Category: Interview Fernando “Fico” Hoyle is a Peruvian Sound Engineer (live and studio), Audiovisual Producer and Musician. He studied music and electronics and was a drummer in some pop and rock groups in Peru. He worked as a recording engineer in prominent recording studios in Lima, such as SonoRadio, Estudios Elías Ponce and Publimusic. In […]
That rush of wind hits you the moment you step foot on the grounds. The feeling of Summer and all the endless opportunities to see your favourite shows surrounds you as does the sound of tens of thousands of other people with the exact same feeling. You have one goal, get as close to the stage of your favourite performer as possible. You beeline it for the stage early enough to get close, but not close enough as you clearly were not the only to have this line of thinking. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to hear everything thanks to festival sound systems and how they work.
Caridad Espinosa is a Quito, Ecuador-based mix engineer and producer as well as founder and lead instructor of Mix Like a Girl and co-founder and coordinator of the Beats by Girlz chapter for the city in which she resides. She earned her degree from Berklee College partner Universidad San Francisco de Quito College of Music in 2021. While there, she was awarded the Audio and Engineering Society AES (2020), API Saul Walker Memorial Scholarship (2020 & 2021), and was honored by Berklee College of Music for her work as a producer, composer, mixing, and recording engineer — while there, she also began the organization Mix Like a Girl.
One of the biggest components of a stagehand’s job on tour is load in. We often joke that we’re not paid to run the show, we’re paid to load it in and out and fix problems.
Sydney Bolton As hate against those who look like me has skyrocketed in the past year, and been largely ignored by the music industry, I’ve started to rethink my assumptions about how I can move through the audio world. If women make up 5% of sound engineers, then the percentage of women of color like […]
I’m sure you’ve heard it before. You’ve got to network. You’ve got to get involved. You’ve got to meet the right people. Well, here it is again. It’s really important to network. And get involved. And meet the right people. Because your skill will only take you so far, knowing the right people will take you farther.
We talk a lot about the importance of mentorship in this industry, and in general. While I may have studied theatre sound design in college, I feel like so much of the learning I have done has been through mentors who have given me a chance to watch them work. Now that I have gotten a few years of career experience under my belt, it has been super rewarding for me to take up that mantle and start mentoring myself. So, for this blog, I want to talk about my own experience progressing from mentee to mentor.
There’s been a decided shift in hiring practices coming back from COVID. Shows and companies are more focused on transparency and trying to reach a wider pool of people, which is wonderful for both reducing the amount of nepotism and increasing the diversity of the industry. However, no system is perfect. I was talking with a friend and colleague not too long ago and he told me he was worried that he would get passed over for jobs because he was a white male.
In a TV show or movie, the dialog is the core of the mix. Music, sound effects, and Foley add interest and excitement, but it all fundamentally works around dialog. Dialog is typically how we learn the characters’ names, their relationship to the other characters, and what challenges each character faces. We learn what the story is about and watch that story develop through dialog.
The alarm on my phone went off at 6:30 a.m.
I rolled out of my bunk, carefully trying to make as little noise as possible as I gathered my backpack, clothes, and tool bag before exiting the bus.
Bruce Reiter is a sound engineer who also works as a tour manager and production manager. For the last eleven years he has worked for the Heavy Metal band Five Finger Death Punch. Bruce shares his experiences in an industry he loves with us. He speaks about staying healthy on tour. About the importance of kindness in the music industry. About how we can learn from each other. And about how we have a responsibility to speak up if we see or hear things which are discriminating. Stand up for each other.
Daychia Sledge is a successful audio engineer. She has experience as a recording engineer in the studio, as a live sound engineer, and as a sound engineer for television. As part of an interview series with members of Roadies Of Color United (R. O. C. U.), this story in three parts focuses on Daychia. She tells us about her life and how amazing circumstances, great timing, hard work, grit, focus, and determination aided her in making her dreams come true. This is the last part pf Daychia’s inspiring career odyssey: Part 3.
Daychia Sledge is a successful audio engineer. She has experience as a recording engineer in the studio, as a live sound engineer, and as a sound engineer for television. As part of an interview series with members of Roadies Of Color United (R. O. C. U.), this story in three parts focuses on Daychia. She tells us about her life and how amazing circumstances, great timing, hard work, grit, focus, and determination aided her in making her dreams come true. This is Part 1 of 3.
Kenneth Williams is a versatile artist and technician. He is a passionate guitarist and song writer. At the same time, Kenneth does live sound reinforcement, broadcasting and recording (Front of House and Monitors). He also takes care of concert tours and venues as a production manager. Kenneth loves what he does and literally blew me away with his inspirational ponderings and his contagious positivity. Not wanting to cut any of his words, this ended up being an interview in two parts. Here is Part 1.
A few weeks ago, I got a call from a production company. They were doing a telethon and needed another sound engineer. This was the first live job offer I had gotten in seven months. I was wondering what this moment was going to feel like, and maybe because it happened so much sooner than I anticipated, I just didn’t feel mentally prepared to handle this situation. The situation of simply discussing the details, negotiating, and then accepting or declining the offer. I have done this thousands of times. I did not expect my mere act of participating in the offer conversation to be rusty, but it was, I guess because I had a lot of new things to consider.
I’ve been working as an audio engineer in Australia since 1997. When I meet young sound engineers starting out, particularly women, I am inspired by their passion and fearless attitude towards forging a career in this very challenging industry, particularly in a country like Australia where the market for audio professionals is pretty small. The same questions and fears that I faced working in a male-dominated industry still confront women today. I want to share my story to illustrate how a career in sound can take many paths, but the key ingredients for longevity are the same today as they were 25 years ago.
Priyanka SE I come from a family of bankers, doctors, and engineers & therefore have always considered myself to be the black sheep of the family as I’m more inclined towards Art, People & Culture. When I was seven years old, it was my father who discovered that I had a fascination for sound and […]
Many of us have worked in the live event or recording industry for years, and have no issues sharing our knowledge and experiences with others. The passion that surrounds this career is what keeps us motivated and creates incredible mentors and teachers.
The importance of using reference tracks while mixing and how to use them.One of the first things I do when I schedule a time to record a band is asking them what albums, and songs they like the sound quality. I ask so I get a good idea of what they might be *subconsciously* looking for in a mix or master. Then I will ask, “What would you like your reference track for the mixing process to be?”
When I was a young person first becoming interested in sound, I was frequently entranced by the sheer loudness of events. After all, I started playing drums at age 8, and I loved to hit those drums as hard as I possibly could. I wanted them to thunder, and I sought out the same in entertainment—seeking out earth-shatteringly loud concerts and shows to attend, running my car and home stereos way too hot. If I couldn’t feel the bass in my chest, and if my ears weren’t ringing by the end of a song, I felt cheated.
So, let them bring on all their problemsI’ll do better than my bestI have confidence they’ll put me to the testBut I’ll make them see I have confidence in me– I Have Confidence, from the Sound of Music: Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1965
I recently answered some questions for SoundGirl Kelly Kramarik, a student in the Recording Arts program at UC Denver for her thesis about versatility in the changing world of audio.
Missy Thangs is an engineer, producer, songwriter, and keyboardist based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thangs is currently a house engineer and producer at The Fidelitorium, an amazing and unique studio (complete with guest house!) located in Kernersville, NC, about 90 miles west of Raleigh.
Julie is a music industry professional with many years of experience. Julie is familiar with all aspects of the live music scene. Working from small venues to large festivals, she developed a stellar reputation as a sound engineer and continued working with equal excellence in all aspects of the industry.
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