By Malle Kaas
So here’s what happened: I was doing FOH on a small three-day festival, covering the last day for a friend. Since none of the bands that day brought their own engineers, I mixed all the bands, and I thought things were going very well. (more…)
Independent monitor engineer Becky Pell has been working in live sound for the past 25 years. Currently, on a world tour with Westlife, her mixing credits include Aha, Anastacia, The War of the Worlds, Muse, Take That, Il Divo, Kylie Minogue, Bill Wyman, James Brown, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Brightman, and Natalie Imbruglia, as well as being house monitor engineer for several years on the main stage at the world’s largest festival, Glastonbury. She started out as an apprentice at London PA company RG Jones, where she worked for five years and mixed events such as The Queen Mother’s 100th birthday banquet, and investiture ceremonies at Buckingham Palace for Her Majesty the Queen, before going freelance. In her early freelance years, Becky was monitor and RF tech on tours including Kylie Minogue, Travis, and Black Crowes.
Becky went to her first concert at age 12 and found herself sitting behind the FOH guy. She was spellbound, “I didn’t know whether to watch the band or him! It suddenly dawned on me that there was a whole industry behind this music that I loved, and it looked WAY better than a ‘proper job. From that moment on, all I wanted to do was be a sound engineer. 18 years later, in a rather lovely ‘full-circle twist, I wound up doing monitors for that very same band for five years.”
Becky has worked for an impressive roster of A-level artists, but getting to the top of her profession didn’t happen overnight or without a lot of hard work. “I didn’t have a clue how to get a foot in the door and knew no one, but I found a college course in studio engineering and figured that was a start. After I graduated, I got hold of a copy of the industry bible at the time, The White Book (this was pre-internet), and wrote to pretty much anyone who I thought might be relevant, to very little avail. I did a little work making tea and cleaning tape-heads at a couple of studios, but it was live sound that I wanted to get into. I got an unpaid ‘dogsbody’ position at Glastonbury festival in 1995, which fueled the fire to succeed even more.”
After she saw an ad, ‘sound engineer wanted,’ for London PA company RG Jones in The Stage magazine, Becky took a chance and applied, knowing full well she was under-qualified for the position. “Simon Honywill and John Carroll, to their immense credit, decided to give me a chance – female engineers were pretty much unheard of back then – and invited me to London for an interview (I was still living in the north of England at the time). They said that whilst I certainly was under-qualified, they were looking for an apprentice, and was I interested? Obviously, I pretty much bit their hands off at the chance! I moved my life to London and started work five days later.” Becky also credits Bruce Springsteen’s engineer, Fred ‘Gumby’ Jackson, who she worked with at the RG Jones, as one of her mentors.
While working for RG Jones, Becky “cleaned a lot of cables, loaded a lot of trucks, and bit by bit was allowed to start getting my hands on the gear. It was a fantastic grounding, and I highly recommend that route to anyone wanting to really learn their chops. I stayed there for five years, and then, having learned a lot and gotten to know a lot of people in the business, went freelance.” Her first tour was as Monitor Tech with the Black Crowes.
Becky loves traveling the world and “the camaraderie of a crew of great people who are top-notch at their job but can also have a laugh with it. And working with my first love music.” “I did a theatre tour last year that was a lot smaller than most I’ve done in the past – band and crew were all on one bus, the whole production on one truck, and it was some of the best fun I’ve had in a long time! Naturally, I get a huge buzz from stadium shows, but for this tour, we had such a great team that it really was like a family, all for one and one for all. The people are, ultimately, what makes or breaks a tour.” Still, as most touring folks do, Becky finds it tough being away from loved ones for extended periods. Also, being freelance makes it impossible to commit to personal arrangements far in advance.
Favorite day off activities while on tour include checking out the local area. “I get a map from reception, so I can find my way back, and just take off in whatever direction appeals to me. European old towns are a particular favorite for exploring. Then I’ll go back to the hotel for a few hours in the afternoon and do some yoga, before gathering a few fellow roadies for a delicious dinner – I love trying local specialties.”
Touring is a pretty rough and ready environment, so as a younger woman on the road you have to learn not to be over-sensitive about the inevitable silly comments – just learn to give as good as you get, because it’s often a test to see how you’ll respond, and not meant with any malice. I found that by mucking in and working hard, being good-humored and friendly, I was quickly accepted into the fold.
Like anything worth having, it’s hard work, but it’s SO worth it!
Be prepared for long days and getting your hands dirty, and don’t be surprised if it’s years before you actually start mixing bands. Good things take time.
If you don’t understand something, ask. Most people are happy to share their advice and experience.
Learn to give as you as you get with the banter – most of it is not meant to offend. You may encounter a few sexist attitudes, but we don’t let people like that get in our way, we just prove them wrong! Don’t have a chip on your shoulder about being female – just get on with your job, don’t make a big deal of it, and other people will follow suit. Remember: we teach people how to treat us.
Dress appropriately, but you don’t have to become a pseudo-guy. It’s ok to be a woman. Better than ok!
Above all, have fun with it – it’s one of the most exciting, adventurous, and satisfying ways of life you could ever have. You get to travel the world, meet wonderful people, and work with music – for my money; it doesn’t get much better than that!
Along with being a Monitor Engineer, Becky Pell teaches yoga and meditation to many of the bands and crew she works with. She has found that there are many parallels between the two jobs. Check out her recent blog on the topic: Same fit different way- why my two jobs are one and the same.
“In both roles, I’m creating a comfortable environment for the people I’m working with, whether that’s an audio environment or comfort within their body and mind. Trust is key in both roles – the artist or student is placing their confidence in me, so it’s all about them feeling safe. Good communication is vital for both – interpreting what someone really means when they struggle to articulate what they feel or hear. And setting up strong foundations applies strongly for both as well – whether that’s physical alignment or good gain structure! On a personal level, I find that my yoga and meditation practice really helps me to stay calm and grounded in any situation, which is a great tool to have during gigs.”
Touring life is hard on the body. Yoga and meditation help Becky stay fit on the road. “I find an empty dressing room when I get off the bus and do an hour before I shower and load in. If we’re traveling with caterers, as is the norm in Europe, then it’s usually pretty easy to eat healthily. When it’s local catering, which can be hit and miss, I head to Whole Foods on a day off and get a stash of healthy food for the bus, and that way I’m covered if catering is a deep-fried disaster. It’s also a good tactic for avoiding the siren call of late-night pizza! I do like a beer or a glass of wine after the work is done, but I try not to drink on consecutive days, and I keep it to a couple of drinks when I do. “ Becky’s guide for getting healthier on the road.
More on Becky:
Female Frequency is a musical collective dedicated to empowering women and girls in the music industry through the creation of media that is entirely female generated. Female Frequency started when singer/songwriter Dani Mari wished to work with a female producer for her next album. Dani soon realized that female producers and female owned recording studios were rare and hard to find. Dani eventually reached out to Women in Music, a professional organization dedicated to supporting, cultivating, and recognizing the talents of women in all areas of the music industry to find a female producer. Through WIM, Dani was introduced to I Am Snow Angel. Working together I Am Snow Angel and Dani came up with the idea of producing an all female recording project. Every aspect of the recording project will be female produced. I Am Snow Angel suggested Claire London as another female to collaborate with and Female Frequency was born.
FF is currently raising money to record a five-song EP, with the long-term goal of supporting other females in additional collaborative projects in the future. FF will donate a percentage of funds raised to Women’s Audio Mission, a non-profit organization that teaches music technology to women and girls. In addition, FF is a current finalist in the Ovation TV/Rockethub “Creative Studio” initiative. If selected as a winning project, FF will be awarded an additional $5,000, which will be used to fund FF women’s workshops and classes on various topics, including audio production, beatmaking, singing, songwriting, and music marketing.
Women in music – and particularly in electronic music – have often honed their craft in the shadows of their male counterparts, who account for the vast majority of sound engineers, producers and electronic musicians. FF intends to challenge the status quo by giving women the opportunity to carry out every aspect of the music-making process, including but not limited to writing, instrumentation, arrangement, singing, audio production and the creation of accompanying visual media. FF aspires to boost morale and confidence, provide fruitful collaborative opportunities and, ultimately, increase female representation across all sectors of the music industry.
Female Frequency is hosting their Launch party
October 7th – 7pm-10pm – FREE EVENT
Featuring music by Pozibelle of Women Beatmakers Meetup
Limited availability reserve your FREE ticket
I recently met up with fellow SoundGirl Member Ameeta ,who’s in her last semester of college and looking to move to Los Angeles after to pursue sound design. She asked a lot of great questions about how to get a jumpstart on her career while in school, so I wanted to share some of what we talked about. (more…)
SoundGirls.Org Members
December 8 – 11, 2015
9:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Rat Sound Systems Inc.
Camarillo, CA
I first started working on plays about ten years ago at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank. The first show I worked on that made an impression on me was Pillars of the Community, Sound Designer Ian Dickinson. The preshow soundscape was set in a dockyard, and it sounded good. (I have done a lot of dockyards since and they are always based on it) I remember thinking how realistic it sounded, and it opened up to me how much fun that side of Sound Design could be. (more…)
Hey Everyone! My name is Heather ‘Stitch’ Holm and I thought I would start my first blog telling you a little bit about what I do and myself. I am in my late 20’s (first time I’ve had to admit the late part of my 20’s… yuck). I graduated with a minor in Photography, a bachelor’s in Broadcast and Digital Media Communication, and just last year a master’s in Organizational Change Leadership. I have spent more of my life in school than I have in my career, however, as a young professional with a dynamic job I believe I have some good stories to tell and advice to offer all while I continue to develop and learn my craft. (more…)
SoundGirls.Org Member Matt Stearns is offering members the opportunity to intern with him. This internship is based on show schedule and is not based on a set day, week or time frame. You will be expected to follow through on this internship and treat it like a job. If you are only mildly interested please do not apply. You can view the event schedule here.All interested candidates should send a brief cover letter stating why and what you hope to get out of the internship and your long term goals. Please include a resume. email to soundgirls@soundgirls.org
The shows you will assist on will vary, but offer many different types of learning experience. Some shows will support up to 40 inputs, 8 monitor mixes (either from FOH or building and staffing a Monitor World), changeovers between bands. These shows will offer a rich learning opportunity – hands on kind of learning in the trenches, in the moment. Other shows will consist of presentations, panel discussions, or true sound reinforcement in the context of a greater acoustic performance group (featured instruments within an orchestra or wind ensemble), or merely playback of pre-recorded program (such as a dance performance). These shows will allow Matt to spend time answering questions about deeper topics, but the work on those days is not glamorous or even very interesting.
Matt cares about doing the very best for each and every show. There are always things to learn, such as micing techniques, how to match and blend the acoustic and reinforced sound, and the all important psychology of dealing with people (no matter what the show).
About Matt: Matt began mixing audio for live performances professionally in 1988. He is a long time veteran of festivals and concert series such as Sasquatch, Bumbershoot, Zootunes, Marymoor, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, and Wintergrass. He mixes in a variety of prestigious theaters and concert halls in the Seattle area, and sometimes tours as available. He has been the Sound Engineer at Meany Hall since 2001. He is happily married, a proud father to one 17-year-old, and has two dogs that enjoy motorcycle adventures.
SoundGirls.Org Member Samantha Potter is offering members the opportunity to intern with her. This internship is based on show schedule and is not based on a set day, week or time frame. You will be expected to follow through on this internship and treat it like a job. If you are only mildly interested please do not apply. Samantha works a wide variety of shows throughout Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, MO
All interested candidates should send a brief cover letter stating why and what you hope to get out of the internship and your long term goals. Please include a resume. send to soundgirls@soundgirls.org
Please be advised that some shows are 21 and over.