Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

SoundGirls Sound System Optimization Workshop Denmark

20160921_114621In September, SoundGirls.Org hosted a workshop on Sound System Optimization that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop was organized by SoundGirls Representatives Malle Kaas and Petra Randewijk and featured instructors Theis Romme and Rasmus Rosenberg. The workshop was held at Amager Bio and made use of their L’Acoustics Kudo System.

The two day workshop focused on the skills needed to properly tune a sound system using audio acoustical analysis software. Attendees were provided information on how to identify crossover points, optimal equalization, delay times and speaker placement.

20161122_131720Both instructors are industry veterans and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the workshop. Theis Romme is a project manager at Victory Tour Production and System Engineer for ‘Volbeat’. Rasmus Rosenberg is a freelance engineer and an instructor at several institutes in System Design and Optimization, he is also a Super-User of Smaart and a Beta tester for Smaart v7 and v8.

Using analyzing methods to optimize a sound system isn’t a new idea. It started out in 1978 with engineers ‘Dr Don’ Pearson and Dan Healy, that toured with the Grateful Dead. They would utilize a Bruel & Kjaer 2032 Audio analyzer to optimize the PA of the day.They were posting their results in different articles and this led to a cooperation with companies like Meyer Sound and Rational Acoustics, who would go on to develop measuring methods that would later result in software applications like SIM3 and Smaart.

Rasmus hoped that the workshop would be driven by those attending, he was not let down. Stating that “The participants were well prepared and attentive. We hoped the class would be driven by the participants, their questions, curiosity and desire for new knowledge, and we got all what we hoped for”.  Theis and Rasmus designed the workshop and drew from several sources. Meyer Sound, Rational Acoustics, industry training sessions, power point presentations, and the unique drive rack they designed, built and use for system optimization.

This gave the participants a understanding of the workflow of a system tech, and the measurement platforms, role and function in that context. Rasmus says that “ by reviewing a “typical” day workflow and focused on the four different phases we divide a day into, Design, Verification, Optimization, Show. By showing, the workflow, context and results of our methods, we encouraged the participants to dig even deeper into the specific knowledge of the different subjects and techniques, that we touched on”.

20160920_163057The first day, Rasmus explained the theoretical side of system measurement by introducing the group to basic terms of Smaart. Smaart was chosen, as it is the most commonly used acoustical audio analysis software. With software like Smaart it is possible to find information on room acoustics, output of the speaker system, phase, SPL, room coverage, delay times and frequency response, all useful information to optimize a sound system. ‘Theis did recommend using Smaart for monitors as well.

It is one thing to understand the theoretical aspects of audio analysis software programs, but an entirely different thing to translate that into practical use. So on day two, Theis took the group through the practical side of working with a measurement program, how to optimize a system, showed on- and off-axis measurement positions, phase alignment,etc. He also gave the group some options for system design and sets of workflow.

Theis also took ran through a couple of practical exercises, where attendees could change position of speakers or adjust spl levels of the subs, so they could get a sense of the impact such changes have positively or negatively. Theis also imparted an important lesson -Often you will have to make compromises and make difficult decisions that may sacrifice audio and acoustical quality, but this is part of being a team player in the overall production. Knowing how to optimize less than positive conditions is a skill all engineers need to have.

While the experience level of everyone attending varied, Rasmus and Theis adapted information to everyone’s level. Both Rasmus and They did a fantastic and left those attending with more than enough information to continuing learning.The most important thing they imparted to the group was confidence to start working with a measurement program and to keep learning.

20160920_204912This might have been the first time so many women engineers from all over Europe were gathered in one place. We hosted a total of thirteen SoundGirls from six different countries and one SoundMan. Over the two days everyone dug into learning the complexities of tuning a system and Smaart. They also made new friendships across nationality and background. Everyone shared their experiences from their work back home.

We had members attending from Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Denmark, the Netherlands and England. While all that attended came to learn and grow as engineers – they all said that finding and meeting other women engineers was a driving factor. “To find out if I am all alone or if I have some fellow female techs” said Kristina a member attending from Norway.

When attendees were asked if they would use the information in the workplace the responses were a resounding yes. Terhi from Finland said “ time aligning a delay line has never been as easy as it was yesterday on my gig at a church”. Kristina from Norway had used it solve some low end issues, and Louise also from Norway was purchasing a new soundcard and giving measuring another go. Aiste from Lithuania says “ I work in a theater so first I will use it at my venue, and also as we are travel around with the shows I can measure the systems in all different venues. Gaining experience myself and making sure that the sound I get, coming to an unknown venue is matching the settings I am working in as much as possible”.

When asked if they would travel to attend another seminar Brigit from Denmark said “ I would definitely travel a long distance to attend a Soundgirl workshop again!” and Kristina from Norway said “Yes!Now even more willing! Both for the seminar and to hang out with the other techs”.

A big thank you to Theis Romme, Rasmus Rosenberg, Kim Kahn Technical chief at Amager Bio and Mikkel Alyd House tech at Amager Bio for doing a great job! And a big thanks to all the SoundGirls that attended.

If you couldn’t make this workshop we have asked Theis and Rasmus if they will teach this workshop again in September 2017.  Always check the website for up to date news and events. 2017 events are in the planning stages and will be posted as they are confirmed.

Military Music

On 18th of November, Oman celebrates ‘National Day’. Every year Omanis celebrate with great pride the independence from the Portuguese in 1650. The 19th of November is also the day that His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said’s birthday is celebrated.

Given the importance of November, the Royal Opera House celebrates accordingly. This time we move to the ‘Maidan’. This area in front of the Opera House is the perfect setting for outdoor concerts and events. The Military event involves members of all of the military forces and the police. It can be compared to the Edinburgh Tattoo in format. It is a hugely popular event and is free to attend.

The line-up for this year included performances by The Republic of Korea army and The Central Orchestra of Georgia Armed forces and National Folkdance Ensemble.

As a department we make use of our extensive in house stock. Bruno Silva our assistant head of department is in charge of designing the system and opted to hire a Digico SD7 for the FOH position and a SD10 for the monitors/ broadcast position. Our M’elodie line array from the main house is de rigged and re rigged onto truss also hired from a local company. 8 Meyer 500-HP subs, a single UPQ (used as a side fill for bleacher style seating) and 2 UPJ’s for a VIP seating area were also used.

The load in time was carefully scheduled from 4pm to midnight for 4 nights so as to keep out of the sun and searing heat of the Middle East. Despite being November, temperatures can still reach the mid thirties (degrees celsius) at midday. We often forget it is so warm outside when we are in the lovely air conditioned auditorium!

 

Soundcheck and dress rehearsals were scheduled over two days in order to ensure that work did not take place during the hottest period of the day. The first day comprised all ‘local’ acts. This included marching bands and displays from the Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force as well as the Royal Omani Police. On the second day, we welcomed the Korean ensemble. Each act was introduced by commentary in Arabic and English. The two commentators sat next to the front-of-house lighting and sound positions.

It is the uniqueness of creating an event like this in Oman that it is so incredibly satisfying. The excitement generated is a sure reminder of His Majesty’s vision for his Opera House.

 

What is the Fair Labor Standards Act?

Fair Labor Standards Act – Know the changes and how they might affect you.

Effective December 1, 2016, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will create a change in salary base pay for many people working throughout the US.  FLSA increases the weekly base pay requirement for salaried employees from $455 a week to $913 a week or $47,476 a year. You can find more specific and direct details here.  As a bit of an overview with this new act if you make less than the $913 per week as a salary for a 40-hour work week, and you end up working more than 40 hours within that week, you are entitled to either compensation time or overtime pay; both at time and a half.  Compensation time (comp time for short) means paid time off for 1.5 times the amount you worked over 40 hours during that week. Let’s use for example a situation where you work 42 hours in one payroll week.  With the changes in the FLSA, you would get that 2 hours in either comp time or overtime pay plus half equaling 3 hours of overtime for that week.  Your employer gets to decide if they will give you comp time or overtime pay when you work any extra time.

You’ve maybe run into this in the past and just altered time the next week so that it all balances out.  With the new rules, it doesn’t work like that any longer.  Overtime is based on a “per payroll week” schedule which is 40 hours within one 7-day period. That 7-day period can be determined by the employer.  Mine has set it up as the workweek is Sunday through Saturday. So if I work 42 hours one week and 38 the next I would end up with 3 hours of comp time or extra pay from the first week and 2 hours missing from work or being taken as vacation time from the second week.

This FSLA policy is another layer on top of an earlier act that does not allow you to volunteer for your employer doing the work that they already pay you to do.  As a result, volunteering for work is also not an option. You can read up on the rules regarding volunteering at your workplace for the work you are already paid to do here.

At this time, I am unable to speak about or clarify any rules regarding what FSLA looks like for anyone who freelances or works solely for themselves so I recommend that you take a look at the ruling so you know if there are any changes for you or your workplace. I do know FLSA does not affect those who are already paid hourly and already have overtime opportunities.

What does it looks like when applied to the workplace?

For many of us, this change is big as our work weeks are often very full, loaded with non-standard hours, and rarely ever 40-hours a week. I have been asking what other people are doing and many people have said they weren’t sure or are going to figure it out later. The system that I work in adopted these new rules almost immediately, so I thought I would share what has been happening for me in hopes others might be able to learn more and work out their own plan.

Personally, FLSA is causing a lot of change for me and many others in my organization. My salary is less than $47,476 a year and the organization I work for is not prepared to pay the overtime. It also happens that there is a policy within my organization that limits how much comp time I could accrue, if allowed at all, as a result they have decided to save the comp time for emergencies and high profile events. Overall, the goal in my organization is to never pay overtime or to allow anyone to accrue comp time.

My organization decided to start practicing for this change in September of this year.  That means once I reach my 40 hours each week, that’s it. Time to go home. Although I am excited for an opportunity to get paid fairly for the hours I put in, I am struggling with the idea to just walkout at the 40-hour mark. My integrity seems to be getting in the way. I struggle with the idea of walking out no matter what is happening, and potentially not being there for critical issues. The other force that I am up against is the policies of not accruing comp time, not paying for overtime, and not volunteering.   It has been interesting to find a way to navigate between these lines and feel good about it.

Now some people would say well that means they need to hire a second person, or that I’m doing too much work for one person, which could be true nevertheless in the near future with budget concerns the staffing level isn’t going to change. Just like some of you who work in smaller clubs sometimes the money just isn’t there to create the needed change so we take it one step at a time.

But I digress, to navigate this new balance there are a couple of things I have been doing.  First, I do what I can to plan my upcoming schedule accordingly to balance out the needs of events and other responsibilities of my position, while adhering to my time limit. I submit my work plan in advance of each workweek for approval to show when I will be working and when I will be away. I find myself working only 4 days a week on average, working various days and hours each week. Second, I have set specific office hours’ time where I can do the planning, administrative tasks, and ensure that I am managing my staff effectively.  I set these items into my calendar when I think the office is quiet to prevent interruptions, and when I can best connect with my staff.   Third, I find now I am even more focused on reviewing my schedule from a longer-range perspective.  Instead of working 2 weeks out, I have found I am looking 3 or 4 weeks ahead. This is so I can get the information I need for events farther in advance to plan my hours accordingly. It also helps to combat the time draw that last-minute events create on my now extremely tight timetable.  For the most part, this process seems to be working, although I have still had a couple of weeks with some extra time.  The schedule is something that those around me have struggled to deal with.  In the past, I had a more fixed schedule, and people knew when they could find me.  Now each week varies, and there is a lot of adjusting going on. It’s been a reasonable place to start, a good practice also, as it isn’t even my most busy season yet.

The process of adhering to the FLSA definitely changes things for me.  I appreciate the early planning and progress that has been made so far, to understanding the impact of adhering to the new rules.  Figuring this out is a work in progress, and is not yet perfected.  However, I wanted to share with you a reminder of the new rules, in the event, they impact you, as they do me.  I hope that sharing the basics of the rules helps you start thinking about how this may impact you and that sharing my approach may help you determine your own plans in anticipation of this change. It’s not too soon to get started thinking about what this may mean to you and how it may change your work-life balance.

Links:

https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/overtime-factsheet.htm

http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/docs/volunteers.asp

 

The Audio Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy

Pregnancy and the audio industry aren’t exactly two terms you hear together. As I look back on the past 9 months of my pregnancy, I laugh at how little I knew – I thought pregnancy meant being sick in the morning, going to the doctor more often, and eventually wearing flip flops and not reaching the EQs on the console. Pregnancy has been a challenge mentally, physically, and emotionally and can completely take over your life at times. It’s also been a fun and fascinating experience – one that can be balanced with work if you’re flexible and can adapt to your new (and changing) limits.

First trimester (weeks 4-12)

There’s no anticipating how good or bad you will feel. Some women have no symptoms and others can’t keep down water. You really won’t know til you’re there.

Morning sickness can be like the worst hangover ever for weeks. You know the feeling when you’re at a greasy diner with a horrible hangover and the smell of food makes you want to vomit but you know you need to eat to feel better? That was 23.5 hours a day for me for 6 weeks.

Your nose/palate can dictate your lifestyle for a while. Normally, if you smell or taste something rotten or unappealing there’s a mild reflex saying “eww”

During pregnancy, the body reacts more like,“EMERGENCY! YOU INGESTED POISON!!” (even if it’s a whiff of a food truck a block away). I was “lucky” to only have nausea and usually could get to fresh air if something triggered me (like a coworker’s burnt popcorn). Some women can’t go anywhere without scouting out the nearest trash can, toilet, or bush because of a more visceral reaction to smells.

Eating is hard on a schedule. If you feel continually sick and there’s a small window where you feel well enough to eat, you need to eat. It’d be tough to be in a work environment where you can’t snack or only have designated meal times.

There’s a good chance you’re irritable and grouchy.

During the weeks I wasn’t eating much, my fuse was short, I didn’t have much of a filter and I had no patience for BS or attitude. I didn’t take on extracurricular gigs or stressful work during this time knowing my client etiquette and demeanor would probably be poor.

Exhaustion can be overwhelming – I had a yoga mat in my recording booth and would sometimes take a quick nap during breaks. Working swing shift was great because I could sleep in or leave work a little early if I was having a rough day.

The first trimester can be isolating. All of this is going on and you may not feel comfortable telling anyone. It can help at work to have someone in the know who can nudge the crew to eat their smelly pizza elsewhere or change the topic when someone teases you for not going out for a drink.

Second trimester (weeks 13-26)

Forgetfulness. The struggle of “pregnancy brain” is real. I was a guest on a podcast and could not remember the names of the plugins in my channel strip that I’ve used daily for at least 5 years. At work, I had to take extra notes and sometimes ask for detailed/complicated things in writing.

Need to focus on something? Good luck. Normally I have laser focus and can work for hours without being distracted. During pregnancy, I sometimes felt like a kid who was hyped on sugar and had a puppy in the room. I had to plan for extra time on mixes knowing I might get totally sidetracked or completely forget what I was doing.

Peeing all the time. There’s a reason for the old saying “bladder of a pregnant woman” (It’s hormone related.)

Even with all this going on, you might feel like Superwoman. In my second trimester I did a demanding scoring session in Canada (with long work days) and spent a week in Europe walking 5-10 miles a day. In both cases, I felt great (and ate more than the people I was traveling with).

You’ll start feeling the “thing” that’s living in your body. I’ve never been so excited to be kicked in the stomach.

Third trimester (weeks 26 -?)

Baby can hear! Babies start to hear between 23 and 27 weeks (especially low frequencies) and they can be startled by loud sounds. My little dude would often get squiggly/active when I was mixing. Studies show that babies recognize their mom’s voice after birth and will recognize patterns they heard while in utero (like if you read the same story out loud every day).

You will have some physical limitations. As your belly grows, little things become difficult (socks are my nemesis). Heavy lifting restrictions may start earlier in pregnancy, too, in part because of a hormone called relaxin which causes your joints to loosen. Belly weight isn’t necessarily the source of discomfort, either – your organs (and someone else) are moving around, too.

People may step in to help more than you want. People have good intentions but sometimes visibly pregnant women are treated as disabled or incapable. Staying active through pregnancy is great for your health (and your recovery). One thing I find funny is how often someone offers their chair or insists I sit when I’m more comfortable standing or moving around. But, there are also times where the offer for help (or the chair) is welcomed.

You never know if/when you’ll be forced off your feet. I was shocked to be admitted to the hospital and put on bedrest at 29 weeks when I felt fine and worked the night before. I was planning to work as long as I physically could but ended up on disability for over two months instead. Luckily I had a backup plan – I already had arranged a backup person for every freelance gig and my main job had a substitute list in place. Financially, I had prepared for some unpaid time off with an emergency fund (for a “worst-case” scenario).

Things to consider when you’re working and pregnant:

There are times you can’t function at full speed. This especially applies to the early and late months. Early on, I kept my schedule light and didn’t commit to anything more than a week ahead (when possible). I also turned down gigs unless I knew for sure I could handle it (I passed on a gig in China during peak morning sickness, for example).

It helps to work for companies/clients who can accommodate you in an emergency. A few years ago my husband broke both his arms falling off a bicycle. The studio I was freelancing with at the time didn’t have anyone prepared (even in case of emergency) so I had to leave him at the hospital and go in for the session. After that, I refused to ever be in a work situation like that again. Pregnancy has been much less stressful knowing that my employer can find a sub (same day, if needed) or that my clients know upfront I may bring in a backup person in case of emergency.

Guy awkwardness. One of the times it can be difficult to work with a team of guys is when you have something “female” going on. Once the weirdness passes (if there is any), pregnancy can be a fun topic to talk about – especially the name suggestions and bizarre questions.

Girl awkwardness. Being “one of the guys” in this field may also mean we don’t have many girlfriends let alone close ones who can pass down maternity clothes or give advice on breastfeeding. The jump from Audio Engineer to Mom can be completely foreign. Part of the challenge is finding resources and people who you feel comfortable asking for that kind of support.

You may get philosophical about your career. There’s a lot of questions about what your new life will look like. How do you want to balance work and a baby – or are you going back to work? If you are career-oriented or pride yourself on your work accomplishments, how are you going to handle being away from that? How will you balance your own identity and needs with your kid’s needs? Are you prepared to be “Mom” sometimes before “engineer”?

It’s sad, but loss happens in pregnancy more often than you’d think. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage (the majority in the first trimester). It’s not something that many people share openly until you go through it yourself. Loss can take some time to recover physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s also a reason to be careful about when (or if) you share your pregnancy publicly (especially on social media or with colleagues you don’t know well).

Sometimes you see the doctor A LOT. Even in a healthy pregnancy, you may be seeing the doctor weekly or bi-weekly as labor approaches and they’re usually only available during the day. I’ve had more doctor visits and medications in the past year than the past 10!

If you are a contract worker (in the US), pregnancy protection laws may not apply. As an employee, your employer is legally required to hold a job for you for a period of time (even if your maternity leave is unpaid) and can’t fire you for being pregnant. Contractors don’t have the same legal protection.

In the US, there are disability insurance options for freelancers. California, for example, has a state disability plan workers can pay into (which is a great idea even if you aren’t pregnant). It’s very affordable and once in the system, you’ll qualify for the same disability benefits as an employee (currently in CA maternity leave covers 6 weeks paid disability time and 6 weeks paid family leave – even longer if there are complications or bedrest). There are also private disability insurance options that cover lost wages.

Emergencies can come up. There’s probably going to be at least one unplanned doctor or ER visit. If I was working out of town (or out of the country), I’d want to have a logistical plan in place in case I needed to get to a doctor/hospital and a gig replacement ASAP.

In theory, you can work until labor. It’s totally safe to travel until late in pregnancy (each airline has a point where you need a doctor’s note to fly). One of my doctors said she preferred her patients to stay working, saying, “You could take time off, but I don’t’ want you sitting on the couch eating and worrying.”

Or you may be forced to stop completely. One in ten women deliver prematurely (before 36 weeks) and babies over 24 weeks have a good chance of survival. At 6 months pregnant most women aren’t thinking or planning for delivery but it’s a risk that’s worth planning for. I’m looking forward to my new “gig” (and to meet my new little assistant). I hope other women will share their stories of pregnancy and parenthood so we can create a resource where one doesn’t really exist.

Musings on the Role of Femininity in the Music Industry

Historically speaking, women, and those that are female-identifying, have largely been unwelcome in the music business. Unless you were an overstated, hyper-exaggerated version of a sexual, feminine ideal in a front person role, you had no place, no business being near a stage, studio, or mixing board.

The concept of the feminine identity in relation to the music industry is one that perplexes and fascinates me. Now I don’t necessarily mean simply dressing in a “girly” way – most, if not all, of us, are unable to wear a skirt when working (it’s not practical in the slightest, not to mention a possible safety hazard in live situations. I prefer my trusty blue jeans.) – but more the attitude, the feeling of being “feminine,” whatever that means, and how it translates to our work.

I interviewed a few of my colleagues regarding their thoughts on this topic, asking the question, “have you ever felt like you’d have to reject your femininity in order to be successful in the industry?” Most that I asked this question to initially responded with a hard, “no.” Jill Meniketti, band manager for Y & T stated,

“That’s not something I’ve ever focused on.  I focus on my work, which I take seriously.  When you excel at your job, that garners respect, regardless of gender.”

Delving in a little deeper into the feminine mentality/attitude aspect garners a slightly different response. When I first got started in the studio, my college professor insisted that being a woman in the studio was a massive advantage, because they are better at keeping the peace and stepping into the role of the band’s creative therapist. My friend Eva Reistad, a studio engineer based in Los Angeles, echoes this thought. When I asked if there was a time when being feminine proved advantageous, she stated, “yes there was: band members sometimes are more open to the fact that you’re a woman, in which case they’ll sort of open up and tell you more things, which will cause the session to go better. I don’t think it’s really anything so much as femininity so much as being female.” Somehow, just being a woman allows people to feel more secure and comfortable in that situation.

Through all my discussions on this topic, the main conclusion I come to encompasses more than just femininity. It’s about being comfortable with who you are. As Eva puts it, in the end, what I think is how you present your aura, your energy, that will determine how you are treated. You cannot control how other people react. Be comfortable with yourself entirely.”

There is power in being a woman in the music industry. Being confident and secure in who you are provides a sturdy foundation for the rest of your work, whether you are a tech or an artist.

Jill’s Website:

Eva’s Website:

 

The sound of the Elizabethan era: Sound design for Shakespeare’s Sister

It’s always exciting to work on the first production of a new play. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve loved working on the re-envisioned versions of Shakespeare, Wilde, and others, but there’s something quite special about knowing your production will be the first time anyone has breathed life into this particular story.

So when I accepted the role as the sound designer for ALRA drama school’s production of Shakespeare’s Sister, and I found out that this would be the first full production, I was excited.

Shakespeare’s Sister is a play about the sister of William Shakespeare – nothing to do with the band, in case you were wondering! It follows the fictional character of Judith Shakespeare as a budding playwright when, following an unwanted marriage proposal, she follows in her brother’s footsteps and travels to London to seek a career as a playwright.

From the outset, it was clear to me that music would be an important part of establishing the period and the world of the Elizabethan theatre. In our first sound meeting, the director and I discussed the emotional context for each scene and what we wanted the music to achieve, and I outlined my views on the role of music in the play.

The director, Titania Krimpas, had already researched possible music choices as she wanted the music to be used in rehearsals from the start, particularly in the choreographed scene changes. The tracks she suggested opened up a discussion about how we wanted the music to sound – all period-appropriate pieces or modern tracks with a period feel? Live or recorded? Recordings of Renaissance music played on modern instruments, or on period instruments?

kirsty-gillmore-nov2016-pic5At this point, I looked at the design and lighting design, to give me an idea of their general approach and make sure I was aligning my design with theirs. The set consisted of a raised stage with stairs (quickly named the “raised platform” to avoid confusion with the stage itself) and moveable pieces of furniture and props on the ground in front of it (the “apron”), with action taking place on both levels. The raised platform acted as both the stage of the Rose Theatre in London, the setting for much of the play, and another level for scenes set in Stratford and the Tower of London. Although the design wasn’t intended to be strictly traditionally Elizabethan, it took inspiration from the world that Elizabethan actors would have inhabited: simple, almost stark, in plain neutral colours, with few embellishments except for touches of flamboyance in the costumes, as befitted key characters.kirsty-gillmore-nov2016-pic3

A conversation with the lighting designer, Ben Cowens, revealed his intentions to make the lighting design as naturalistic as possible, supporting the set design, and thus I had a clear direction for the music. I dismissed modern songs and investigated recordings of period compositions on period instruments, which I felt gave a much more raw, natural sound than recordings on modern instruments.

Live music was an element that I also considered from early on in the process. I enjoy using live music elements where possible in my sound designs, as I feel they add immediacy and intimacy that is harder to capture with recorded music. In an ideal world, I would have liked to use a live ensemble, but this wasn’t possible given our budget, so instead, we looked at ways of incorporating live music elements at key points. Taking our lead from the references to trumpets and drums in the script, I suggested the use of a bodhrán drum, played by one of the actors as a “player” (the Elizabethan word for an actor). A bodhrán isn’t entirely period-appropriate, but it was much easier to source than a tabor (a type of snare drum used in the period), and I knew the sound was similar enough to work with pre-recorded sounds of trumpets and other drums.

The music component of a sound design is an area where a collaborative relationship with the director is crucial. Music is a subjective discipline, and directors can have definite choices about the music they want for production. Sometimes this feels a bit restrictive for the sound designer as it can mean they have to build their design around the music they didn’t choose. It’s useful to remember that the sound elements of a production, and music in particular, often play a significant role in the rehearsal process. In the case of Shakespeare’s Sister, the choreography of the scene transitions required music and the actor who was playing the bodhrán needed to rehearse with the pre-recorded music which he was to accompany.

As rehearsals continued, I found I was drawn to create the sonic world of the play’s version of Elizabethan London more with music than with sound effects. While I used sound effects and soundscapes to establish location – the crackling of a fire and chickens in the yard for Stratford, wind whistling through cracks, and dripping water for a cell in the Tower of London – I used musical motifs and drums for moments of heightened emotion and physical tension. One of my favourite sound moments in the play was the use of a repetitive drum beat which slowly increased in volume as the scene built to a climax. Rather than keeping the drums at a level that comfortably underscored the actors’ speech, we chose to use the sound to energise the scene and encourage the actors to raise their voices above the drums.kirsty-gillmore-nov2016-pic2

I haven’t spoken much about the speaker positions for this production because these were straightforward. Any production with a limited budget and space restrictions will require a certain amount of compromise, and I worked around fixed speaker positions and speakers that wouldn’t have been my first choice but worked fine for the production and in the space.

Two challenges that I had to overcome were where to position two speakers behind the raised platform and where to put the two subs. I had expected to attach the two speakers on a horizontal bar between wall beams, and the subs under the seating banks, but had neglected to discuss this with the designer or the lighting designer. During the get in I discovered that the designer and lighting designer had planned to install a lighting feature behind the set and the seating banks would be too low to fit subs underneath them, which slightly marred my plans! Thankfully, I was able to re-position all speakers with minimum fuss, and it was a good lesson to maintain the relationship with the creative team right through the rehearsal and production process.

Having designed a baroque opera and an Elizabethan play, it almost feels like my next design should be medieval, but instead, I’ll be concentrating on two banned plays from the 1920s. From courantes to Charlestons, no two plays are the same and my work is more interesting for it.  

 

Life on the Warped Tour

warped3“Oh my god! You did Warped Tour? That must have been AWESOME!” is usually the response I receive from people when I tell them I toured with Warped this past summer. From an outsiders perspective it is pretty awesome, and from an insiders, it’s still kind of awesome!

Warped Tour is one of those legendary places that all pre-teens and teens have attended or dreamed of attending since the mid 90’s. The legendary status that comes with Warped in the world of Punk Rock, Hardcore and Metal is historic. It is the longest running festival, continually propelling tens of thousands of kids (and parents!) to see acts from the radio today to artists who parents jammed to on cassette.

Then there are the people in the background, the people who never get noticed but make every day happen and run crazy schedules to make these shows happen. The hardest working people on Warped Tour, with the worst schedules, are definitely the Sound Techs, Stage Managers, backline and the setup crew. Since I don’t have experience with the latter, I’m going to tell you about the former!

Every morning you wake up tired, your body heavy with the need to sleep. You look at your phone. 6:30 am. I think “Ok I can lay here and relax for another 15 minutes. When I hear Amy moving around, then I can get up.” I inevitably nod off and wake up in a panic around 7:15 and scramble to get ready and to catering. Load in on my stage, Monster South, starts at precisely 8 am every morning. That is not true of all of the stages, but it’s definitely how mine rolls.

We wait at the back of the truck behind our stage, sometimes waiting for hours for the stage to be placed itself, or waiting hours because the local union says we can’t unload our truck until THEY get there. After those mornings the rush to get everything up before 11 am, becomes real, and kids sometimes are staring at you as you check your system for the first time that day. My Check was: The Floozies, “Love, Sex and Fancy Things” For the Bass, Trombone Shorty “Hurricane Season” and a variety of music from Sting usually “Shadows in the Rain” or “Hounds of Winter.”  So not exactly a punk rock system check.

But most mornings we wait. On our stage, we have a beta system being tested called the K-Array. It is the first thing off of the truck and the last thing on. These line array rigs are 3 boxes a cart and probably around 7 feet tall. They are heavy and awkward to get out of the truck, and definitely caused many a fallen off toenail. Slowly the members of our various bands start to show up, along with tech people from other bands. You see they have a choice. Unload the truck with us every morning or sell merch all day or some various other choices. We always had a lot of help from our bands. They really were into teamwork on our stage.

Once the truck was unpacked to the point where most of the PA was off I would break away and start working on my own. Most mornings I started by pulling our feeder across the stage and getting the PA feeder run. As the FOH/System tech for the stage, I had to make sure the PA was rigged, wired, and functioning every day as well as making sure the guest engineer’s files were properly pulled up and patched.

warped8I worked with some amazing people. My monitor engineer, Mike, has been in this business longer than I’ve been alive. He showed me some great tricks when he was feeling nice; he also helped me rig my PA for the tour, much to my dismay. I was more than capable of rigging my system, but the initial week of the tour set the load-out pace. Once we started with Mike helping me on the out, that’s how it rolled. It was a fast and efficient system, with Mike and Jon getting the whole stage down in about 15-20 minutes. Our whole stage down and loaded some nights in (our fastest time) 38 minutes! I learned a lot from Mike, unexpected things. Like how to properly align your chain bag on a single point system, or the magic of Gold Bond. Jonathan was a stage and patch ninja! He had some of the best looms I’ve seen for the stage. I LOVE neat stages! My stage manager Myles and our Backline tech Cesar were literally the best team on the tour. Our stage had 0 problems, and if they did it was handled quietly and efficiently. I have so much respect for those guys. We had a great team.

After the setup came the hard part for me. I only mixed two bands all summer, Vanna and Cruel Hand. Most of my day I spent hiding from high dB levels and screaming music. Honestly, I probably needed gun muffs on top of my 25dB filters as my ears constantly rang for that tour. No good. As we all know, you can try to give hardcore music a dB limit, but it never works out. And especially not with our system.

One of the biggest challenges of the tour for me was actually the PA. This Array was meant for a much longer throw than we needed it for. We needed the PA to throw 80’ tops on any day, most days about 35’-45’ to FOH. The system was easily throwing well over 100’ until I finally started to turn off my top two boxes and after a recommendation from Bill Black (FOH on North), I also inserted a high shelf starting at around 2k to take out the harshness of the system. It was then much easier. Not only that but we had no front end on the system. There was no unit at FOH that gave me control of my system, allowed me to see how it was performing or even if it was hitting the limit. There was no way to enforce our levels without the ability to mute the PA from a source that wasn’t the board. That is especially hard for Monster North who had bands bringing their own desk.

Warped tour is one of the most brutal tours I’ve done, in terms of schedule, exposure to the elements, and levels of exhaustion. But It was over before we knew it. One day we’re saying “Oh MAN, a month left. It feels like we’ve been out here  for a year.” To the end where it became “I can’t believe we only have a week left!”.

warped-2Warped tour was an amazing experience as a growing engineer. I had the ability to do whatever I wanted with the scenes for my bands every day. It was a festival! If I got bored with my scene for either one of my bands, I would just dump the entire thing and start from scratch. Not only did it hone my engineering skills immensely (two months potentially mixing from scratch every day) but also I learned some amazing techniques from engineers who have been doing this for a very long time. I have to say that one of the biggest benefits of the tour was the opportunity to grow as an engineer. I can also say that Hardcore is one of the hardest genres to mix, and if you can make that sound good everything else is cake! It has a very style-specific sound live; generally, it’s a super-produced sound with tracks and effects trying to resemble an album feel, less live.

warped4Some of the things I’m most grateful for are the friends I made in those two months. I toured with a fellow SoundGirl, Amy Truong, and she rocked the stage and patch on Monster North. I also had the pleasure to tour with another lady Sammy Keyes-Levine who was FOH for the Full Sail Stage, and another kick-butt SoundGirl Nikki Berna who ran Monitors for Full Sail. We had such a great crew of ladies I’m sure I’ll be friends with throughout my career.  I had never had the opportunity to work with so many women! In the ten years, I’ve been doing sound on the east coast; it took me eight years to finally work with another woman engineer! What a great experience to have so many ladies. I’m very grateful to Rat Sound Systems for their drive to hire females.

It’s important to take away lessons from everything you do. Warped Tour taught me a lot of things I needed to work on, such as my propensity to get very stressed when there is an issue. Or learning that sometimes people’s dislike of you and treatment of you is not a reflection of you, but rather a reflection of them upon you. It was very lonely for me on my stage sometimes, but being FOH for these types of festivals/tours are lonely by nature. FOH has very little interaction with the stage unless there is a problem.  I know that there was some dislike of me from some of the men on my stage who for some reason thought I wasn’t qualified for my position. A lot of muttering and starting of rumors from the men because I am female, or drunken conversations where you’re told that they don’t believe you deserve the position. But after ten years in the sound industry, being belittled by people who don’t know me becomes normal, and you become more able to ignore it and be comfortable with your skills. Sometimes to those people asking for help is seen as weak, but it’s not. The best engineers I know STILL ask questions of other engineers because to do what we do and do what we love, we must always be learning. Otherwise, what’s the point?  Our industry changes every day, in turn, we must learn.

Warped, though difficult, was one of the most important things I think I have done to date in my life. The best advice I can offer is do the thing that scares you the most, conquering your fears brings your dreams to fruition! Take the bull by the horns and get what you want, because you are the only person who is going to get it. I had absolutely no idea what I was walking into for Warped. And at the end, I had invaluable life experiences, and I would do it again.warped5

loreenLoreen Bohannon: Complete audio geek! Loreen has worked in the live sound field since the age of 16. Working from the case pusher up to audio engineer within a small local company for many years, Loreen took her skills to the road. As a freelance engineer, she has worked with a great variety of acts dealing with all positions. She has toured with Rusted Root, Warped Tour, and is currently touring with Cabinet as TM and FOH.

About Loreen: loves learning and teaching anyone who will listen about her craft! Loreen also produces and hosts a radio show that features local talent called Music on the Menu. She does as much outreach as possible to local youths in Northeast PA, showing them that there is a place where they can work, do what you love, and not be looked down upon if you don’t fit in! Loreen loves to write and read, and you just can’t get her away from small furry animals.

Ready to Rock? A Beginner’s Guide to Life on the Road

So you’re heading off on your first tour – congratulations! It’s an exciting time and you’ll never be this new again, so enjoy it! You’re going to learn a lot on the technical front, but it’s also a lifestyle, and there are certain ‘soft-skills’ and behaviours which make life a lot more comfortable – so from someone with a couple of touring decades under her belt, here’s some non-technical advice for life on the road.

– Rule number 1: no pooping on the bus! You’ll get a heavy clean-up penalty, or at the very least, serious bad vibes from the bus driver (who’s responsible for cleaning the toilet) for the rest of the tour. So no solids down there – we put tissue paper in the bin to avoid blockages.

– Whilst we’re on the subject of toilets… bus slippers or flip-flops are a REALLY good idea. You’re likely sharing this moving bus with a lot of guys, which can be an unhappy barefoot experience… not everyone’s aim is true!

– Tidy up after yourself on the bus and in catering. Clear your cups and plates away and leave the place as you’d wish to find it.

– Dress appropriately, both at the gig and on the bus. That doesn’t mean you have to dress like a guy, you can absolutely retain your femininity – I wear light make-up at work, and I love getting a bit dressed up on a day off. But low-cut tops and revealing nightwear won’t help you to be taken seriously, so be mindful of what’s on show.

– Be cautious around tour romances, especially in the early years of your career. As one of the few women on the road, you’ll probably attract a degree of interest, and you might meet someone who sparks your interest in return. But you don’t want to discover, a few tours in, that you’ve been more-than-friends with a bunch of your touring colleagues – live production is a small world. I’m not saying you should disregard the idea of another crew member as your partner – hey, I met my husband on the road. Just tread carefully and respect yourself – if you treat yourself with respect, others will follow suit.

– On the subject of self-respect, go easy on the post-gig temptations of drink and drugs. By all means, be social and have a few beers if you enjoy it, but remember that you have a responsibility to be fully capable of doing your job the next day, and it won’t go unnoticed if you repeatedly show up late or hungover. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the same rules apply to you as a brand-new audio tech, as to the guitar tech who’s been with the band for 30 years.

– When you mess up (yes, you will), hold your hands up – nobody likes the person whose fault it never is. Own up, apologise, correct it and move on.

– We all have days when we’re feeling a bit jaded. Sometimes there are legitimate problems to discuss, and we all have a little moan sometimes – I’m just as guilty as the next person. But moaning can be very insidious on tour and it really brings the vibe down, so check yourself. A lot of people would give their right arm to do what we do, so if we can’t be positive then let’s at least be quiet!

– Get enough people to lift heavy cases: there are no prizes for slipped discs, and you don’t prove anything by hurting yourself. Learning to direct local crew is one of the skills you’ll acquire over time, but being confident, clear and polite in your instructions is a great place to start, as is asking names and shaking hands.

– Get used to the fact that there are lots of daily jobs that aren’t that much fun but are 100% necessary, and as a new member of the audio crew, they’ll probably fall to you. Just smile and get on with it – the more experienced members of the crew have all had their time doing the exact same thing, and if you bring the right attitude to work, someday you’ll be one of them. What’s more, it cements you as a team player, and for a woman, it has the added value of showing that you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty.

– Life on the road is tough, great fun and hugely rewarding. Glamorous it ain’t! It takes time to work your way up, but the journey can be really exciting, with many great perks and happy times. So be friendly, professional, reliable and above all – ENJOY it!

What would Shakespeare do?

A few months ago I was lucky enough to work at the Globe in London. The Globe is a replica of the theatre Shakespeare worked in when he was working in London during the early 1600s. The Globe is made largely of wood and is open to the elements, it has the only a thatched roof allowed in London. We’re still a bit cautious after the Great Fire of London in 1666.. The Globe had previously been run as a theatrical kind of museum; productions did not utilize tech support or theatrical lighting and sound.

While the audience no longer urinates in the corners of the auditorium and due to modern-day health and safety concerns the theatre capacity is considerably less than it was in the early 1600s. The Globe is still in Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames as it was in the 1600s. During the 1600s this was outside of the city of London and such was London’s illicit entertainment district and was full of prostitution, animal fights, and the theatre. Shakespeare was not a stuffy member of the respectable establishment.

About 400 years later I am sitting in a replica of the Globe doing a production of Macbeth. There are two drops of line array a digico, some MSL2s, and a line of delays on every level. It is part of the wonderful season and a new Artistic Director has been appointed to the Globe, Emma Rice. This was her first season at the helm, and modern lighting and sound are being employed, and this is upsetting a lot of people. But the box office is strong with performances having brisk sales.

Yet just after one season, Rice has been asked to step down. In a statement the chief executive of the Globe, Neil Constable said Rice’s “mould-breaking work” had brought in “new and diverse audiences, won huge creative and critical acclaim, and achieved exceptionally strong box office returns.” He goes on to further say, “Following much deliberation and discussion, the Globe Board has concluded that from April 2018, the theatre programming should be structured around light productions without designed sound and light rigging, which characterised a large body of The Globe’s work prior to Emma’s appointment”.

They are getting rid of the lighting and sound and Emma is going as well. What a shame! They want productions without designed sound as Shakespeare did. But Shakespeare utilized a sound department, using sound effects and they lowered actors in from the flys. Shakespeare’s plays would have originally been performed with young men playing the roles of women. Does that mean women shouldn’t be performing as well? There is a place called the “Sound Attic” it has always been the sound attic because that’s where they produced special efx. Such as firing cannons. Cannons that were sound effects. In June 1613 during a production of Henry VIII, a piece of burning wadding fired from a canon in the sound attic, set light to the thatched roof, and in about an hour the theatre had burnt down. Shakespeare did use sound and lighting efx.

Would Shakespeare shun today’s technology?

The Globe’s revenue this season has increased, there have been great reviews. Depending on where in the world you are you can even watch a recording of A Mid Summer Nights Dream. (not the production I was involved with) It’s excellent, you should watch it if you can.

images-35Is the Globe a working theatre or a museum that does theatre? Is there room for it to be both? Artistic Directors sometimes disagree with Chief Executives, but Artistic Directors typically are not called “Naughty” At a recent event on women theatre, Emma Rice revealed she had been emailing someone “pretty high up in the arts” who had referred to her three times as ‘naughty.’ “And I want to say: who would use that word to a man?” she said. Rice was asked at an event if she thought opinionated and ‘loud’ women attract more criticism, she replied: “I don’t think I am loud. I think I have led an incredibly private life.” When it was then suggested there might be a perception that a director is automatically a ‘loud figure,’ Rice responded: “Who says that about a man?”

Was Emma’s gender the reason she had to step down, not necessarily? Does her gender influence how she is spoken about, absolutely!

X