach. Also, Tiffany looks up to and really admires Soundgirls.Org co-founder – Karrie Keyes saying “she’s one of the most driven and productive people I’ve ever met. I have absolutely no idea how she gets so much work done every day”.  Tiffany says Karrie is a living embodiment of the DIY mindset – Karrie will say – “Don’t know how? Figure it out and then go do it.” Plus, Tiffany declares Karrie is an excellent teacher, and Tiffany really enjoys being involved in the live sound camps with Karrie.

Tiffany has experienced some discrimination working in a lot of male-dominated workplaces and industries, saying “you can always run into the odd sexist remark or behavior no matter where you go, but I’ve been mostly lucky with my jobs”. Tiffany would like to stress here that the majority of people that she has worked within this industry are awesome and treat her like a human being, however, she finds that most of the bad experiences are confined to other crew members. She has run into a person or two that “just doesn’t work with women”. One memory that remains is where one crew member even tried to have her sent home and she has definitely had a few people get a little too touchy-feely. One guy in a town wouldn’t let her mix the band who had hired her – he wouldn’t even speak to her! On tour, it takes longer than expected for some house engineers to warm up. Tiffany’s solution is to just get the job done, saying that once they see her pushing cases and setting up drums, they’re suddenly much friendlier.

Tiffany has actually lost tour work by being a woman, with excuses like “We’re just a bunch of guys, you wouldn’t fit in with us,” and “The band’s wives wouldn’t be comfortable with a woman on the bus”!!! On top of that, some guys have the idea that women are mainly interested in working in the music industry so they can date guys in bands.

The idea that being a woman is a setback is not only confined to the music industry, though. Women have to work harder and be better at their jobs, flawless even, to get the same recognition and reputation, and for less money.  The band Tiffany is working with at the moment were shocked that this attitude exists, as it had never entered their minds that working with a woman would be any different than working with a man.

Sometimes she will have a show to do that has previously had women working for them and will hear comments like, “Oh, the monitor engineer is a girl, we’re gonna have a good night!” At this point, Tiffany has just introduced herself and hasn’t lifted a finger but somehow, everything is going to be awesome. It makes her happy to think they have encountered other women out there that are awesome and kicking ass, making her job easier.

Tiffany’s message to young girls coming into the industry is “take physics, math, and music classes. Don’t put up with any nonsense and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t”. She recalls reading an article posted by SoundGirls about how men are more willing to take a position they’re not fully qualified for and figure it out as they go, and women feel like they have to know the skills 110% before they even think about applying.  This really made her examine how she’d been approaching her career, as she had always felt that she was being judged extra hard because she was female. Whether that’s true or not, she felt she had to be perfect all the time with no mistakes, ever. That meant that she didn’t take a lot of chances on things she wasn’t sure about – her mantra being  – If you don’t know every little thing about how that piece of outboard gear works you had better not touch it until you do hours of research!

Tiffany says that when she started, there were no women around her on a regular basis until she discovered SoundGirls.Org, and she could count the number of female sound techs she’d met in the previous five years on less than two hands. Also, she had never seen a woman behind the board at any show she had attended. She states now that if she’d had a group of like-minded women as mentors, she would have been so much more comfortable asking questions, experimenting more, and generally taking more chances.unnamed (6)

Tiffany is currently the monitor engineer at The Pageant in St. Louis and tours with the band “A Silent Film” doing FOH. She has been involved in sound professionally for around seven years, full-time about five. Tiffany became the co-director of SoundGirls.Org in August 2015. She also co-produces an annual invitational motorcycle showcase in St. Louis, MO – Cycle Showcase STL. When she gets some time – her other hobbies include crocheting scarves that never get finished, cross-stitching bad words onto things, learning to actually ride her motorcycle, and finally taking guitar lessons.

On the Road with Jenny Douglas

 

Jenny Douglas grew up in the small town of Ozark, Missouri. She developed a passion for music by going to local shows with her older sister, who sold merch for bands. When it came time to attend college, she chose to study studio sound (more…)

Creating an Effective Soundcheck

 

 

I am constantly teaching new students how to soundcheck. Sometimes I even need to teach the band how to work through a soundcheck. A good sound check can make for a very successful event.  Over time, I have developed helpful tips to make a soundcheck successful. The tips include communication, technical skill, knowledge of the performing group, and being aware of some common mistakes in the process so you don’t make them.

Communication – A key component of soundchecking

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Communication is a key component of sound checking and starts long before the true technical soundcheck occurs. This starts immediately as the group walks in the doors by introducing yourself and getting to know them. Simple small talk and introductions can go a long way.  At this point you are providing your first impression to the group, make it a good one.

Be organized, have the stage clean and ready for the event.  Also, set up devices that will help you navigate the impending soundcheck. Include your FOH mic; have it pre-sent through the monitors so you can address the group. Label your board, know the stage plot, and help the group make any changes to the setup so you know where the mics get moved.

As you get into the actual soundcheck, address them by their names. Tell them your process and how they can help you. For example, if you take the hand-raising approach to set monitors then communicate that to the group. Provide them some training on your process to have soundcheck go smoother and so they can get what they need.

Technical Skill – Know your equipment and its limitations

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Technical skill is obviously a large aspect of soundchecking, but sometimes the lack of skill is what makes it so difficult.  Before you initiate your soundcheck, here are a few tips to help make you more successful.  First, get comfortable and know your board. Before you are at the soundcheck point spend time getting lost in the board and working your way out. Be familiar with everything that can be done and find the best way for you to navigate through all of the options.

Once the show comes, finalize your patching and line check beforehand if you can. Know your monitor placement and the people by them.  Label your board! Go above and beyond by adding the names of performers under the input labels so you can address each member by name during your soundcheck.

Know your room and how the sound reacts in the space. Adjust accordingly to create the best sound. Work with the group to get amps pointed in proper directions, or let them know where their wireless mic will drop out, or even let them know if they stand right there they will be blinded by that one light.  Finally, use your FOH mic. Don’t scream back and forth or just wait for the band to do what they are going to do. Direct them to do what you need them to do to be able to create your best mix for the night.  

Knowledge – Know who you are working with

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Help yourself create a better mix and be prepared for the performance by getting to know the group you are about to work with before they arrive.  Be able to answer questions like; how many people are in the performance group?  What genre of music are they playing?  What is their performance style? Are they a national act or are they just getting started in their career? Do they have any special tech needs, like a particular instrument you’ve never worked with before? For me this would be something like a group touring with a pump organ. I had to do some research to learn about the best micing techniques for that instrument.

If you can, spend time getting to know the group you are going to work with before you even meet them. Listen to their performances from their website. Get a feel for their style/genera so you can assist with their sound choices.  See the venues they are playing before and after this stop. Are they playing similar venues or is yours a bit different? Acknowledge the difference with the group so there aren’t many surprises.  Gather some information so you can be best prepared for your event to come.

Common mistakes – Things that could make your soundcheck more difficult

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There are many things that could run off course or go wrong in a night, but there are a few common mistakes that can throw a soundcheck off course that can create a stressful event. Avoiding these mistakes can help you stay on track and in control of your soundcheck to produce the best show possible.

First, don’t lose your communication. Let the performers know what you are doing-especially if you need to troubleshoot something.  Don’t leave them hanging in a state of wonder and awe of what the heck is the soundperson doing and asking, “Can we finish the soundcheck yet?” Tell them what is going on.

Second, remain in control. Move the group forward as you can to get each part of their show set. Tell them you are working on monitors and continue to communicate how it will work best for you to achieve their needs.  Use your FOH mic.

Third, stay organized and keep things labeled as they change. Keep track of inputs that are set and move onto the next. Consider your EQ process; copy and paste what you can to speed the process up a bit.

Fourth, don’t forget about the big picture. Soundcheck to the volume of the venue, plan ahead for what the show needs to be for the night, and prepare for that. Don’t get yourself stuck in a feedback mess or with monitor volume issues because you set everything according to the empty room. Also, don’t forget that louder does not always equal better. Try to produce a clean mix for the awesome sound; don’t blow the audience away because it’s too loud.

 

 

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