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Reasons to Get a Mentor

And why now is the time to do it

On behalf of SoundGirls, I have been working with Noelle Scaggs from Fitz and the tantrums on her initiative called Diversify The Stage. It aims to bring more people of color, women, and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals into the concert industry through a series of masterclass sessions, mentorships, and internship programs. The middle stage involved placing the students with mentors so I thought I would share some thoughts on having a mentor.

Why do you need a mentor?

So you’re looking to get into the industry but you don’t know where to start, or maybe you have questions about the job(s). These days you can find out a lot of information online for yourself, however, this definitely does not replace having a mentor.

You can type a question into Google such as “how to re-string a guitar” and you will get hundreds of YouTube videos and websites telling you how to do it. You’ll probably become overwhelmed and have more questions than when you started. However, with a mentor, you can have a conversation and ask follow-up questions to your initial question. There is never just one question! There is also never just one answer, but isn’t it best to get an answer from a person who is actually doing the thing you want to do?

How I found my mentor

I wasn’t looking for a mentor, and I have never even said the word mentor to my mentor! He probably doesn’t even realise the role he’s in. The mentor/mentee relationship doesn’t need to be something super specific, you don’t need to have set times to meet each week or month. It’s about having someone you can turn to when you have questions, fears, doubts. Someone who can share your excitement, and hopefully someone who can help you progress in your chosen field.

So how did I find my mentor? I was fortunate enough to get a job in a rehearsal studio in London and during the introductions, I was told one of the staff was a guitar tech for bands on tour. I was immediately in awe as that was exactly what I wanted to do! Luckily for me, we had a lot of common interests (90’s music, fast cars, guitars) so we become good friends. I shared with him that I wanted to do what he did and asked if he could show me some things like re-stringing a guitar “properly” (how a tech would do it), testing amps, building a drum kit, etc. He was so kind to oblige and he even recommended me for my first proper “full time as a freelancer” tour.

It didn’t stop there, I leant on him a lot in that first year because I didn’t know if other tours would come in, I was out there in the freelancer world on my own. He reassured me that there would be more work and to just enjoy the downtime. Sure enough, more work came and I didn’t look back. Years into my career I would still be asking his advice, and still do now. Just last week I was asking him about a Hammond organ! He is a fountain of knowledge to me and this is what drives me to want to give back to those starting out now. We all know more than someone else out there, and there are people who would benefit from that knowledge.

Now is the time to find a mentor

Of course, most touring people are off tour right now. Many have had to turn to other jobs or they are just waiting for the big re-open. Now is the perfect time to reach out to some people you admire in your chosen field. If they’re worth their salt, they won’t mind you reaching out. They’ve been in the place you are, and most would be happy to help. I’m sure it will make them happy to feel like they are contributing something in the touring world right now. Do some research on who does the job you’re looking to do and send them a polite message. You never know, you may end up working with them or in place of them one day.

You can find out more about Diversify The Stage

 

 

 

Mentoring and Receiving Mentorship

 

I wanted to add to the great articles this month about mentoring Karrie’s blog Paying it Forward and Kirsty’s blog How to Be an Effective Mentor Part 1.

When we talk about having a mentor (or mentee), it sometimes sounds like a story right out of Star Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a mentor who had many apprentices, like Luke and Anakin Skywalker. (more…)

SoulSound Offers Work Experience Opportunity

Work Experience Offered by SoulSound – U.K. – SG Members get a free trial subscription to SoulSound – Check our Members Benefits Page for Details.

Smugglers Festival -2-7 September

The delightful Smugglers Festival have been kind enough to offer two Soulsound Members work experience opportunities across the above dates, working alongside myself and the rest of the audio crew. We have a tasty Funktion-One PA for the main stage

Smuggler’s is a small folk festival, in the most delightful location outside Deal in Kent. You would be shadowing/assisting the sound engineers and generally being helpful around the stages.

The accommodation is bring-you-own camping, and you would need to be on site for the full time – set-up day on the 2nd, and leaving on the 7th after all stages have been struck and trucks loaded.

Please be aware that this is a voluntary, unpaid opportunity.

The opportunity would suit you if you:
are a Monthly or Annual Soulsound Member
know one end of an XLR from the other
are looking for an opportunity to see what sound engineering looks like outside of the classroom
know to check that the channel is muted before unplugging a condenser mic
are serious about getting a career in sound
are over 18 years old
can either drive yourself there or get a train to Deal from where I can pick you up
are willing and able to do as you are asked
you aren’t afraid of hard graft and a long several days
have (and will wear) your own steel toes

What you will get:
the chance to shadow and assist on one or more of the following – monitors, FOH, patch, stage managing, system teching, looking after the second stage
a fabulous few days in the stunning countryside and beautiful woods in which we will be camping
the chance to network with (and impress) working engineers, learn from them and get your face known
some top class folk acts
the chance to see how a small three-day festival is put together

There will be a selection process, so please email Darryn at SoulSound with the following:
a couple of paragraphs about yourself, what your interest and experience is
your CV if you have one – no worries if you don’t, I’m more interested in your character than experience if we are to work together for six days

SoundGirls.Org at Los Angeles Girls Rock Camp

FullSizeRender (1)A big thanks to Kevin Kent for mentoring SoundGirls.Org members. Kevin provided an amazing opportunity for our members, letting them come help set up and run sound for the Los Angeles Girls Rock Camp.

Getting hands-on experience working live events is difficult when you are starting a career in live sound, and Kevin provided a great learning experience for our members. A Big Thanks! It was awesome to see the women and girls of Rock Camp perform and our members running the sound.IMG_6794

If you are in a position to offer internships or mentoring opportunities for our members – please contact us at soundgirls.org@gmail.com

 


IMG_6797Meet Kevin Kent – High Desert Productions

Kevin runs High Desert Productions, and his goal is to assist people in creating and executing live music events that are memorable, successful and fun. High Desert Productions offers Stage, Sound, and Lighting systems designed and built to make production logistics economical and hassle-free. Offering complete stage, sound, and lighting packages tailored to your event.

Kevin donated his services to the Los Angeles Girls Rock Camp and invited our SoundGirls.Org members to work.   Members got hands on experience on a Behringer X32 Digital Mixer and Yamaha A12m Monitors and got to set up the Mackie HDA Sound System.  Kevin has put together a great event package and a price that won’t break the bank and is an all around awesome human. I would highly recommend High Desert Productions for non-profit, church, school, and fundraising events.  Take a look at some of the event packages High Desert Productions offers.


Highlights of the Day

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Volunteer at Girls Rock Camp

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SoundGirls.Org has been invited by Kevin Kent of High-Desert-Music and Beckie Gebhardt and Mona Tavakoli of Ladies Rock Camp and Rock Camp for Girls LA to run sound for their performance day.  The event is scheduled to take place May 24, 2015.

The main objective of Girls Rock Camp LA is the empowerment of women through music. Kevin and his partner Gordon absolutely love working with Rock Camp LA and are usually the only guys on site during the camp. Since women are involved in all facets of production for live music events, Kevin thought it would be a great opportunity for the campers to see some awesome SoungGirls in action.

High Desert Music will be providing a  24′ x 16′ covered stage with a small lighting set-up and their Mackie Line Array. Kevin would like volunteers to assist with set-up, strike, and, of course, have SoundGirls completely run FOH and mix monitors for the bands. The date is May 24th – with load in starting at 11 am and bands around 6- 8 pm. Load out will start  around 9 pm. (Los Angeles)

This would be a great experience for our members that need hands-on mixing experience and at the same will be a positive role model for young girls and women.

Please contact Karrie at soundgirls.org@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering for this event.

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More about Girls Rock Camp

Why just girls?

There are many music summer camps and programs available to both boys and girls. We think that’s awesome, and we choose to offer something different. A girl-only environment helps us accomplish our goals of providing female role models for girls, encouraging teamwork among girls, and breaking down gender stereotypes.

At rock camp, everyone is expected to be themselves and express their gender however they want to. No one is expected to fit into a gender stereotype. We value diversity and free expression. The camp week is a unique and transformative experience, meant to take participants out of their everyday norm.

Can men volunteer?

It is our mission to provide girls with as many radically awesome female role models as possible. We prefer placing women in volunteer positions that involve direct instruction, mentorship, and leadership. Some volunteer positions are open to any gender, and we encourage men to apply for those positions. We appreciate all of our amazing volunteers!

Do the girls have to like rock n’ roll music to participate in this camp?

No. The term “rock n’ roll” is meant as an ethos, not literal musical style. Girls who come to camp, as well as our instructors, are into all genres of music. We expose girls to a variety of styles, and we encourage them to be creative.

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