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From the Mosh Pits of Orange County – Whitney Olpin

hdotd2015Whitney Olpin has been working in Live Sound for the last six years, working as an Independent monitor engineer and stage manager. She has spent the last year touring with Fitz and the Tantrums. Based in Los Angeles, when she is not on the road she picks up local work through Live Nation.

Whitney grew up in Utah and took part in church and school choirs as well as the internationally recognized Salt Lake Children’s Choir. She would teach herself piano at age 12. Whitney says she was always interested in music but growing up in Salt Lake her exposure to music was limited. “In middle school, my family moved from Salt Lake City to California, and I suffered complete culture shock. I went from being a Mormon raised, Mariah Carey listening kid to living in mosh pit loving Orange County, CA”.

Whitney remembers during the early 2000s when she was in high school that Orange County had the best alternative music scene –

“It consumed my life, all music — all the time. We’d pile into cars and drive to shows all over Southern California. Sometimes we didn’t even know who was playing. This was before smartphones or iPads; there was no Googling the set times or previewing bands on Spotify first. That wasn’t what it was about. It was about the scene, the music, and the experience. I’d be in the crowd waiting for the next band to start just watching all the techs setting up and checking microphones, etc. I’d see them outside loading the van, talking about where they were going and where they’d been. I made a lot of friends that played in bands locally. I think the first ‘gig’ I ever had might have been loading their drum kits into their trucks or carrying a guitar or two. I just wanted to be part of the action. If it hadn’t been for that music scene, I wouldn’t have all these tattoos, and I’d probably have been a lawyer by now. Sorry, Mom”.whitneyleigh

After high school, Whitney would go on to attend college in Orange County. She enrolled as a music major and took a few basic electronics and tech classes for fun. She realized quickly that tech was more her speed and transferred to an audio engineering program in Massachusetts. During this time, she would strike up a friendship with someone who worked at a local theatre, he would recommend her to the local sound company, where she would start working and interning. She also worked as a bartender, a runner, and stage-hand, and sold merch in the local punk/metal scene.

The venues were full of vintage analog gear that would break all the time, and this taught Whitney to be incredibly resourceful. She also learned how small the touring world is, seeing a lot of the same engineers coming through over and over. This allowed her to make some strong connections and friends, a few that she remains in touch with and hits up often for their “Ninja Skills.”

whitfohAfter college, Whitney would move back to Los Angeles and start working at various local venues including the House of Blues Sunset and Saint Rocke. This is where she would learn digital boards and spend a lot of time mixing house and monitors. She was also introduced to mixing new genres Pop, Reggae, Jazz, Country, Hip Hop, Gospel and Acoustic acts. “The House of Blues Sunset was notorious for doing underplays, so I got the opportunity to mix for a lot of big-name artists. It was challenging and exciting”. At Saint Rocke, she would meet sound engineer Grace Royse. A few months later Grace would call asking her to fill in on a gig with Fitz and the Tantrums.

melodygardotpiano

Melody Gardot Piano

Whitney would hit the road for the first time in the fall of 2015, as a monitor engineer for blues and jazz musician Melody Gardot. “Melody insisted on picking up a different piano in each city for her to play on that night. We never knew what style we would get, and with so many live instruments on stage, that tour kicked my butt. Every place we went, I would sit down and play, move mics, phase reverse, eq, etc. until the piano sounded as natural in the monitors as possible. I can mic that instrument like nobody’s business now! But most importantly, I learned the subtle art of annoying the FOH engineer to death with Journey piano covers. Epic”.

She would move from that tour to Sublime with Rome, where she would work with Grace Royse at FOH. “Switching from jazz to punk was a whirlwind in the best way. I grew up in punk and metal clubs, so this tour felt a lot more like home. The bond between the band and crew is family strong; in fact, I still think that camp is one of the best around”. (Meet the Women Running Sound for Sublime for Rome)

Since then it has been a whirlwind of shows and tours for Whitney. She has done local and fly dates with Dirty Heads as TM/ME, FOH for SWR, and ME for Toni Braxton. She also has mixed monitors for Ms. Lauryn Hill. Whitney’s favorite thing about touring is Learning. “Every time I go out on the road I come face to face with all the technical things I have and haven’t mastered yet. You just can’t get it all from working in a club. I enjoy learning from other engineers on tour and asking their opinions”.

She also loves traveling and finds waking up in a different city invigorating. At the same time, she dislikes the lack of sleep, eating mystery food every day and being away from loved ones. On days off she likes to find a local hiking spot or drops in on a fitness class.

“When I first got started I remember hearing a lot of warnings from other people, like get out of this industry while you still can’ and stories of smelly 15-hour plane rides, sweaty summer tours, overnight load-ins, etc. So I think it’s important to for me write about what keeps the fire burning when the gig gets tough”.

Warped Tour 2011

Warped Tour 2011

“I remember one of the first shows I mixed monitors for; it was on Warped Tour, on a local stage in Boston, MA. It started pouring rain, and all the other stages shut down, but our stage was totally covered with tarps, so the singer looked at me like, ‘fuck it, I’m gonna keep going.’ So I ran out, flipped all the wedges over, and they kept playing. Since all the other stages were closed, all the fans started following the music to our stage. Suddenly this little no-name hardcore band had hundreds of spectators and kids moshing in the mud. I still think back to that moment– this band did it with no monitors in the pouring rain because they love this shit”.

“Sometimes shows don’t go perfectly; mistakes happen, it rains, whatever. I make it a point during every show to breathe and take a minute to take it all in. I take a look out at the crowd and see these fans just losing their minds. I was just like them. I’m still just like them. When times get tough, I remind myself that I got into this for a reason and I’ll keep going for that same reason. Never lose sight”.

Whitney keeps her skills up to date by attending trainings and seminars completing training for Midas, SSL, Soundcraft and Rational Acoustics. She also reads audio books when she has time. She is fascinated by how large-scale events are produced and feels it important to understand it from the production side and touring side. Her future goals include moving into bigger tours with larger productions. She wants to learn more about audio systems, and as much as she loves mixing, she would like to move into system teching.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

For me, the biggest obstacle has been juggling multiple jobs while building my career. It was scary to walk away from a steady bartending job of eight years, a job I relied upon almost my entire adult life. I used to say it supported my audio addiction.

How have you dealt with them?

In 2014 I quit my bartending job. I was beginning to get more sound gigs and just couldn’t handle the scheduling nightmare anymore. Plus the more audio I did, the more I realized I had outgrown bartending. I didn’t realize it then, but all the years I spent behind the bar would actually make me a better engineer. It taught me fundamental skills like multitasking, maintaining a sense of urgency, speed, and communication.

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

I don’t really look at myself as a ‘female audio engineer.’ I just think of myself as an engineer. However, I can’t ignore the blaring fact that  women make up just a small fraction of this industry both on and off stage. With advances in technology and social media, I think the general public is becoming more aware of live sound engineers. When I get fans asking to take a photo of me at the monitor console after the show because ‘they never see women mixing’ then I know there’s a problem. I’ve straight up had a male engineer tell me thinks girls can’t mix and we can’t hang. I still laugh thinking about it. Haters, unfortunately, are a part of life. I just think of it as fuel for the fire.

My advice for women is the same as it would be for men. Be prepared to work hard and from the bottom up. Get a job at a local venue or studio and be persistent about wanting to move up the ladder. Learn everything you can from everyone you can. Also, “Fake it ‘til you make it” never worked for me. Don’t let your pride get in the way of asking dumb questions. That’s how you learn. It’s amazing how far, “Hey, your mix sounds great. What are you doing on that vocal effect?” goes over. We’re all nerds at heart, and from my experience, we all love to geek out about it; use that to your advantage.

When the time comes, don’t be afraid to accept or reach for gigs that intimidate you. I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t apprehensive about some of the shows I’ve mixed, but some of them led to more significant opportunities. I’m still trying to master the art of not psyching myself out. I’ve been in multiple situations where an engineer couldn’t make the show, and I got to mix, which in turn led to future gigs. Don’t let self-doubt hold you back.

Must have skills?

Signal flow, signal flow, signal flow. Cable management. Maintaining composure. Attention to detail. A strong sense of self-awareness. People skills. A sense of humor. Integrity. As a monitor engineer specifically, having the ability to gain and maintain an artist’s trust is paramount.

Favorite gear?

I’ve admittedly never been much of a gear head. I learned on the basis of ‘make it work with what you have,’ but there are a few pieces I really can’t live without. One is RF coordination software (currently I use Vantage and Shure Wireless Workbench) and a good spectrum analyzer (I tour with an RF Venue Rackpro and a handheld RF Explorer). No kidding, there have been shows I couldn’t have gotten through without them. Also my JH Roxanne In-Ear Monitors. They have an adjustable bass feature and sound better than any other IEMs I’ve tried. The cables are also easy to repair on the fly if need be.

Parting Advice:

Whitney’s offers this advice to those wanting to go into audio I knew early on that I wanted to go to school for music technology but had trouble finding a good fit, program wise. I think society imposes this idea that you need to get a degree, so I shied away from anything that didn’t offer one. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t. When anyone asks me what I think of audio schools I tell them what one of my engineer friends said to me once, “ You could’ve bought a console with that money!” That has always stuck. He’s right. Look, I’m not saying school isn’t important. Just be wise in what you choose. Maybe take a workshop and see if it really interests you before you jump in. I believe strongly in music performance and electronics degrees, but audio engineering can be learned on the job. I got book smart in school and street smart at the venue. There’s no reason you can’t do both economically”

Everyone’s journey in audio is different, and opportunities arise when you least expect them. My best advice is whatever path you choose, make sure you live every moment. Get the most out of every relationship and connection you make along the way. I’ve been doing audio for only six years now, but not once has someone looked at my resume. I would be ignorant to say I’ve gotten to where I am all on my own. I’ve always gotten gigs by endorsement from someone I know who has a little faith in me. Trust me when I say it counts to call and check in with the people who were there from the beginning. The ones that make you re-wrap all your cables because you do it wrong, or call you out because your mix sucks. Embrace the tough love. It might sting in the moment, but they are preparing you for the battles ahead. There are a few of these engineers in my life that I will always look up to. They are constantly setting the bar higher and higher. Surround yourself with people that inspire you, and you can do great things.

We caught up with Whitney in August of 2019:

Since talking about her touring in the original interview, she continued to tour with other acts like Sofi Tukker, X Ambassadors and Walk the Moon. She currently mixes monitors at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank and production manages for Live Nation Clubs & Theaters in Los Angeles.

Anna Bulbrook’s GIRLSCHOOL

 GIRLSCHOOL is a celebration of women challenging the status quo.

 

 

Anna Bulbrook has been playing music her entire life. She is a trained classical violinist and is best known for her work with The Airborne Toxic Event. She has recently started her own project The Bulls, with Marc Sallis, bass player for The Duke Spirit. The Bulls is Anna’s outlet for her own songwriting and vision.

Two years ago Anna volunteered at the Los Angeles Girls Rock Camp and says she had a “ mind-bending experience of seeing women use rock’n’roll to encourage young girls to take risks, grow, and be more themselves in a really utopic, positive, and very thoughtful all-female environment. The experience changed my brain. The relief of connecting to a community of positive and pro-active musical women hit me like a wave”. Once Anna got a taste of what she calls “Utopia” she knew she had to do something to keep that feeling of community alive and continue to grow it. (This is exactly how and why SoundGirls.Org was started). So she started GIRLSCHOOL.8965_764298326969973_1887516619067237208_n

GIRLSCHOOL is a music festival that celebrates women-identified-fronted bands and women artists. After spending a decade as a “sideman” in the alternative rock world, where you really don’t see a lot of other women around—onstage or on your crew—I started to really miss and crave the camaraderie of women. I mean, growing up in classical land, I saw women players everywhere and had a million girlfriends who also played instruments. It wasn’t this segregated thing.

SoundGirls recently talked to Anna about Life on the Road and GIRLSCHOOL 2017.

GIRLSCHOOL is expanding this year–what is in store for this year’s festival?

First, we have some REALLY exciting headliners that I can’t announce. It’s just going to be a freaking amazing lineup. Second, we are adding a lot more educational and community programming that will doing the boots-on-the-ground work of literally creating opportunities for women from across the music industry to meet, connect, learn, and maybe get inspired to try something new: panel discussions, mentoring events, informative talks, Q&As. That kind of thing.

What are your long-term goals?

I’d like to grow Girlschool to be a traveling or pop-up festival around the world. I’d like to build the platform to celebrate and connect and share the work of more and more amazing women from across the music industry. And I’d like to hear from women who are in music or are interested in music to hear what would be most helpful to or inspiring for, YOU, so Girlschool can try to answer those needs as we go forward.

More on Anna and GIRLSCHOOL

Anna Bulbrook: On GIRLSCHOOL’s Mission of Empowerment

Where have all the Credits gone?

By: Catharine Wood

Advisory notice: This collection of words is 100% based on my opinion and observation as a professional engineer, producer, composer and music maker in Los Angeles, California, USA. I reference consumers and listeners with love and utmost respect…it is not your fault that the current, primary consumption mode of listeners now is streaming — which largely does not pay the creators of the music. My thesis here is directed at the streaming services: Where have all the Credits gone?

Back in the day (post-Wrecking Crew era), producers, engineers, studios, players, and songwriters (the list goes on and on) … became known for their work via Liner Notes (among other avenues – like word-of-mouth, playing live, etc.). As their reputation built, so did their workload, pay rate, and visibility. Sustainable careers were made. Now, in 2016, with CD sales dwindling and digital streaming “the new radio”, a large percentage of artists are DIY and their budgets have become micro with the “downsizing” of commercial music revenue sources. With the “trickle-down” effect of diminished performance royalties as listeners shift from terrestrial radio to internet streaming, compounded by the massive shift from physical CD album sales to iTunes 99¢ downloads…and now free streaming (from which songwriters earn fractions of pennies in performance royalties for their work),…recording budgets are smaller than ever. I share the following information for those interested music consumers, creators, and music industry professionals alike who would appreciate knowing who created the music.

To the point – I recently attended an industry roundtable; an intimate gathering of working music professionals and top audio talent. Grammy® winning producers and engineers – collected for an open discussion on the “current state of the industry”. The topic of Credits came up (and the fact that they have, literally, disappeared since streaming took the driver’s seat) – and a heated conversation about HOW can we make music valuable again ensued.

Now that music has shifted from a tangible commodity to digital “thin air”…consumers want music to be free and convenient. And with that, the streaming services, iTunes, and any digital retailer where music can be purchased (except, to my knowledge, CD Baby…who does allow a Credits section for the artist to supply the info for…as well as YouTube)…do not have place on the sale, stream or download page to list Credits. No link to see who wrote the songs, where the music was recorded, who produced, engineered or played what instruments on the album. Unfortunately, not showing who worked on an album, single, EP – or listing where the music was recorded – further perpetuates the current myth that music should be free. It also gives consumers the false impression that the music has magically come to be without hundreds of hours of work, careful consideration, execution and … a budget – consisting of actual money.

“In my father’s record store, why would I say, ‘Okay, I’ll tell you what. I’m gonna close my eyes and I’ll count to 30 and you take anything you want and when I open my eyes just don’t be in the store.’” -Philip Glass

Labels and DIY artists pay good money to hire a producer to hire the right people and studios to help make their music come to life. The music does not come to life on its own – out of thin air … yet consumers have grown accustomed to listening for little to nothing … with ease of use, accessibility and maximum selection as the priority. The ART of CARING about the ART of MUSIC and its CREATORS seems to have disappeared. Culturally. This was the topic of discussion at this industry round table … and it was unanimously observed that for music makers in the room especially – their business had been directly, and negatively, affected by two things: 1) the failure of streaming services to properly provide a space, field, link – PLACE – to credit players, studios, producers, engineers, songwriters, publishers, etc. and 2) the lack of consumers, culturally, not caring about the details of the art they are enjoying as a PASSIVE listener. Very few care to purchase the actual CD anymore — if the artist or label even has the budget to actually manufacture physical copies. It is my observation that music consumers are no longer ACTIVE listeners. Music may be the soundtrack to everybody’s lives — but in 2016, it’s coming at an immense cost to creators.

One solution presented by NARAS (The Recording Academy, aka The GRAMMYs) in their “Give Fans The Credit” initiative is to lead by example. Somebody, please, either update their streaming service to include a place to credit the creators … or create a new service that makes creators the focus with deserved recognition. Build a streaming service that focuses on the whole listening experience … as in the days of yore. Opening up the album, checking out the lyrics, seeing who’s singing or playing guitar…who wrote the songs…etc. The ART of LISTENING to music has devolved culturally to a nameless, earbud, playlist experience. I would argue that this has only happened since iTunes downloads and Streaming took over and turned music as a tangible commodity into a VIRTUAL commodity. With that said, I believe it wouldn’t take much to re-engage listeners again…with the right tools.

Photo Credit - Catharine Wood

Photo Credit – Catharine Wood

It may sound like too simple of a solution — but if people are listening and SEEING how many people work on an album to make it come alive … perhaps they might VALUE what they’re listening to a bit more … and understand “what a deal” their 99 cent download is or Free streaming. It’s a reality that “streaming’s here to stay” – but it doesn’t have to be the end of the line for music creators (many of whom have either had to resort to making music as a HOBBY or are leaving the profession altogether). Right now, with the Consent Decree issues going on in Washington, woefully outdated performance royalty rates, and the Copyright NOI loophole (if you don’t know anything about this, Google “DOJ ASCAP BMI 100% licensing”, “Songwriter Equity Act” and “Google And Amazon Leverage Copyright Loophole”), songwriting as a profession is on the verge of extinction. This sounds nuts to anybody who isn’t in the industry or doesn’t know what’s going on – but it’s the crazy truth of the current situation…because, in part, our culture, at present time, is more interested in commerce than it is in supporting art. IF credits were allowed for with the streaming services (like watching a movie with end credits…where you get to see who actually WORKED on the movie), you’d get to put a “name to a face”, so to speak, with guitar players, drummers, producers, songwriters, publishers — you name it: The great “de-mystifying” of modern commercial music.

The streaming services have essentially created an environment of music with nameless faces — so people can listen without caring. I truly believe that IF Credits were allowed again — as in the days of BUYING CDs and Vinyl after hearing a song on the radio that you can’t get enough of — and cracking open the record case or sleeve and having the opportunity to LEARN about and ENGAGE IN the music…the current, passive CULTURE of consumers would change – and caring (ENGAGING) would return. So would gainful employment for players, engineers, songwriters and producers on albums. Why? Because artists would see who did what and want to work with them. It’s very simple.

wonderlust_picbycatharinewood

Photo Credit Catharine Wood

It has become the “Wild West” in the music industry “behind the scenes”. We do everything we can to maintain our livelihoods as music professionals — and it does not need to be an insurmountable task. Though I am gratefully managing to continue paying my bills through sheer grit and passion for my craft and profession, my father aptly calls what I do “miraculously rowing up hill”.

Music is a beautiful part of life. For those of us who create it – it IS OUR LIFE – as artists & creators. Commercial music is a commodity. It is not free to make and it should not be free to consume. Can you imagine showing up at your favorite restaurant and sitting down – ordering – eating your dinner & then leaving without paying the bill? We call that dine-and-ditch…and it’s stealing. Streaming services: Please give creators the credit we deserve…so that consumers can know what their listening to – and appreciate it enough to actually value it enough to pay for it…and become engaged again.

#IRespectMusic #SupportMusic #StandWithSongwriters

1_catharinewood-300x300Catharine Wood is a professional mix, mastering, and audio post-production engineer. She produces singer-songwriters, composes music for film and television and owns and operates her own Los Angeles-based studio, Planetwood Productions.

 

Intern with Sennheiser at NAMM 2017

Sennheiser & Neumann are seeking two members of SoundGirls.Org to intern with the company during the 2017 NAMM show. Interns will need to be available from January 17-January 22 (there is some flexibility).

Duties will include:

Booth setup and tear down,

Equipment setup and demo for customers

Meeting and greeting customers when they are in the booth

Gathering badge information

And anything else that may happen during a busy trade show.  

Payment will be a pair of Sennheiser headphones and microphone:HD280Pro and e835. You will also receive a letter of recommendation upon successful close of show.  

It’s a great networking opportunity and we look forward to having SoundGirls join us!

Deadline to apply is Nov. 22

Please send a cover letter of why you would like to intern and a resume to soundgirls@soundgirls.org

Brandstage_with_Brand_Line_top

Bad to the Bone

When a system needs a complete overhaul, sometimes you just have to start fresh. Sometimes, you start a position or get contracted for a job and when you start digging into their audio systems, you find out just how badly they need you. I’ll share my experience with this and how I’m handling all of it.

I started a job at a small-ish church recently. They had never had anyone with real work experience or technical background running any of their equipment. The “tech” at the time was wanting to step down, and a colleague of mine asked me to take it on. When I first stepped into the booth, I darn-near fainted. It was a real horror story. Every piece of equipment running off a single circuit, daisy-chaining power strips and tri-taps off of other strips and tri-taps, wireless receivers thrown into cabinets, cables wrapped in figure-eights then tossed into a basket, stacks and stacks of CDs, wires twisted and tangled and mislabeled, weird routing, and a single Sub gently placed on a piece of plywood 20ft in the air in the back of the sanctuary with a + and – wire run in lieu of speakon (or even ¼” for goodness sake), oh and everything was covered in a pound of dust and cobwebs.

TL;DR: The tech booth was a switch-flip away from burning down the church and I’m not sure how they ever got any quality sound out of their system, if they ever did.

Clean Up

I actually really enjoy this part. As horrifying as walking into this particular tech booth was, part of me is so thrilled to dive in and start fixing it all. I feel like a kid in a candy store. So much to do! So much to touch! Every time I lift up one set of cables, 3 more unlabeled bundles surprise me! Oh! A wireless pack without a receiver! What fun!

After having toyed with the system for a few hours and learning the way that they’ve got it set up, I make a list of everything that needs to be done. Keep track of what you’ve done and what you haven’t. Take pictures of things as they were before you touched anything, that way if you need to troubleshoot because all of a sudden your new setup isn’t working, you can reference the photos to see where it might be wrong.

Grab a vacuum, some rubbing alcohol, some paper towels, a label-maker, a trash can,some zip ties, and a multi-tool.

Strategically begin taking all of the cabling out. Things that can be completely unplugged should be labeled (what they’re used for, not what the cable is), wrapped, and put off to the side for now. Don’t just haphazardly rip things out.

Wipe off flat surfaces, clean out cooling fans, wipe any goo you find off.

Sort all equipment into different sections. I did wireless units, misc. audio cables, video cabling, random stuff, and throw-away junk.

Reorganize

Draw out exactly what you want the final look to be. You need to have your goals set and clear. I knew I wanted to relocate the soundboard, move the graphics computer to the other side of the booth, re-patch the entire system, ring out the mains, equalize the room as best as possible, and come up with a whole new storage system. After cleaning off everything and getting everything organized into sections and piles, I began moving things. I moved the board, put the computer onto a different counter, placed the monitor wedges and mic stands in a temporary spot until I can get some cabinets built.

Then I plugged back in the things I knew didn’t need to be tested in order to actually function: computer, lighting board, power supplies galore.

Following that, I grabbed all of my wireless microphones and receivers and checked that all the RF was unhindered and the mics frequency matched the receiver, and was receiving signal.

I rerouted all of the power to everything so equipment I wanted to be power-independent could get power straight from the wall, and things I wanted to be power-dependent could be plugged into a power conditioner.

I also began making wraps of excess cable in the back of the equipment to keep things clean and easy to fix. I used some zip ties and coiled things up so there isn’t any rat nests.

Then I got out my label-maker and labeled all wireless packs, receivers, 1/8” adapters, and power conditioners. I went label crazy, I admit it. But I needed to make sure that volunteers and others can walk in and get a sense of what everything is.

Finally, all of the cables that were horrendously wrapped were treated to some massaging and reworking. I have to somewhat force them into over-under and then let them hang on a hook so that they can learn to lay flat once again. The cables are organized by size and hung for quick grabbing, the wedges are placed out of the way with easy access, mic stands get organized and put away, the mics are gently placed in an orderly fashion inside a drawer of their own.

Finishing Touches

Everything begins to come together: your trash piles are huge, the cables have found new homes, screens have been dusted off, you realize just how much junk a place can really collect. Now you may not need to do this next part, I most certainly did and still need to. I found and tested every installed line in the walls. It was a huge pain, but absolutely necessary.

I found dead lines, and lines to nowhere. I used an XLR SoundTools sniffer for some of the lines, and I had a colleague grab an SM58, plugged it into the snake and I grabbed the tail end near the board and checked every single line. None of the numbers matched on the ends of the snakes, let alone into the D-snake. It took a good chunk of time, and I still need to find where those lines to nowhere lead. I re-labeled the board and made everything nice and tidy and clean.

Final Thoughts

I still have things I need to do. I need to fix the choir mics they’ve got set up, I need to make an NL4 to ¼” so that I can physically relocate the sub with a more reliable signal path, I need to build some cabinets and shelving units, I need to ring out the lavs, and about a hundred other things. The list is never really done, and that’s fine! When you come into a new system and you’ve got the resources, sometimes just starting fresh is the best way. You can only fix so many issues with a system before the system needs to be replaced. 

Try to get some enjoyment out of this because sometimes all we focus on is the fun of actually mixing a show. As many of you know, 90% of the job is this kind of stuff: getting things ready and keeping things maintained. I get a lot of pleasure out of using a system just after cleaning the entire thing. I had a hand in making it better. I made the experience for everyone else better. It’s an art form just like mixing is. Take pride in it.

Omani Women’s Day

Every year in October, Oman celebrates Women’s Day. It is a day to celebrate all that women do. From working to support their families, to caring for their children. It has a strong emphasis on the achievements of the women of Oman and the positions they hold in the private and public sectors. Oman is very proud that they are one of the most progressive countries in the region in terms of encouraging women in the workplace. It is common to see women in Oman holding high positions and this includes in government.

The programme at the Royal Opera House aims to showcase some of the diverse musical talents of Omani women and those from further afield. In line with Omani Women’s Day, a group of sound girls took the opportunity to attend the first SoundGirls.org meet-up in the Middle East. We are a hugely diverse group (already) with attendees from as far afield as Cuba and Australia. All members are currently residing within the GCC and working in live music, performing arts, and theatre.

Currently, we are acting as a support group in a pretty hidden industry in this part of the world. Interestingly, female sound engineers are in demand here. During weddings, men and women celebrate separately so women sound engineers are required to mix bands for the women’s party! We are very keen to expand and hope to offer workshops for aspiring engineers in the future.

This year I was lucky enough to be rostered to work front of house on the live mix for our Omani Women’s Day concert. Of course, we still need to archive the performance so this also included a broadcast mix that was used in-house for our camera feed as well as the audio feed for Oman TV who often come to record performances here.

The interesting part of this concert for our department was the mixture of amplified and non-amplified sections. As the performance was in ‘concert mode’ rather than ‘theatre mode’ this creates some interesting issues. Arabic music has a very distinctive sound that relies upon amplification. The best way to describe this to an ear accustomed to ‘western music’ is to ride the vocals as hot as possible. At the same time, it is very important that every syllable of every word is heard. The band are generally held back somewhat with the exception of crucial melodic instruments such as the oud and qanoon.

The lineup this year included a female string quintet of members of the Royal Omani Symphony Orchestra. They played three moving pieces which we recorded via our UM69 stereo microphone. A Palestinian dance troupe then performed two pieces via playback on Q lab. This was followed by an absolutely incredible Irani folk group called the ‘Kaliveh Ensemble’. They played traditional Arabic instruments which included drums such as the ‘duf’, tars- which resemble small-bodied guitars, a santur- a stringed instrument which is laid out on the player’s lap or stand and hit with small mallets, the oud, which looks a bit like a lute and the distinctive sounding kamancheh. Two singers provided vocals with backing vocals produced by other musicians when required. The result was a hypnotic and exhilarating sound that was just brilliant fun to mix. An experience that will stay with me for a lifetime. Our headliner was a singer called Mohammad Assaf. A winner of ‘The Voice’ he was a big hit with the audience. His performance for Omani Women’s Day was followed the day after by his own concert. It was such a joy to be mixing for such an appreciated star.

In all a busy but rewarding month in Muscat. This week we are back into theatre mode for ‘Lohengrin’ the Wagnerian opera… nothing like diversity to awaken the soul!

 

Looking to move from music into post-production? Here’s some things to consider.

Post-production (working in film, television, or web/new media) can be a good option for someone looking to expand work opportunities. However, it can take just as much time/investment as music and may not be the right move for everyone considering it. It’s interesting how the music community recognizes the differences between a studio engineer and a front-of-house engineer – credits in one don’t guarantee a job (or even an interview) in the other. The skills of a re-recording mixer are equally different from a studio-based music mixer yet there are misconceptions like:

“If you have music experience, you can cross into post.”

“It’s easier to break into post than music.”

“It’s easier to find jobs in post-production than music.”

The reality of working in post-production today:

A less-experienced applicant who has some post-production experience may land a gig over a more experienced music professional. For example, when hiring for an ADR engineering job, a machine room operator or assistant may be promoted and trained versus hiring a Grammy-winning engineer little picture experience and no relationship with the studio. Someone in an entry-level job will gain experience through watching material for quality control or observing sessions. While sound quality is important, it’s equally crucial for an ADR or Foley engineer to quickly identify problems and make on-the-fly decisions about performance and sync. We’re talking about .03 second time differences working with picture – it’s a skill that takes time to hear and see that level of detail.

Some tips for getting into post-production:

Most importantly, if you’re looking to work in post as a way of supplementing income, ask yourself if you’re really interested (and driven) to learn post and put in the effort. You’re in the running against people with skills, credits, and passion for the job. Hiring managers (and those hiring for indie projects) can tell the difference between applicants who are truly passionate about post and looking for a long-term relationship/career versus someone in it for money or who just needs a gig.

Post-production can be a great fit and career move for someone with music skills and experience. While the skills are similar, there can be an expression of creativity and collaboration that is different from any experience in music. The hours are generally more favorable than music studio life and there’s a lot of opportunities to try new things (like ADR, Foley, dialog editing, sound design, mixing). Technology is always improving and creating more opportunities to learn (such as the current trend: immersive sound). After getting into post, you can earn a really good salary if you’re willing to put in the time/work. There can be a lot of variety and opportunities whether it’s working in film, episodic television, documentary or reality, promo/advertising, new media content (web videos) and for some, it can lead to opportunities in video games and other visual media

NAMM 2017 Badges for SoundGirls.Org Members

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SoundGirls.Org has a limited number of NAMM Badges for Members. Passes are on a first come – first served basis. Please do not ask for a badge unless you 100% sure you will be attending.

The NAMM Show is a TRADE-ONLY event and not open to the general public.  SoundGirls.Org has been generously granted several badges from our friends and supporters in the industry.  If you attend you will be attending as an invited guest of one of these companies and representing SoundGirls.Org. Please review the SHOW POLICIES and make sure you agree to the terms before accepting the badge.

In addition – SoundGirls.Org will be hosting events throughout the week and hope our members can join us for some or all of the events. Stay Tuned.

Badges will be given on a first come first served basis.  If you would like one please email soundgirls@soundgirls.org and enter NAMM in the subject heading.  Include your full name as it is on your photo ID and your email address. You must be a member of SoundGirls.Org.  SoundGirls.Org is not responsible for any travel, lodging, or other expenses.  All expenses related to attendance of the NAMM show are the individual’s.

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Dealing with the Unexpected – A Cancelled Show.

As production people, we spend a lot of time planning how the show is going to run, sound, and look, as well as creating an environment that is safe so the audience will enjoy themselves. Just last month I was working on one of our largest shows of the year. 2,500 tickets sold. We would be converting our recreational space into a concert hall.  A month of planning, contracting and getting excited to do what we do best, and the day of the show finally arrives.

Surprisingly, everything is going according to plan. It’s not raining yet, contractors are arriving on time, the volunteers are showing up to do their part, and we are getting ready for a show. Even the artist’s advance team has arrived and they are doing their thing. We are a couple of hours from doors, heading into the calm before the storm. Dinner is being served to the production team and entry team, then a call comes over the radio. A quick unplanned meeting, nothing new, this happens all the time as logistics change, it’s part of the job.

However, the message I received during this meeting was not expected at all. I was met with somber faces and one simple sentence. “They’re not coming.” Thirty minutes before 2,500 guests are about to come through the doors and the headliner never got on the plane, there will be no show…I’m sure you can imagine the curse words that came out of my mouth at that time.

Taking a minute to back-track and fill in a bit more of the story. I’m now in my 6th year of being a production professional, but I have never had a show canceled. I’m a planner – a checklist kind of person and a problem solver –really that should be my entire job description – but surprisingly I didn’t have anything in place for this kind of situation. I’ve heard of shows being canceled before, seen it happen around town; just never expected it to happen to me. The campus hasn’t experienced such a last-minute cancellation with so many people involved either, so we were starting from scratch on what to do.

Back to the situation at hand; at this point, my mind is racing, developing the checklist of how to solve this problem, each step to move forward for our best possible outcome for this situation. Our first step becomes identifying and telling our key players about the situation we are in. So our small team splits to gather the bigger team; our campus police chief, head of security, the facilities manager, and our ticket manager to break the news. They also had their own choice words. Then the questions started coming.

What are we going to do? How did this happen? Are we going to open the doors? Is it even possible to refund tickets? When are we going to reschedule? How are we going to tell everybody else? Where did the artist’s advance team go? and so many more. To answer one question easily – the advance team left, and then called to let us know it was canceled once they were off the property.

At this time everyone has their individual goals in mind, their own concerns to address. Everyone is emotional and everyone is reacting differently. Once the shock of the cancellation begins to fade we started to put together action plans.

First, draft an email to send to students (A majority of the ticket holders), the radio station, and to post on social media providing notice of the cancellation, the reason, and to hold on to tickets. Getting this information out was critical considering the event was scheduled to begin in just minutes. Once the communication was out, we could determine if we would reschedule or refund tickets.

Second, tell the rest of our teams about the cancellation, and ask them to patiently wait for further direction. Additionally, request their professionalism with regard to posting messages on social media or texting friends. We need to ensure a clear and complete message had a chance to circulate before the rumors flew.

Third, we determined that we would not open the venue for the evening, but would post people at the entrance doors to communicate the cancellation. This was a prevention step to ensure that a potentially angry crowd, would disperse without incident. It also allowed for us to move onto our Fourth step, taking the setup down.

Our team that held it together until the end

Our team that held it together until the end

I learned a lot from this entire experience. The students and the rest of the team working on this event learned a lot as well. We learned that an angry crowd will take their frustrations out quickly. Crowds get rowdy, and social media blasts go out everywhere. There is anger, disappointment, and confusion. We have to take this into consideration when making the announcement and dispelling the crowd gathered at the entrances. It doesn’t change the work we have to do, but it does make you readjust your concern for safety and crowd control.

We finished our jobs for the night and took the rest of the weekend off. Nothing more could be figured out until Monday morning. After all of that surprise, emotion, and expenses we decided to see if we could re-negotiate with the artist. As a result, we will be holding the same show next month, this time with a cancellation plan in mind.

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