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Knowing your Limitations

As we are still at the beginning of the new year, it is now we should look at those new year’s resolutions that we made, our dreams that we want to become real and the goals we would like to achieve.

It is the time to evaluate what we need to get on with, to achieve our dreams and our goals. It is time to take a good hard look at yourself and your knowledge, time management, and work-life to see what can be improved.

Knowing your limitations is a good start for example; what is limiting your chances to achieve your goals? What does it take to get from point A to point B?

What do you lack to get to where you want to be?

Say you want to become the most celebrated pianist in the world, what does it take to get there? Take a look at your practising routine, are you putting in enough hours to become the greatest pianist in the world? Are you utilising your own time in the best way possible to be the most effective when practising? Are you already the greatest pianist in the world but no one knows it? Well perhaps then less time needs to be spent in front of the piano and more time in front of people networking.

This applies to any industry; if we want to improve we need to face the hard fact that we have limitations and flaws. We will always have weaknesses but that does not mean that we can not work on them and improve.

Give yourself some honest and constructive feedback, but do not talk down to yourself. Do not be upset with yourself because you are not getting something straight away. It is hard to admit your weaknesses to yourself, but we have to do it if we want to improve.

Do you know where point B is?

It is easier to follow a route if you know your destination. It is easy to get sidetracked if you do not have a north star to guide you and to keep you motivated. Want to work on a big festival stage? Absolutely, but maybe that big festival is point C.

So you start working at your local one-day festival. You can not get to point C if you have not been going through point A and B first.

The ability to achieve something is only limited by a lack of knowledge. You need to study to improve your understanding, but then you need to put that study into practice.

There is only so much you can learn in a safe and comfortable environment. You have to put yourself outside your comfort zone to improve and to learn from real life experiences. It is so important to be able to work under pressure and to find opportunities to fine-tune your skills.

As well as knowing your limitations, you will need to learn and respect your strengths. For some, not acknowledging your strengths is a weakness. You have got to be confident in your knowledge, you have to tell yourself ‘You know what, this is what I am good at’ and use that to your advantage and balance it out with your weaknesses.

If you struggle to see your weaknesses and strengths then ask a good friend; what are my strengths? In what areas do I need to improve? Be open to feedback from others as they see you in a different light than you do. Being open to critique can be incredibly difficult for some, but it will help you to be able to improve your skills.

Now is the perfect time to sit down and write it all down. Aim high but be realistic, some goals might not happen this year, but that does not mean it will not happen in the future. However, getting to know your limitations will put you on the right path towards your dreams and goals.

 

Editing SoundGirls into Wikipedia

Why is editing a Wikipedia article so important?

First of all, Wikipedia is the modern equivalent of an encyclopedia; it is the first stop in finding an answer. With over 5.6 million articles in the English language, it is one of the most comprehensive collections of knowledge available. Currently, there are very few female Wikipedia editors and a very small percentage of female-related articles. Art+Feminism is looking to change that by training new Wikipedia editors (it could be you or me or anyone). They are not the only ones either. Wikipedia has its own group of Wikiprojects dedicated to providing female-related articles.

Editing an Article

While I had not formally edited a Wikipedia article before, I was vaguely familiar with their style and guidelines, so I thought I would try my hand in becoming a Wikipedia editor and share my experiences with SoundGirls. I had some knowledge of formatting and citing in the Wikipedia style, but I also made sure to keep several tabs open of Wikipedia’s helpful tutorials.

Wikipedia requires strict standards in sources, citations, and sentence structure. There is a lot to keep in mind when writing an article, and so Wikipedia has tutorials and templates to copy from. Self-promotion is not permitted when creating an article. Therefore, sources cannot be a personal website or an IMDB page. Bias is also frowned upon, which means many controversial articles are locked from the fledgling editor.

Often new editors are guided to almost complete topics, ones that only need cleanup in citations or a couple of extra facts.  Many niche articles are plagued with improper citation and writing flags. From there, an editor can build up their chops before turning to a completely new article. Focusing on pre-existing articles also helps with the moderating backlog that is a constant problem for Wikipedia.

Creating an Article

Even knowing all of this, I still decided to create a completely new article.  I wrote about Karen Lam, a female film director, and producer, known for her horror short films and for promoting other women in film.  While I did meet her briefly, I have no professional association with her, and therefore I had no conflict of interest with which to color the tone of my article.  She had been interviewed several times in local and national magazines, and her films had won several awards. This meant that she was relevant and documented enough to have an article based on her. I, the lowly blog writer, still early in my career, do not have the right credentials to have a Wikipedia article, and so it goes. As an added bonus, a film directed by Karen had its own article already and therefore referenced my subject. An article that is not referenced by anything else is an orphan, which often suggests the irrelevance of the topic.

Not including the time it took to research her, I was able to write my article and submit it for the first time during the Art+Feminism event, and within minutes I received my first error flag. I had cited IMDB for awards won by my subject, and so I updated the article, took out a few awards that were only listed on IMDB, and put a new award mentioned in a reputable press release. I did not hear back for a month and a half. My article was then finally approved.

Wikipedia Advice

  • When first delving into the land of editing, start with a pre-existing article or your “personal sandbox.”
  • Take your time, and learn the ropes of syntax and citation.
  • If you do desire to write a new topic, then find several print sources as well as reliable internet sources.
  • An image is nice, but not necessary.
  • Conflicting facts between reliable interviews do happen, if you are unsure of a fact, then do not include it.
  • Avoid topics that you are connected to, either with heavy emotional bias or professionally.
  • Know that errors get noticed quickly, but positive responses are slow.
  • Errors are not permanent but instead are a learning experience.
  • Finally, your article is always open to change and grow, so if you want to update anything, give it a shot.

Wikipedia was made to be edited by the public, and it can be another tool to grow the influence of women in media and to break the glass fader.

Where to Start

In my prior article on Wikipedia editing, I focused on the basics of choosing a Wikipedia article topic and the reason for writing them.  Through this article, my goal is to give you a few definitions and resources in other ways to make women more present in the online encyclopedia.  For further tips and ideas, you can view my Wikipedia profile (Lyrelyrebird), which I formatted as a hub for SoundGirls looking to start their Wikipedia journey.

Green Articles and Red Articles

When a Wikipedia article already exists, any link to the article is blue in color while any link to a non-existent article is red.

Wikipedia red link

It is tempting to search for these “red” articles and start a page from scratch, and many people do, but Wikipedia is littered with pages that have only the bare minimum of word count and are lacking in proper sources.  Internally, Wikipedia rates articles based on their quality with green designating a “good” article. It takes time and effort to turn an article “green.” New articles and major edits must be approved by veteran editors, and any mistakes or errors are flagged for fixing.  Once everything is finally up to snuff, then the article is slated for a final review and approval before the green designation is assigned. Even then, if the article is about a living person, the article might need babysitting for updates as time passes.

Green articles are great examples for templates and guides in editing articles needing TLC. One cannot feasibly memorize every code trick that Wikipedia has available, so use others’ insight to your advantage. For example, when working on an article about a sound designer, find a page of a more well-known designer or even a cinematographer and see how that article formatted things like filmography and career highlights. I use copy and paste frequently, and Wikipedia encourages it. Consistency is part of why Wikipedia is a respected first stop in researching any topic.

This is also a good approach when working on a “stub” article (one that is too short or needs more verified information) or working on a poorly written articles.

What will you see on a pre-existing article?

Once you are logged in, the top of every Wikipedia article will show several tabs such as “Edit” (where the magic happens), “View History” (an edit log), and on the other side is “Talk.”

Wikipedia top bar

Talk Pages

The talk page is a mini-forum where collaborating editors can communicate page plans and goals. This is also where error flags are discussed in more detail. More established articles often have many notes on edit histories and unverified content.  If one is not respectful of the talk page, then an edit war may occur. An edit war happens when a segment of an article is repeatedly changed by two or more editors. If changes to the article are malicious, the article gets locked. Many of the most popular articles in Wikipedia are locked to prevent these occurrences.  The best way out of an edit war is to step back from the article and reevaluate it again through the talk page at a later date, but there are ways to request dispute resolutions if one of the feuding editors is acting in bad faith.

Categories

Articles are grouped by way of Categories. A page is assigned to categories and you’ll see an article’s assigned categories at the bottom of it’s page.

Wikipedia categories

Categories with enough articles have subsections called Subcategories:

Wikipedia subcategories

An article will reside in an appropriate subcategory whenever possible before populating the main Category.  As with articles, it is better to start with existing Categories before creating new ones. Parent Categories (more general groupings) with too many children can make a topic more confusing than it has to be, and articles can be overloaded with related topics.  In my opinion, because adding Categories is a simple task, it is better to save it for future edits when the main Category becomes too unwieldy.

Lists

Wikipedia list example

Lists can be confused for Categories, but they have one large difference. Categories apply to every article they can be used for, but Lists are reserved for the best examples of a subject matter.  Another difference is that Lists are a type of article (it can be edited like a page), while a Category is not an article.

I would also caution that due to their formating, Lists inherently cannot be “good” articles, and should be deemed as a lower priority.  I have mentioned both Lists and Categories in my user page as edit ideas, but please prioritize the existing ones before making new ones, and use my talk page if you have any questions or ideas.

User Page

A user page is your personal page, similar to a profile page (but functions like an article where you have to build it yourself). Not every user page look the same, and some users ignore their pages altogether.  There are a few rules on what should and should not go on a user page:

If you are unsure about having a user page, then ignore it, you are not required to edit it.

Sandbox

After you create your Wikipedia account, you get space for both a user page and a sandbox page.  Like a sandbox in real life, the sandbox is where you can play/practice using Wikipedia and get familiar with how it works.  Wikipedia encourages you to create and test your new article ideas in the sandbox before adding it to the main encyclopedia.

A note on languages

While I and the majority of the rest of Wikipedia editors are English speakers, Wikipedia is an international encyclopedia. Nearly every language is represented, and many popular articles are written in all languages. That means there are editors for those languages, and resources for those editors to follow language-specific styles. If you are comfortable in a language and want to edit in that language, go for it. Be aware that some articles may not exist in English, and your sources should be in the language you are editing in.

WikiProjects

WikiProjects are groups of like-minded editors who have a passion for a particular subject matter.  The broader a subject matter, the more editors working together and the more resources the project has to work on specific articles.  Often the WikiProject pages are full of templates and tips for turning articles green and are great places to frequent as a new editor. My favorite resource is their list of high-priority articles, or articles that are either close to completion or are of more prominent subjects.  I suggest Women in Red and Women in Green but have links to other WikiProjects on my user page.

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

February Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/shannon-deane-post-production-engineer-and-stunt-car-driver/

The Blogs

A GOLDEN AGE

What’s Your Rate?

Take the Note and Move On

Internet Round-Up

SoundGirls Jett Galindo and April Tucker interviewed about SoundGirls and The Recording Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.

“Part of what Sound Girls is trying to do is just show that, ‘Hey there’s other women out here doing what we’re doing. We exist and we’re doing the job well,’” Tucker said.

“It’s a matter of representation,” Jett Galindo said. “Just seeing themselves on these websites, on the Academy Awards, on the Grammys, succeeding…it reminds them that it’s doable.”

The Recording Academy Task Force on Inclusion and Diversity is announcing the first ever industry-wide Producer and Engineering Inclusion Initiative. Together with prominent producers, labels, artists, agencies, management companies, and other stakeholders we’re making strides to create industry-wide change.

The Initiative asks that at least two women are identified and therefore considered as part of the selection process every time a music producer or engineer is hired. It also asks working producers to agree to take issues of gender diversity within music’s technical fields into account when deciding who to mentor and hire for further development. You can find women to hire on The EQL Directory

SoundGirls News

https://soundgirls.org/event/soundgirls-mentoring-session-at-expoacustica-2019/?instance_id=1460

https://soundgirls.org/event/orlando-soundgirls-social-5/?instance_id=1457

https://soundgirls.org/event/houston-soundgirls-social/?instance_id=1459

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1451

https://soundgirls.org/event/an-evening-with-bob-horn/?instance_id=1456

Viva La Muxer – SoundGirls Volunteers

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Music Expo – Miami – Representation on Panels –

DiGiCo Training for Melbourne SoundGirls

Austin One World Theater – Demo & Tour

SoundGirls Launches Initiative for Members Working in Production Sound

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

https://soundgirls.org/shadow-foh-ld-on-amanda-palmer-tour/

Shadow TM Erika Duffee – Canada

https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-mentoring/

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

What’s Your Rate?

 

Questions about pay rates show up often on the social media and trade forums for our industry.  Many times, the response is something along the lines of knowing your worth, past experiences, what the job is, and balancing the rate to the market. All are valid benchmarks that can lend a hand to helping determine a standard rate but also makes it hard to assign a specific number due to a lack of clarity.  Another component for rates in our industry are classifications such as A1, A2, Breakout Tech and more.

Determining the rate can be frustrating and confusing.  Most of those searching hope to find a specific number shared by those with substantial experience in the pricing game. The reality is that many won’t share that detail because they don’t want to lose their edge in the market or get undercut and lose work. I understand the competitive nature of the industry, but the lack of sharing can leave those new to the field or to the area at a disadvantage to getting the pay they deserve. Those that underestimate their value bring the market down for all of us as well.  I wish there was the perfect formula for rates in our industry, but that is not the case. The geographic market varies, and I don’t have the knowledge from a comprehensive perspective to add value to that component, but I can offer my perspective on some other qualifiers that you might take into consideration as you determine your rate.

Start by analyzing what is being asked for.  For example, will your responsibilities require you to provide leadership, communications, task management of others, or client relations?  These are soft skills that come via education and demonstrated leadership. If so, take into consideration your skill set with these components as part of your value.  Consider accessing your level of expertise with these components on a rating scale (i.e., 1-5). Gathering feedback from mentors, colleagues, and your employers can help you make these determinations.  Being able to lead a team, provide clear communication, delegate tasks, problem solve, maintain a level head, and setting an example of how to relate to the client are all skills that have value and should be part of the formula in rate setting.

What’s your experience?

Your experience comes into evaluation in several ways.  Somethings to consider include the size of the event and the equipment required.  Evaluate the experience you have in comparison to these event details.

Event needs aren’t always determined by audience size, but there is a growing intensity that comes with larger venues.  Consider developing a scale by event size. For example, set a value to events that range between 1- 500, 500- 5000, 5000 – 10,000 and so forth.  Think of it this way, if you can run an arena-sized PA without batting an eye your rate should be significant.

Classifications

Rates also fluctuate between job classifications. These classifications often describe the expectations of the work. An A1 is the leader, usually FOH person, and determines many aspects of the audio for the event. Whereas an A2 is their support throughout the show with stage patch, changeovers, and more. Depending on the size of the event, positions can break down into more detailed groupings such as breakout tech, Mon tech, RF tech, system tech, etc. Assess the classification that best associates to the role you will serve and determine a value for that.

Updating your rates

Overtime with gained experience your price should go up. Some people do a yearly increase, others every couple of years. This depends on how quickly you are learning and gaining skills as well as the different kinds of events you’ve worked on. This also comes with time; seniority leads to higher rates than someone who has just started in the field. Everyone should stay up to date on new technology.

Leverage your experiences overtime to justify your rates. If this is your first time out your rates will be lower than the rates of a seasoned professional. This is simply due to limited experiences, just like getting a job at a big box store. A new hire will start at a low rate and as they prove themselves and gain experience the store will give raises over time. This is no different for us.

Analyze the market

Each market can have a different rate as well as different breakdowns of positions and needs.

Attempt to assess what the resource market is in the area you live and for the event scale in question.  Often in large markets, the workforce is flooded with freelancers creating a highly competitive bidding market.  If there are 100 events in one day and 300 qualified A1’s to choose from you may find to land the job you need to lower your rate. This could be due to others being willing to work for less than not work at all. The supply for technicians is high while the demand for technicians is low.

In reverse of that, if you’re in a market that is growing faster than the rate of established technicians your prices could be higher because you are a rarity and organizations find more value in you for their show. The supply is low while the demand is high, of course, you will need to make sure your skillset is on par.  Your established skillset can drive higher rates too, but that usually comes with time to prove yourself or by developing an established career with excellent references.

Geographic and demographic economics affect rates too.  The market also includes what clients are willing to pay. Sometimes in smaller markets with a lower cost of living, rates end up being smaller because clients aren’t necessarily ready to pay the big bucks for a show, wherein in other markets clients are willing or have to put more money toward a project for the outcome they want.

There is still no magic formula that gives you an easy to apply rate. Many of the components I have mentioned are common factors in the industry. As you take a job or establish your rates, consider an incremental assessment of your role and experience, event size and equipment requirements, the tech classification that applies, and what the market will bear to help determine your rate. Solidly knowing how you define your value can be used to justify your rate or start the negotiations.

A GOLDEN AGE

Women and the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

The first person to win a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical was Ted Keep for “The Chipmunk Song” in 1959, the year of the inaugural ceremony.

Sound engineering has come a long way since the days when creative usage of variable tape speed was a cutting-edge production technique. The audio engineer, in turn, has become more than just a technician. The quality of production can—and often does—make or break a record. For that reason, the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical is a coveted and prestigious award.

Though audio has made many advancements, women’s representation is still playing at a low volume: Out of 415 nominations in this category, only ten women have ever been counted as nominees.

When we shuffle through the history of recorded music, it’s impossible not to notice that female engineers are mostly unaccounted for. Stories of Delia Derbyshire, Ethel Gabriel, and Cordell Jackson occasionally glimmer through to the surface, but they’re few and far between. Seeing as women have been systematically gatekept from STEM fields, this makes historical sense. Even so, it’s a bit shocking that there was a total absence of women in the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical category for 40 years until Trina Shoemaker was nominated for and won the first award in 1999.

Women only comprise about 3% of studio engineers today. Breaking into and advancing in the studio environment continues to be challenging for women, especially as the competition to get into the room is fierce even among men.

The good news is that our numbers are going up. The past decade has seen more female engineers receiving Grammy nominations than ever before. Women have been consistently represented in Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for the past four years in a row. In 2019, three of the five projects up for the award have featured female tracking, mixing, and/or mastering engineers. Efforts are being made towards inclusivity; the Recording Academy launched a Diversity Task Force and hosted open forums in multiple cities, and a growing number of producers and studio owners have pledged to focus on diversifying their staff.

How’s that for a “step up?”

“BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL”

Female Nominees / Winners Timeline

1959

No women nominated.

1960

No women nominated.

1961

No women nominated.

1962

No women nominated.

1963

No women nominated.

1964

No women nominated.

1965

No women nominated.

1966

No women nominated.

1967

No women nominated.

1968

No women nominated.

1969

No women nominated.

1970

No women nominated.

1971

No women nominated.

1972

No women nominated.

1973

No women nominated.

1974

No women nominated.

1975

No women nominated.

1976

No women nominated.

1977

No women nominated.

1978

No women nominated.

1979

No women nominated.

1980

No women nominated.

1981

No women nominated.

1982

No women nominated.

1983

No women nominated.

1984

No women nominated.

1985

No women nominated.

1986

No women nominated.

1987

No women nominated.

1988

No women nominated.

1989

No women nominated.

1990

No women nominated.

1991

No women nominated.

1992

No women nominated.

1993

No women nominated.

1994

No women nominated.

1995

No women nominated.

1996

No women nominated.

1997

No women nominated.

1998

No women nominated.

1999

The Globe Sessions (Sheryl Crow) – Andy Wallace, Tchad Blake & Trina Shoemaker, engineers

***WINNER

2000

No women nominated.

2001

No women nominated.

2002

No women nominated.

2003

C’mon, C’mon (Sheryl Crow) — Trina Shoemaker & Eric Tew, engineers

2004

No women nominated.

2005

No women nominated.

2006

No women nominated.

2007

No women nominated.

2008

No women nominated.

2009

No women nominated.

2010

Ellipse (Imogen Heap) – Imogen Heap
***WINNER

2011

No women nominated.

2012

No women nominated.

2013

No women nominated.

2014

The Blue Room (Madeleine Peyroux) — Helik Hadar & Leslie Ann Jones, engineers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer

The Moorings (Andrew Duhon) — Trina Shoemaker, engineer; Eric Conn, mastering engineer

2015

No women nominated.

2016  

Recreational Love (The Bird and the Bee) — Greg Kurstin & Alex Pasco, engineers; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer

2017

Dig in Deep (Bonnie Raitt) — Ryan Freeland, engineer; Kim Rosen, mastering engineer

Undercurrent (Sarah Jarosz) — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer

2018

Every Where Is Some Where (K. Flay) — Brent Arrowood, Miles Comaskey, JT Daly, Tommy English, Kristine Flaherty, Adam Hawkins, Chad Howat & Tony Maserati, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer

No Shape (Perfume Genius) — Shawn Everett & Joseph Lorge, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer

2019

All The Things That I Did And All The Things That I Didn’t Do (The Milk Carton Kids) – Ryan Freeland & Kenneth Pattengale engineers); Kim Rosen (mastering engineer)

Colors (Beck) – Julian Burg, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, John Hanes, Beck Hansen, Greg Kurstin, Florian Lagatta, Cole M.G.N., Alex Pasco, Jesse Shatkin, Darrell Thorp & Cassidy Turbin (engineers); Chris Bellman, Tom Coyne, Emily Lazar & Randy Merrill (mastering engineers)

Head Over Heels (Chromeo) – Nathaniel Alford, Jason Evigan, Chris Galland, Tom Gardner, Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Tony Hoffer, Derek Keota, Ian Kirkpatrick, David Macklovitch, Amber Mark, Manny Marroquin, Vaughn Oliver, Chris “TEK” O’Ryan, Morgan Taylor Reid & Gian Stone (engineers); Chris Gehringer & Michelle Mancini (mastering engineers)

* When I was compiling data for this article, scrolling through the years where no women were nominated had a profound impact on me. I felt it was important to include them here. – AE

ROUNDUP:
Trina Shoemaker (Winner)

Imogen Heap (Winner)

Leslie Ann Jones

Emily Lazar

Shani Gandhi

Kim Rosen

Patricia Sullivan

Kristine Flaherty

Michelle Mancini

Amber Mark

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

February Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/shannon-deane-post-production-engineer-and-stunt-car-driver/

The Blogs

Behind the Board

Designing Signature Sounds

Basic Aspects of a Live Sound Mix

Aspectos básicos sobre una mezcla de sonido en vivo

Internet Round-Up

The Recording Academy Task Force on Inclusion and Diversity is announcing the first ever industry-wide Producer and Engineering Inclusion Initiative. Together with prominent producers, labels, artists, agencies, management companies, and other stakeholders we’re making strides to create industry-wide change.

The Initiative asks that at least two women are identified and therefore considered as part of the selection process every time a music producer or engineer is hired. It also asks working producers to agree to take issues of gender diversity within music’s technical fields into account when deciding who to mentor and hire for further development

In November 2018, Marta Salogni and Lauren Deakin-Davies emerged victorious at the Pro Sound Awards, winning the Studio Engineer and Breakthrough Studio Engineer awards respectively. Now, in a PSNEurope first, Daniel Gumble sits in on a conversation between the two as they interview each other on their fascinating careers to date

 

 

 

 

SoundGirls News

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1450

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Music Expo – Miami – Representation on Panels –

DiGiCo Training for Melbourne SoundGirls

Austin One World Theater – Demo & Tour

https://soundgirls.org/the-studio-side-an-evening-with-bob-horn/

SoundGirls Launches Initiative for Members Working in Production Sound

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

https://soundgirls.org/shadow-foh-ld-on-amanda-palmer-tour/

Shadow TM Erika Duffee – Canada

https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-mentoring/

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

A More Inclusive Industry

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Behind the Board

Hey there SoundGirls! This month I chose a topic that I feel is super important to dive into, but before we dig into that let me tell you about the months following. For March, April, and May I’ll be writing about the process of recording a simple four-piece band. Each month I’ll break it down by instrument (March/drums, April/guitars/bass, May/vocals), but we’ll get to that more next month. This month I would like to touch on the importance of being an artist with a knowledge of what’s going on behind the board.

So you love music, you play music, you write music, music is what fuels you. Maybe you’re a tad interested in learning about the audio engineering world- but what are the benefits, you ask? Some positives to having audio engineering skills:

Since I started audio engineering four years ago, I think one of the most valuable things I’ve taken away is networking. I’ve had consistent internships at multiple studios in Austin, and because of that nearly every session I assist on, there is at least one person I have met before, that is playing in the band.

Why is that valuable you say? When an artist sees you multiple times at different studios or the same studio- you might not realize it, but you are building trust with them. Since music is such a personal and sensitive thing, it’s essential for an artist to trust you. If an artist trusts you with their music, their next project might be going to you instead of the person next to you. This is an opportunity to grow as an engineer, as well as build your client list.

As an artist, networking, building friendships, and professional relationships with people in the industry could help you with growing your network with bands you’re meeting in studios. You could become friends, and they may even want to play a show together if they like your music. You never know. Example: My band is very new to the Austin music scene, but for our first show we got to play with two amazing, established bands, at a great venue. I met both of these bands multiple times in and out of recording studios, went to their shows, and became acquaintances with them. It was full circle to share a bill with these bands, four years ago when I assisted on their sessions, who knew we’d be sharing a bill?

So that’s just ONE benefit to being an audio engineer as well as being an artist. I’m going to touch on two more reasons why I think it’s important to dive into audio engineering (even if it’s just a little bit of research or a couple of months of an internship). I’ll pose a question. Is being a jack of all trades a bad thing? I don’t think so; in this day and age- it’s important to be skilled in multiple areas of the industry.

One thing that I think deserves its own paragraph is the importance of being comfortable in a studio. Studios can be intimidating; I know this from my personal experience, (cue, storytime). I remember the first time I ever walked into a recording studio. I was taking a tour of my soon-to-be school for audio engineering and music production in Austin, Texas. I remember seeing all of the gear, and not knowing a single thing. I had never even messed around in GarageBand. I was so intimidated, but also had this hint of excitement the moment I walked into the studio. I was excited to learn; I was excited to be challenged, I was excited to grow, and be an artist that also has valuable knowledge of audio engineering.

Now that it’s been four years, I can speak from experience. Whenever my band is in the studio, or I’m recording vocals for my songs, I’m comfortable. I’m in my element. If you told me four years ago that I wouldn’t be completely nervous singing in a recording studio, I might not have believed you. I couldn’t even sing in front of my friends without turning around! Having that experience in the studio on the other side of the glass gave me confidence in myself, and gave me a sense of purpose. It also gave me a sense of trust in the person who is engineering my vocals, because I know exactly what is going on. I want every other girl/woman that steps into a studio to eventually work their way towards feeling that confidence too, and that’s why I think having audio engineering knowledge is so important.

Last, but not least. The importance of knowing how to record, mix, and master. By having these skills, you are taking the time to learn what is going to be the icing on the cake for your songs. Learning what microphones are going to best capture the way your guitar or vocals sound, and knowing how to mic up a drum kit. Understanding what mixing is, and creating your own mixing style — learning basic mastering skills. All of these things are incredibly beneficial. Not only that, but it’s honestly very exhilarating (and a struggle at times) to work on all aspects of your own music as an artist.

Also, I think I’ve learned more through mixing my own music than I have when mixing others. This might be because of how critical my own mind is towards my work. Not only that, but I believe I have become a better musician from learning audio engineering because my ears are trained, I know what to listen for, and for the simple fact that I am around music all the time. If you’re around something almost every day, you’re going to become good at it. Whether it be, audio engineering, guitar, drums, or singing. You’re going to become better. As an engineer, you will never stop learning. In this craft, you learn something new every time you step foot into a studio. That type of consistency keeps your mind flowing, as well as your creativity. That’s why I believe being an artist as well as having valuable knowledge of engineering is important. Your creativity will never stop.

 

 

Designing Signature Sounds

The Project

I recently had the pleasure of creating signature elements for a new animated series which will likely air near the end of 2019.  We were brought into the process at a very early stage, the first animatic, which was incredibly exciting. If you aren’t already aware, in animation, an animatic is essentially a video of storyboard panels timed to work with the recorded dialogue and then exported as a video.  An animatic is a very thorough blueprint for the animation studio to follow. Adding sound design to an animatic can do a number of things: it can bring the animatic to life for the animation studio which allows them to better understand how to animate important moments. It can help executives to better understand the action when reviewing the animatic for approval. And it can establish signature elements early on so that the sound can help to inform the animators’ creative concept for the series.  Having clients who appreciate the importance of bringing the sound team into the mix (pun intended!) early on is a wonderful thing for us here at Boom Box Post! So cheer to all of our amazing clients!

The Process

Step 1: Brainstorm about an Overall Aesthetic

The key elements of the series are birds and babies (sorry to be cryptic about the premise, but it’s too early to share too much about this project!). My mind immediately started churning about how to incorporate these in a way that would be nuanced and special.  When designing sounds for a new project, it’s also important to consider the audience. This series is geared toward preschool-aged children. So I also wanted to create a soundscape that would be friendly and familiar to viewers in that age group.

First, I decided to make all of the items in this animated world sound like they are made out of materials familiar to preschool kids.  This would involve recording a ton of children’s toys to really let these textures shine through in the mix. The set locations look high tech and designing in that aesthetic is always fun. But isn’t it much more fun to design a baby’s take on tech?  Now that would be a challenge.  Second, I decided to incorporate the bird aspect of the series by creating new sci-fi sound effects for all of the tech elements by processing bird calls.  I didn’t want the bird calls to be in your face. After all, it doesn’t take much creativity to just throw a bunch of hawk calls on everything. But, folding them into my tech builds sounded like a fun challenge that would result in a truly unique signature sound aesthetic for the entire series.

Step 2: Decide which elements should be stand-out signature designs.

I consider anything that will clearly appear in a series again and again to be signature.  And so, even if it’s a mundane item, to me it’s an opportunity to add a little special flavor.  You might think it’s a waste of time to create special door open sound effects or record all-new hand grabs. But creating a new palette from scratch for all reusable elements can ensure not just stand-out sound design moments but an overall signature aesthetic for an entire series.

For this series, I decided that the sounds for all of the things in the main location should be signature: all doors, all grabs of items and furniture, all mechanical elements, etc.  Basically, anything that will clearly be seen again and again needed to be custom.

Step 3: Create a Custom Recording List

When I’m creating a recording list, I like to brainstorm things to record which might add to the overall aesthetic I’m trying to achieve while keeping in mind what I need to cover.  Sometimes, if you map out exactly what to record for each signature element, you close off your brain to considering other options during the process. Think about the general aesthetic you would like to achieve and come up with items that you think may help to achieve that aesthetic–whether you think you’ll use them now or they may just be handy to have in the future.

Here was my list.  Notice that I’m focusing on what I want to hear and not marrying myself to specific items just yet:

  1. Toy ratchet
  2. Toy click into place
  3. Different plastic items for grabs
  4. Toy rolling
  5. A toy which “pops” or “thunks”

Step 4: Browse for Items to Record

I took this list to a local children’s consignment store and roamed the aisles looking for interesting items and listening to how they sounded.  I chose a consignment store because it was cheaper, but also because the toys were not in their original packaging, so I was free to test them out.  Often browsing for things to record is best done in your own home or a friend’s closet for this very reason. Keep in mind that the best recordings are made from items which are different from what you actually see on screen. You want to achieve a certain texture, a certain sound, a certain feel. You don’t want to just record the exact thing you see in the picture.  Think about how an old loose doorknob is often used for gun foley or a piece of celery is broken for a good bone crunch. When choosing items to record, shut off the visual part of your brain that’s telling you to go for the obvious, and start listening to everyday items with your creative hat on. Evaluate each item solely on its ability to give you the sound properties you’ve already brainstormed in the above list.

Step 5: Record new sounds

Step 6: Edit your recordings to work with the picture.

Once you’ve recorded all of your new (or old) props, bring everything into your DAW and start playing.  Often I find that elements I recorded in hopes of covering a certain signature element actually work best for something else.  Don’t be afraid to play around and try new things. Use the clean recordings, process them to the point that they are unrecognizable, or mix them together with sounds from your library.  In this step, you are the sonic painter. Give yourself the creative freedom to use your full palette and don’t be afraid to make a mess. That’s how the best discoveries are made!

Step 7: Collaborate with your clients.

Sound is never a job that’s pursued in a vacuum.  We’re part of a larger project team, and most often that project is the creative property of someone else.  Once you’ve come up with your most alluring signature sounds, share them with your clients and let the collaboration ensue.  It’s incredibly important to realize that the creative process doesn’t end with you: it’s easy to think that your signature sounds are the best they can be when you’ve finished designing.  In fact, I find that they often get even better when I present them to the clients and they offer tiny tweaks and new creative insights. Sometimes muting one element or incorporating something else that you never even considered is the key ingredient to the perfect sound.

The Sounds

Here are a few of the original recordings I made with the help of our intern, Sam, and the signature elements that I designed using those recordings.  The recordings and designs may sound simple, but remember that signature sounds compound with each other in order to create an often nuanced and distinguishable scape for the series as a whole.  It’s the totality of all of your creative ideas that form an overall new and exciting aural aesthetic.

 

Shannon Deane – Post-Production Engineer and Stunt Car Driver

Shannon Deane has been working in post-production sound for over 15 years. Shannon has been working as a freelance engineer for the last ten years, and her specialties are sound design, editing, and mixing for film, TV and new media. She owns, operates and works as creative director and ninja for DeaneCreative.

Shannon attended The University of Texas (UT), graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-TV-Film, with a concentration in audio. While at UT, Shannon’s interest in post-production audio was piqued with an assignment to recreate a scene from a movie using only audio, entirely from scratch/field recordings. “My partner and I chose a prison riot scene from the film Carandiru, based on actual events at the prison in Sâo Paulo, Brazil. Hearing the scene come to life as we added layer after layer of sound was exciting to me. There’s something magical about being able to evoke emotions through sound alone.”

Shannon reflects on this assignment “I wouldn’t say this project single-handedly led me down the sound design rabbit hole, but it does stand out as having had a notable impact on me and my choice to pursue post sound seriously.” But her internship at Emmis Austin Radio would, as it soon led to a job doing sound design/production for a cluster of six commercial radio stations in Austin, TX. “My boss, Jimbo, was a huge inspiration to me – he was a fantastic mentor. He’s an exceptionally talented creative mind who always offered me thoughtful guidance, insight, and encouragement, all with the patience of a saint.”

KaosBriefAnarchy

Shannon has worked on a variety of projects and mixed small gigs with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell. She has worked on a full season of the Brody Stevens Show for Comedy Central and done sound design for Netflix internal projects, which she found amazing but challenging due to crazy turnarounds! Some of Shannon’s favorite gigs “are actually the smaller ones, where I got to wear many hats. I did full post sound on a feature called The Kaos Brief, which is a supernatural thriller. I got to design “alien” sounds from the ground up, combining a lot of arguably opposing elements to get the effect I wanted. I regularly collaborate with a talented artist/director named Nadav Heyman, whose stories always speak to me in a powerful way. Our styles totally clicked right off the bat, and it’s a joy to work with another artist that you’re so in tune with creatively.”

Shannon is also a touring, recording musician playing guitar and bass, production sound mixer, and she spent seven years as a music instructor.  She also had a brief detour working a stunt driver. Yes, you heard that correctly a stunt driver.  Shannon explains how she stumbled into this “I was chatting with a college friend years ago at a party, whom I didn’t realize had become a stunt coordinator. When he discovered I had a background in martial arts, roller derby, bike racing, etc., he asked: “why aren’t YOU doing stunts?” I paused for a second, laughed, and said: “I don’t know.” He hooked me up with local stunt guru Richard Hancock, and I ended up training with him and getting little movie parts here and there for about three years until I moved to LA. My favorite gig was doubling a lead actress in a car chase scene, in which I spent nine hours power sliding around corners and smashing into another car. The other car caught fire at the end of the day (not planned).”

What do you like best about post sound?

I love that every day is different, every project is different, and I get to be creative with basically everything I put my hands on.  Picture is obviously essential, but if the sound is no good, then, well…bad sound can ruin a film or show. Mediocre sound is almost as bad – the image will never live up to its full potential. As a sound designer, I have to be sensitive to the needs of the project. What’s the best choice for x or y project? The answer is whatever helps tell the story the best – whatever drives the story, compliments it and makes it as compelling as it can possibly be.  I have to be objective and subjective at the same time – as an artist, you have your own ideas about what might sound cool, and you can get attached to specific ideas, but you have to be objective enough not to get married to something if it just isn’t working. Filmmaking is a collaborative endeavor, and I like the process of balancing my own creativity with that of the editor, director, writer, etc. I’m always striving to compliment the stories and images in ways that are unique or exciting. I may not achieve that to my satisfaction with every project, but I sure get a lot of opportunities to do so, and sometimes I feel like I succeed. That’s extremely rewarding.

What is your favorite day off activity?

I race motorcycles, so you can usually find me on a motorcycle of some sort. Or a bicycle. I also train Muay Thai and Gracie Jui-Jitsu.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

The sheer volume of talented folks in this industry, especially here in Los Angeles, means you have to work really hard to stand out and keep work coming in, especially as a freelancer. You have to be driven, passionate, and extremely persistent. I’m still a tiny fish in this big pond, but I feel fortunate to have built a solid client list of talented folks, and it just keeps growing and growing.

How have you dealt with them?

Perseverance. Never give up. It’s been challenging at times, but I buckled down and kept driving forward, and I’ve found that the reward has been great as a result.

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

If you’re truly interested in and/or passionate about a career in audio, don’t let anyone or anything stop you. It’s a male-dominated field, but who cares? I don’t let that intimidate me, and neither should any other female. Gender doesn’t matter. I’m in this because I love it, and that’s all that matters. So stay focused on what you want and never lose sight of your goal.

Also, don’t feel like you have to do it alone. Seek out mentors, don’t be afraid to ask questions, be humble and be a kind human. Also, don’t be scared to make mistakes and don’t be afraid to fail. It’s often out of the failures and mistakes that we learn and grow the most. Cheesy? Maybe. But it’s true.

Must have skills?

Know your gear! For me, that means Pro Tools, synths, MIDI controllers, plugins, and production sound gear for gathering original sounds. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the tools of your trade. Once you’ve gained a decent level of technical proficiency, you can get right to the (arguably more fun) business of being creative with your sound.

Favorite gear?

I’m biased, but my Manley Ref C and VOXBOX are staples in my studio. I record 99% of my VO through them and even do a lot of Foley with them as well. Output’s Arcade is a really rad tool for sound design. It’s easy to use, and highly customizable. You can drop in your own loops and manipulate them on the fly. (Full disclosure – I create content for Output). I’m a huge fan of Native Instruments stuff, as well as Soundtoys plugins. Izotope, Altiverb. I love my Grace Designs m906 monitor controller, and my Universal Audio Apollo for ease of use and sound, especially for the price point.

What are your long-term goals?

To be as good as I possibly can at what I do. To tell stories that matter. To represent the under-represented whenever possible. I’d like to be able to collaborate with as many talented people as possible with the time I have, and hopefully, leave behind some art that really matters for generations to follow.

Shannon’s Studio

 

 

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