Join Us

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

From The Philippines to Ojai

Jett Galindo

Jett at The Mastering Lab

Joanne ‘Jett’ Galindo hails from Quezon City in the Philippines. Quezon City is the largest of the metro cities that make up Manila. Raised by professional musicians and encouraged to become computer-savvy, Jett developed a love for music and technology. Growing up in a fairly progressive country in regards to gender equality, (ranking at number six on the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report and electing two women for president since their independence) Jett did not feel there were barriers to pursuing a career in Audio. Jett followed her love of music and technology and is now the mastering assistant to multiple Grammy award winner Doug Sax.

Jett grew up surrounded by music, both parents are professional musicians, and her father encouraged all his children to be well versed in the technology of computers. Jett has always been drawn to music and technology. She started a band with her siblings and cousins when she was in third grade, took piano and voice lessons, and designed her own website in 1998. Jett initially wished to pursue a degree in music or computer science in college. Her parents wanted her to have a stable career and discouraged her from pursuing a degree in music. The computer science program at Ateneo de Manila University strictly limited the number of students they accepted. Jett settled on a degree in Psychology, as the science of human behavior intrigued her and would allow her to pursue music on the side.

Jett often joined choirs while she was in school, but her passion intensified in college, where she became part of Ateneo College Glee Club and later the Ateneo Chamber Singers. The Ateneo Chamber Singers would go on to tour the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Singapore and forever change the path Jett was on. During the tour she met up with a friend and fellow alumnus of the Ateneo Chamber Singers. This friend was pursuing a degree in the music business and contemporary writing and production at the Berklee College of Music. It dawned on Jett that a career in audio engineering was what she wanted. It was the perfect way for her to combine her love of music with technology.

Jett had just turned 18, and with no formal audio engineering programs in the Philippines, she did the next best thing – applied for internships. She was hired on at SFX Digital Sound Studio, much to the dismay of the senior engineer who did not realize Jett was a girl. Jett earned his trust by being present at every recording session no matter how long they ran. She slowly moved up the ranks and eventually engineered her own sessions, recording, mixing, and mastering. Jett immersed herself in as much multimedia as possible as she prepared to study abroad. She eventually enrolled in the Berklee College of Music.

At the Berklee College of Music, Jett completed a degree in music production and engineering, with a minor in acoustics and electronics. She gained valuable skills and insights and was involved in location recording sessions. She also enrolled in Grammy award-nominated Jonathan Wyner’s Mastering Class.

Jett’s experience with mastering at this point had been hands-on training in the studio, for studio clients. She observed the senior engineer at SFX Studios using Wavelab, making minute eq adjustments. How he used limiting and stereo compression and noise-shaping to complete the final process of a studio album. Jett would eventually master her own recordings, but her knowledge was limited to the resources that were available in the studio. Jett’s eyes were opened in Jonathan’s class.

Jonathan engaged his students and was able to take technical topics and make them less daunting. He introduced his students and Jett to mastering in the analog domain, using standard outboard gear such as the Weiss MKII equalizer and compressor, Millenia NSEQ-2, TC6000 limiter/effects unit, and many others. Jonathan gave Jett a firmer grasp on the standard signal chains and routing used in mastering and she gained a deeper knowledge of the various techniques used to tackle specific problems (M/S, linear phase vs minimum eq, etc.). Jett was also exposed to more mastering DAWS, such as Sound Blade and Sequoia.

vinyl01

After graduating from Berklee, Jett secured an internship in Avatar studios in New York and eventually was hired as a recording engineer for resident producer Jerry Barnes. During her time engineering for Jerry Barnes at Avatar, Jett was able to work with renowned artists Roberta Flack, Nile Rodgers, and Brazilian Band- Jota Quest. Her years spent in choral groups paid off as well and she was invited to provide background vocals for Grammy-winning producer David Kahne. Engineering for Jerry Barnes challenged Jett as both an engineer and musician and pushed her to be the best she could be.  

Avatar Studios

Avatar Studios

 

When asked about the skills she obtained at Avatar, Jett says “Oh, tons, but the first few things that come to mind are time management, consistency, and attention to detail.

Jett goes on to explain:

“Every recording facility has its own set of protocols and idiosyncrasies (from the way you arrange mic stands in the live room, to how the mic cables are wrapped). As an intern, you are also responsible for thoughtfully tracking every piece of gear that goes in and out of the extensive microphone/outboard gear inventory. Coffee and food runs happen every day. It’s also a known fact in-studio internships that part of your job is to maintain the upkeep of every studio in the building, this includes cleaning the toilets, mopping the floors, vacuuming the carpets, you know the drill. You have to systematically accomplish these tasks throughout the day. Attention to detail is critical, as different sessions running simultaneously will ask for different things throughout the day. Studio C would request you to bring over a U87 (not a U87Ai), whereas Studio A would ask for 2 monk stands (rather than regular mic stands). Maintaining a high quality of work while attending to other tasks is tricky, but you eventually come up with your own rhythm and strategy. If you ever make a mistake, don’t let it get into your head and just focus on doing a good job hereafter.”

Jett originally planned to stay in New York, working as a producer’s engineer, when she decided to apply for a position at the Mastering Lab. She knew she was ready for a new set of challenges and mastering would provide them. She also felt that the time spent working with Jerry had taught her how to critically listen for the nuances needed for mastering. She now works as mastering assistant to Grammy award winner Doug Sax, founder of the first independent mastering facility, built-in 1967. Originally based in Hollywood, The Mastering lab relocated to Ojai, CA in 2003. The Mastering Lab is most famous for mastering artists such as Pink Floyd, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Diana Krall, and Paul McCartney.

The Mastering Lab Main Room

The Mastering Lab
Main Room

Jett has been at the Mastering Lab for just eight months and is a rookie compared to her colleagues, Robert Hadley and Eric Boulanger. Both Robert and Eric have worked on Grammy award-winning projects and both are highly acclaimed engineers in the industry. Jett works in all facets of mastering formats: CD 44.1 kHz / 16 bit, vinyl, Mastered for iTunes, surround sound, and high-resolution audio. Jett has always been passionate about the full scope of audio engineering but was drawn to mastering because of the unique experience of listening to multiple songs, with the objective of making the whole gamut sound cohesive as one full album.

Jett finds that in mastering she can immerse herself in a lot of diverse music. One day you’re working on a rock track, then the next day, a concept folk album about Moby Dick. You get to expose yourself to a lot of music as a mastering engineer. Jett finds the level of precision and consistency needed in mastering to be both challenging and rewarding.

Jett reflects on the process of the signal chain “ it has to be set up accurately before the actual mastering takes place–choice of word clocks, line amps, AD/DA converters, etc. If you don’t get the setup right, there’s no shortcut but to redo your mastering from the start”.

Jett Galindo, Doug Sax, and Greg Calbi

Jett Galindo, Doug Sax, and Greg Calbi

Jett’s long-term goals are to be an independent and reputable audio mastering engineer with her own loyal clientele. She looks up to other female mastering engineers who have made it in the industry, such as Darcy Proper of Wisseloord Studios, Emily Lazar of The Lodge Mastering, and Mandy Parnell of Black Saloon. For Jett, these women reaffirm the fact that with passion and dedication, gender does not become a deciding factor when it comes to success in the audio industry.

Jett has faced a few obstacles because of her gender, she explains “a few individuals I’ve come across have treated me differently based on the assumption that I don’t know as much as them. One guy told me upfront that I didn’t know what I was doing, when in fact, I was following setup instructions correctly and he wasn’t. In these instances, I just assure myself that as long as I focus on doing a good job as an audio engineer, any negative assumption/stereotype as a woman in this industry will ultimately be irrelevant. It’s helped me get through a lot of these types of barriers. In fact, people who treated me differently, in the beginning, have eventually realized that I’m just as able as any professional and I eventually earned their trust and friendship”. For the most part, though Jett has been surrounded by awesome colleagues that have been very supportive.

Jett offers this advice to women wishing to enter into professional audio – “It’s already a given that you have to love this field if you want to become an audio professional. But in addition to that, you have to remember to love the journey. There will be a lot of obstacles but it’s all part of the experience, and you should learn to thrive amidst these setbacks. Keep your eye out for opportunities, make sure to work on your portfolio, keep track of your achievements and put them on a resume, learn to promote yourself.”

“There’s a lot of online resources for anyone to get a head start on learning about audio production and I highly encourage getting yourself immersed in that environment. I’m glad organizations like SoundGirls.Org and Women’s Audio Mission exist because it empowers women to pursue a career in audio.”

Jett’s Recommendations:

Must have skills: Communication skills (highly underrated). Resilience to the ever-changing technologies we face as audio engineers

Favorite gear: ATC SCM-150s. In surround. Also a huge fan of the Mastering Lab’s custom mod’d LA2A limiters.

Jett plans to stay in the United States and be as close to the action and latest in technology as possible but wants to make sure she gives back to the music industry and audio engineering in the Philippines.

Jett Galindo has been busy since our 2014 profile. She currently has engineering credits spanning different genres and with several legendary artists (Bette Midler, Randy Travis, Nile Rodgers, Roberta Flack, and Gustavo Santaolalla, to name a few), Jett carries on the legacy left behind by her late mentor, mastering legend Doug Sax (The Mastering Lab). She now works as a mastering engineer alongside Eric Boulanger at The Bakery, located at the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City, Los Angeles.

For more information about Mastering and a Q & A with Jett Galindo see the following links:
The Art of Mastering
Q & A with Jett Galindo

Jett is a contributor to iZotpe contributing several articles on Mastering. Check out all her articles

 

 

 

 

Leslie Ann Jones- Part two

LA JONES photoDon’t be afraid to raise your hand

Women can sometimes hold themselves back out of fear of failure, whereas men will generally jump at opportunities to take on something new even if they’ve never done it before.  It’s often a challenge for us to overcome the feeling of needing to be proficient at something before agreeing to take it on. Leslie recognized this herself in the early days of her career. “Wanting to be of service as an assistant and yet trying to be ready so when the moment came to be thrown into the fire, even though I might be nervous, to just do it was challenging. And yet to this day, that is what molded me. My curiosity, my willingness to try different things, to step out of my comfort zone on purpose.”

“To tell you the truth I NEVER really felt comfortable and secure. I always felt like there was so much I didn’t know, and so much I needed to learn. Even before I became a professional, when I would walk into Hi-fi stores or instrument stores and ask questions, it was really to try and get a better grasp of terms. When I worked at Capitol Studios, we started doing more film and TV scores. But the method of working and the language was so different that I ended up taking a film sound class just to get more comfortable with the vocabulary and the work-flow. So for me, it never stops. I guess deep down now I am secure in knowing I will figure it out. Every step of the way I learn more. I still ask questions, even of my contemporaries.”  Leslie adds that for women to push past their comfort zone and take the necessary risks to advance in their careers, “The most important thing is to raise your hand, say yes, and then find a mentor or someone you can tap into to help you along the way. At ABC I was so fortunate to feel like everyone there, from the tech staff to the engineers to the artists had a vested interest in my success. But you have to be open to that.”

Leslie has taken on many challenging projects because she does raise her hand and say yes.  Recently she took on a live project called “The Hidden World of Girls.”  “I was asked to do it by Laura Karpman, an Emmy-winning composer and client, and friend of mine. She composed the music for the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz centered around The Kitchen Sisters. They (Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva) had a radio show where they asked girls to call in and leave a message about their “hidden world,” things about them others didn’t know. They were fascinating stories, and a whole full-length performance was built around those voice recordings, Laura’s music, and the music of 3 other women composers, all conducted by Marin Alsop and the Cabrillo Orchestra. And to add to the challenge, it was being performed where that festival is always performed, in a civic auditorium that also gets used for things like basketball games. I decided to mix it in surround. My assistant and trusty sidekick Dann Thompson and I brought a whole pro tools system and played all the voices off that. It all had to be timed perfectly like an old radio show. In fact, that is what I wanted the audience to experience…to close their eyes and be transported to these different worlds. There were a lot of masters, err mistresses to please. Laura, of course, asked me to do it because of my orchestra experience, I have known and admired Davia and Nikki for a long time, and then there was Marin and the orchestra. Nothing was done to a click, so that made it even more challenging. But she is a great conductor. It all took care of itself.”

 

Having started in this business when women audio engineers were extremely rare, their number still has not increased greatly over the past 40 years.  The answer to why this is difficult, but Leslie offers two ideas: One being that girls need to be given the tools they need while they are in middle and high school. “ Girls tend to be more concerned at that age with peer pressure, boyfriends and puberty. They need to be supported for their convictions and their tenacity and regarded for raising their hand first, regardless of the consequences. That is why organizations like Girls, Inc., and The Institute for the Musical Arts are so important. They build confidence.”  And again, having the courage to take risks and seize opportunities when they arise, “. I think it is still a big leap to go from being a great assistant to having all the responsibility for running the session. I saw it as a means to an end. I could still be involved in the creative aspect of making music but in a different way.”

Leslie, Bonnie Raitt and June Millington, circa 1979

For those who are interested in getting into the business, Leslie feels that an education in the recording arts is essential for anyone looking for a career as a recording engineer.  Equally as important though, is the creative part of the job which cannot be taught in school. Especially for those wishing to become producers. “Being a producer and what the job entails has so much to do with what the artist needs. There are very few multi-room studios now where one can get experience working on different projects, different genres, and alongside different engineers.”

Leslie has seen many engineers come and go and notes an important trait shared by the most successful engineers and producers is, “not getting upset. If there is a problem, just deal with it and keep the session going and the artist happy. I recently participated on a panel at AES in New York titled “What Would Ramone Do?”. It was a tribute to Phil Ramone, the producer and engineer legend. Al Schmitt told a great story about Phil; that if there was ever a problem in the studio, like a technical problem, he would just go out into the studio and start rehearsing with the band, or call for a dinner break and buy some time, all without letting on what was happening. When things were ok, they’d swing back into the session, and no one was the wiser.

Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound

Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound

Setting yourself apart from the competition is key to getting the job, and as with anything it takes more than technical skill.  “Still to this day I remain impressed by people that will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Extending themselves, showing up, asking questions, staying after school. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is this entitlement some younger kids feel that means they don’t have to do any of that. Communication skills, writing (yes penmanship), being of service, all of those will make you stand out. Find something you are great at and make the most of it.”  “To paraphrase a famous character, there is no thinking, only doing.”

Leslie Ann Jones has certainly done…a lot.

“You really have to walk in every day ready to make music, no matter what that entails.”  “Making records is a creative process, and that needs to be the focus. Remember what I said about Roy Hallee having all his tools in place? Then he could go ahead and be creative. Making records, making music is about joy and having fun. Our job is to make sure that happens.”

Leslie’s list of clients, projects, and accomplishments over the years has been extensive, and she says the diversity has helped her longevity in the business. Helping artists and composers fulfill their aspirations, and being able to do that in a facility that honors the creative work that helps make that happen, is one of the most enjoyable parts of Leslie’s job.   Working at Skywalker Sound, she says she’s had the pleasure of working with some of the most creative and talented people she’s known.

Leslie with one of her Grammys

Leslie with one of her Grammys

Like most women, Leslie finds it challenging to have a career and a life at the same time.  “Both are very important to me as one feeds the other. That balance continues to be challenging, and I think it is harder as a woman than as a man. I don’t have children, but I have watched many of my contemporaries have families and children. Unfortunately, we live in a society where it is still seen as the woman’s main responsibility for parenting, even when the Dads are great parents and our work is quite time-consuming. “  But when asked if she could imagine herself having chosen another career path Leslie replies, “I can’t imagine having chosen something else. I have a great career, exciting, challenging and fulfilling. I am surrounded by music all the time. I get to work with incredibly talented and creative people. Well, perhaps a little more time to make my 2nd wine would be appreciated.” : -)

leslie2

Leslie Ann Jones- Having the Courage to Raise Your Hand

leslie-at-work

Multiple Grammy-winning Recording Engineer Leslie Ann Jones is a true trailblazer. A most respected and revered engineer among her peers with a career spanning decades, Leslie has had the pleasure of working with many incredibly talented artists at several historic studios and is presently Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound, where she’s been since 1997.

To say her list of accomplishments is impressive is an understatement. Here are a few:

First Woman Recording Engineer at ABC Studios in Los Angeles 1975

First Woman Engineer at the legendary Automatt Studios in San Francisco, 1977

First Woman National Officer of The Recording Academy

Sound engineer and Road manager of one of the first American all-women bands- Fanny, in the 1970s

Multiple time Grammy Award nominee and five-time Grammy Award winner for:

2003-Winner for Best Chamber Music Album- The Kronos Quartet, ‘Berg: Lyric Suite’

2005-Winner Best Jazz Vocal Album- Dianne Reeves, ‘ Good Night and Good Luck’

2010- Winner Best Engineered Album, Classical- Quincy Porter, Complete Viola Works

2015-Winner-Best Engineered Album, Classical- Laura Karpman-Ask Your Mama

2019-Winner-Best Engineered Classical-Kronos Quartet-Terry Riley-Sun Rings.

In 2014, Leslie was nominated for two Grammys: Best Surround Sound Album- Signature Sound Opus One,  and Best Engineered Album, Non- Classical- for Madeleine Peyroux, ‘The Blue Room.’  ( A category she shared with fellow engineer: Trina Shoemaker, and also the first time two women engineers had been nominated in the same category).

You never know where the road will take you

Growing up with musical parents, (her Father was novelty drummer, percussionist, and bandleader Spike Jones and her mother- singer Helen Grayco),  Leslie’s introduction to the music business started at a very young age.  Musician friends of her parents were always visiting the family home, and that led to Leslie being exposed to a wide variety of musical styles and sounds. Spending so much time around musicians from such a young age also gave Leslie incredible insight into working with artists.  From her Father’s creative use of unusual instruments (cowbells, brake drums, foghorns, and such) and her mother’s style of singing and introduction to the styles of Sinatra, Bennet, and Streisand, [1] Leslie’s young ears were already being primed, and she was forming a set of skills that would be invaluable in her later career as a recording engineer.

jones:grayco:photoagency

Leslie’s parents and brother Spike Jr.
Photo Credit: Photo Agency

Leslie started playing guitar around age 14, after receiving one as a Christmas gift.  She then formed a musical group with some family and friends[2] which proceeded down the all too familiar road of performing, recording, getting a record contract, and then getting dropped due to the ever-changing record company scene of the 1970s.

Her interest in audio was piqued when she found herself in charge of the sound for the last rock band she was in. Though she had a knack for mixing, Leslie felt that being self-taught on guitar she didn’t quite have the chops to be on par with those she admired like; Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and Stephen Stills, so she focused her attention on becoming a producer like the legendary Producer/Manager- Peter Asher.  She began arranging music for other’s bands and acquiring PA gear.  “Then when the band broke up, and I found myself with a small PA system, I started mixing live sound and formed a company with friends who also did live sound. We pooled our equipment and went to work! I seemed to have a natural talent for it, even though I was not mechanically or electrically inclined. So I had to work harder at some aspects of it, but I loved to mix.”

During the same time, Leslie had a day job at ABC records working in publicity and artist relations. In her desire to become a world-famous Producer/Manager, Leslie had the foresight to know she needed to learn more about audio engineering and approached the studio manager for a job. [2]

It took some time though before she was engineering records.  “My first job at ABC Studios was as a “production engineer.”  I was on the 4 pm-midnight shift. In those days U.S. based record companies would send a 1/4″  2 track tape called an EQ copy to their foreign affiliates, and those affiliates would press LPs and cassettes using the EQ copy. That way it had the same sound as the US releases.
tape
My job was to make a copy of the EQ master that was generated by the mastering room so it could be sent overseas. We also had a large cassette duplication machine and would make cassettes for all the label execs and artists and producers working in the studios.”

Some months after she had started, she finally began doing setups for sessions.  Next, she volunteered to assist on a session and then did nothing but assist many engineers for months, later engineering their overdub sessions when they got too busy.  The studio manager, Phil Kaye was a bit unsure in hiring Leslie, as female engineers were an extreme rarity in the 1970s.  “We did have a female mastering engineer at ABC, Lois Walker, so the presence of a woman in a technical position was not foreign. But being in a mastering room and being in the trenches of a live recording or mixing session were not really the same thing”.

Despite that, Leslie found that the men she worked with at ABC Studios were supportive, being patient with her, as she learned. Something that probably wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t open to accepting people’s help. [3] “I had so much support from the staff engineers at ABC who all took me under their wing: the late Barney Perkins, Reggie Dozier, my boss Phil Kaye, and of course Roy Halee, but it was also the first time I was taken off a session because I was a woman.” Roy really laid a foundation for me and the things I learned from him are branded into my DNA: Work ethic; making sure all your tools are as you want them so you can just go to work and be creative; Zero on a meter is important; using your ears; the value of reverb (he was a master). “

johnmayall-ahardcorepackage-sealed-lprecord-371997In those early days, Leslie had to walk the fine line of showing people you can do the job with confidence, rather than arrogance.  “Once I got thrown into sessions with outside clients I would still get asked when “the engineer” was showing up. I would say I was the engineer and of course would be met with some skepticism. That lasted about a half-hour into tracking. Once they realized that, not only did I know what I was doing, but they loved the sound, then I could do no wrong. Plus having a sense of humor (thanks, Dad) helped immensely.”It was at ABC Studios that Leslie finally engineered her first album with John Mayall, called – A Hard Core Package.

The Automatt

When Leslie moved to the Automatt in 1977, Fred Catero was the only other engineer at the time, and it wasn’t clear whether Leslie would be his assistant or another First Engineer.  All it took was a client to call who didn’t have an engineer and Leslie was it.  At the Automatt, she had the chance to learn from Roy Halee, Fred Catero, and David Rubinson.  “Roy came from CBS in San Francisco (later called The Automatt), so when I got there, I felt a little like I was following in his footsteps.”

“Roy’s contemporary Fred Catero taught me the art and value of recording many things on one track given limited “real estate,” 24 tracks in those days. How to stack tracks, how to do live bounces of backgrounds or horns when you didn’t have enough tracks. And both Roy and Fred were master editors.”

“And David, well he was what I had originally aspired to be…a great producer and manager. He could make great records and then go upstairs to his office where he made sure his artists got the best follow through. He and Fred trusted me with their demos, their artists, and later with many of the groups that came to record on their own. David also taught me about creating songs from 16-minute jams and how to listen and create on the spot. But my fondest memories of David were not recording-related at all. He had a great wine collection and a palate to match, and it was my first experience with that. That became my second passion, and after all these years I have just made my first wine.”

During her time at The Automatt, Leslie was lucky enough to have recorded the first digital multi-track recording session in San Francisco on the 3M tape machine, Carlos Santana’s album- ‘The Swing of Delight.’  Later at Capitol, she fell in love with the sound and operation of the Mitsubishi X850 and X880 32 track, which was later superseded by the Euphonix 48 track disk-based recorder at Skywalker, “because I was able to record 48 tracks at 24/96.”  “None of those are available any longer, but they were all great in their day. They allowed me to use technology to enhance my work.”  Some of Leslie’s other favorite pieces of gear include: a Neve 88R which is an analog console, one of the first digital reverbs, a Lexicon 224, EMT plates, “and yet I also use new things, mostly microphones.”

Use what you’ve got

The Automatt at one time had a staff of 6 engineers, 3 of which were women. “It was the Bay Area of course, infinitely more tolerant. But that ratio was unheard of…probably is still to this day.”

“At The Automatt, I first started working on sessions with all women. That was the era of ‘women’s music,’ primarily folk music specifically marketed and created for and by women. Women-owned record labels, musicians, producers, engineers artists, distributors, festivals, etc. Mostly lesbians, all feminists. It was when I first encountered being hired because I was a woman and what that brought to the sessions. Because the Automatt had a split staff, many times on regular projects, we would have a woman 1st engineer and a male assistant or vice-versa. One producer, in particular, would “cast” the sessions based on the vibe he wanted for the artist. I started to realize that being who I was and bringing that to whatever session I was doing was the most important thing I could do.”

Of Leslie’s many skills, being open to adapt to whatever situation comes her way and always ready to seize an opportunity, “not being afraid to raise my hand,” are two traits that helped pave the way to the top of her profession.

Leslie mixingWhile she admits that trying to find your way in a room full of guys can be challenging, Leslie also sees that women bring a different set of skills in the way we approach our jobs, with the ability to multi-task better than most men, being one.  Also, “there seems to be much less ego with women than men (for better or worse). We are more prone to work with people as team players. Maybe that is why I have always enjoyed being on staff. Those qualities are really important if you are going to show up at the same place and work with the same people all the time. BUT having said that, those attributes can be our downfall as well. I liken it to female chefs. We make great assistant engineers/sous chefs, but it is quite a leap from there to the Big Chair…to being in charge of the session/kitchen or restaurant. Still to this day that seems to be the most difficult transition.”

Leslie moved to Capitol Records in 1987 where she was hired as a staff engineer and became known for engineering Jazz, Vocal and Classical.  She had a roster of regular artists such as; Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Bebe, and CeCe Winans and others. She also won her first Grammy for Dianne Reeves- ‘Good Night and Good Luck.’

Ten years later Leslie accepted the job of Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound.  Having begun her film-scoring career with the movie Apocalypse Now during her years at the Automatt, Skywalker would allow Leslie to showcase both those skills and her talent for music recording while also bringing her organizational skills as Studio Director.

Read Part Two Here

 

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

Kim Watson- You Have to Learn From the Best

UK-based sound engineer Kim Watson has been a freelance audio engineer since 1999.  Kim’s foray into live sound started with a love of music and a desire to work in the music business.  “I always knew I wanted to be in the music industry, I just never quite knew in what respect.”  Although having started her training in recording school, she found recording sessions boring and monotonous.  Kim was attracted to the challenge of live sound, “having one chance to get it right and then, that moment is gone.”

It never hurts to ask

While she was at a show, Kim approached the FOH engineer to whom she expressed her interest in live sound.  Luckily for her, he was the owner of a local PA system and gave her a call the next week to show up for work.  Kim recalls how she was the 3rd person on the show and was ‘paid in pizza and information.’   It was a proper sound company, and Kim spent the next three years learning as much as she could.  “First thing he showed me was how to coil cables.  Then how he wanted mics plugged in Stage box end first, roll the cable to mic stand, so it lies flat, coil left at the bottom of the mic stand in case it needs to move, etc…” She got on very well with the crew, earning their respect by getting her hands dirty, asking questions, and learning how to not get in the way if a problem arose.  Her fellow crew guys became very protective of her, jumping in if anyone gave her a hard time.  One bit of wisdom she retains to this day, ” If a mic goes down on stage, you have 30 seconds to fix it before everyone notices, and the band stops the song and kills the flow of the show.”  Kim paid close attention to the crew guys when they were talking tech, ” At first I didn’t understand much, so I picked up on words- ‘Crossover,’ and would then go home and research what it does.  The next time I would ask questions. I made it my mission to read the Live Audio Boards every day, even if I didn’t understand it, things would sink in.”

Festival FOH Four years later while she was working with another company, Kim would get her big break as a monitor engineer, when she got drafted to replace a co-worker who didn’t show up for a festival.  It was a 50’s Rock and Roll weekend with ten bands a day and a crash course in mixing monitors.  “First time on the monitor board was fun.  Feedback wasn’t so much an issue as we set up the day before, and Barry, the guy I was working for, had me ring the monitors out, teaching me as we went.  Barry introduced me to the principle of subtractive mixing, pulling back something that’s in the way of the item they want more of, be it through EQ or nudging the aux back a touch”, she says.  Kim’s been doing monitors ever since.

She is currently the monitor engineer for The Subways.  When she isn’t touring, Kim works freelance for PA companies, such as ESS (based in Mansfield), and is also an audio tech for the O2 Academy in Newcastle, UK.  Having a sweet house gig at the Academy is a huge advantage for Kim, being that she can always find work in the downtime between tours.

Kim is an experienced system/fly tech and more than capable of mixing FOH when required, but most often finds herself at the stage end of the snake.  “Primarily I tend to end up being Monitor Engineer and these days specializing in mixing IEMs.”  The close interaction with the band and the on-stage shenanigans that the audience doesn’t see is one of the things she enjoys most about doing monitors.

FestivalmonitorsNever stop learning

During her school years, Kim went to careers meeting with her parents where she was told that being a “sound engineer” wasn’t a real job.  While her parents tried to guide her to a more reliable career as a music teacher, she knew it wasn’t for her.  “It wasn’t until after I had started work experience with the PA company, that they realized it could be a job, but I would have to MAKE my way job in the industry.  For me, it was all or nothing.  I got into the habit of giving 110% on every show.  People are always watching, and that is what gets you up the ladder.”

Her educational background includes; studying music throughout her school years, Technical college, which included education in Music Tech, Math, Computing, and Physics, also getting her HND* in Music Production, while she was cutting her teeth working at the PA companies.  Kim also plays several instruments and has a background in music theory, which she finds very helpful in mixing.

Kim continues educating herself to this day.  To keep her chops up, besides working and mixing as much as possible, Kim also makes an effort to attend manufacturer’s training seminars.  “I did the Meyer Sound Comprehensive System Design (5 days) and the SIM3 (5 days) courses a few years ago.  I learned so much from both.  Understanding a lot more about the physics behind the sound system, audio interactions, and system measurement has helped a lot.”  Kim is also grateful for having studied Physics at College; she says it “made understanding the principles of phase and wave interactions (in wave theory) very easy.”

She has done training on every digital console she could get her hands on.  “I have always been a computer nerd and got my head around digital desks very early.  I am one of those engineers, that even though I have never used a certain type of board, I can make the show happen the same as I would on analog.  This makes festival walk-up gigs really easy.”

EmiliSande monsystemtech Royal Albert hall

Emili Sande at Royal Albert Hall

For The Subways, who she’s been with for going on two years, Kim is mixing IEMs.  The band usually carries their own LS9 and Sennheiser transmitters, and she’s hoping to have them fully self-contained on stage by next year’s tour.

Kim has been working for the O2 Academy since it opened in 2005.  Recently, she was Monitor System Tech for the two UK legs of Emili Sande’s tour, Monitor tech and Fly tech for Brit Floyd UK and Europe, and Monitor Engineer for “Wow- A celebration of the music and artistry of Kate Bush.”   Kim loves the people she meets on tour.  Familiar friends of The Subways will show up at their local gigs, sometimes joining band and crew on the bus for a few days.  She is also lucky enough to work with a band that enjoys organizing days off in towns with something interesting to do or see, such as visiting a castle or museum.

Lack of sleep is the hardest part of touring for Kim.  “There have been a few tours where hours of sleep at night are very minimal, with lots of back-to-back shows.  That nearly killed me, pushing me right to my limits and making me quite ill.  It’s learning to get the balance.  When you are on tour and you have the option of one of- shower, food, or sleep – choose wisely as it can be your undoing.”
While she admits to having difficulty picking a favorite piece of gear, since gear is always changing, she says, “ My favorite piece of gear is the one that works when you plug it in, and it’s right for the job at hand.”

From the start, Kim’s long-term goal has been to be in the top 10% of live engineers.  “I was told early on by one of my mentors, to be the best you have to learn from the best.  I went out and found out who the top engineers in the world were and read everything I could online that they had written, (through prosoundweb.com and other sites).  It’s been awesome over the years meeting, working with, and hearing the engineers I looked up to.”

Britfloyd Systemandmontech

Brit Floyd

When she first got started in the business, Kim asked another female engineer for advice which she quickly adopted as her own rules.

And one final word of advice: “The most important skill in this job is attitude.  Do it all with a smile and your day will be very easy.  Become a ‘yes person.”

*An HND is roughly the equivalent of two years of university and generally vocational in nature leading to work in a specific industry and entry into advanced levels of the university, somewhat similar to an Associates degree in the USA

Grace Royse – Rock & Roll Not a Pipe Dream

 

Rock and Roll was no ‘pipe dream’ for Grace Royse. Despite all of the discouragement from those around her and closest to her, Grace fought her way through to a touring career as a live mixer, never giving the negativity an ounce of energy.

“I was always obsessed with music for as long as I can recall. I still own the mixtapes I dubbed in my garage as a kid. In high school, I discovered Punk Rock and made some brilliantly terrible recordings.”  Once she was old enough to drive, Grace started following bands around and working her way into recording sessions where she met a few engineers and learned whatever she could.  “I ended up in the beginning stages of CRAS (Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences) in Phoenix. Back then the school was taught mostly by working engineers and the classes rotated through local studios, some of us even landed internships while in class.”

While attending CRAS, Grace met David Nichols, who was the owner of Livinghead Audio Recording and a talented engineer himself.  “Livinghead had amazing vintage gear and the best of the new digital platforms. I worked with Jazz, Classical, Rock, Rap, Country, and Indie. We attended several AES’s as a studio, and after graduation, I worked with David for three years before opening my own studio in Tempe.”

Grace and her business partner built their studio by at first, providing PA and live multi-track recordings. Maintaining her own clients and running shows, even on a small scale, is where she really learned the most.   “A few years after the studio opened, a Production Manager friend called and said his engineer had quit and he needed help. That very day I ran my first real touring show as a favor to my friend. I worked at that venue for the next 6 years, meeting hundreds of Engineers and Tour Managers was eventually scooped up by a Fat Wreck Chords tour, and have been touring ever since.”

When she was first getting started in the business, Grace faced a lot of opposition from family and friends who believed touring to be an unsafe environment and bought into false rumors that she had fallen prey to drug use and promiscuous sex.  Learning to stand up for what she wanted was her biggest obstacle, but one she has overcome.  “I never gave in to what others thought was best for me, pushing forward with my own voice in my heart.  It’s a technical job.  It’s no different from any other career with a long learning curve and long hours. You must prove yourself, starve for a while, stick to your guns, and love what you are doing, even when it gets really, really hard, even if you stand alone in your vision. ”  “As a doctor, it takes 12-14 years to actually get anyone to call you “Doctor” with an ounce of respect, and though being a Doctor is looked on with reverence in our culture, with the long hours, and travel schedules, not many people can maintain relationships with them. The struggle feels similar to me, though we aren’t curing cancer out here, some days it feels just as hard.”

Touring life can be brutal on relationships, which Grace experienced recently with both a supportive significant other, who was unhappy and wanted her home all the time, and a very old and close friend who, overcome with jealousy, told her touring would make her ugly.  To make things easier, Grace started actively seeking out like-minded people.  “I continue to build an expansive network of colleagues who support me and have big goals of their own. It’s kind of like growing up in a small town where everyone becomes a farmer, and you are the outcast who wants to be an artist, then one day you move to San Francisco and find amazing, happy people to create with. Touring was my grand move. Over the last nine years, I have met the most amazing teammates. We push each other to succeed, believe in what we are doing, and offer this rare comfort: You aren’t crazy to have such wild dreams and I believe you can do it! “

Over the last nine years Grace has had an exciting career in a variety of roles:  FOH engineer, Monitor Engineer, Stage manager, Production Manager, Recording Engineer, Pro Tools Op, and Broadcast mixing, with a variety of bands:  No use for a Name, Useless ID, Pour Habit, Dirty Heads, Cypress Hill, Pennywise and the Descendants.  She is currently the Monitor Engineer and Stage Manager for Sublime with Rome, and FoH/Production Manager for Rome.  That’s a lot of hats to be wearing.   When asked how she handles all of the responsibilities Grace replied, “I love working within a company that has me doing lots of different things. There is no chance of getting bored around here, that’s for sure. There’s huge comfort in that. I’m kind of an organizational freak and to be able to steer my own ship is awesome. To be able to work with people who trust me is awesome.  I hope in the future, they continue to give me even more responsibility, because not only do they know I can handle it, it’s a benefit to the whole project and everyone involved to have me at the helm, and that’s one of the biggest compliments in the world. I don’t mind that my hat changes and I don’t mind that they lean on me for just about anything.”

“I remember the first time one of my Artists introduced me to someone as simply “my Engineer.” I really took that as a huge compliment. I’m going on four years with these guys, and we have done just about everything you can imagine. Fly dates where I’m mixing them in this little room, with scarcely a PA and I’m the only one there, to these huge arena tours, where I’ve got several semis trucks, tons of local hands, and my own PA to fly.  I think in that time, my whole network has learned that they can come to me with just about anything and I’ll make it happen.”

Her favorite day off activity is hiking to a swimming hole, as long as the destination permits, and being a huge foodie, she likes to seek out the best cuisine around.

As for advice to other women who wish to enter the field: “Hold your own. Set boundaries and stick to them. If you are not true to yourself, your goals, and your own professionalism, you won’t make it, not in Rock n Roll, not anywhere.”  “You’re a technician but also an artistic performer. Passion drives art. If the passion is in your heart for that chilling silence right before the first note hits, and the thunderous applause after the last, proceed.”  Grace’s future plans include the goal of FOH/TM.  “As long as I stay with people and projects I care about, I know it’s within reach.”  “All the amazing people I have met and grown with over the years are invaluable to me. I am beyond grateful for their years of guidance and support. Lapping the globe with your best friends is beyond amazing.”

Grace’s favorite gear includes Digidesign, Neuman, Shure anything, and D&B. I have a huge lady crush on AKG 4050’s, Neumann KM184’s, anything Manley Labs, API or Great River.

“I am totally a closet gear junkie.” She’s quick to add, “I have worked with the worst gear you can imagine over the years, having to duct tape together a PA for a show, and repair things on the fly has made me a better engineer. I feel really bummed when I think about the privileged kid that gets to buy all the really nice gear right out of school or goes right into a super clean gig. They are totally getting jipped out of the struggle that will make them amazing. I laugh now, thinking about this disgusting club me and my friends worked in many years ago. I had to repair an NL4 that got stepped on in the middle of the show because we didn’t have spares. There I was on stage, right there under the lead singer, who was spraying fake blood all over the crowd and me. That club taught me to repair, maintenance, and really down to the point physics of sound and electrical science of what we do. You will never learn that if you walk in, flip a switch and it always works. Get your hands dirty and make it work when it won’t.”

Grace’s Recommended “Must Have” Skills

People Skills!

It is unreal, the broad spectrum of people you will work with. Be ready to have thick skin for that loud tough boss. Be open to the quiet, humble tech who doesn’t speak much, he likely knows more than anyone. Get along with everyone. You never know where you will see them again on your journey

Technical Aptitude.

You’re a super dork now. Read the books, hit the conferences, get in the blogs, and nerd down with your gear head friends. Stay on the edge of the coolest and greatest. Someday, when you are a really big deal, they’ll give it to you for free! For now, do what you can to put your hands on the gear and read anything you can find.

Organize, Prioritize and Be Prepared.

Learn to be the neat freak. The cleaner you are, the smoother the show will go. I make lists. I lay out my gigs in my head on the airplane. And I anticipate a million scenarios.

Stay Calm.

As the saying goes, “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” If you live by #3, you are already, ready. I tell my interns, the people I respect most are calm amidst the storm. A pillar, the one you go to when the sh*t really hits the fan, and there they are, calm and with the answer in hand.

Have a good sense of humor.

Number five should very likely be number one.  If not for my ability to laugh, I’d never have made it this far. Humor, when you make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up about it. That’s how anyone gets great at anything, by getting it wrong first. Laughter, when you are too tired and too busy to think. Humor is vital to the ability to brush off stress. Laughing with my friends is the #1, hands down, the greatest part about this career.  Laugh lots.  Laugh that you are blessed to wake every day to a career you love, that you followed through with what you started, and now your dreams are chasing you around the world.

More on Grace

Grace on The SoundGirls Podcast

Grace Royse on Roadie Free Radio

Grace Royse on Signal to Noise

Grace Royse, Virtual Congregations

The Right Balance: The Diverse Career And Life Of Grace Royse

Grace Royse on Mixing Sublime with Rome with VENUE | S6L

Grace Royse Website

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

Proving Yourself

By: Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato
 
Although I am focusing this article on live sound as this is my area of familiarity, I am sure that those of you working in other areas- audio for gaming, post, broadcast, etc…

I think it’s safe for me to say that most, if not all of us, women feel incredible pressure to work harder, smarter, and faster than our male peers, especially when first starting out.  This is a male dominated business and there are still some men out there who feel women have no place in it.   It’s hard for anyone to break into live sound and the music business in general, but possibly harder for a woman. (more…)

Mudhoney Inspires Career in Sound

From Mudhoney to Monitor Engineer Christina Moon

 

Mudhoney over their twenty-five + year career has inspired and influenced many musicians and fans. One night in 1998 they inspired a young woman to become a sound engineer.* Christina Moon found herself at a Mudhoney show at Summer Nights at the Pier, and walked up to their soundman and asked him “What she had to do to be him?” He gave her great advice recommending classes in music technology at Shoreline Community College and to get involved in the local club scene”. Christina followed his advice and started interning, and within the year things started to click for her.

Christina says she has worked at every club in town (Seattle) and got her start at the Central Saloon. Having met a gentleman named Purple Perry at the infamous Crocodile Cafe who invited her to come hang out with him at the Central. She took him up on his offer and pretty soon she was working a few nights on her own. Unfortunately, for Purple Perry, he made a singer cry, and Christina soon found herself working all of the nights. Christina worked at the Central for five years while working any other gigs she could. Corporate shows, stagehand, small runs of the Northwest with local bands – Anything and Everything. Christina says she learned “soooo much from being in the clubs. You don’t know as much as you think you do until you are thrown in the fire”. The most valuable skills she came away with were how to troubleshoot and how to handle different temperaments from artists.

Soon Christina found herself interning and working at Studio X and with a recommendation from the studio manager landed a gig at Carlson Audio. She worked at Carlson for about six years and during her time there honed her professional skills. She learned how to fly sound systems and was able to gain valuable technical skills. Christina says of her time at Carlson “I thought it was all about being able to put up a great mix, but no, it is so much more.”  A moment of accomplishment came when Carlson trusted her with a truck and PA and sent her alone with a broken arm to Portland for a Queensryche show.

IMG_1118Christina has been working in the industry for fourteen years and works with some of the most prominent alternative acts today. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat Power, and LCD Soundsystem to name just a few. Christina mixed FOH for a long time but over time became known as a monitor engineer. While she did enjoy FOH, she has no desire to return. She prefers working on stage trying to figure out “people’s quirks.” Christina spends anywhere from eight to eleven months a year on the road and enjoys dining and spa-ing her way around the world. Australia is her favorite place to tour and hopes to get to Russia and Africa eventually. She has no advice for balancing tour and home life – other than she knows who her true friends are.

Christina has her favorite tools – An Avid Profile, D&B M2 or M4 Wedges, and Ultimate Ears for IEM acts. Christina’s acts all have specific needs, and she finds that the Avid Profile and the snapshot feature allow her the most control to manage changes during the show. For acts using IEMs, she throws an external time clock on the console to tighten everything up. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and LCD Soundsystem only use wedges, and with both bands volume is essential. She works closely with the FOH engineer to make sure “we’re not stepping on each other’s toes and leaving frequency holes, so we both have a good time.” A huge fan of D&B Christina uses M2 wedges and C7 sidefills for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Christina elaborates “The biggest challenge with this band is Karen’s vocal mic. She goes from being a quiet, demure singer to swallowing her mic with her face buried in her wedges. With the M2’s “I can get the volume that I need, and the double 12’s have an edge that I feel manage to poke through stage volume”.

LCD Soundsystem used 20 mixes of M2’s and M4’s with Q1’s and C7’s to get a club sound on stage. James Murphy singing thru a vintage Sennheiser 609 had an exact vision of the sound he wanted, and Christina used a combination of M2’s and M4’s to get his sound.

Death Cab For Cutie – A challenge as all of the guys in the band are producers with their own studios and can hear EVERYTHING. Christina does appreciate the fact they can tell her exactly what they are hearing and want. DCFC are all on IEMS.

Cat Power – Christina helped them to make the transition to IEMS. They were afforded the luxury of a month of production rehearsals to make the transition. Christina points out that time to make the transition is so important “I would say time is a big aspect of a band feeling comfortable with the switch. I feel unsuccessful attempts happen when bands try them for the first time on a show day and don’t have a great experience, then don’t want to try again”.

Q&A

Digital or Analog? Both have pluses and minuses. Nothing beats the warmth of an analog preamp. But the footprint of outboard gear is a bummer. So I’m going to have to say digital because you have everything at your fingertips.  I’ll take the extra ins and outs, comps, and eq’s. Digital preamps are getting better, the new Midas’s sound great.  Also, I could not go back to a day without snapshots. My setlists used to be covered in cues and some days you just didn’t get to them all. Now at a click of the mouse, all of my changes are made. Love that! So do the bands, it’s the same every night.

IMG_0050.JPG

 

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I would say that I’m my biggest obstacle. Making myself face situations that are new and uncomfortable, always good to do that. Every time I start a new gig, I’m not 100% sure I can pull it off. It’s not just about your skills; you never know if you’re going to fit into the new scenario. I always come away a little more confident though. Advice you have for other women and young women who wish to enter the field? Get out there and get involved in anything and everything you can. That really helped me find what role I would be best suited for.

Must have skills?

Patience, sense of humor, and thick skin

Would you recommend Shoreline Music Technology program for young women starting out?

Yes, I think it’s a nice place to start. I don’t know if the program is the same, but you had to explore a lot of the different aspects of music production.  Analog recording, digital recording, live audio, with two years of music theory.  I feel it was a well-rounded learning experience.  Was I ready to get a job after this?  No, but I think it was a good foundation for me and gave me the opportunity to figure out what I was interested in.  It’s not for everyone.  I think that most of what you learn comes from on-the-job experience and interning.  Until you actually experience something, I don’t think it sinks in.

What discrimination if any have you faced? How have you dealt with it?

Sure you’re going to run into some dudes that just wanna be around dudes.  I really don’t care, and you deal with it by going out and killing it at your job.  Usually, by the end of the day, they wanna be your friend.  But for the most part, people are really nice and supportive.

Best show ever? And why?

I think my best show ever was the last LCD Soundsystem show at Madison Square Garden.   It was the band’s last show before retiring, and everyone worked really hard to make that show great.  Lots of dancing, champagne, and tears.

IMG_0001

Christina has continued to tour the 2017 season with LCD Sound System

How to get started in Live Sound

Getting an Education

There are many colleges and technical schools that offer degrees and education in audio engineering and music production.

If you’re not good at learning on the job and/or have no idea where to get started, get an education at a trade school or college.  Your best bet is one that offers real world hands on training. Understanding signal flow and theory such as proper gain structure, trouble shooting are as valuable as getting your hands on the console and mixing.

On our Profiles page you’ll find a constantly growing collection of stories about the successful women engineers/producers/ and technicians in the industry. They’ve got excellent advice and information to share about what it takes to make it in this business and how they did it.

Gaining Experience

If you’ve already got a basic background in audio, try and find a Mentor.

Start by learning as much and getting as much experience wherever you are at the moment – if you’re in school, does your school have an active A/V department or music production program? Does your school have a sound system that it uses for events such as band concerts, theatrical performances?  Get involved and learn how to use the equipment.

Already have some experience?  Approach local sound companies, venues, or local bands for a job. Explain to them your interest in live sound and ask if they will give you the opportunity to work and learn from them.  Be prepared to work as an unpaid intern until you have enough experience. Gaining knowledge and experience whether it is shop work, loading trucks, or working a show are all valuable assets. Be available and open to working every opportunity that is offered to you. Proving that you are reliable is as valuable as your mixing abilities.

No experience? Are you a fast learner?  Can you learn on the job?  Are there any opportunities where you live? Inquire with sound companies, bands, and venues for internships.  If you have no experience you will need to find an opportunity to learn on the job. Inquire with local sound companies or sound engineers if they will take you under their wing. Often bands cannot afford a sound engineer but desire to work with someone capable, that they can trust and knows their material, approach local bands and see if they are open to this. Expect to start out working for free, consider the experience you acquire as payment.

Is there a local club or live music venue with an in house sound system in your area? Explain to them your interest in live sound and ask if they will give you the opportunity to work and learn from their house engineer.  Be prepared to work as an unpaid intern until you have enough knowledge.

Join the local stage hand labor company or union (IATSE) and work as many shows as you can, and request that they put you on the sound call. If you live in a major city such as LA, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, you have many options available to you:  sound companies, stage hand labor companies, IATSE, equipment rental companies and rehearsal spaces (such as SIR).

Work as hard as you can.
Learn as much as you can.
Show initiative, have a positive attitude and be prepared to jump at opportunities as they arise!

Claudia Engelhart – Attention to Detail

claudia_engelhartClaudia Engelhart has been working in live sound for the last 30 Years. Her parents were artists and musicians, and she grew up in Berkeley, CA, Claudia began her live sound career at the legendary jazz room Keystone Korner in San Francisco. The Keystone Korner hosted legendary jazz acts such as George Benson, Grover Washington, Bill Evens, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and Miles Davis. The Keystone Korner left an enormous legacy of live recordings.

In 1983, Claudia moved to New York and started working at another legendary club CBGBS. By 1985, Claudia was touring full time and has been Bill Frisell’s FOH engineer since 1989. Claudia has toured with several renowned artists during her career including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, David Sylvian, John Patitucci, Dave Holland, Grover Washington Jr., John Scofield, Medeski Martin & Wood, John Zorn, The Kronos Quartet, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Fred Frith, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, among others.

Growing up, Claudia was surrounded by working musicians and that perhaps has given her a deeper appreciation and understanding of music. The musical environment is natural to her, and she understands both music and musicians. Having studied the cello, piano, and voice for over ten years, Claudia always knew that she did not want to become a performer. “I played in the orchestra a little, but I wasn’t interested in that. I just loved the sound of the instruments, cello specifically, and how it felt to play”. Being surrounded by all those musicians, Claudia wanted “to find something of her own, which nobody else did.”

Through a family friend Airto Moreira, the Brazilian percussionist Claudia was exposed to the touring life. His band would stay with her family when they came to town on their West Coast tours. Claudia says “ there was something romantic about being on the road, seeing them all, hanging out with them, and going to the clubs to hear them play.” It was then that she knew she wanted to tour.

After graduation from high school, she traveled to Brazil for a year and coincidentally ended up staying with two live sound engineers. They had reel to reels of every live concert they had done, and Claudia believes they helped switch the light bulb on as it became clear she would pursue sound.

Luckily, she knew where to turn, her second home the Keystone Korner. Her parents were friends of Todd Barkan, the owner and attended many shows for free. Claudia and her sisters got to see many of the Jazz greats and often sat in the sound booth. She approached Milton Jeffries, the sound man, and he would give Claudia her first gig and become a teacher and mentor. He passed his knowledge down to Claudia teaching her to be patient, making sure she took her time to listen and then to make changes sonically. How important it is to talk to and get to know musicians, establishing the trust that is the foundation of live sound. Claudia says to this day she still heeds his advice “Just move slow, take your time, and record everything.”

From Keystone, she would make her way to New York and soon found herself mixing Audition Nights at CBGBs. Claudia says it was “a perfect place to learn. You could do anything, and it wouldn’t matter. It was crazy – like a garage band factory”. She also learned to work quickly with seven bands a night and 20 to 30 minute set times. CBGBS was at the height of the hardcore scene a complete 180 from the Jazz scene Claudia came from but says she did not meet any resistance to her gender and felt it often worked to her advantage. She was not alone either as both the head sound engineer and LD were women. Hilly Kristal, the owner, was very supportive, and Claudia says if there ever was a problem “ he would scare the shit out of people. Nobody would get in Hilly’s face. That’s for sure. He was a total puppy dog in real life. I think he was proud to have women on his crew”.

Claudia has fond memories of CBGBS, reminiscing that it was the best sounding club in New York, and bands would take the gig seriously. Bands could also get good sounding board tapes or 16 track recordings that they often used later. The sound system consisted of a 16 channel Soundcraft, an Apex 16 track recorder, and a large P.A. of JBL boxes. The system was designed and built by Norman Dunn. The best thing was that the mix position was in the middle of the room, where you could hear the P.A. Claudia says “CBGBS was a stepping stone – I think I might have been too young to realize how important it was. I wasn’t really focused on who would be there. In retrospect I was really lucky to cut my teeth in a room like that, I learned a lot”.

After CBGBs, she moved onto SOB’s, also known as Sounds of Brazil, a premier venue in NYC for world music. SOB’s hosted music Claudia loved, and she was able to connect with many talented musicians during her time there. It was also a challenging environment, with interesting instrument configurations and figuring out how to mic unusual instruments while achieving a rich and natural sound. Claudia says every day was a new experience and her launching pad for getting out on the road.

In 1989, the Knitting Factory called her in to mix Naked City, whom she had never heard of. The quintet included John Zorn, Fred Frith, Wayne Horvitz, Joey Baron, and Bill Frisell and Claudia spent a week mixing their improvised set of Thrash Metal, Free Jazz, Americana. Claudia says it was a blast and from then on John Zorn hired her for sound. She would tour with them through the early nineties and toured with Frisell’s, Frith and Horvitz’s bands. Since Naked City was the central band, there were never scheduling conflicts. She has been with Bill Frisell since.

Working with a musician or artist over several years has both pros and cons. Working with Frisell for over 25 years, Claudia finds it is important to work with other groups and styles of music that all bring fresh ideas and knowledge about sound. “There is always the danger of falling into a comfort zone when working with the same people all the time, that being said it does allow the ability to get really inside what is happening with the music.” Claudia elaborates “ It’s a deep place [to be] you become an integral part of their experience, and it is powerful for [both the artist and you]. Not everyone has that chance, in any workplace, to know and understand whom you work with at such an intense and intimate level. It’s a great thing.” Luckily Bill offers Claudia the chance to keep her mixing skills sharp as the band configurations change often. The most positive aspect is the bond Claudia and Bill have. They know and understand each other on a very deep level. Claudia explains that Bill knows he “can do anything [onstage] and he knows I’ll be right there to make sure it’s going to be heard. Ninety percent of it is about trust”.

Often interpreting an artist’s vision and translating it into the sound mix is a difficult task and Claudia spends a good deal of time talking with the artist to find out what they want to achieve sonically. When she was with David Byrne and his 55 piece orchestra, she found David to be incredibly articulate and able to convey how he wanted it to sound, working with her at FOH, making suggestions, she was able to get it closer to his vision. While on tour with Laurie Anderson she focused on the underlying sounds that might be overlooked or get lost in the mix. Establishing the trust for the artist to communicate with you is so vitally important. That trust allows room to experiment and get the best sound for that day, for that venue, that artist. While working with pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto on his solo piano tour, they experimented daily on the piano sound. Taking into account the venue sound, the piano, even the humidity. Microphone placement could change daily.

Sometimes less is more, as is the case with much of the music Claudia mixes.

The idea with Jazz and instrumental music is to let the band control their own dynamics as much as possible. In a Big Band situation, they have sections of instruments allowing them more control of their own volume as a whole. Smaller ensembles might be more dependent on the sound person. The term “reinforcement” really applies here – it’s about adding minimally what is missing – piano, acoustic bass, instruments that can get lost in the midst of the band, or follow a soloist to make sure they can be heard. There is a fine line to reinforcement and over amplifying that one has to be careful of. The acoustics in a venue play a considerable part in the performance; I try to use the room as much as possible to mix the band, and only add what I feel is missing. There is a lot left to interpretation, but in my experience less usually is more. A sound person can really make it difficult for a band to play if they are over amplifying them. The band no longer has control of their sound and dynamics. You really have to pay attention to the music, it is never a set it and leave it situation, even if you think you are not doing anything, small changes here and there can go a long way to making an acoustic band sound natural, amplified.

Monitors can play a huge role in how a musician plays their instrument. I work with a lot of bands that do not use monitors at all. They set up close together so they can hear each other naturally. If monitors are needed, usually they are very low volume, just enough to fill in what might be missing, not a whole band mix. Monitors can really determine how an acoustic band plays. If they are competing with loud sound onstage, they will have to play over that. It’s a very sensitive position to get a good monitor mix, and it can be very minimal. In this situation set it and leave it can apply. Letting the band
handle their own dynamics onstage is crucial to how they play. Remember though you always have to stay awake and pay attention to the band no matter how little mixing is going on in Monitor World! Things always change.

One Woman Crew! Claudia acts as road and production manager, FOH and Monitor engineer, and deals with backline equipment, lighting, and merch. Claudia says she pretty much “does everything except play onstage.” If she is on a tour that has a crew or road manager she is on vacation. She fell into road managing out of necessity as the acts did not have a budget for more than one crew person. She tries to do whatever is needed so the bands can focus on playing music. Her days are spent advancing shows, dealing with travel and transportation, driving the van, and finally getting to do what she loves mixing the show. The key to making this work is advance work, making sure all the bases are covered.

Even with all the advance work, there is often one variable that is out of her control; monitors and this can have a significant impact on the show. Claudia makes sure that the band and monitor engineer are introduced and that the band knows where monitor position is. She also takes time to explain to the ME what type of music they will be mixing and anything that is important to know about each musician. Communication is the key and so important. Sometimes the monitor mix is from the FOH console, and Claudia finds herself making several trips to the stage. She makes sure she eqs the wedges and determines the parameters she is dealing with. Is the sound on stage bright, dark, or mid-rangy, how will the sound of monitors affect the house mix, and getting the musicians confident for the show.

Claudia stresses that monitors are just as important as mixing FOH, and monitors often can make or break the performance. The ME needs to be on top of their game at all times, being sensitive to the needs of the band and FOH engineer, as well as taking into account the venue acoustics. When the ME knows what they are doing and giving their full attention to their job, Claudia knows she does not have to worry, and they will have a comfortable and fun day.

There are days though when the ME doesn’t understand the needs of the musicians, does not communicate or pay attention and forces Claudia into survival mode – getting the absolute minimum mixes going for the band so they can perform and get through the show. Hoping that the ME won’t change anything during the show. “SO MANY TIMES THE BAND HAS HEARD ME SAY, “DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING!”. SAD BUT TRUE”.

Claudia has many favorite venues but prefers the small theaters and intimate rooms where the audience is close to the band. The energy to audience brings to the band adds to the performance. She loves the festival circuit and has many favorites – Montreal-Newport-Umbria-San Francisco-London-Copenhagen Jazz Festivals. With sound technology continually changing, she does not get too attached to specific pieces of gear and finds that sound systems today are at such a high level that even the “bad” systems aren’t that bad. She does her best to make anything work, even if it’s not perfect. “I like the challenge! It’s a live performance – It’s Live.”

Claudia’s advice to young women starting out:

I think you have to be passionate about doing live sound. It’s a lifestyle that may not be for everyone. It takes endurance, patience, selflessness, and love of music and musicians. You have to be ready for the longest days, hard travel, no sleep, and hard work. But it is very rewarding and fun. Remember the show isn’t about you, it’s a team effort. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; it’s the best way to learn. Trust your instincts

More on Claudia

Sharing The Long Road: The Career Of Claudia Engelhart & Inside Her Unique Partnership With Artist Bill Frisell

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

X