7 Steps to Making a Demo with Your Phone

The internet is full of songwriters asking the question; how good does my demo have to be? The answer is always, “it depends”. Demos generally have one purpose; to accurately display the lyrics and melody of a song. Yet, there are varying types of demos and demo requirements but for this blog’s purpose, that is our one purpose!

*(see the end of this blog for situations where you will want to have your song fully produced for pitching purposes)

If you are a

Songwriter who wants to create a demo for the creative team of an artist
Artist who wants to create a demo for a producer
Songwriter who wants feedback on a song

Demos for these purposes can be recorded on your phone. If you have recording software (otherwise known as a DAW: Digital Audio Workstation) you can use that too. The steps are the same. But for those who don’t have a recording set up and have no interest in diving into that world, your phone and a variety of phone apps make it super easy.

Figure out the tempo

The “beats per minute”, or BPM is a critical component to the momentum and energy of a song. Pretty much every novice singer/songwriter has a tendency to write their songs in various tempos. The verse starts off at a certain groove and then by the time the first chorus comes in, the tempo has gradually increased to a new bpm. Then it goes back down during the soft bridge, then back up to an even faster tempo at the end.

None of us were born with an internal metronome, so don’t beat yourself up about it. However, most mainstream music that we hear today is going to be in a set tempo for the majority of the song. There may be tempo changes, depending on what the song calls for but, generally speaking, most songs do not change tempo. You and your producer can decide if a song needs tempo changes or if it is the kind of song that should be played “freely”, with no metronome at all.

Start by playing your song, and imagine yourself walking to the beat of your song. Is it a brisk walk? Or a slow, sluggish walk? A brisk walk is 120 beats per minute. Pull up your metronome and pick a starting bpm, based on how brisk (or un-brisk) the imaginary walk feels. Set that tempo and then play along to it. If it’s feeling good, keep playing through until you’ve played every song section (verse, chorus, bridge) at that tempo. If it stopped feeling right at some point, adjust accordingly. Ideally, you’ll find that happy bpm that is perfect for the song.

Type up a lyric sheet: I have artists put these lyric sheets on Google Drive and share them with me so that we are always working off of the same lyric sheet as changes are made.

Mark tempo changes on the lyric sheet: mark specific tempo changes if there are any. Mark a ritard (ritard means to slow down) where they need to be as well. If there is going to be a ritard, it is usually in the outro.

Check the key: Do you accidentally change keys in different sections? Just like the case of tempo changes, beginner singer/songwriters, especially if they’ve written the lyrics and melody a cappella (without accompaniment) can easily change keys without knowing it. If you don’t play an instrument, that’s ok! Have a musician friend or teacher help you. Your producer can also help you with this, as long as that is included in the scope of their work. Ask beforehand. If you do know the key and have determined the chords, including those in your lyric sheet.

Can you sing it: Have you sung it full out with a voice teacher in the key you’ve written it in? Singing it quietly in your room in a way that won’t disturb your roommates might not be the way you want to sing it in the recording studio.

Record the song: Record the song with the metronome clicking out loud if you aren’t using an app (you may need two devices; one to play the metronome and one to record) There are apps available where you can record yourself while listening to the click track through earbuds, then when you listen back to the recording, you won’t hear the click track. The point is that you sang it in time. One app I’m aware of where you can do this is Cakewalk by Bandlab. There are many!

Share the file: Make sure you can share the audio recording in a file format they can play. MP3s are the most common compressed audio file that can easily be emailed but most of our phones don’t automatically turn our voice memos into mp3’s. As a matter of fact, some phones will squash an audio file into some weird file type that sounds like crap (I have a Samsung and it does this!)

The most important steps for creating a demo for the above-mentioned purposes are making sure you have fine-tuned lyrics, melody, and song structure in a (mostly) set tempo. Following all of these steps will make you a dream client for your producer!

*If you want to pitch a song for use in film or TV (licensing/sync) then it needs to be a fully produced song. Do NOT submit demos to music libraries or music supervisors. They need finished products.

If you want to pitch your song to a music publisher, who in turn will pitch your song to artists, they will want full production in most cases. The artist may have it entirely reproduced but you have to “sell” them the song. You want to shine it in the best light possible. A demo would be needed for the creative team (producer, studio musicians, etc.) who will create your produced version for pitching.

Critical Listening with Spatial Audio

When I began studying music production five years ago, I spent a lot of my hours working through critical listening techniques for records I found or ones that were recommended to me. The goal of this practice was identifying elements of arrangement, recording, programming, and mixing that made these particular records unique. At the time I was studying, I was introduced to immersive audio and music mixes in Dolby Atmos, but there was a strong emphasis on the technology’s immobility – making these mixes was pretty impractical since the listener needed to stay in one place relative to the specific arrangement of the speakers. Now that technology companies like Apple have implemented spatial audio to support Dolby Atmos, listeners with access to these products can consider how spatialization impacts production choices. Let’s explore this by breaking down spatial audio with AirPods and seeing how this technology expands what we know about existing critical listening techniques.

Apple AirPods Pro with spatial audio and noise cancellation features

It’s important to address the distinctions of spatial audio, as the listening experience depends on if the track is stereo or mixed specifically for Dolby Atmos. The result of listening to a stereo track with spatial audio settings active is called “spatial stereo,” which mimics the events of spatial audio on stereo tracks. When using the “head-tracking” function while listening to a stereo track, moving your head will adjust the positioning of the mix in relation to the location of your listening device via sensors in the AirPods.

For a simplified summary of how this works, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos are both achieved with a model known as Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF). This is a mathematical function that accounts for how we listen binaurally. It considers aspects of psychoacoustics by measuring localization cues such as interaural level and time differences, and properties of the outer ear and shape of the head. If you are interested in diving into these localization cues, you can learn more about them in my last blog.

A simplified layout of a head-related transfer function (HRTF)

Ultimately, the listening experience of spatial stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes is different. For example, tracks that are mixed in Dolby Atmos involve different elements of the instrumentation that are placed as “objects” in a three-dimensional field and processed through a binaural renderer to create an immersive mix in headphones. Meanwhile, spatial stereo sounds like a combination of added ambience and filters and the AirPod’s sensors to form a make-shift “room” for the song. Using the head-tracking feature with spatial stereo can impact the listener’s relationship to the production of the song in a similar way to a Dolby Atmos mix, and while it doesn’t necessarily make the mix better, it does provide a lot of new information about how the record was created. I want to emphasize how we can listen differently to our favorite records in spatial audio, and not how this feature makes the mix better or worse.

An example of object-oriented mixing in Dolby Atmos for Logic Pro

For this critical listening exercise, I listened to a song mixed in Atmos through Apple Music with production that I’m familiar with: “You Know I’m No Good,” performed by Amy Winehouse, produced by Mark Ronson, and recorded by members of The Dap Kings. It’s always a good idea when listening in a new environment, in this case, an immersive environment, to listen to a song that you’re familiar with. This track was also recorded in a rather unique way as the instruments were, for the most part, not isolated in the studio, and very few dynamic microphones were used in true Daptone Records fashion. The song already has a “roomier” production sound, which actually works with the ambient experience of spatial audio.

The first change I noticed with spatial audio head tracking turned on is that the low-end frequencies are lost. The low-end response in AirPods is already pretty fragile because the speaker drivers cannot accurately replicate longer waveforms, and our collection of harmonic relationships helps us rebuild the low-end. With spatial audio, much of the filtering makes this auditory perception more difficult, and in this particular song, impacts the electric bass, kick drum, and tenor saxophone. Because of this distinction, I realized that a lot of the power from the drums isn’t necessarily coming from the low end. This makes sense because Mark Ronson recorded the drums for this record with very few microphones, focusing mostly on the kit sound and overheads. They cut through the ambience in the song and provide the punchiness and grit that matches Winehouse’s vocal attitude.

Since a lot of the frequency information and arrangement in many modern records comes from the low end, I think this is a great opportunity to explore how mid-range timbres are interacting in the song, particularly with the vocal, which in this record is the most important instrument. When I move my head around, the vocal moves away from the center of the mix and interacts more with some of the instruments that are spread out, and I noticed that it blends the most with a very ambient electric guitar, the trombone, and the trumpet. However, since those three instruments have a lot of movement and fill up a lot of the space where the vocal isn’t performing, there is more of a call-and-response connection to these instruments. This is emphasized by the similarity in timbres that I didn’t hear as clearly in the stereo mix.

You know I’m No Good” in Apple Music with a Dolby Atmos label

Spatial audio makes a lot of the comping instruments in this song such as the piano more discernible, so I can allocate the feeling of forward movement and progression in the production to what is happening in these specific musical parts. In the stereo mix, the piano is doing the same job, but I’m able to separate it from other comping instruments in spatial audio because of how I moved my head. I turned my head to the right and centered my attention on my left ear, so I could feel the support from the piano. Furthermore, I recognized the value of time-based effects in this song as I compared the vocal reverb and ambient electric guitar in stereo and spatial audio. A lot of the reverb blended together, but the delay automation seemed to deviate from the reverb, so I could hear how the vocal delay in the chorus of the song was working more effectively on specific lyrics. I also heard variations in the depths of the reverbs, as the ambient electric guitar part was noticeably farther away from the rest of the instruments. In the stereo mix, I can distinguish the ambient guitar in the mix, but how far it is in perceptual depth is clearer in spatial audio.

Overall, I think that spatial audio is a useful tool for critical listening because it allows us to reconsider how every element of a record is working together. There is more space to explore how instrumentation and timbres are working together or not, and what their roles are. We can consider how nuances like compression and time-based effects are working to properly support the recording. Spatial audio doesn’t necessarily make every record sound better, but it’s still a tool we can learn from.

I’m retired. What am I Doing in a Classroom?

Hi SoundGirls

I’m Francesca but you can call me Frà, as do my friends in Italy, where I live; Turin to be precise. I refer to myself as an Experimental composer/musician with my origins in Electroacoustic composition, which is something I did over forty years ago at University in the UK.

Before I begin my first blog, I’d like to put my writing in context. For this, I’ll draw on a saying of the French Feminist movement from the mid to late sixties:

“D’où tu parles?”

Literally, where do you speak from? Which in my case means, this writing is my viewpoint, based on who I am, my formative years and growth into adulthood, my social relationships my experiences in and around music, and nobody else’s: so…

I am a white woman who was born, grew up, and educated in England of an English father and an Italian mother, the latter being one reason I live in Italy now. Philosophically, I am a left-leaning, liberally oriented feminist, an out, gay woman. While this may seem unnecessary information for a blog about music production, I can honestly say that who I am and how I feel, influences my music and my attitudes towards other female composers and producers in music, and every other activity, for that matter. I care about matters of race, class, gender, sexual and romantic orientation, the safety of women, the plight of refugees, so many, many things, as I’m sure you will be aware of too. Each of us will have a view on these things and, on the surface, there may be a remarkable sense of collectivity of thought but each of us with their differing experiences will have a nuanced view which, in the collectivity of the whole, contributes to and affects all our joined understandings. Does this affect the way I wish to make and perceive music? It most certainly does.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention my constant companion, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She certainly influences my music; she is my creative muse or the bit of my brain that goes into overdrive during my moments of creation and enlightenment… but she can be a bitch, sometimes leaving me at the shoreline, standing on the edges of decision, crucial and alone… It’s been like this most of this year. However, I’d never desert her; we’ve lived dreams that defy all understanding…

Anyway, when I draw on any of my experiences in creating a piece of experimental music, it does two things: one, it’s a part of my life that has shaped that music and give it life, and while a listener may not perceive this, I feel that I have been as authentic as I can be; and being ‘authentic’ is important to me. The second thing it does is help structure the piece. Perhaps, related to images, shapes, rhythms, and pulse, or other musical traditions and styles, and quite often I create a narrative thread in my mind, which might include poetry. For example, this poem by Audre Lorde, “A Litany for Survival” speaks for women of colour in particular, but also for all women. The last few lines:

…when we are loved we are afraid

love will vanish

when we are alone we are afraid

love will never return

and when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard

nor welcomed

but when we are silent

we are still afraid.

So it is better to speak

remembering

we were never meant to survive.

For me, this suggests music that is both tender and quiet, but at the same time with an epic soul, remembering that despite the anxiety reflected in the poem… “…it is better to speak.”

With this knowledge, I hope you might better understand the viewpoint in my writing. So, what are the themes of my blog? A bit of backstory to bring you up to the present day:

After having raised a family, worked as a teacher, language consultant, and Senior lecturer at two universities in the UK, I decided, at retirement, that I would go and live in Italy, with no other plan in mind than to enjoy retirement and to begin my new life as a late-blooming gay woman.

Why Italy? Well, having an Italian mother and having fond childhood memories of being there on many childhood visits, and having some facility with the language, it seemed an obvious choice. I chose Turin in Northern Italy since I had friends there and is in the same region of my mother’s birth and now sadly, her resting place; she died in 2016

I did all the usual things a gay woman might do: visited the local LGBTQIA+ centre. I also visited Nora Book and Coffee the LGBTQIA+ book shop and, as the name implies, a rather nice Café.

As a late bloomer, I went on my first Pride in Turin and got involved in activism, helping gay and lesbian refugees prepare for commission hearings as to whether they would be given refugee status and be able to remain in Italy. And I was generally having a good time.

I met and fell in love with a South American artist; she loved me back; what more can I say? Oh yes, apart from loving each other, we talked about art, and I began to think back to my university days of studying music (and a couple of terms of art history). We discovered a mutual love of abstraction and, in conversation with her, began to dig deep into my musical experiences of forty years ago, remembering how I had discovered and nurtured a love of contemporary music.

I met Iannis Xenakis at my University there; I tried to compose like him. I tried to emulate the serial composition techniques of Schönberg, Berg, and Webern. I tried to use non-retrograde rhythms like Olivier Messiaen and most of all messing around in the recording studio with Studer tape recorders, Dolby A systems to manage tape hiss, a mixing desk which looked a bit like the controls of the Starship Enterprise, and also one of the first synthesizers in the UK: an EMS VCS 100.

The messing around often went on into the night when other undergrads were propping up the bar. The messing around got serious and under the guidance of our professor of composition, Denis Smalley, we began amassing collections of samples on tape, which we spliced and looped and recorded at different speeds, passed through filters and via oscillators, mixed with synthesized sounds, re-recorded the re-recordings until we began to realise that we were composing and that we called it, at the time, Musique Concrète.

Flash forward to conversations with my South American girlfriend artist and both of us saw the parallels in Musique Concrete and the plastic arts. She spoke about her technique in painting of layering – a way of coming back to the work and adding another layer, not just paint but expression also. What did she have to say on that day? What forms of expression would those added brush marks say, and would they add to, or modify the expression that was already there?

Indeed, the parallels became strikingly obvious: every new track containing other samples, every mix down added something to the piece. Maybe extending it, or modifying a section of it, adding more complexity, as if adding another countermelody to a fugue. The possibilities were endless and were only restricted by patience, how far you could go to resolve a technical difficulty, and in the end, make an aesthetic judgment that said the work is finished.

OK, so here I was, in Turin, around October 2019, a gay woman and LGBTQIA+ activist not yet ready for complete retirement with my friends and my exotic girlfriend, wondering what’s missing from my life?

Answer…. Creating music. I didn’t want to take up the Viola da Gamba again, or the trumpet, or the guitar, or percussion; I’ve always been a rotten pianist and my voice wouldn’t behave after a surgical intervention to my throat. Then I remembered what satisfaction I had drawn from Musique Concrète and thought that maybe, I could create, edit, review, and produce my music as I had done forty years ago. I considered how I might do this for a while and then thought: I’ll bet you can do all this with computers; it is 2019 after all.

So, as I set out looking for a place where I might associate my ideas with new media, a serendipitous moment occurred at about one in the morning. Not being able to sleep, while listening to Italian radio, I heard the whole of the Monika Werkstatt album (link below), available on the excellent Bandcamp label. You know, it’s the one where a group of mainly Berlin-based women musicians collaborate in joyous abandon, and where credits are given to the woman who cooked and just lent a hand and kindness.

To cut a long story short and get to the important part, I found ‘my place’ in the most conservative of places, in fact, they call it the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi, Here I was able to ease myself into Composizione musicale elettroacustica 1 under the tutelage of a very talented and super helpful, professor. What a great year it was (Covid 19 and Zoom lessons apart). Using just one piece of software, Adobe Audition, I found that I was able to do everything I could do back in the late seventies on magnetic tape, but in real-time. By the way, there is 21st century equivalent to losing that essential tape splice on the pile on the floor; that is not labeling your samples properly or not having a workable filing system.

Anyway, I produced a piece using splices from a short recording carried out on the Turin Metro. I learned such a lot about classifying my sounds and how to process them and combine them and most importantly their significance in the musical genre of Electroacoustic composition. Oh, and I almost managed a workable cataloguing system for my splices (.wav clips.)

So, this brings us to the present day, with me in a classroom with Generation Z.

So, in my first year, my classmates were significantly younger than me so I never got invited to go to the disco with them and sadly, in a group of about eighteen only two of us were Soundgirls. This year, the three potential Sound girls are Polytechnic students and probably studying some form of engineering; I’ll check.

After nearly a year in South America, I’m back in Turin and ready for Composizione musicale elettroacustica 2. This time we get to use MAX – MSP so maybe I get to build my own virtual modular synth and, hopefully, there will be opportunities for mixing live performance with live electronics

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The academic year started halfway through November, but as yet, the conservatoire has not appointed a professor of electroacoustic composition 2. So, like the rest of the class, we’ve been attending lectures on ‘The History and Ethics of Electroacoustic Composition’ which is a good deal funkier than it sounds. We started around 1874 looking at the developing technology of Bell and Edison and it is clear, that in the same way that we embrace what technology has to offer, art and technology inspired and pushed each other forward even then.

At the turn of the 20th century, the technology of the phonograph (record player) and possibilities for recording and distributing music inspired musicians and artists to experiment with its possibilities and to make use of sounds other than those made by conventional instruments. Still, in the first half of the century, Luigi Russolo and the Futurist movement in Milan, Italy published in 1916 “The art of noise”. In 1932 Kurt Schwitters produced a “Sonata of primal sounds”. Thus the idea of using sounds rather than conventional instruments was already pointing the way towards musique concrète which would really take hold in the late 40s in Paris and become established with the invention of the tape recording machine and magnetic tape, which in turn, opened up possibilities of manipulating and combining sounds.

Whilst composers began manipulating sounds into musical experiences, some of them started researching and trying to find a language to describe and analyse these new listening experiences. Certain traits became apparent and required different ways of thinking and perceiving, culminating in Pierre Schaeffer’s “Traite des Objets Musicaux” 1966 in which he proposed a new way of listening to and perceiving music. In a live concert, the sound object is bonded to an instrument and its performer. Even in a studio recording, without seeing the players, depending on our experiences we can bond a sound to its source, in other words, “I recognize that sound as a Kick Drum”. In musique concrete, now termed electroacoustic music, since the sound object may have been a noise that has been processed and inserted into a mixture of noises and mixed and recorded onto magnetic tape, which will subsequently be performed by playing the tape and moving the sound around a listening space of two, eight or more speakers to give the listener an ‘immersive’ experience, the stream of sonic objects are not bonded to their source but are free to be perceived, understood and interpreted by the listener. So, the process of this kind of sound art/music-making is termed Electroacoustic, whilst the performance and listening is described as Acousmatic.

On the subject of Acousmatics which will become a feature of my composition work at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatorio di Musica in Turin, there is a book, published in 2018, called, ”Treatise on writing Acousmatic Music on Fixed Media” which attempts to provide a lexicon/typology of sounds for composers and analysts to work with a style of music which does not always conform to traditional ideas of musical language, for example, scales, key centres, pulse/rhythms/grooves etc. The fixed media simply means that the piece is fixed on tape or hard drive and the only variations in performance will be the listening experience, in a large or small hall, through eight or 24 speakers, on headphones, etc.

The following is a timeline of the Paris centre where musique concrete was developed

1942 to 1948: Studio d’Essai; later the Club d’Essai

195:1 Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète (GRMC)

1958: GRM

1960; Service de la Recherche de l’ORTF (ORTF was the French broadcasting organization)

1975 to present day INA. Institut national de l’audiovisuel

Link to INA https://inagrm.com/fr

Incidentally, a while ago, in one of Ableton Live’s newsletters, they provided downloadable sound sources and samples by INA composers and musicians via INAGRM. There are also plug-ins on the site shop.

Just to finish this part of my time at the Conservatorio, we did quite a bit of listening. The early attempts at harnessing noise as musique concrète were quite crude, although interesting.

Link to Pierre Henry’s1963 ‘Variations on a door and a sigh’. INA recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dud4D6PeHqQ

The highlight of our listening was the four-track version of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s ‘Gesang der Jünglinge’ which with eight ‘Genelec’ Loudspeakers around us was an immersive experience. This work was created between 1955 and 1956 and was originally planned as a five-track work with a fifth speaker overhead. However, in those days, four-track analog was the best they could hope for. Therefore, its realization as 5 track would have meant running a second tape recorder in sync with the four-track machine. The practicalities of keeping two machines perfectly in sync for a little over 13 minutes was not feasible at the time. It’s still pretty cool as four channels. I had this on vinyl in the mid-seventies and I have to say that listening to it again inside an eight-speaker configuration was like hearing it for the first time.

Link to a live performance of ‘Gesang der Jünglinge’ with Stockhausen himself at the mixing desk to diffuse the sound. This Youtube video is not loud enough for my liking and the immersive experience of hearing the four-track version is much more engaging, but it has historical value.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGIiBfWI0E

Further on next year, I hope to start composing for live performers and electronics, which will be a wholly different experience. I also belong to an Oslo-based group dedicated to Spatial and Immersive audio which is an important feature of Acousmatic music, watch this space…

Next month; I’ll be writing about the nuts and bolts of trying to juggle working between Audition, Reaper, Max MSP, and maybe Logic Pro… or is it ‘make your mind up’ time? See, I’m still learning!

Also, also you may have noticed a glaring omission in our history lessons: no women composers. I’ll set that right during these blogs. There are some great women composers and performers in Electroacoustic music, I introduce Mira Calix below and there’s a young generation of female composers working within the tradition of electroacoustic music but definitely in the 21st Century. If you’re interested, there’s a great film about female composers in electronic music; “Sisters with Transistors”. It’s on Vimeo and is narrated by Laurie Anderson.

Link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r-3hlzpV7M

Un abbraccio da Torino

BTW. While I’ve been writing this, I’ve been listening to Mira Calix’s latest album since, as you may have gathered, I’m still in a learning phase, by which I mean getting used to the new technologies and how composers, women, in particular, have taken the musique concrète from the early fifties and transformed it for a new generation of listeners. This album is so varied, unusual, and full of welcome surprises. I heard her speak on the radio the other day and she described her music as collage and representative of the chaos of living with a pandemic that touches so many aspects of our lives.

Bandcamp link to Absent Origin (yes, it’s really written like that).

https://miracalix.bandcamp.com/album/a-b-s-e-n-t-origin

Bandcamp link to Monika Werkstatt on

https://monikawerkstatt.bandcamp.com/album/monika-werkstatt

Danielle Lewis – Be a Sponge

Danielle M. Lewis is a FOH and Monitor Engineer and also takes on the role of production manager. She works for AEG at The Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. Danielle has over 18 years of experience working in live events. She attended Drexel University and graduated with a BS in Communications and Applied Technology and an MS in Arts Administration.

Early Life

When did you discover audio as a career path?

I discovered audio as a career path in the very late 90’s/early 2000s. I was unaware of it as a kid, young person, or young adult.

How did you get interested in audio?

I became interested in audio because I sang on a recorded gospel choir, the director of the choir decided to return to school full-time so he disbanded the choir. I loved to sing and absolutely love music but “coincidentally” I developed allergies and asthma, so I asked myself “How can I stay connected to music?” I had a science and math background and always enjoyed physics. My thought was, “Hmmm, sound is a part of music, let me research and investigate the audio aspect of music!”

Did music and audio interest you while you were growing up?

Music DEFINITELY did. I have always been drawn to music ever since I could remember. Fond memories as a child of visiting my relatives in Washington DC, one of my Aunts had an extensive record collection. She bought me my first vinyl, The Jackson 5’s first album ABC!

Career Start

How did you get your start?

I started by volunteering with a small sound company in Delaware while working full-time at Verizon. I also joined the Multimedia Ministry at my church that happened to be a 3000-seat facility.

How did your early internships or jobs help build a foundation for where you are now?

My 12-year career at Verizon helped lay my foundation in customer service and leadership. My tenure at the church, where I “cut my teeth” helped prepare me for doing audio professionally. Oftentimes things were done off the cuff and unstructured at church so when I began taking gigs outside of the church and learned there was a plan, I was more at ease because I knew what to expect.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

Be early, be a sponge and ask questions. Learn the craft!

Did you have a mentor or someone that really helped you?

I did not have an official mentor, but various individuals helped me by exposing me to different gigs and trusting me with challenging gigs necessary for growth.

Career Now

Production Manager at Keswick Theatre, Freelance PM/Audio engineer

What is a typical day like?

My “typical” day varies because it depends on if it is a show day (the type of show) or a non-show day. Non-show days are less hectic for obvious reasons. Those days are spent talking to tours, reserving equipment, scheduling labor…all things involving advancing a show.

On show days, I try to arrive 60 mins ahead of the tech’s/crew call time. This enables me to print day sheets, input lists, and stage plots for the show.

Once the crew arrives and the tour is onsite, the first thing I do is COVID-19 check everyone in. This involves verifying the vaccination card of the tour. We then proceed to load-in and set up the show. I sometimes participate but am often called away to handle other things or continue advancing future shows, approving invoices, etc.

Soundcheck happens after we are all set, then there is usually dinner, the doors of the theatre open an hour before showtime. Then during the show, I am either in my office advancing other shows or some other type of paperwork or I stay stage left in case there is a problem on stage.

Then the strike happens and then load-out. This is an abbreviated run down as you are constantly answering questions, putting out fires, and doing admin stuff as the day is going. Sound easier than it is

How do you stay organized and focused?

I try to stick to methods and procedures, when and where possible. It is challenging and often you can feel all over the place but it is organized chaos often, LOL.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The music, getting to meet and experience different people, and the satisfaction that I am a part of bringing the arts to people’s lives.

What do you like least?

The hours, it takes a toll on your personal life. You have to miss many important days and times in your loved ones’ lives etc.

If you tour what do you like best?

When I did tour I enjoyed seeing different places, but also having to do a show in different locations and settings, helps to keep you sharp. You are placed in different scenarios thus experiencing new and different problems to solve.

What do you like least?

The hours and potential lack of showers LOL

What is your favorite day off activity?

Sleep, spending time with family & friends,

What are your long-term goals?

Long term I would love to reach more women to expose them to our industry. Also, live sound to be recognized as a respected sector of the industry by NARAS.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I have definitely faced obstacles due to gender biases, as well as race.

How have you dealt with them?

Strive to be the best I can be in multiple areas of production. Learn various aspects of the business so that you can wear many hats. When music gigs are scarce, I have been fortunate to work on corporate gigs. Not always as exciting but it was steady work with excellent compensation!

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

If this is what you love to do, then show up believing you belong in the room! Make it a point to add value and try to leave the place better for you having been there.

Must have skills?

Effective communication and interpersonal skills

Favorite gear?

My favorite piece of gear is the Midas Heritage 3000 console, yes, I am dating myself but it is a sweet smooth sounding board.

Emily Magpie – Mastering Engineer

Emily Magpie is a Mastering Engineer and recently launched Emily Magpie Mastering. Emily has been working in audio for the last seven years and attended dBs The Sound & Music Institute where she was tutored by Josh Hills (mastering engineer for Sony, EMI). Based in Bristol, Emily works as a producer + musician and her work has been championed by BBC 6’s Tom Robinson, The Line of Best Fit, Mahogany, Earmilk and amassed over 90,000 plays on Spotify. Emily is proud to be part of the growing 2% of women working as music producers and care deeply about supporting others in their journey.

Emily has always had an interest in music and audio “I’ve always loved music. I began writing, singing, and playing various instruments and could always hear a world around my songs in my head and wanted to explore creating that through production. I was always determined to keep learning, growing & exploring.” During her teenage years, Emily performed as a vocalist for a jazz orchestra. This experience gave Emily a foundation for arrangement, improvisation, and the joy of music. Emily has been performing and producing her own music experimenting with sounds in her bedroom and learned the music production process from other talented producers and engineers. This encouraged Emily to head back to school and formalize her experiences. She recently graduated from dBS The Sound + Music Institute, where she studied DJ + Electronic Music Production.

Career Start

What did you learn with internships and mentoring?

Clarity + communication at the start saves so much time later!

Did you have a mentor or someone that really helped you?

In the early days, a friend of mine Anuj Robin taught me so much about production. The support + kindness of others like that in the industry still makes me feel in awe.

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

Doing some yoga + having coffee, getting back to mastering inquiries + other bits of admin then diving into working on mastering for other artists + producers.

Some days I’ll work on production for my own music too and have band practice some evenings. Every day is different and full of music in all different forms!

How do you stay organized and focused?

I have a paper diary + many to-do lists in my notebook. I write everything down and decide when I’ll work on each job. As a mastering engineer, you can be working on a lot of different projects so organisation is key!

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love hearing such a wide range of music and figuring out how to make it sound its best. It’s really fun hearing the artist + producers’ vision for their tracks and helping them achieve or exceed that. I get a lot of satisfaction from my clients being excited about their final masters.

What do you like least?

It does mean a lot of time on a computer but I try to balance that with exercise and doing fun things outside when I’m not working!

If you tour, what do you like best?

I have been lucky enough to play a couple of sold-out socially-distant gigs with my own music over lockdown which have felt really special. I just love connecting with an audience. It’s nice to get up on stage and perform as well as spending time absorbed in musical worlds when producing- I love the balance of spending time in internal + external worlds.

More on Emily

https://emilymagpiemastering.co.uk/

emilymakesmusic6@gmail.com

Instagram @emilymagpiemastering

Emily Magpie

Producer-Engineer-Songwriter Suzy Shinn

Do What Feels Good, Stay Five Steps Ahead and Bake Some Cookies:

An Interview with Producer-Engineer-Songwriter Suzy Shinn.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting two-time GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer, songwriter, and producer, Suzy Shinn. This meeting was over Zoom during, what she described, a chaotic afternoon filled with last-minute tasks that sneak up before catching a flight. Despite the eleventh-hour pressure to get things done, she awkwardly propped her iPad up on the corner of her desk, leaned into camera view, and asked if I could hear her ok. As her energy and attention quickly come into focus on me, I felt an overwhelming sense that I just became her top priority, she was here for me and ready to talk. Impressed, I took a mental note of this feeling: how amongst the chaos did this woman just put me at ease to casually chat; how is she so calm? But as our conversation unfolds, I realize this is just one of Suzy’s many skills. “Be cool, be five steps ahead…” she’ll say later in our conversation. In anticipating needs, “being prepared and being cool” is “like a magic trick.”

I could take this moment to list off her accomplishments, but that’s what Wikipedia is for. Take a quick scan at her discography credits and you’ll see notable names like Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Weezer, and more. And rather than ask what it was like to work with those big artists, I’d rather use this precious time to talk shop.

Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Generally speaking, the term “producer” is used to cover a range of responsibilities these days. There are beatmakers all the way over to DJs and so on. But for you as a producer, what do you do?

That’s a great question because the lines get blurred. And sometimes, I’ll get thrown into a session where I’m like, oh, I think you thought I was a different kind of producer. So I love working with bands and with artists, whether it’s one song, a handful of songs, or an album, helping the artist best achieve their vision.

With the session in front of me, I’m putting all the pieces together and I’m kind of like, I feel like that sounds good, that sounds bad, what if we try it like this? What if we do this? Trying to bring out the best in the artist and getting the artist, because I work with a lot of rocker indie or pop-rock-like players, getting the best out of them. So instead of me being like, I’m just going to do it, it’s your band, it’s you, you’re the artist. Let’s get it out of you!

And my strong suit, I think, is with acoustic instruments or acoustic instruments and integrating them with electronic elements. I play a lot of instruments from guitar to bass, piano. I can play some drums enough to play the computer and make everything sound cool. I can program, sure. But, I am not the girl you go to for crazy awesome drum programming and 808s. I can do it. But if we’re going to go that route, we’re going to be here. I’m not a really, really, really fast beat maker. And I love to take real instruments also and make them sound like samples or make them cuts or whatnot. It doesn’t have to always sound like a huge live band.

Speaking of producers, there are producers out there that have a distinct sound, you’ve got Pharrell, Kevin Parker, Timberland. When you hear one of their songs, you know it. For you as a producer, is that something you aspire to, to have that distinct recognition?

It seems like it’s inevitable. Whenever I hear anyone who I really look up to, whether it’s like Jake Sinclair, Butch Walker, Ricky Reed even, Jack Antonoff, I can always hear that it’s those guys. And I think even if you’re trying to stay far away from it, everyone has their own sound. So I’m down to have my own sound. At the same time, I’ll always want it to sound like the artist. But the artist comes to the producer for their input or for their sound. So it’s like a cool collaboration, like a mish-mosh of that. But I’m super down for that as I think every producer should have their sound. It makes you special.

Reference tracks are super helpful when getting the vision together with the band, with the artists that you’re working with. But for you as the producer, how do you balance pulling inspiration and sonic ideas from your reference tracks with giving them an original sound?

I love to start with the song first. I think sometimes when you just straight upstart from a production reference and you’ll start, kind of, maybe copying a little bit too much. So I love having a great song. And then, you’re like, how are we going to produce the song? What is it going to sound like? And then that’s where it’s like, oh, let’s take maybe not one song, but a handful of songs – like what does it make you think of? What does it make you feel like? Oh, the drums in this song, it’s kind of the same tempo. Could be cool. Or what about the guitar tone in this or how they did do that synth thing? But I think even if I feel like you try to make it sound like, it’ll still sound way different. I’ve never run into the problem is of being like, oh my God, it’s the exact same thing. Even Elvis Presley or Costello, like I’m sure they were listening to reference tracks and were like, what about this? And I think it’s really cool.

And on top of that, when I’m referencing something, it’s hard to not be aware of what is out currently. I love to digging from the 60s or 70s or let’s say, the alternative charts in December 1993 — what was popular then? I think that’s really fun to do instead of chasing what’s hot right now because everyone’s going to already be doing that.

Do you feel pressure to follow the charts?

No, I don’t think so. It’s more like being creative and being original. And I think, if you’re trying to make something that sounds like what’s huge right now, generally with the time, it comes out in six months or 12 months, you’re now late because someone else is thinking of like, what’s new, what’s weird, what’s unusual, what’s like feeling inspiring instead of chasing.

So that’s why it’s important to be original, I guess.

Yeah. And I think the word “original” is so loose to me. To me it’s, it’s like, what’s inspiring you? It’s like what’s making you smile? or dance around? Or just like feel good. I just feel like when you have a good song, I feel it, like, in your body or something. I don’t know why. I just feel like Yeah. Cool, cool, cool. Cool. OK, I feel special.

What do you enjoy the most about being a producer?

I love to be able to be me in a creative sense and that I get to work with my friends and make records that then go out into the world. It’s like I don’t have to go be anyone else or do anything else. I get to wake up, roll out of bed, go to a studio, then make music and hang out all day with people I admire. I’m thankful for that.

What would you say is the most challenging part about being a producer?

Time. Dealing with time and allocating time. I’m so particular about my vocals like I won’t let anyone touch my vocals, I have to comp them, I have to tune them, I have to do all the breaths and the S’s and that’s a lot of time. Or like the drum editing or the drum comping. I’m like, well, if someone else does it, are they going to pick the exact same thing I would pick? No, I have to do it. And I try to say yes to everything because I want to work on everything because I love it. But then I feel my brain kind of sometimes goes haywire because I’m trying to do everything and it’s very hard to do everything in twenty-four hours a day.

What is your advice for those who want to be a producer and I mean more like what I’m calling the “traditional producer” along the lines of how you play the role?

My advice is to learn a couple of instruments like you don’t have to be the best at them, but be able to get your idea down and really learn whether you want to go Pro Tools or Ableton or whatnot, like really learn that so it’s a second language, so you’re not thinking about the computer when you’re using the computer, you’re thinking about the part or the sound that you’re getting. I think that’s really helpful. And then when you’re able, if you can play the instruments, even if you have to edit it, you don’t have to rely on as many other people. So that’s a huge one. And just being nice and kind and genuine, just being real. And being fun, I think that goes a long way.

Not “judge-ey”?

Yeah, not judge-ey, like, not a dick. I’m sure you’ve been in sessions where you’re like, man, this guy is so mean or boring or rigid and it doesn’t make you want to go back. And finding someone to learn from. I love to surround myself with people who are like, oh my God, you’re so cool. Like, I shouldn’t be hanging out with you. But I learned so much being around those people and my friends. My friends are very inspiring. So I think that’s important too.

I read you started your production journey in your bedroom on an iMac, probably with Logic or GarageBand. At what point in your career did you go from recording in your room to getting your hands on and understanding and hearing the signal chain, the hardware, the actual real gear? Like, it’s one thing to set up an AT2020 in your bedroom recording to an MBox, and then it’s another to choose to put a U67 on a Mesa Boogie cab for an entire Weezer album. How did you go from A to B, at what point did you get really good at the analog signal chain?

I didn’t get good for a long time. When I first started recording in Logic or whatever, I didn’t know anything. Like I thought the computer mic was a good mic and that’s how people record. I didn’t come from a musical background. I didn’t know what a producer was or what an engineer or a studio was. I thought the band all got together and played the song one time through, haha. And so I went to Berklee College of Music for a little bit and I studied in their production engineering program and I ended up dropping out. I got an internship at a small recording studio in the Valley in L.A. And that’s where I got my ass kicked. I messed up everything so many times, they kind of threw me in it, like “go engineer the session!” and I just said OK while not really knowing what a compressor does. I was always nervous I was going to distort the signal. And I did. So many times, ha! But getting thrown into the fire, being terrified, fucking stuff up, etc pushed me to learn a lot.

Do you have a methodology when it comes to piecing your signal chain together?

Totally. It depends on what studio I’m going to. If it’s just me, I have a handful of instruments I’ll bring, like this P-bass that I know how it sounds. I’m bringing this Jazzmaster around everywhere. And then I have a couple of amp pedals. There’s a VT bass Sansamp, and I have one setting, and that’s pretty much my bass for everything. I plug straight into this pedal. I don’t bring a B15 around. 9.9 times out of 10, that’s cool. And I’ve even done the A and B, I’ve recorded the B15 and I’ve recorded the pedal. And just the pedal is kind of rad. The same with my guitar. I have an Ox box that I use and plug my Mesa cab into it. Any kind of crunchy, distorted sound I can get with my Mesa. Some very unique, clean sounds I can also get with the Mesa. If not, I have a couple Strymon pedals. For my vocals, I carry this Wunder 47 mic around. And just in case I don’t know what’s going down, I have a box and it’s a Chandler TG2 and a Purple 1176. Like I know that if I have that set-up, I’m going to get a great vocal. But if I’m rolling into United, you know, like I’m just like do your thing guys.

Like, maybe I’ll switch out an 87 for a 67 or a 47 for a vocal. And then at that point, if we’re grooving, I’ll do a 421 or a Royer 121 and a 57 on the amp because we’ve got more channels, we’ve got more room. But I like simple. I don’t like to like to fiddle for a really long time.

Do you get super excited to record a particular instrument?

I love drums, and I’m big on working with what I have. I love trying out new rooms and a lot of the studios I go to will have their own kit and how they’ve been recording it set up. So I’ll sometimes modify it, I think that’s exciting. And guitar always, I think there’s a lot you can do there. And really, really, really good vocals. Love vocals.

In your opinion, what does it take to be a great audio engineer?

Being able to read the room and stay those late hours if you need to. Be cool, be five steps ahead of the producer and the artist. So when they come to you, you’ve already figured out the tempo, already figured out the key for autotune, already mapped out the song. So when you say pre-chorus, I know what you’re talking about. Like “oh, you need the lyrics? I’ve already printed them out. I already typed them up.” That I think is huge. And you’re cool. You’re just like, oh yeah, I got whatever they’re asking for. Delays, reverbs, etc. are all ready to go — and if they ask for it — it’s one click away, like a magic trick. So yeah, being prepared and having social awareness. You’re in the room for so long together, you know, I think getting along is important.

Whether you’re producing or engineering for a session, how do you mentally prepare for your sessions? Like what are you thinking about the night before? That morning? How do you get your head into that zone?

The night before, I’m probably thinking of references. Or if I’m going into writing a song, I may be thinking of parts, like what’s a guitar riff I could walk in with or what it’s like maybe a verse, like a chorus. I’ll go through voice notes from the past year. Like, let’s play voice roulette, what I am going to click on? And be like is this good? No? Or could I make it good? Just trying to sleep and be calm, I think it’s really important to be rested the night before. Like if I’m like dying and I’ve slept three hours, my brain’s going to be like a big pile of fried potato or vegetable or some starch. So I think that’s important. And then for engineering, if I’m going into a really big session in a big studio and I’m working with the house engineer, I’ve sent them over a spreadsheet of all the mics that I want to use, what drums are coming, what amps are coming, having them all setup, just having the Pro Tools things like taken care of generally. So when you walk in – all the plugging in and setting up is taken care of. Having a spreadsheet really helps, telling them I’m going to go into this EQ, into this compressor, these preamps and whatnot. I always do that a day or two before.

The pandemic has forced a lot of industries to shift, adapt, operate differently in some way. From where you sit in the music industry, how have you seen it change, and do you think it’s a permanent change?

I think I saw a lot of people creating a lot. Because the artists can’t go on tour, so they were making an album, and then all of a sudden they have like two albums ready to go. So I think there’s going to be a lot of really good new music that’s been piled up. I think a lot of people were doing Zoom sessions but using Audio Movers and whatnot. I kind of stayed out of that a little bit. I would do a handful of sessions in person, like in a giant room, like windows open in my living room, like you’re over here, I’m over here, masked up. People really got into recording remotely. And I did notice that sessions would get really short. Like it wasn’t like an eight-hour writing day, it was like a two-hour Zoom session.

More efficient?

Maybe more efficient because you’re not like I’m running twenty minutes late, do you want a coffee, I’ll stop on the way. I think there’s going to be some kind of permanent aspect of that that stays. But I don’t know, it’s interesting.

What is your favorite day off activity?

Oh wow. That’s so funny. OK, my favorite day off activity. Running errands. Does that count? Ha, no! I love to paddleboard. I try to go paddleboarding when I have a day off. I love playing video games. I like taking my dog to the park. Yeah, I don’t know, just like being like a normal 20-something-year-old hanging out with my friends, baking.

Can I ask what you bake?

I can make a really good cookie of various kinds. I made last week, peanut butter and miso cookies. And they’re so fucking good.

Do you still write songs? I know back in the day you wrote songs and posted them to MySpace (we all did). Do you still write songs just for yourself?

I do write songs for myself and you know, I’ve always been so scared. Something got in my head like five years ago that I couldn’t put it out anymore or that I had to, like, go hide. So I’m going to start putting stuff out just for fun because I love music. But I write all the time, every other day at least. And like I do writing sessions like I’ll work with the artists to write. But yeah, I write all the time. It’s so fun.

Anything else you’d like to add to this conversation?

I think SoundGirls is really cool. Like definitely, when I first was starting out, it was me with a bunch of fucking dudes, I was living by myself like a weird bachelor, but with SoundGirls it was like cool, OK, I’m not alone in this.

Yeah, exactly. We’re all slowly changing things.

Yeah. It’s going to take a long time but I’ve got to be able to be a part of it, you know?

This kind of stuff [this interview] and just giving us the opportunity to share it within the community, it’s a huge win.

Yeah, I think there’s this stereotype or something, that producers, especially women, can’t live normal lives or that must hide in a studio indefinitely. Like, they can’t get their hair done, or wear makeup, or dress how they want… but it’s just not true. Go live your life! Be a human being, just also like… do you and do the work!

Be you and just be good at it…

Yep. There’s no one else to be.

Suzy’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyshinn/
Suzy’s site: http://www.suzyshinn.com/
Suzy’s killer Splice pack: https://splice.com/sounds/splice/suzy-shinn-pack?random_seed=1627491423858

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers 2022

Blog for SoundGirls

Are you passionate about the industry, do you want to share your experience and knowledge with the SoundGirls Community? Then you may want to become a blogger for SoundGirls in 2021. Our bloggers volunteer for a year of blogging (can be extended into 2022) and choose how often to submit blogs (once a month, every two months, or four blogs for the 2022 year)

If you are interested, please apply here

Things we are looking for in our bloggers

Although we are mainly looking for people who can write well, are organized, and are passionate. All areas of audio & music are welcome to apply. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Industry Knowledge

Not only is understanding the industry from a concept/fundamental standpoint important, but having real-life experiences is essential for any great blogger. Having real-life experience allows you to share those experiences, learn from those experiences, build relationships, and learn things that are not taught from reading a book.

Passionate

Great bloggers must be passionate about what they are writing about. We believe if you are writing about things you are not interested or knowledgeable in, it will show in your writing and to your readers. People who are passionate about a topic or industry find it much easier to write about things that others with similar interests would enjoy. Long-term, you have to LOVE what you do.

Writing Background/Experience

Of course, if you have a writing background or you have acquired good writing skills through years of experience, it will help keep your blogs to be engaging and more enjoyable. Using proper grammar, descriptive verbiage, and compelling headlines can keep readers engaged in your content longer. We think overall if you are naturally a good writer, it will allow you to create high-quality content much easier and more efficiently.

Organized

A great blogger should be very well organized. It will be important to plan and manage your writing schedules. Like running your own business or planning your week for your full-time job, blogging should be no different. Brainstorming blog ideas and creating a writing schedule all need to be organized to maximize your work schedule.

If you fly by the seat of your pants (as many people do) and are disorganized, it will most likely lead to inefficiencies in your blogging. You can also find yourself so consumed with daily tasks, that your content quality suffers because you are just trying to rush through the writing process to get something out.

Strong Work Ethic

Having a strong work ethic turns good bloggers into great bloggers. Someone that is able to stick to a schedule, exceed personal goals and expectations, and push themselves, will stand out from the crowd. Many bloggers are writing for their own blog so it is not exactly a situation where they are getting paid for each post they write. So it takes a person with a strong work ethic to see the long-term benefits and keep pushing themselves to consistently produce great content.

Network/Industry Reach

A blogger that has a large network and is known in the industry will make it much easier to promote their content. As we all know, even if you write great content, you still need to promote it. If you have built personal relationships with industry veterans, it can help earn credibility personally and for your blog. If you can shoot a few messages and e-mails to key people in the industry who you know will promote your content to their networks, that can be extremely powerful. Essentially you are leveraging your network and industry reach to promote content, gain feedback, and even help contribute to your blog.

SEO Knowledge

Having basic SEO knowledge is a plus for any blogger. Bloggers who understand the benefits of good keyword research, how to promote content, and maximizing the potential of each post, will gain a larger readership in a shorter amount of time.

Goes Against the Grain

To be a great blogger, you need to sometimes go against what everyone else is doing and do something that is away from “the norm”. Coming up with unique ways to stand out from the crowd is a way that great bloggers get found. It could be a post, design-related, new way of promotion, unique content delivery, or something that has never been done before in the industry.

Social Media

Generally, bloggers spend a good amount of time on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Being active on various social networks and engaging with people on a regular basis will help bloggers get noticed. If you are consistently promoting other users’ content, those users will begin to notice and return the favor. If you read other industry blogs and leave thoughtful comments or even personally contact the blog owner, this is all-important for building your network and getting noticed.

A plus for a great blogger would be being a power user on social bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit. If you have the ability to promote content and others in the community, notice and promote it as well.

Enjoys Sharing and Helping

Great bloggers genuinely enjoy helping others. Many bloggers blog because they want to showcase their knowledge in the industry. Of course, that is part of why people blog, but it should not be the only reason. Gaining satisfaction out of helping others in your industry is a trait that all great bloggers have. Taking the time to personally reach out to someone asking a question or for thanking someone who leaves an intelligent comment on your blog is going above and beyond. It shows that you do care about what others are saying.

Samantha Potter – Audio Empress

Samantha Potter has forged a path in audio by being versatile, having a great attitude, continuously learning, and having a willingness to share her expertise. She has been able to achieve a career working both as a freelance audio engineer and on staff at pro audio companies. In just seven years, Samantha has gone from a freelance tech to a well-respected audio engineer working for ProSoundWeb as a senior contributing editor and co-directing Church Sound University, as well as a podcast host for the Church Sound Podcast. Additionally, she’s part of Allen & Heath USA, as the manager for Commercial and Install Audio, better known as Install Empress. By forging a hybrid career, Samantha has the stability and reach working for a company provides as well as the creative expression and autonomy freelancing provides. She says “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Growing Up

Samantha’s roots are in classical music. “I grew up playing classical music and jazz. I started on violin but picked up upright bass, cello, and guitar along the way. After seven years of formal training, I decided that while music was fun it was in no way going to give me the future for which I aspired.”

In her teens, she discovered computer and technology programs and sought to blend these two passions as a career path. In high school, she did what any young individual does when looking for the next path: she Googled careers. She soon discovered audio engineering combined her two passions and started studying recording and studio arts. After about two years immersed in audio, she discovered live sound and fell in love, never to look back. Samantha enrolled in local college programs and has obtained several associate degrees with an emphasis in mathematics but she says, “Those were really just for completion’s sake. I already had an established career in audio by the time I applied for graduation. I have an emphasis in math with the idea that perhaps someday I will return to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Currently, though, it’s not worth the price nor the time.”