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Kira Roessler – Bass Player, Roadie, Fan, Academy Award Winner

protools selfieKira Roessler might not view herself as a groundbreaker and even downplays the fact that she has been paving the way for women in male-dominated fields for most of her adult life. She is a bass player, singer, and songwriter and is best known for her work with Black Flag and Dos. During the period that she was the bass player for Black Flag, she was also attending UCLA and majoring in Economics and Engineering. She has since gone on to become an Emmy Award-winning dialogue editor and part of an Oscar-winning team.

Kira was born in Connecticut and started taking classical piano lessons at six years old. Her older brother Paul also took lessons, and being three years older than Kira was better. Kira, who is competitive, became frustrated and quit.

When Kira was 14, her brother’s progressive rock band lost their bass player, and Kira was determined to replace him. She was able to borrow a bass and practiced 6-10 hours a day (six on school days and ten on weekends). She even kept a log. She was never good enough, but when she was 15, Paul discovered punk rock through friends of his who were in a band called The Germs. So she followed Paul into the vortex.

Kira and her brother moved into a house with a garage converted into a rehearsal space. They jammed with people and started their own punk rock band. They went to gigs and met other people who played. Kira’s first gig was at age 16 at the Whisky A Go-Go.  By the time Kira joined Black Flag in 1983 (replacing founding member Chuck Dukowski), she had played in several bands in Los Angeles.  a838454c16c89845b6b1870c65cfba9c

When Kira joined Black Flag, she had already completed three years of her BS degree at UCLA. She informed the band that she needed to finish, but that she would take quarters off school to tour. It took her two years to complete her last year at UCLA because Black Flag did four US tours and one European tour in ’84 and ’85. It was madness. Kira would literally get dropped off from the tour at UCLA for classes. It seemed like every time the band was recording; she was studying for midterms or finals. So when she would drop to the floor exhausted from playing, she would get the books out.

As with many musicians on the road, Kira faced some difficulties. The hardest part about the touring for her was her right hand. She suffered an injury a week into joining Black Flag that never really healed. When the gigs were over, you could find her backstage with her hand in an ice bucket. She never let the injury stop her, but it certainly made her grumpy at times. The second hardest part of touring for Kira was the feeling that life is going on without you back home and the lack of stability. Relationships of any sort were affected, and there was no ‘home’ when she got back. She concludes this is why she’s a relative “homebody” now.

13f14519ef432f736a9dbf7769fe1638Kira’s tenure and life on the road with Black Flag ended with the 1985 tour. With only two gigs left on the tour, she called home and found out that a tour had been scheduled in the fall concurrently when she was to be attending UCLA to complete her degree. She knew at that point that she was going to be asked to leave. When the band returned home, she was indeed asked to leave.

Kira was featured on five of Black Flag’s studio albums. She left the band at the conclusion of In My Head Tour and graduated from UCLA in 1986. After Black Flag, she went on to form the two-bass duo Dos with Mike Watt, whom she was married to from ‘87 – ‘92. She contributed songs to the Minutemen’s final album and now works as a dialog editor, recently being part of an Oscar-winning sound editing team for work on Mad Max: Fury Road.Dos (1)

Kira credits include several films and projects: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), and The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009). She won an Emmy for her work on John Adams episode “Don’t Tread on Me” as well as one for an episode of Game of Thrones during Season Two. She has been featured in the documentaries We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen and American Hardcore.

 

 

The following Q&A was conducted by Greg Cameron. He is the former drummer of a few bands on Black Flag’s label SST Records – SWA, October Faction, and Chemical People. He is a former tour-mate of Kira’s during her time with Black Flag.  Currently, he is the house sound engineer for Miner’s Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City, California as well as a QA engineer for video technology company AJA Video Systems, Inc. in Grass Valley, California. Greg is also a SoundGirls.Org Member and Supporter.

What field of engineering were you studying at UCLA? Did it have any bearing on your current field?

My major was called Economics/System Science. Basically, half economics and half computer studies. After college and being booted from Black Flag I needed to get a job, and I went into a computer job at Yale. After 11 years of computers, I met someone who was in post-production sound. It seemed the perfect marriage of my music and my computer background. In retrospect, the confidence I have in computer software is probably the only asset from my education and computer career.

Can you discuss what led you to post-production and dialog editing? Was it something you had aspired to do or was it something that you “fell into?”

Oh – I guess I kind of answered that. It was a fluke that my brother was writing music for this student film that this sound guy was doing post sound on. They asked me to come in and lay down a bass guitar track. He was using ProTools (very early days for digital sound editing by the way), and I was interested in the process for sure. I stayed in touch with him and eventually, ended up working for him.

What type of training did you receive as far as post-production audio? Were you self-taught or did you have formal training?

It was definitely trial by fire. The company was a four-person team when I joined it, and the guys seemed to lean towards the sound effects arena. That left an opening on the dialogue/ADR side of things. So I began trying to fill the void as best I could, sometimes taking a beating when I turned in reels to nasty mixers, but learning each time.

Did you have a mentor?

At first, this young man who ran the company, Bryan Franklin showed me the ropes. Eventually, I met a guy who had been doing it for years and years (he had been the dialogue/ADR supervisor on ET), and he became my mentor. His name is Curt Schulkey. I did about eight films working under him and then began getting offers (often with his recommendation) to do other projects.

What would you find to be the most satisfying aspects of your job?

Hmmm. Dialogue editing is kind of like how many problems you can solve before the mix. And there is generally a lot to be solved. ADR and group (where we go into the studio to record) are more about honing my limited people skills. Both are positive – but both can also be frustrating. When I am editing in a room, it is just me, and the sounds and my anti-social nature is soothed. But one cannot be truly successful in my field without also tackling the people stuff.  

What would be some of the most challenging parts of your job?

As mentioned above, I find some people’s interactions difficult. Clients can be very demanding. Schedules can be extremely challenging. One can feel very squeezed in terms of delivering quality, and also in terms of keeping that smile on your face. Often the tightest schedule demands the highest quality somehow. ADR involves a significant amount of paperwork and phone calls which make it difficult to actually do the editing. ADR and group involve being pretty organized, and that is not necessarily natural to me.

As a woman in this field, did you encounter any issues regarding getting jobs or issues being on the job?

Of course, it’s hard to compare my experience to what it might have been like if I was not a woman. I do sometimes get the feeling that someone is reacting to me for no reason, and that may be related to my gender or the combination of my gender with my assertive personality. Learning to keep one’s mouth shut is probably useful for everyone. I do think a man may be able to get away with more.

If so, how did or do you deal with them?

In my opinion, the only way to battle any people issue is to contain reactions and propose solutions. “How can I help?” “Ok, let me try to find another way to tackle this” Phrases like that diffuse tension quickly because I am no longer pushing back. Showing emotion (of course) is the worst thing because any preconceived notion about women will be confirmed.

What advice would have for young women trying to break into your field?

It is a tough time for this industry. Budgets are tighter, and teams are smaller. Being multi-faceted is a must. I believe you will have to present yourself well, learn a great deal on your own, and then get lucky or have an “in.” I would not recommend it as a career because people are being squeezed out all the time. Mostly because they aren’t learning the new technologies and demands fast enough or are resisting working as hard as we are expected to. There have to be industries that are growing right?

Let’s talk a bit about the technology you work with. What are your preferred tools or platforms in audio post?

Well – it isn’t like I had that much of a choice. I worked at that first company on ProTools 3 when it was just starting to become a tool being used in film. And what I do is work in a continuum. I am handed material from the picture department and have to deliver to the mixing room. This puts me in an agreed-upon context, not in a vacuum.

I could do my music in whatever tool I wanted, but since Pro Tools can be used for my work (pretty much the industry standard), I may as well use it for music. If the industry shifted, so would I. The tools are the hammer – we are just trying to get the nail in the wood.

What’s your general or even specific workflow?

The picture department – where the director and editor create a version of the film selecting takes within scenes and building scenes within reels – will then generate material to send to the sound department (and the composer, and the visual effects department). For the dialogue, there is a track-by-track layout which is the little bits they selected and cobbled together for me to then work with. My job is to make that cobbled-together reel, scene by scene, line by line sound smooth and clean with as few audio issues as possible. If there are lines that are utterly unintelligible, I will recommend we re-record them in the studio. I also have to record what we call “group” or “loop group” which includes background voices and additive material for non-principal characters on the screen.

During this process (right while this is going on) we usually have to generate material for quick temp mixes so the filmmakers can preview the movie to a test audience. They will then change things (new takes, pulling out or adding in material) and send us a new version which we then have to adjust to.

At some point, the final mixing dates arrive, and we jump off the hamster wheel. That is where the final music and tracks are mixed into what you will hear in the theater.

Do you have experience with other platforms than your preferred one?

I do not. But I am confident that I can pick up whatever alternate tool I need to when the time arises.

Do you have any inclination to venture into other fields of audio production or post-production?

I am not particularly ambitious really. I find this level of insanity plenty challenging. The money is decent. If anything I would like more time to spend on my musical ventures, my dogs, or whatever which often get shoved to the side.

What advice do you have as far as dealing with technology in your field?

Do not be rattled by the tool. Concentrate on what you are trying to do. You will have to continue to adapt and adjust as you go, so don’t get attached to things working in one way. Use forums ask people who are good at it for help.

Can you share any anecdotes about your time working in post?

It can be disconcerting how much schedules change and how much we are at the bottom of the totem pole and the end of the process. Everyone wants to feel valued, and do good work, but sometimes you just gotta be fast and figure out what has to be done rather than what should be done. Your schedule is really not your own while you are on a project. And while you are off, you tend to want to be available to get on one. So it is hard to plan anything.

Oh yeah – anecdotes – “we are giving you a new version of the movie Wednesday or Thursday for a Saturday temp mix.”

“We have decided to create two versions of the movie and mix them both, then play them for two audiences and see what people like.”

“well yes we are doing the final mix, but let’s do a temp mix of this new material and also re-record all of that character’s lines” (or how to be in three places at once)

How about your time in music & Black Flag?

Being in Black Flag taught me about endurance. At the time I didn’t realize much about people politics and because of that, I wasn’t necessarily very good at that end of the business. Being in a band is like a marriage of several people and demands work, just as a marriage does. It demands acceptance of each other, supporting each other even in disagreement, and all sorts of things I did not get then. I thought it was about playing well and surviving. I guess that is important too, but not nearly enough.

Specifics are tricky. It is a blur at this point of gigs, practices, recordings, pain, exhaustion, sadness, regret, and fond memory. I gave it all I had, as I had promised myself I would. At times it did not seem enough. I was physically and emotionally ragged from it. And I behaved badly more than once. But I learned and grew musically and in other ways. I met people who would go farther at music than I knew anyone could.

I have been asked many times what it was like being a girl doing this. How would I know? Stupid stuff happened. Wake up in the night in the van with someone looking at you, whatever. But aside from that stuff, my experience was just one of fighting off the doubts within me, not from the outside. Is that because I am female or are we all like that?

Did your time in Black Flag have any influence at all on what you do now?

I don’t think so. I am not the starving artist type. I always intended to work, if not touring then at a job. I had some hard times early in terms of being broke and was pretty determined to do what I could to avoid going hungry at least.

Are you still performing?

Interesting question. I have not in a little while. I play my bass often and still record, both my own stuff and sometimes for other people.  I do not know if the occasion will arise or not. I am not actively seeking it out.

And please throw in anything else you might what to impart or just share.

Greg – I remember you as one of those who fought so hard at music. You have also grown and expanded sound into a career right? There are lots of ways to skin that cat if one is in a band and wonders what is next. I find I have to be willing to let the answer be something totally unexpected (as post sound was for me).

Me n sweet KoalaMore on Kira

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Profiles of Women in Audio

There’s More to Emergencies Than the Plan

In the wake of all the recent and horrible actions occurring in venues across the world, I had someone ask me what I am doing to teach my students how to be prepared for these situations. What am I doing to ensure their safety as well as the safety of the people attending events at venues under my supervision and when I am not there?

I could have told this person that we spend time talking about active shooters, running fire drills, working through emergency medical exercises, and more. This is true, we run these activities and have discussions every year. Each fall I sit with 30 students from age 18-22 to discuss and show them what to do in case this or that happens. However, just discussing and showing them isn’t enough.

We do fire drills, tornado drills, have active shooter discussions, and explain everyone’s roles in these situations, but it’s not enough. Information like this is lost over time without continuous practice.  Although these situations do occur, they are rare enough that the students may never directly experience them.  We must build a foundation of response and continually reinforce it. Yes someone could just follow a checklist and mark things off, but these situations are dynamic and rarely ever the same. Plus in an emergency – who will have time to check off the list?

In addition to the drills, discussions, and information we go through I also spend time trying to develop each person’s sense of self and work through how they might react in such a situation.  I spend time teaching them to ask questions. Ask questions about the procedure I am explaining, and how to work through it if it happens. To develop scenarios where they work through their thought processes on what should be done. I teach them to ask questions of those around them: What is the event? How many people are we expecting? Who is our point person for the night? Do I know everyone that is working? Have they all had the same training as me? Do I remember what I’m supposed to do?  Do I know where my resources are?

Next, I work toward having them become more aware of their surroundings.  Do I see the people who are entering the room? Am I able to walk through the fire lane in the dark without tripping? Do I know what the weather is like outside? Do I know what other events are happening in the building? Have I put down my phone long enough to be aware of something unusual? Am I greeting people as they walk by, so I might remember whom I’ve seen that day? download (13)

Now that they are working towards being more aware and are asking the questions they need to ask of themselves and others are they acting on what they are seeing? Did the clutter get moved from fire lane? Did I notify security of a bag that looks out of place? Have I communicated with venue management to express my concerns about a room that is getting too full?  They need to communicate what they see to help prevent escalating issues.

download (14)Finally, but no less significant they do need to know emergency plans.  They need to know what to do in inclement weather. They need to know who the point person is for every event. They need to have experience so they can think straight and have the necessary tools to keep themselves and others safe.  They need to comprehend the process and potential outcomes for Run, Hide, Fight.

There will be no perfect answer on what should be done in each situation. But we must educate ourselves, know the options, ask questions, be aware of our surroundings, communicate our concerns, and know the emergency plan.

 

Interview with Producer/Engineer Te’

The percentage of women continues to rise within working occupations across the globe, tech and the music industries both being included. But with women only making up 5% of music producers and engineers in the music industry, we continue to set the bar high by taking control of our own careers and using that hustle muscle to achieve success one goal at a time.

Producer Te’ is among that 5% within the music industry. A natural-born hustler who has set herself up for success. From songwriting to producing to engineering. She has done work with the likes of Anthony Hamilton, Matt Linsech, Jason Gilbert, Teddy Riley, Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, and more. Over the years Te’ has been open, honest, and willing to guide me in the right direction within my own career. I had the opportunity of interviewing Te’ touches on her journey thus far, being a woman in the music industry, favorite gear, and more.

What sparked your interest in audio technology? You have graduated with a business degree and were self-taught, something had to ignite a passion in audio.

Coming from a family of musicians and singers, music has been instilled in me since birth.  As I got older, I became intrigued by the creative process and found myself reading the liner notes and researching how the music was being made.  When I was 13 I got my first keyboard/workstation and taught myself how to compose & arrange instrumentals.  In my freshman year of high school I was introduced to composing with computers and synthesizers and began making tracks on the Cakewalk program.

Many get there break into the industry with one aspect first. Did songwriting lead to producing, producing to engineering.. vice versa or did everything kind of evolve together? What was your specific process?

I definitely started writing first.  I thought I was a rapper back in the day, so I would have notebooks full of raps, but never had any tracks to put the words to.  When I started making beats my passion for composing/arranging evolved, but now it all goes hand in hand.  I later bought Pro Tools and taught myself how to use it.  I thought I was the shit, but my mixes were horrible back then lol.  All in all, when people would come to record with me they would leave with a full record.  I would have the tracks already prepared and when the artist got there, I’d write the song or co-write it with them.  In some cases I would make the beat from scratch.

What obstacles have you faced and overcome building as a woman in Tech/Music business? 

There was only one situation that stands out.  I was applying at a major recording studio to be an engineer and I was told that they didn’t hire female engineers.  According to them, from past experiences, females were just too emotional. I knew it didn’t have anything to do with me personally, but I was definitely dealt some unfair cards in that situation.  In hindsight, it was a blessing because I wouldn’t want to work for a facility or brand who generalizes or has a stereotypical mindset. I just kept it moving to the next opportunity. Overall I am received well in my field. I am grateful.

How has technology affected the way you book and work with your clients?

Creatively, technology gives us more options and freedom to experiment until we get the sound that we need. There are no limits. From a business perspective it’s great because of social media, it allows us to expand our brands and attract new clientele.

As an engineer and producer do you take on work for hire gigs or are you employed with different labels?

If it’s an engineer gig, the producer will call me in for a session either with the artist or for a songwriting session.  If I’m writing/producing I tend to work with anyone who is working on a major project.  My management will book me a session with the artist, or the producer will call me in for a writing session to write for a specific project.

Do you own your own recording studio? If so what is your favorite piece of gear within your space?

I float around between different studios in LA, but I do have a small home set-up for when I need to work on material outside of the studio. My favorite piece of gear is probably the LA2A as far as compressors go….and I love love love the Telefunken U47 mic! From my experience, it sounds clean and clear on almost every voice.

Do you play any instruments? Or do you use more technology-based gear to create?

They say once a drummer always a drummer, although I am rusty now, that is my first instrument.  I can maneuver around the keyboard enough to get the idea out. When I am producing or co-producing I like to bring in live musicians to play on the record. Although the digital world is great, I believe music still needs to have an authentic feel and bringing in live musicians achieves that.

Analog vs. Digital? What’s your outlook?

Both. With digital, your creative aspirations are endless, but as I mentioned before, I like my music to have an authentic vibe like the music I grew up listening to in the 90s, and that’s where analog saves the day. Blending the two together is the perfect match in my opinion. You have to know both, there are still some things that can’t be imitated, so being able to go back to the original source is crucial. But definitely need both.

What are your top five best moments in your career so far?

Wow I don’t know if I have five yet, considering my career is just beginning.  

One is definitely being able to write, work and build a relationship with the legendary Teddy Riley.  I grew up listening to him and his work, especially Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” album which is my favorite album of MJ.  It’s a huge honor to work with the man whose name was in the credits of the albums I was listening to and influenced by growing up.  His stories about the music business are not only fascinating but extremely insightful and informative.  I’m truly grateful.

Two would be meeting Trakmatik of Roc Nation; working with and watching him achieve greatness is inspiring.  It’s a beautiful thing to witness someone close to you reach higher levels of success and inspire the next generation behind us.

The third, I’m going to have to get back to you on as my career progresses. Lol

What advice would you give to upcoming engineers and producers on staying up to date with technology and entrepreneurship?

Study the people that have come before you in your field.  They’ve already laid the blueprint to success.  Learn what they did and then add your own flavor to it to make it unique.  Stay up on current trends but focus on creating what the next sound might be.  Don’t be afraid to take risks because you never know what your ideas may lead to. On a more philosophical note, don’t allow any negativity or adversity to deter you.  You were already born to be great.  Always live within your elite self.  Stay true to that and you will prosper and live the quality of life that you deserve.  You will have doubters, but you will also have supporters and admirers that you are inspiring and may not even know it, so don’t quit.  Be the example, you never know who is watching and using you for inspiration.

Te’ was one of the first people I reached out to when I had the idea of starting a blog. She motivated me when things didn’t go as planned. She always reassured me that I can obtain success, ONLY if I wanted it bad enough. Thank you, Te’ for always being a positive influence. I hope we both can inspire someone else to follow their dreams. Until next time, I encourage all of you to fight against the odds and go for what you want. No matter what career path you choose, don’t let anything hold you back #BeGreat 

 You can follow producer Te’ journey on Instagram via @officialte & on Twitter via@_itsTE_

 

How to Turn an Unpaid Internship into a Compensated Growth Opportunity

 

Ah, the unpaid, post-graduate internship. You know the one I mean: the one that has no defined time period, expects you to work an undetermined schedule (yet still be able to commit to 30+ hours per week), promises great connections, will probably have you doing nothing but “gopher” work the whole time… and yet, you can’t help but think that despite all the massive drawbacks, there may be some small chance that it will actually be a really good experience for you. Alrighty then. This is where your negotiating skills will come into play.

To turn this sad excuse of an opportunity (seriously – who offers an unpaid position with little wiggle room for the individual to have paid employment???) into something advantageous, the first thing you need is confidence. Know your worth, and be willing to back it up. Take a minute if you’d like, and reflect on everything that you’ve done. Think about your skillset, and know that you can totally do this. Toot that celebratory horn of yours!

The second step is to research the company offering the position. Oftentimes, if they are a small company such as a local studio, they really can’t afford to compensate you financially. But can they give you free mixing time in their rooms? A discounted room rental rate for clients you bring in? If they are a big company, keep your internal alarms at yellow alert.

The third is to create a time limit for the internship. What I usually propose is a 1 or 3 month-long time period (depending on the internship and my financial situation), working no more than 15-20 hours per week, which should be documented in a time log. If by the end of the time period I have not proven myself to be a good fit, then the internship is terminated, and we both go our merry ways. You can tailor this to your needs, of course.

Finally, GET ALL OF THIS IN WRITING. You never, EVER want to leave it up to chance that the person you’re negotiating with will keep their word if they don’t write it down and sign it. Type up all of your requirements, and send it to them (if everything was discussed in person or on the phone, do this in the format of a follow-up email). If they agree, fantastic! (And make sure you hang on to that email, you ever know when you might need it to remind someone of the guidelines they agreed to.) If they don’t, then you don’t want to work for them anyway. They probably suck in real life and have no business taking advantage of us youngins.

The first unpaid internship I ever worked was with a nonprofit radio organization as a digital editor, working with what I thought were good, honest people, and providing an excellent community service. At the beginning of the internship, it was proposed in an email by the company head that I would receive a small stipend of $600 at the end of the summer, which I agreed to (I then foolishly deleted that email, expecting that they would follow through with this). The internship went great, and there were multiple occasions throughout the summer where my boss told me in person (and often in private) that I was providing some of the best work that they had ever received, and that I had a guaranteed paid position starting in the fall. However, once the summer came to a close, I suddenly had no paid position, only $75 for compensation, and a request to continue to work for them without being paid. If only I had saved that email. Thankfully, the lessons I got from that experience only cost me $525; I’ve since heard many stories where the damage was much worse.

So, to recap:

Now go forth and get yourself some learning opportunities!

**DISCLAIMER: This is not to say that ALL unpaid opportunities are BS… I have worked several that were extremely rewarding. The only thing is, they made sure I had the support I needed to find paid employment elsewhere.

 

A Brief History of Theatre Sound Consoles with Autograph Sound

Last Monday the Europe Chapter of Soundgirls.org had the opportunity to learn about theatre sound from one of the top names in the business: Autograph Sound.

Autograph has been at the forefront of theatre sound in the UK, and internationally, since the early 1970s. Before this time, theatres dictated the sound of every show. Their sound equipment wasn’t designed specifically for theatre use, and as there was no consistency in the sound systems between theatres, one show could sound very different in different theatres.

In the late 1960s, the music industry started to hand over production of their live shows to other companies. Around the same time, Andrew Bruce, who was Head of Sound at the Royal Opera House in London, noticed a need for theatre shows to sound the same in each venue – for each show to have a sonic “signature.” As Peppe Mallozzi, Sales Engineer for Autograph explained, this idea formed the company’s name: once a signature becomes recognised, it becomes an autograph.

Autograph Sound Recording was founded in London, U.K. in 1972 by Andrew Bruce. Theatre sound technology of the time centred on fixed input consoles, like the Trident Fleximix, a live sound console that was used for the production of A Chorus Line in London, 1976. But the requirements for musical theatre sound differ from sound for live music shows. In a very general sense, where the driving factor for music shows is often volume, the primary consideration for theatre sound is clarity, of dialogue as well as songs.

Manufacturers caught on and started producing consoles to accommodate the new specific requirements of theatre sound. Theatre sound took a step closer to achieving the clarity that its engineers desired with consoles like the Midas TR, used for Cats in 1981. This console had an output matrix, which allowed you to split a signal to different speakers to achieve all-important high-frequency coverage, crucial for hearing dialogue and singing with absolute clarity.

By the 1980s, shows were getting bigger and designers needed more inputs, outputs, and more flexibility. In 1982 Autograph commissioned a console from British company Cadac for Little Shop of Horrors at the Comedy Theatre (now the Harold Pinter Theatre), London.

From this first console, christened “The Coffin” for its shape, Cadac’s analogue console have remained in use in theatres up until the present day – Wicked, at the Apollo Theatre in London, will be the last big show to use an analogue Cadac console.

The next step for Autograph was to develop consoles with Cadac for use with any show. This lead to the A-type, used for Les Miserables in London in 1985, which was succeeded by the J-type and E-type. These consoles included automation, using an external computer to send cues to trigger the central VCA section of a console, with VCAs and programmable control groups becoming standard. Early automation was the start of something that became important for theatre sound: being able to operate a show from a central area on a console instead of running up and down a lot of channels.

As shows became bigger, other areas of automation and being able to save settings for individual scenes became crucial, as operators found they struggled to adjust settings manually for expanding numbers of performers. Bruce and his colleagues were also under pressure from producers to find a smaller alternative for the large analogue consoles that took up valuable seat space.

In the early 1990s, Bruce was approached by Soundcraft, a console manufacturer who was exploring the development of a fully assignable digital console for theatre sound. Bruce wanted a console that could digitally save EQ settings, scene snapshots and had the option to save volume levels (or not). Their collaboration led to the Soundcraft Broadway, the first digital theatre sound console.

The Soundcraft Broadway could control analogue input and output racks and be installed for the 1996 production of  Martin Guerre at the Prince Edward theatre in London but never used. Continual bugs and repeated failures with the networking technology of the time meant it couldn’t handle the requirements of the show, and a J-type Cadac replaced it. Soundcraft abandoned its digital theatre console project soon after.

Back at Cadac, analogue consoles were still being produced with digital automation. However, there was another company with an eye on the digital console market: Soundtracs, producer of analogue consoles for studio and live sound since the 1980s. In 2002 the decision was made to launch a new brand focussed on digital consoles for live events. The new company, DiGiCo, and a new digital console, the D5 Live, were launched almost immediately.

James Gordon, the founder of DiGiCo, had already spotted the potential need in the theatre sound market and approached Andrew Bruce directly to develop theatre sound-specific software for the new DiGiCo console. Three months and a lot of research and development later, they launched the D5T: a digital DiGiCo D5 console with “T” (theatre) software, specifically designed to meet the needs of large-scale musical theatre shows. As computer automation control changed the game for theatre sound engineers twenty years earlier, theatre-specific software like T-software took it to a whole new level.

Anyone who has worked on a major West End or Broadway musical knows how complex the sound can get. Thirty-plus performers, all with radio mics, who need to be heard with perfect clarity solely or in duos, trios or choruses that change with every scene. Speaking one minute, singing the next, and wearing a hat (which completely changes the sound of a mic) one minute after that! Every line must be crystal clear for every audience member, no matter where the actors are on stage. And that’s all before you get the musicians involved.

It’s a big ask for the designer to make sure the balance of every one of hundreds of cues is perfectly calibrated. Let alone for the sound operator to set levels, EQ and FX for all actors in one scene, then change it all again with a moment’s notice for a new scene, with a new set of performers.

Theatre-sound-specific hardware and software like the DiGiCo consoles with T software were developed to meet these challenges. They allow for controlled and accurate line-by-line mixing, where each mic is only live when lines are sung or spoken, by pulling groups of channels into the central VCA section. Control of the channels is placed right under the operator’s hands, saving them from to running up and down a long console riding faders for individual channels

They also allow an operator or designer to save settings for individual channels in individual scenes (or even multiple “snapshots” in a single scene) and recall them in an instant. And going one crucial step further – to save different versions of the same channel, with varying settings (“aliases” in DiGiCo terminology), to accommodate understudies playing the same roles, and hats!

As Peppe says, “no one waits for sound.” When a director suddenly decides to jump from the big chorus dance number in Act 1 to the intimate duet between the leads in Act 3, Scene 2, or they suddenly want the lead actor to wear the hat they wore in the very first scene, they don’t want to wait for the sound operator.

Back in the 1980s and even the 1990s with the ability to save only a limited number of settings, jumping between scenes and changes to positions or costume would have meant a break for the company as the sound operator reset everything manually. Now, it’s a matter of a few clicks. What used to take weeks of technical rehearsals can be conquered in a few days.

Many thanks to Peppe at Autograph Sound for putting on a great day for our European Chapter members. We look forward to the next one!

 

‘Let’s Change the Record’: A Report on the Women in Music Business

‘Let’s Change the Record’: A Report on the Women in Music Business Workshop at Westminster University

‘We want to change the record, we don’t want to rewind it, scratch it, whatever – we want to change it completely’ Sally Gross

By Cinnamon Ducasse

On Thursday the 19 th of May, Sally Gross of Westminster University, Andy Inglis (5000 mgmt) a music manager and music business consultant working in conjunction with Daniel Nordgård from the University of Adger in Norway, invited five accomplished and experienced music business professionals to come and share their wisdom with eleven younger aspiring music business people. The difference between this workshop and almost every other event in the music industry, however, was that no men were invited, so the only men in attendance were the two who had instigated the event. As Andy stated, the rationale for the project was that since ‘people who look like him’ (middle aged men) dominate 95% of the industry and, until recently, there had been no initiatives which address the specific problems – or rather the realities – of working in the music business as a woman-identifying person as well as no special provision for those who enroll on music business courses – they thought it might be a worthy experiment to create a female-dominated environment in a university classroom for a day. So they joined forces with Sally Gross’s Westminster-based initiative, Let’s Change the Record, to make it happen – and this is how it went…

Sally Gross, who is the program director of Westminster’s MA in Music Business Management, opened the day with a short discussion of inequality in the music industry, explaining the project and its intention ‘to change the record, we don’t want to rewind it, scratch it, whatever – we want to change it completely’ to a party of eagerly nodding heads. She then opened the session with an ice-breaking game that engaged three groups in a collective, creative activity. Each wrote a poem, a song or a story together, and performed their product to the rest of the class. Afterwards Sally asked the groups how they felt working together, if they had any conflicts, and if they felt that they all contributed equally to their production. Some said they divided up parts equally, others worked spontaneously; but the whole group smiled and laughed affirmatively when Sally double-checked ‘so you all collaborated equally and peacefully?’ We couldn’t help but notice how excited, open and supportive the group seemed together, and it didn’t seem surprising that they managed to create something together without feeling dominated by each other. As one speaker said, ‘how exciting to be in a room full of so many women!’ And it seemed that sentiment was shared.

Once the ice was broken, we got to serious business with Sally Gross giving a no-nonsense lecture about one of the most notoriously complicated aspects of selling music: copyright, ‘the fundamental system of making money out of music’. She gave a history of copyright that also served as a history of the industry, linking it to the history of contracts – which, she pointed out, is of course the history of marriage. Sally’s history situated women’s long struggle for equality within the history of the music industry, as well as showing how that struggle also manifests today. We talked about how women get dominated in creative scenarios, particularly when male producers claim to have specialist technical knowledge. We acknowledged that Bjork has recently come out about this, and that other successful female artist such as Grimes has also come out about sexual abuse in studio settings. This led one participant to ask about Ke$ha’s sexual abuse case, and a long group discussion about sexual abuse and misconduct in the music industry followed. Sally commented that Ke$ha’s case was very badly handled and that bad lawyers were again taking advantage. She gave serious advice to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to speak out about it as soon as possible and try to create as much of an evidence trail, from as early on, as possible.

Emily Moore, founder of international management company Southern Bird, then gave a seminar on management. She began by telling us how excited she was that this was the first time she’d ever spoken to so many women and, pointing at Andy said, ‘you old men, you’re on your way out!’ She then gave us her story and talked about being intimidated at first, but just going for it and finding that ultimately ‘it’s not that hard’, and that we shouldn’t let anyone tell us we can’t do it. She gave some general advice about managing, which Sally pitched into as she herself is an experienced manager, and then Emily opened up the discussion to the floor.

There were lots of young managers in the room who shared their experiences and advice about asserting themselves in companies of older men, and asked Emily for hers. We discussed the importance of trust and intimacy in managerial relationships, and that women can get pigeonholed as better managers because of their ‘maternal’ instincts. While no one wants to be pigeonholed, Emily talked about owning those skills and the fact that a manager, whatever their gender, should be looking after their artist(s) because the record industry is a brutal landscape and artists’ mental health often suffers. However, we discussed that when working with other business people, you are also required to be assertive, even intimidating – as Sigríður, a participant from Reykjavík said ‘the older guys I work with, I think they’re all scared of me’. We all laughed, but the point stands that women in the industry have a difficult balance to strike when dealing with men’s expectations.

Our next speaker was Hannah Overton, general manager at Secretly Group for the UK and Europe, who came to give a lecture about record labels. She told her fascinating story of writing letters to record labels while studying Physiology at university, until eventually she got a secretarial job at Beggars, which eventually led to her working in A&R and ultimately where she is today. She talked about the major changes in the industry throughout her career and we discussed the effects of streaming and Daniel chipped in with some insights from his own research.

Like Emily, she wanted to stress that the skills and knowledge required to work in the industry are not mysterious or special, but easily learnt. She explained that after getting a job doing A&R for a publishing company, she bought some books about publishing and taught herself at home. She also confessed that her biggest regret for her early career was not asking enough questions, and she urged the group to keep asking questions and thinking creatively rather than being intimidated into silence, ‘because you’ll never know everything and no one does’.

We then heard from Rosie Arnold, executive producer and music programmer at Norwich Arts Centre as well as director, programmer and production manager of Norwich Sound & Vision Festival. On top of this she also runs a small label, Gravy Records and plays in the band Graceland. Rosie’s story was equally fascinating and hilarious, involving her strolling directly out of a dead-end desk job in an insurance company and into the Norwich Arts Centre, where she went from bar staff to lighting technician to executive producer and programmer. A pattern was definitely emerging of young women taking bold risks to get what they want out of life – Rosie’s best advice was ‘if you want to do something just ask if you can do it’, because that’s how she got to do what she loves doing.

Rosie told us all about the Norwich Arts Centre and running venues. She explained how arts funding can help venues take risks with new artists and experiment with new possibilities, and give them the space to take good care of artists and keep standards high. She told us that she makes a big effort to book women artists and particulary electronic ones, and when asked if it was difficult to find them she answered ‘not at all, they’re out there and they’re just being ignored’.

Our final speaker was Jess Hamilton, a songwriter with a long history working in publishing, who is very happy to have recently signed a publishing deal herself and pursue a more creative career. She was able to talk to us about being on both sides of a publishing deal, and explains how publishing deals can benefit artist but how publishers can also be hard to deal with because they look for certain generic models for success, which can also perpetuate sexism and male dominance in the industry. She gave the example of male publishers privileging bands made up of four white men, giving them massive publishing deals even though they aren’t producing interesting music and unsurprisingly they don’t actually see any success.

She also talked about women receiving less money in publishing deals, and less respect as artists in general, for example Taylor Swift having been taken more seriously as a songwriter after Ryan Adams covered her work – as Sally said, ‘it’s as if only now we can say that she can write a good album’. We also talked about how there are relatively more women working in publishing than in other areas of the industry, and Jess said she felt that it had become a kind of ‘designated area’ for women who wanted to work in music rather than a more accessible industry.

 

Finally Daniel asked the group for general feedback on the day. Participants said that they felt comfortable, intimate and informal, and that they felt they could ask questions. We also discussed trying to invite a more diverse group of women in future. A few participants also said that it was a lot to fit into a day, and it could have taken place over two or more days, which was echoed by a resounding ‘yeah’ from the group. Everyone was very tired by this point and more than happy to head to dinner together where they could get to know each other and swap Facebook details – in fact, a Facebook group was set up by participants who wanted to create a platform for them all to share wisdom and continue to support

Afterwards, we asked speakers and participants to comment on their experience of the event, how it fits into their careers and how it made them think about the future for women in music. We were not surprised that they had a lot of insight on this matter, and felt that in future we should give them more control and space, by opting for more of a colloquium or seminar format for example.

Jess said that she found record companies to be masculine environments with few opportunities for non-white people, who are boxed into ‘urban’ spheres, said that she was relieved to leave, but that she really hopes she can work with more women in the future of her career.

Kiera, who plays in a punk band, also said that in her experience of smaller and more DIY labels, the same structural inequalities based on class, race and gender seemed to play out, and she had felt disempowered by ‘professional’ men. She said she felt overwhelmed by learning about the realities of the industry, but was also inspired to meet so many women getting on with it and making changes.

On the other hand, Anne, a participant from a Danish record company said that she had worked in female-dominated environments, found her gender didn’t play into a lot of her day to day business interactions, and reflected that the situation may be better in Denmark, though she did find that ageism was a big factor.

Lyra, however, found that in the world of venues and promotions in Copenhagen she had to deal with a lot of overt sexism regularly. In response, she co-founded collectives which challenge this directly and work towards creating safer spaces for women, queer and non-binary people and felt that these initiatives had immense impact on those peoples lives. She also felt that racism was a big issue, which needed to be dealt with simultaneously.

The general response was excitement and optimism towards the creation of exclusive spaces for women to go through their problems together, but some, like Anne, felt that young men should also be included in these discussions and made aware of the problems that women face and how they can and should participate in solving them. So we have a lot to think about in terms of how to proceed, and know that we have a lot of enthusiasm and support from young women who are ready to change the record completely.

‘I think it’s always encouraging to meet people who share similar interests and them all being female too is just another thing in common which made it that little bit even more special! Super initiative and great speakers and really interesting discussions!’ Bettina, Westminster MA Audio Production Student.

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The Sound Design of Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited is a co-production between English Touring Theatre and York Theatre Royal. The play reopens York Theatre Royal after its refit and then it will tour theatres around England.

Brideshead was adapted for the stage by Bryony Lavery it’s based on a book written by Evelyn Waugh and first published in 1945. Brideshead Revisited is set around the life of an aristocratic family in England between World War I and World War II. The play is presented from the point of view of Charles Ryder, who is an army officer in World War II. When the play opens with Charles remembering the events around the countryseat of Brideshead. It is his memory of events that the play centers around.

Here are some things we worked into the sound design.

Memory is a major theme of the play; in design meetings we discussed how memories are triggered and what happens in your mind at the time. There was a discussion of the language of memory portrayal in the film, which often utilizes reverb and the sense that memories sometimes seem to approach from a distance. I knew that would mean playing with a sound heavy with reverb and then getting closer and dryer and landing a moment before the action on stage took up the dialogue or sound in real-time.

A lot of the creative team had memories from childhood that were attached to certain sounds and birds seemed to dominate this. I grew up in the East End of London, and I have memories of lying in bed in the early morning listening to seagulls. (The sound of London birds is the sound of seagulls for me. I know they don’t often make it into the collective agreement of how London sounds, but if you are within a mile of the river then there are seagulls) So I knew birds would feature in the sound design. Memory in relation to sound often revolves around phrases that we play to ourselves over and over in our heads. Doubling of dialogue was also something I thought we could work into the
sound design.

We wanted the process of storytelling to be visible to the audience; the cast handles the scene changes on stage, setting up and changing the props. They also set microphones on stage and perform some on-stage Foley.

Alcohol is a big part of the first section of the play, and we worked on amplifying the sound of wine being poured to emphasize that point.

brideshead-york-theatre-royal-last-780x520-2

We decided to amplify the sound of a projector vs. working to silence it and cover it with a sound effect.

We used radio mics, but not every cast member received a dedicated mic. Ryder, who did a lot of the narrating/ remembering of the play, wore a radio mic. His mic was used to change the tone of his narration and to put him in a different space for those bits of the play rather than for amplification. I was using it in a different way than when I would use a radio mic for `musical theatre. If you can imagine BBC radio drama announcer, that’s the kind of sound I was going for.

Some of the play took place in Venice in an old house. As this was a static talking head moment of the play, I used one of the two 414s on a stand to pick up the voices and send it to some gentle short reverb to help give the sense of being in a big stone house.

Scene changes were marked with music and soundscapes were woven together. The composer (Chris Madin) and I worked closely together to get the tone of these transitions right and to carve out or give room to the dialogue that surrounded the transitions.

The plot of Brideshead takes us to Oxford, London, to a country house in Venice, Manhattan and aboard a ship. The moments on board the ship were potentially challenging; there was a lot of dialogue in this scene as well as a big storm, and I had to make sure the storm sound effects allowed enough room for the dialogue as well.

There was a division in the way sound effects were reproduced compared to the music in the show. The SFX tended to come from onstage SFX speakers, and the FOH system was primarily reserved for music playback.

The pre-playback was a selection of pre-recorded excerpts of dialogue from the cast. They had been asked to mull over lines of dialogue that they thought were particularly representative of their character. I used these lines in the pre-show to create a repeating slowly building round of whispered memories. The pre-show builds and builds and culminates in a sudden cutoff that leaves Ryder in Brideshead at the end of World War II.

I was fortunate to work with the company during rehearsals. We were able to discover things about the play in a much more cohesive way than if I had just joined the production for technical rehearsals. It was great to be able to play sound and music in the rehearsal room. It helped the cast to build a relationship with the soundscape and for us to integrate the use of microphones into the play. There were a few moments in the play of whispered conversations that the rest of the characters in the play weren’t supposed to hear. They obviously needed to be heard by the audience, these were mostly spoken into a couple of 414’s and routed to FOH.

One of the best discussions I had in my early days as a sound designer was with a vocal coach. We use to discuss listening to the whole play rather than just the elements of the sound design. I found this useful for this production where the amplified and un-amplified voices had to be woven together and although they needed to highlight different moments in the play they all also needed to sound like they were part of the same world.

 

A Perspective on Success

Many people define success in different ways: A good setup, starting on time, a sold-out show, or more.  Industry success is often defined by the number of awards that someone has won, which internationally acclaimed band they are touring with, or by that bright and shiny new equipment they can afford.  Obviously, there are hundreds of ways to define success and just as many that could be used to call something failure.

Recently, when working with a student staff member they told me all they wanted was for one show to go perfectly right, exactly as planned.  That idea intrigued me, mostly because I never really thought about it that way, so I asked for them to share more with me. I learned that their desire was to never have to go back and change or fix something. They wanted to set the mics in the exact right spot, get the monitor mixes perfect during soundcheck, and have the entire system plug and play properly so nothing ever needs to be traced back for corrections. I do find value in that idea, but I think it is impossible. Now people who know me know that I don’t think of many things as impossible. There is always an option or a workaround to get something done. However, with the nature of the business and the nature of a young and learning staff team, one must realize that it is impossible to have everything go exactly right the first time around. Why is that? My guess is human nature and how communication works and the fact that people change their minds all the time.

On the other hand, as I define the success of the staff I have to keep in mind that normally 50% of this staff team has never touched an XLR cable before they joined the team while the others are learning to watch for the details, keep track of timing, and teaching the new staff; also that most staff member only gets three years in staff before they graduate. Everyone’s on a steep learning curve and to master it all in a short period of time is impossible.

This is where I challenged that staff member to change their frame of mind. Redefine what success in an event looks like. Change the impossible into something achievable and value the successes that come with each event – find the bright side. Success for a staff team like this is a moving target. Each person is working towards their individual goals, and each individual is working within the team to achieve the teams’ goals. The team goals cover the broader picture like having the PA plugged in and tuned early so soundcheck can occur when the artist is ready, packing the cases properly and checking off the pack list so they don’t have to run back for missing equipment, leading the team, and being able to make adjustments on the fly as things always change.

I define success as someone on the team learning something new or showing that they learned from their mistake by doing it right the next time.  They have grown and are able to take on larger events with more independence. They can set up and fully troubleshoot the night taking care of concerns as needed. Success is demonstrated by someone being able to think through the situation with all the variables and make the right decisions that result in a great event.

hhjune2016-2I look at success as a bigger picture. I find my success in the growth the staff has, the increase in services we can offer, and by watching each team member going from never wrapping a cable right to leading the entire team during one of our large event setups. For some, these changes may seem to be too small and take too long to see the results. For me it’s about the bigger picture. The small successes here will lead to these students’ larger successes in the future.  For me it is all about what is next for these staff members. I find my success in the education and training can I provide them so they become valuable employees for their next position.

How do you find success? Are you looking for the impossible to define your success or do you celebrate the short-term wins? You may not have a staff where you can see their successes like me, but there are many ways to see individual successes. Success can be recognized by seeing your growth from small shows to larger ones, gaining more leadership within and during the event, or by increasing your knowledge of the board you’re using that night.  There are many ways to define success, define yours by setting some goals that are achievable quickly and others that might take more time and work towards those goals. Instead of striving for perfection, strive for success. Either way, if you’re a veteran in the industry or someone just starting out, think back to when you started and where you are now. Think of all of those successes that occurred over time, define what they mean to you, and continue to strive to be more successful; not perfect.

 

Occupying Both Sides of the Glass

When I’m working with other artists in the studio, my main concern is emotion. I start by recording as many instruments as possible live, preferably with minimal metronome use, to keep everything sounding organic. I keep the emotion of the song at the front of my mind, with technique taking the side burner (not completely top priority, but still important). I’m in the business of tugging heartstrings, of helping to create impactful art that is also something that the artist can feel proud of. However, when it comes to developing my own music, it’s a totally different story.

I had an interesting realization recently: In all my time being involved in the music world, never once have I entered the recording studio as simply an artist. Every time I entered that space to record my own music, I was either the engineer, the producer, the intern, assistant, mixer, writer, or a combination of all of them, in addition to being the one recorded. As such, when I am developing my own music in the studio, I am very much in a production state of mind.

I have absolutely no idea what it’s like to be just the artist in the hands of a producer (though I’d imagine that it’s something like going to the auto mechanic when you know next to nothing about cars). Becoming an educated listener and engineer has definitely impacted the way I look at my own music when developing my songs in a recording session. For one thing, not only am I analyzing the way everything sounds, but I end up becoming so nitpicky that it’s darn difficult for me to ever call a mix, “finished” (though I’m sure that’s true for most sound engineers, no matter who you’re recording). Instead of viewing my songs as stories, I start using them as a sonic playground, blank canvasses to experiment with different mics and instrumentations.

It’s always a significant challenge to take a step back and to try to “hear the full picture,” as it were. On the one hand, it’s a great way for me to unleash the experimental side of myself without worrying about paying the engineer’s hourly rate. On the other, however, is a risk of never finishing anything. But it’s always an excellent exercise in letting things go as they are completed, and in keeping the overall goal in mind.  

 

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