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Finding Your First Post-Grad Job in Audio

Landing your first post-grad job in the audio industry can feel overwhelming. Despite the plethora of advice from seasoned professionals, recruiters, and company websites, the nuances of the audio industry remain somewhat elusive. This landscape is evolving, shaped by the enduring effects of a global pandemic, the integration of AI into creative domains, and most recently, the impact of the Hollywood strikes. Whether you’re an Audio Engineering graduate, a freelance enthusiast, or just starting your audio journey and feeling daunted, I’ve decided to use my first blog here with SoundGirls to offer advice from my own experiences to help you step confidently into the professional audio world.

Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself: I’m Grace Usleman, a recent graduate of Belmont University with a degree in Audio Engineering as well as double minors in Voice Performance and Music Business. My passion lies in Foley Art, ADR, and all facets of post-production sound. The following advice stems from my personal journey as a young woman navigating the professional audio-sphere. While my immediate goal is securing a full-time post-production position, I trust these insights can assist you in your journey as an audio professional no matter where you’re starting from.

In the realm of professional audio, the job search doesn’t always fit the conventional mold. You won’t often find quick movie gigs or live tour positions listed on platforms like LinkedIn. Yet, exceptions exist—my most recent internship at a post-production studio was found through Handshake. While browsing these sites is beneficial, relying solely on them for your dream job might fall short. Therefore, my first piece of advice: Networking is key. Craft a portfolio website showcasing your work and consider carrying business cards for chance encounters with individuals who might align with your aspirations—be it running live sound for a local venue or working as an ADR recordist, you never know who is just around the corner!

Networking might seem daunting, but when done well, it’s about building meaningful connections, learning from mentors, and refining your professional skills. Personally, networking has placed me in rooms with intelligent, empathetic individuals eager to share their experiences while simultaneously valuing mine.

Effective networking hinges on etiquette. Respect others’ time and effort, whether at a job fair or over a coffee meeting. Likewise, acknowledge your own commitment and enthusiasm, too. Gratitude goes a long way—express your thanks promptly and graciously. And don’t hesitate to follow up! A polite message reaffirms your interest and often reignites connections that might have been overlooked or, frankly, forgotten.

Avoid the temptation to apply to every available job. I fell into this trap immediately post-graduation, tirelessly crafting custom cover letters for positions I wasn’t truly passionate about. It drained my energy and didn’t yield any productive outcomes. Instead, I recommend writing personalized messages to professionals in your field of interest, which can be far more rewarding both practically and emotionally.

Tailor your resume for each application. Take time to understand the company, its projects, and its employees. Who knows, maybe you share a  mutual connection that you might use to launch an introduction! Your diverse experiences—school projects, personal work, summer jobs—contribute to a skill set desired in the audio industry, and can be tailored to each new set of job qualifications and requirements. When I first started applying to internships and short-term positions in college, I was nervous that my lack of experience would be seen as undesirable. However, being fresh and ready to learn made me a sponge for knowledge, and gave you the opportunity to express open-mindedness and interest in exploring many facets of a position, company, studio, etc: flexibility is a needed asset, especially in professional audio. Chances are, you probably have more experience than you think.

These pointers are intended to ease any worries as you embark on your professional journey in the audiosphere—whether a recent graduate, transitioning from another industry, or carving your path as a freelancer. It’s easy to lose sight of your worth and feel discouraged, but your skills are invaluable in this industry, and your efforts won’t go unnoticed.

Thank you for reading. You can find more insights on audio to come on my blog here at SoungGirls.org. Wishing you the best in networking, building your portfolio, and pursuing your dreams in audio!

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants Awarded

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

Congratulations to the 2023 SoundGirls that have been awarded L-Acoucstic Grants. We wish you all the best and thank L-Acoustics for providing these grants.

System Technician Grant

Sage Tichenor

System Engineer Grant

Katlyn Manktelow

L-ISA Grant

Victoria Hofflin

System Expert Grant

Sonia Andrea del Carmen Gutiérrez TREJO

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

SoundGirls L-Acoustics Grants

 

L-Acoustics is offering 4 grants for courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program. The Education Team has structured the grants to relate to certain job profiles to help the recipient advance their knowledge and skills in their respective fields:

These grants focus on offering access to in-person training via our packaged seminars. For in-person attendance of courses, hotel accommodations are included with the grant. Grant recipients are responsible for any additional travel expenses. If the recipient is unable to attend an in-person training within 4 months before the grant expiration date or the recipient demonstrates a financial hardship with attending an in-person training, the recipient will be offered online training options instead. 

Prospective candidates must be members of SoundGirls and have until September 1, 2023, to submit their application. Winners will be announced on the website and social media by September 30, 2023. Candidates can only apply for one choice of grant.

The recipient can choose to attend the courses at any time within the 1-year time frame starting from the time of being informed of their award.

System Technician Grant

This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

System & Workflow 

Establish your role in the L-Acoustics ecosystem and align your practice with the latest tools and state-of-the-art workflow

K System of choice (K1, K2, K3, Kara II, or Kiva II) or L2 Training

Recognize the standard configurations of the benchmark Kx or L2 system and gain hands-on experience rigging and listening to them.

L-Acoustics System Implementation

Advance your skills in implementing a safe and functional L-Acoustics system and prepare it for calibration.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to mount, rig, cable, and connect an L-Acoustics system.

It also aims to give the learner knowledge of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

System Engineer Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

Soundvision

Learn the most advanced software functionalities for 3D venue modeling, system simulation, and line source optimization.

Drive System

Master the configuration, control, and monitoring of an L-Acoustics system from the source output to the loudspeaker inputs.

M1-P1 Measurement & Tuning

Learn how to record measurements with the P1 processor and how to perform a loudspeaker system tuning with the M1 software.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to learn how to design and calibrate an L-Acoustics system. It also aims to deepen the learner’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

L-ISA Grant

The recipient requires prior completion or concurrent enrollment to System & Workflow, or previous completion of System Fundamentals. This grant invites the recipient to attend all the L-ISA-focused courses from L-Acoustics Education:

L-ISA Technology

Start your immersive journey with an overview of the L-ISA Technology from loudspeaker system design, object-based mixing, immersive audio algorithms to project workflow.

L-ISA Loudspeaker System

Master key system engineering steps in planning and deploying L-ISA systems: loudspeaker system design, implementation, and calibration. The grant allows access to online or onsite training for this course.

L-ISA Live Mixing

Create an immersive live mix, directly from your desk input channels or from an original left-right mix.

L-ISA Preproduction

Learn and experience the preproduction process of an L-ISA live event from the studio to the venue, anticipating the constraints of the large scale.

This grant empowers the trainee to design, implement, and calibrate an L-Acoustics L-ISA system. This grant also empowers the trainee to prepare, encode, and control objects in an L-ISA mix as well as create a mix in L-ISA when walking up to an L-ISA system with or without preproduction. It also aims to deepen the student’s understanding of:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

System Expert Grant

This grant consists of enrollment in the following courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program:

Variable Curvature Line Source

Perfect your understanding of line source behavior to optimize your mechanical design and use of electronic settings. 

Loudspeaker System Calibration

Develop a comprehensive approach to calibration in the entire workflow of a project.

This grant aims to empower the trainee to advance their understanding of system optimization as well as to learn about:

Completion of the courses in this grant includes 1-year access to the L-Acoustics Education Platform learning community and content for all the courses.

APPLY HERE

Creating Your Mission Statement as a Creative Entrepreneur

As a creative person, it can be a pretty big shift to think like a business owner. Entrepreneurial instincts aren’t exactly natural for all of us, just as musicality isn’t as natural for some as others. As I’ve worked with artists, songwriters, musicians and creatives of all kinds, I’ve found that creating a “mission statement” of sorts can get the ball rolling into a disciplined music business that is an authentic reflection of who you are.

“Authentic” is a word that’s a bit overused these days, however finding and embracing your authentic self as a creative entrepreneur in today’s world is perhaps the most important part of your journey to finding success. As an artist, it is what will draw fans to you and keep them there. As a music producer or audio engineer, authenticity builds trust and loyalty with your clients. As a songwriter, telling stories from a place of authenticity will keep your music fresh and relatable.

In the “authentic only” environment we have today, posers or fakers are relentlessly called out, and then inevitably, virtually crucified. That being said, the driving force behind finding your authenticity shouldn’t be fear, but a desire to find your place in this musical landscape and to find the people who feel they belong there with you; to create your own world and invite your “people” to join you. This is the very foundation of being a successful creative today.

Yes, there is still room for showmanship and even gimmicks, as long as it’s an extension of who you really are. I just had an interesting conversation with an artist about this. I was convinced he was making a choice with his branding that was confusing and off-putting. By the end of our conversation, I “got it”. I could clearly see that what wouldn’t work for most artists was perfect for him, as it reflected his rebellious spirit and a virtual finger to the establishment. He sold me on it because his feet were so solidly planted in his “authentic” self that I could see without a doubt that he wasn’t simply being stubborn, but was completely confident in who he is and has a clear vision of how he wanted people to experience his brand.

Finding who we are can be a process of digging, questioning, discovering, and peeling back layers. It should always start with these four questions:

Take about 20 or 30 minutes to sit with these questions without distraction. Brain dump your answers with no filter on a piece of paper or note app.

Now, shape the answers to these questions into your official mission statement. Your mission statement should only be a paragraph long, not a full-page essay. If writing isn’t your skill set, ask for some help. Also bear in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfectly written, only that we the reader should have no questions about who you are, what you stand for, and what your “mission” with your music is.

Going forward, every move you make (on social media, in your fan newsletter, in your youtube engagement, or wherever) as a creative should align with your mission statement. If you contradict yourself one too many times, your fans will detect this lack of authenticity and lose interest. They may even question why they liked you in the first place. This should make it easy for you! You never have to worry about what someone else is doing or what the current trends are. Just Be YOU!

 

What You Want To Say In Your Resignation

 

Everyone has worked with a venue, or a crew, or even just one person where it would be so satisfying to colorfully tell them to shove it and then walk out the door for the last time. As satisfactory as that would be, realistically the majority of us in this industry will put up with a lot before we make that move. Everything from insane overtime hours to being overwhelmingly underpaid. Here’s the thing that no one is going to say, or at least not out loud:

It’s perfectly okay to want to tell someone to shove it.

Plenty of people, though everyone puts up with a lot, want to tell someone at some point to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. But how do we avoid screaming that in their face during a load out at three in the morning when there are still two more trucks to be loaded and five more cities on the tour lineup? That is just one of the difficult parts of this job and too uncommonly not talked about. Many people outside of this industry wonder why so many of us inside of it doesn’t even mention quitting around our coworkers. This is mainly because, like so many other workplaces, the moment you mention something of that nature you become a target. You are the new target of rumors, and tour managers become curious if they’ll have to find a replacement, festivals wonder if you’re going to walk out in the middle of a show, and production coordinators examine every little thing you do from that point onward. Some places go as far as to fire you before you have the chance to quit so they can control the narrative of what happened. These are just a few of the many reasons why this subject is so rarely talked about. So we’re going to talk about it now.

Though there are some out there who might read these next assorted paragraphs and think, “No way that actually happened.” I can assure you all of these scenarios actually happened to me.

“I QUIT!”

 

We all have our breaking points, every last one of us. For some, it takes a long time after mastering the art of a fake smile and a courteous nod while sleep deprived. While others, take only one long weekend and a few inconveniences. Wherever on the scale you are, just try to remember that you made it this far.

The majority of the time when working live events if you are freelancing, or touring on contract, you don’t always need to turn in a resignation. It is commonly presumed that you are leaving at the end of the show/festival/contract/etc. These are some of the best times, mostly because immediately after the contract/festival/show is completed the crew party follows directly after. Your troubles fall away as each new drink is ordered and PM turns to AM.

 

 

But when you are in need of telling someone who pushes paperwork more often than you push road cases, how do you professionally explain to them that you are sick of seeing everyone every hour of every day of the week for ten months out of the year?

If you work somewhere regularly and at least get along with most of the people there, you don’t want to potentially strain that professional relationship. So sticking both middle fingers in the air as you are walking out for the day probably isn’t the best idea no matter how tempting it sometimes is. Or if you’re the regular venue staff and want to tell your boss that you’d rather be living from a truck on the road than deal with them for another day.

Everyone has three resignations: the one they know they aren’t going to send, the one they think they might send, and the one they actually end up sending. The one I ended up sending to one of my previous employers may surprise you…

You Aren’t Going To Send That

It’s another very late night, everyone is in need of some sleep, the guys have been giving you a hard time all day, and there were a few screw-ups in the show… We have all had that day and we’ve all wanted to tell everyone after that day that when we left we were not coming back. So instead of listening to the voice of reason in the back of your head, you start thinking of your ultimate way to rage quit.

Maybe you just leave in the middle of the show with a wicked grin across your face and force the rest of the crew to figure it out on their own. Maybe on the travel day, you switch flights to go to Greece instead of the next city in the lineup and call your boss from the plane while planning in your head which scene from “Mamma Mia!” you’ll reenact first. Maybe you get the god mic out and give everyone that piece of your mind that you have locked away just for special occasions like this one and rip everyone a new one.

 

Whatever your ultimate rage quit scenario is, it’s good to type it out. This first resignation letter/fantasy you sort of want to play out is one that you know you aren’t going to end up sending. That is the one that is just for you. It is such a good feeling knowing no one besides yourself will ever see it. You can be as creative and harsh as you want. You can call everyone out for every little thing that has gotten on your nerves, even if at the time it wasn’t a big deal. You can make it an even bigger deal in this rage-quit daydream. So go ahead and use every part of your imagination. You can use every curse word in the book, and even come up with some new ones while you’re at it.

When I was typing out my fantasy resignation letter, it literally started with “Please consider this my most informal notice of resignation from this shithole of a venue called _____ and everything to do with it henceforth. This includes but is certainly not limited to:” and then I proceeded to type out everything that I despised about the place. I misspelled things, I vented about the faulty equipment that everyone had been begging the higher-ups to replace for years, and I raged on for 2 pages about the constant sexism in the workplace. I got it all out of my system and laid it bare on a once-blank page.

This first resignation letter isn’t supposed to be sent to anyone. Not even your coworkers who you think might find it funny because let’s face it, they might find it funnier to send it to your boss for you. This first resignation letter is to get all of your frustration about the work, and all the bullshit that comes with it, out of your system so you can have a clear head about what you actually want to say when it comes time to press the big SEND button. You don’t want to make you quitting about one thing, like your boss having the expectation to constantly reach you at all hours of the day and night with no assistance to your phone bill, when it’s really something entirely different, like getting a better job opportunity. This is more therapeutic than anything, but our keyboards and laptops have heard worse coming from us when ProTools crashes.

Professional tip: remember to delete that one.

You Might Actually Go Through With It

Your phone rings, it’s your boss. You just left a shift and have been in your car not even ten minutes on your way to a nice hot shower. He tells you to be on standby because one of the guys on the crew wanted to go home early so you might have to come in and finish the loadout that’s scheduled to go until six the next morning after just getting off a 13-hour day and you’re already scheduled to work another 15 hour day tomorrow starting at eight in the morning. Now you might have to work it on no sleep. He calls you again almost two hours later with the good news that you don’t have to finish the loadout. So you celebrate by popping open your email and a half-empty bottle of something. After your first swig straight from the bottle, because who needs to bother with a cup at this point, the anger boils in your stomach and starts coming through your fingertips as you type faster with each sip. After finishing off the bottle that voice in your head gets louder, “You can send that one, it’s good enough.”

As women, we are held to an often unspoken standard in this industry. We don’t get away with throwing documents around because we forgot to save the show file or making lewd comments at our male coworkers because they dressed sharply for the company dinner instead of work blacks. This unspoken standard is carried through even to our resignations. It’s looked down upon us if we send a quick half-bottle-of-something-in-us text late at night saying we’re not coming in tomorrow or finishing several weeks of 18+ hour days and being mentally and physically drained so we type a one-sentence email. There is always going to be a better way to phrase something, or a nicer way, or whatever and you’re going to be expected to always do them. But there are times that you’re just done. Unfortunately, most of the time, you can’t show that through your written words.

 

This letter that you typed with two hands on your keyboard while somehow managing to have a hand on your chosen bottle-of-something, the one you think you might send, that one is more complicated than it initially lets on. More often than not, when you are leaving a place, there are reasons and issues that need to come to light as to why you are leaving. Sometimes it’s several smaller issues that add up over time, like not having a fan while working an outdoor gig when it’s over 100 degrees F outside. While other times it’s big issues that could have been avoided from the beginning, like never receiving a schedule more than twenty-four hours in advance. But do you put these in your letter, or do you let them slide and be more courteous?

This notice requires sleep and seeing how you still feel about it at a later time. When I was typing out my “maybe” notice, I brought up real issues that needed to be addressed. I tried not to place the blame directly on anyone but I did name a few people who had the power to change things and who were outright choosing not to.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for some companies to withhold a last paycheck if you “complain” in your notice to leave. Should a company choose this action, you always have options. If you’re part of a union, you have someone in your corner 100% until you are paid. You can also get a lawyer involved if you feel this might be dragged out, and include that the company will have to pay for the fees.

You Did It!

This is it. This is the final one that conveys your breaking point loud and clear yet also portrays that you’ve kept your head squarely on your shoulders through the thick and thin of everything. At least most of the time.

 

When I typed my “final” resignation it wasn’t nearly as long as the first. In all truthfulness, it was only about a paragraph. I started it with kind words explaining that I had decided to take a better opportunity elsewhere that was going to further my career in ways I didn’t believe possible in the position I was in at the time at the company. I made it clear that I enjoyed my time there and I thanked them for everything they had taught me up to that point. As I prefer to do, I listed a few reasons why I was leaving that I thought needed to be addressed whether I was there to witness it or not as well as gave a small list of things I would have stayed for. I always do this in case the employer wants to give me a better offer than what I am leaving for so they know exactly the standard I’m set towards to keep me around. Some places give you these things, and some don’t. Try to see either option as good because you can either leave for something more desirable than what you had, or you can stay for a preferred proposal from somewhere you are already familiar with.

If they decide to agree to what you are asking for to keep you, then you need to remember something:

You actively sought out a better opportunity for a reason, and just because they are willing to offer you what you ask for doesn’t mean you are obliged to take it.

This resignation, the one you are finally set on and the one you decide to hit the SEND button on, should be the most professionally worded of them all. Typically you would want to keep it short, and to the point. Maybe your final letter doesn’t have to be a full paragraph. Maybe yours needs to be longer though. Perhaps you have found a better venue/company/crew/pay/etc. or just cannot pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whatever the reason is that you are leaving, where you currently are should be made aware of it.

On your last day, wherever it ends up being, be sure to flip them off once you are in the safety of your car where there are no cameras.

Which Did I SEND

Alright, as promised this may surprise some of you while others are not as much. While justifiably I had good reasons to send my rage quit letter, I didn’t think it got the clear point across. Yes, there was obvious sexism in that work environment but ranting on about it for two pages was a bit much for a resignation letter. I gave it a long thought to send my “maybe” letter and eventually put some of it in the final email as there were things I believed needed to be addressed and known. In the end, I actually sent two resignation letters.

Here they are for you.

One of the letters that I sent was of course to my at-the-time boss and the HR department. At the time of sending that letter, I was working in a venue that had an HR department that everyone was supposed to be able to contact directly. I have copied it for you (in case you need an outline for yours) and have taken obvious names out.

Here’s the first:

Unfortunately, I believe this company may not be the best fit for me. The company in itself has many opportunities for a person to grow in their skills and career. However, those opportunities have not been given to me in the appropriate circumstances and are now risking my personal safety. After six months of being employed, I still do not have access to vital information such as my work email, laptop, advancement paperwork, etc. This is not due to my lack of trying to obtain these things. When I have asked for necessary information about shows, it is often not given until the time of load in or even after. A schedule is too often not sent to anyone until late the night before, too commonly after working 12+ hour days, then criticised when we do not immediately answer these late-night texts. Due to all of these reasons listed above, and more, I truly regret to tender my resignation and notice. I have enjoyed working here and with everyone on my team, but I do not foresee these issues being resolved as there has been little to no change in them during my time here already. My last official day with the company will be the end of this week so I may continue to work elsewhere for a better opportunity. I wish the best for every one and thank you for this opportunity that I’ve had while here.

The Second

The other letter that I sent was actually addressed to everyone on the production team as I felt they deserved a more in-depth understanding as to why I was leaving so quickly. These were people that I had worked alongside every day, and though some of the work conditions we were put through were horrible, these were people that went through it all with me together as a team. I thanked them for trying to make me feel part of the team from the start, as not everyone from the venue and in valuable positions made such efforts. I explained the reasons why I was leaving so soon and said that I hoped they understood. Some of the team were aware of the constant sexism and things I had been put through as the only female on the team. Others were either unaware or turned a blind eye, which didn’t help matters in the long run. Most of the production team came to find me on my last day and congratulated me on the new opportunity.

Leaving a team you are familiar with and have grown accustomed to can be difficult. This is a group that you have put effort into and trust and countless long hours. It is not uncommon to eventually see people you know later in your career in one aspect or another. Sometimes you return to a venue you once worked at while on tour, or sometimes you’re in a brand new city to find someone you once worked with who has recently moved there. The industry is ever-changing, including which people are in what positions.

How to Own Your Work Without it Owning You

Working in theatre can be full of ups and downs. You get some jobs; you lose out on others. You don’t always get to know why. Some production processes are smooth; others are nightmares. Since I resumed working in live theatre in 2021, I’ve had my share of all these experiences, and everything else in between. But one thing that has changed for me post-shutdown is how I approach those messier situations. And learning to survive them and still do my job well has helped me learn an important lesson about letting go of some of my emotional attachment to my work.

This is not to say that I don’t still love what I do! I remain deeply passionate about mixing musicals. There’s almost no place I’d rather be than behind a console in a theatre. However, working in theatre isn’t just a source of joy for me; it is also my job and primary source of income. And one of the biggest discoveries I made over the course of the pandemic shutdown when this huge part of my life and livelihood went away for a while, was that it can be unhealthy to tie my emotional wellbeing to something as fleeting as anyone show. And when I think back on how I approached my work then vs now, I can see that I am in a much better place mentally.

It turns out there is an important distinction between loving your work and being ruled by it. And my success at doing the former without falling into the trap of the latter is key to my current healthier overall psyche. Here are some tips and techniques that I utilize every day at work to stay grounded in calm and stormy seas alike.

Practicing Gratitude

Even within a dumpster fire, there is good. I try to remind myself each day, or even each hour, to take a moment to name one thing I like about my current job or situation. It could be anything from “I am grateful that I’m getting along well with my colleagues” to “I am grateful that tomorrow is payday.” Any small acknowledgment of gratitude that helps you to simplify what’s going through your head can be a great aid in re-centering oneself in moments of chaos. I use this technique when I catch myself falling into bad behavioral habits, such as getting impatient or passive-aggressive about things outside of my control.

Lane departure warnings

 

We may think of this as being a safety feature in fancy new cars, but checking yourself or asking others to check you when you begin to let your emotions rule your actions will help you resist the pull of the drama and tension around you. I have worked hard (with a lot of help from my wonderful therapist) to learn what my emotional defense mechanisms are and to recognize them before they get out of hand. For example, I know that when I’m stressed or low on sleep, I can turn into a bit of a control freak and micromanager. At times earlier in my career, I also tended to accidentally overstep my departmental boundaries when I thought I could help with a problem, even when the issue at hand was totally outside my responsibilities. I’ve learned that this behavior, while well-meaning, is ultimately counterproductive because it can hide flaws or issues that need to be solved by the team organically, and not fixed with slapdash “band-aid” solutions. So, learning to stay in my lane has proven to be both a gift (because it allows me to feel pride and ownership of that which is my job), and a relief (because I can let go of everything that isn’t).

Set good goals

Another way I try to cultivate a feeling of satisfaction at every job is by defining for myself what would constitute “victory” or “success” in this situation. For example, on a recent out-of-town show, my primary goal was to develop a good work relationship with a sound designer I had never mixed for before. On a different show that I supervised back in March, my goal was simply to get paid and save money for a future cycling trip. So, regardless of what happens on any of my shows in the end, I can consider them wins for me because I have met my personal goals. Anything more than that is gravy!

Work-life balance

 

To the left, to the left!

 

I’m generalizing here, but I’ve found that because of our long hours, atypical work schedules, resultingly small social circles, and overly cultivated sense of “family” or “community” among each individual theatre company or show team, we (the denizens of the theatrical workforce) are especially prone to letting the work-life scale tip in the “work” direction. Find things you value off the clock and give them the time, attention, and emotional value they deserve. Some tactics I use to maintain my balance are intermission phone calls with my spouse, taking my cat with me when I travel for out-of-town shows, going out on walks or bike rides on my days off, or cooking a simple meal at home that I can bring in to eat on my dinner break. All those things and more help me to remember what I really care about and what makes me happiest, and as a result, I am not expecting work to provide a sense of completeness (or to fill a void) in my life.

One of the great things about being a stagehand is that most of my work can only be done at work. I can’t exactly EQ a microphone or hang a speaker from home. For this reason, I try to take the act of clocking in and out very literally. When I’m at work, I commit to being there fully, doing my best, and devoting my complete attention to the tasks at hand. When I leave the theatre, I try my best not to take any of that home with me. This applies on breaks too. Of course, the existence of modern technologies like smartphones, email, and push notifications can make that hard, but at the same time, especially if you’re paid hourly, then you don’t owe your employer anything when you’re not on the clock. Try using an app timer or similar feature on your devices to limit the times of day that you can check work email. Leave your show paperwork and mix script at the theatre so you aren’t tempted to look at them after hours. If there isn’t enough time in your scheduled shift to get all the needed work done that day, then it’s ok that it must wait until your next workday. And that’s not on you.

 

Accept reality and measure expectations

 

 

We all know that just existing in a stressful situation is easier said than done. Here I am preaching about detaching emotionally from work, and the next moment I’ll be texting a friend to vent about how frustrating some part of my workday was. Being emotional is an extremely logical human response to stressors. It means your body is working as intended! But acknowledging emotions and then letting them go will allow you to keep a cool head and not get stuck in a state of burnout. As my meditation app put it, “Acceptance doesn’t mean apathy. It means seeing clearly from a place of calm, knowing when to act, knowing when to let go.” Someone might come up to you and say something like, “the show is so behind, we’ll never be ready in time!” And that might in fact be the case. But unless one of you is part of the show’s upper management, then all you can do is acknowledge that yes, the current situation is less than ideal, but it’s still ok. Know it’s not your job to fix everything, just to ask for what you need to do your job well. And if that isn’t available to you, at least you’ve made your issues known in a calm and rational way and can now go back to focusing on the here and now of the situation.

At the end of the day, it’s ok to walk away

This blog was intended to dive a little deeper into tactics for maintaining good mental health and objectivity in stressful work situations. However, I want to emphasize that I am not writing this to condone improper work conditions in any way. Everyone deserves a workplace where the expectations of their job are laid out clearly, where each employee is treated with humanity and compensated fairly, and where issues that arise can be brought forward without fear of repercussions or retaliation. That is a bare minimum of what one deserves when one enters the theatre to work on a show. And if your current employer is not meeting those standards, feel free to go find one that will. While not every job will be ideal in every way, you are not “weak” or “a failure” for deciding that a situation you’re in is not the best for you as an individual and that the appropriate solution for your own mental health is to extract yourself from the project. It is hard to remember at the moment, but it’s always true that the ultimate power you have as a worker is the power to walk away, and no one can take that from you or make you feel bad for using it.

Above all, take care of yourself

Theatre is a job, but theatre is also objectively interesting and fun. That’s part of why I and many others choose to put on plays for money instead of seeking employment in other fields. However, “love of the art” does not mean one has to be married to it, as the saying goes. Any emotions that come up because of work are just emotions, no different than the rest of the time. I hope this blog has highlighted ways that creating an emotional separation from your work can ultimately make you a better worker because you will no longer be counting on a show to make you happy. It may do that anyway, but that’s a perk, not a job requirement. You also won’t feel like you’re carrying so much of its baggage if it makes you sad, angry, or stressed. If you can live by the philosophy that your job is to show up, do your work, get paid, and go home, you’ll hopefully find satisfaction in yourself even in less-than-ideal situations, and feel pride in your work at the end of the day regardless of what else happens.

 

A great tool for making a self-care action plan, courtesy of the Mental Health First Aid Association

I hate my job. What do I do?

I’m going to go deeper this time around and combine some of the things I’ve discussed in previous blogs. I’ve mentioned you should always be willing to take the job on the table, even if it’s not the one you thought or dreamed of. But what happens when you do that, and you absolutely hate that job and it’s a toxic environment? There are ways and there are ways to deal with this.

My Story

I’ve only once ever completely walked away from a job because I couldn’t take it anymore, but I stayed there for a year and a half. I knew when I signed the paperwork that it wasn’t for me, but I needed a job. And I needed an in, and this was it. In fact, I kept going to job interviews after I signed the papers. I hated the hours, the corporate structure, and I had a really, really horrible relationship with the executive producer (I wouldn’t find that out until later). Up front, I will say, I wouldn’t change the experience since I got my next job because I had that on my resume. I also was trying to conceive, they had full fertility coverage, and I was struggling to get pregnant.

Things came to a head several times. I had ambitions to grow and do other things, and this person was not letting me do that aside from being a person who really had to micromanage every little thing you did. I tried really hard to move to another department, to get away from the EP, and to also have better hours. It was considered a no-go because it would look like “poaching” within different departments. I spoke to my manager about it; I was not the only one who had issues with this person, but it was deemed we were both adults and we needed to find a way to deal for the good of the show.

I went on job interview after job interview and got no after no. So I stayed with it and worked every holiday. I focused on the work itself, and I did things I was proud of. After a while, I made friends with the hosts and some of the other folks on other shows. One of the hosts let me start writing the box office reports on Sundays, and another producer right towards the end let me put together a story (which aired on my last day there). But after one year and a half of stress, migraines, difficulty getting pregnant, and several SEVERAL conversations with management, I quit. I did it elegantly. I wrote a great resignation letter, offered more than the expected notice, and left on a high note.

I’ve never left a job with nothing on the horizon. I had enough money to get by for one month, and I was fortunate because I had a partner who also had a job. We didn’t have kids at that point, and we were in an apartment in Queens, so let’s say the stakes weren’t that high. It was terrifying, but I also knew I couldn’t take it anymore.

I sometimes believe that there’s an energy that keeps us from attracting the things we need, and for me, after I left this place, it felt like I’d liberated something. I received 2 offers within the month I left and actually had to choose. I landed at Futuro Media (home to Latino USA, etc) where I still work, and got pregnant like 3 months later.

I’ve made it a point not to burn bridges throughout my career and because of that, I’m able to check-in with old bosses and companies if I need work. Remember the audio world is small – everyone is connected, so don’t burn the bridge unless you plan on never looking back.

Tips for dealing with toxic workplaces

I hate my job, but I need the money.

First off, you should always give yourself some time to get used to a job. Don’t decide on the very first day or week that this job isn’t for you and you need to go. Every change in life needs time to adjust. For me, that’s about 6 months (could be less for you). It may seem like a long time when you’re miserable, but maybe you just need a minute to get in the groove. I came home from the first day of a new job crying; you may know it’s not for you, but you need to give it time to see how things play out.

So what do you do? Buckle down and focus on the job you were hired to do – you will inevitably learn something there. Try to find things outside of work that fills you with joy and helps you to decompress. Money is unfortunately an important factor, and unless you are able to just walk away, you need to put blinders on and just stick with it until you can find something else.

If after 6 months (or whatever number that is for you), you cannot fathom another day at this place, time to start thinking about your next move.

The environment is toxic.

A toxic work environment will wreak havoc on your mental (or physical) health. Whether it’s a specific person, being overworked and burnout, or physically damaging to your health, there are cases where you have to evaluate what this job is doing to you and figure out the quickest way out.

Some of these issues can be handled by being open and having conversations with your manager. If it’s a person, can you request to be moved to a different department? Ask to work on a different team? Have you had a direct conversation with this person as two adults willing to find a way to work together? Is your team understaffed, and you’re super burnt out? Do you work overnights and it’s affecting your health to do so? Those conversations are difficult, but you need to have them – especially if like point one, you need the money. It’s in your interest to find an immediate solution to make things better.

But, never have a conversation in the heat of the moment. (Or write an email for that matter). When you’re angry, your emotions get the best of you, and we end up seeming less professional. You need to have a plan of action, documentation, and propose different solutions to the issue. I’ve often written emails when I’m angry addressed to no one, saved them as a draft, and then come back to it the next day. It serves as a way to get things off my chest, without potentially having a falling out with its intended subject. I’ve written a lot of angry emails and have never sent them. No matter how #&*#$^ a place is, you have to manage things calmly and as a boss. A boss has a plan and a solution to everything, and that often comes from time to cool off so you can see things from another perspective.

The job is affecting my physical health

In this case, it’s important to find solutions quickly. No job is worth risking your physical (or mental) health. Be familiar with your company handbook and see what options are available to you. Can you take a leave of absence? It is really important to have some savings. I say this as a person who is horrible with finances, but you really need to have a small, humble cushion. Not talking about “retiring at 40” type savings, just enough to keep you safe during emergencies. Can you walk away and stay afloat for a month while you have time to find something else?

Overall advice

No matter what the issue is, make sure you find someone outside of work to talk to. Is that a therapist? best friend? Family member? You want to be careful of not sounding like a broken record on how horrible something is without actually doing something about it, but you do need to find someone to be able to unwind and let go. Sometimes just talking things out helps provide you with your own solutions. Otherwise, your fuse will burst a lot quicker.

Hybrid Careers: Balancing Audio Work with Other Skills and Passions

We’re often advised to choose one career path, specialise in one field or skill set, and stick to it until we become a master in it. But what if you’re a polymath with several diverse interests and want to pursue them all? In the audio world, it’s quite common for people to wear many hats – the audio engineer who is also a musician and composer is a common example. Or perhaps you’re a person who needs a lot of variety to focus and maintain passion for your work – whether it’s working in several audio fields, or in completely different fields. Or your life circumstances might mean you’re not able to work full-time, or you have hobbies or commitments that are important and central to your life and wellbeing. How can you combine several interests and skill sets to create a satisfying career that also pays the bills?

In many countries around the world, the norm is changing: in past decades, many people stayed in one job or company for several decades or even for their whole career; now it’s common for workers to change jobs every few years, or retrain later and work in a different field. The rise of remote working gives us more options for different working styles and freelance businesses, opens up more opportunities globally, and gives some people the opportunity to be location-independent. For those of us who want to combine audio work with our other skills and passions, this climate gives us more possibilities than ever to survive and hopefully thrive, with income from various streams. Here are some ideas and examples of possible work modes and methods:

Project-Based Freelancer

Freelancing on a project basis allows you to take on different projects that interest you and have a fixed duration so you know you’ll have a lot of variation in your work. For example, you might mix an album for some weeks, record film sound on location for the next weeks, edit a podcast series for a couple of months and then take on a non-audio project. Challenges: you’ll always need to put time and energy into finding work and arranging your calendar to fit everything in, and there may be periods of abundant work and periods of not enough. Advantages: you are your own boss, you have more control over your work hours and time off, and the types of projects are only limited by your skills.

A Business that Combines All of Your Interests

Starting a business that enables you to wear several hats can be a satisfying way of combining all your skills. Perhaps you write and play music, engineer recordings, do graphic design and marketing, and could start an all-in-one music production studio that takes care of all elements of a client’s album release. Or find another way to combine your audio skills with a different field of knowledge. Challenges: you’ll need to have a solid business plan and know how to reach your target clients to bring in work. Advantages: bringing all your skills into one unique business, never having to feel that you’re putting one part of your identity or skill set on the backburner.

Several Part-Time Jobs

A solution for a more stable income could be to have multiple part-time roles. You might have an administrative job in the music field three days a week, teach instrument lessons one day and do live sound mixing in the evenings or on weekends. Or have one role in the mornings and another in the afternoons. Challenges: finding jobs that are part-time and juggling your schedule to fit everything in, being able to switch quickly between completely different mindsets/skill sets/workplaces in a short space of time. Advantages: an amount of financial stability, and possibly other benefits that come with fixed part-time roles.

Switch Jobs Every Few Years

Another approach is taking fixed-term full-time contracts (year-long for example) or having the intention to change jobs every few years. This could be more of a mindset rather than a fixed plan – just knowing that you won’t be “stuck” in a job forever and have the freedom to pursue another job or career if you desire is exciting. You might like to switch between diverse fields of audio over the years or change careers completely down the track. Challenges: not having as much variety in your work daily or weekly, not advancing further in a particular field. Advantages: the opportunity to develop deeper skills in one area, and the financial and other benefits that come with full-time roles.

A “Day Job” Plus Side Projects

Some people thrive on having a full-time job that allows them the financial freedom to pursue other projects, work, or hobbies in their free time. This option could be appropriate if the stress of trying to make money with your passion is overwhelming or causes burnout, and you start to lose your passion for it. Or perhaps you have one passion that will allow you to make a good living, and the other passion can be a side project. Challenges: finding enough time and energy to work on your other projects outside of your main job. Advantages: financial stability and money to spend on side projects or businesses.

Role Models

The concept of a multi-skilled polymath, generalist, or Renaissance person – a well-rounded individual who has knowledge and skills in many areas – has been around for a long time, and in Renaissance Italy was seen as the height of accomplishment (Leonardo Da Vinci was revered for his incredible skills and achievements in the fields of a2rt, music, science, invention, and writing). Some more modern-day polymaths in the audio world who are hugely inspiring are Ethel Gabriel (record producer, A&R representative, company executive, trombonist), Kira Roessler (dialogue editor, bass player, singer, songwriter, former computer engineer), and Leslie Ann Jones (recording and mixing engineer, producer, publicity/artist relations, guitarist, board member).

Resources

A great website to check out is puttylike.com – while not specifically audio-related, it has useful career and productivity ideas and advice for people with multiple interests and skills.

 

So, You Want to Get an Agent?

I have been a sound designer for almost 20 years and just gained representation earlier this year.  A fellow sound designer friend of mine basically just told me that I need to get an agent now that I’m 100% freelance.  I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first.  I’ve made it this long without an agent, why do I need one now?  Skip to almost a year later, and I’m here to say, it’s one of the best career moves I’ve made.  Here are some of the questions (and recently found answers) I encountered along the way.

What exactly does an agent do?

Your agent is the person who interfaces between you and someone who is interested in hiring you (producers, artistic directors, etc.).  They will handle things like contract negotiation, travel preferences, and even gently declining an offer you are unavailable for.  It’s not necessarily your agent’s job to find work for you, but sometimes that is an added perk.  My agent, for example, has long-standing relationships with many producers and directors, and sometimes they will come to her if they are looking for a specific kind of designer or artist.  If the gig seems like it would be a good fit for me, she will connect us.  In the short time that I have been with this agency, I have already gotten a few gigs that way.

How much does an agent charge?

Generally 10%.  My agent doesn’t make me send all of my jobs through her either.  If I’m taking a lower-paying gig, and I know there’s really nothing tricky with the contract, I can just let her know that I’m taking this gig and that I’ll be handling the contract myself.  She’s totally cool with that.  I just don’t make a habit of it, because I know that she gets paid when I get paid.  I always make a point to discuss these instances with her before diving in to make sure that everyone is comfortable with proceeding.

How do you find the right agent?

Talk to other people with agents in your field.  Mine came recommended by a friend, so we now both belong to the same agency.  It’s also important to note here that just because you choose an agent doesn’t mean they choose you.  Before I was officially in, I had a 3-hour long phone call with my agent.  We were just learning about each other and how we would vibe.  This is the person that will make decisions on your behalf, so they want to be aligned with you, your thoughts, your wants, and your process.  In turn, it is very important that you trust your agent to speak on your behalf.  It’s also ok to decide that you should keep looking if you feel it is not the right fit.

All in all, I have been truly grateful for my agent.  Negotiating contracts, contract language, knowing your worth, and speaking up for what you deserve are all really overwhelming things to take on alone.  Having someone to take on those challenges beside you is a great feeling, and knowing that you always have someone there with your best interest in mind is absolutely incredible.  When you are a freelance designer, you are a business.  You want your business to thrive, and to do that, you need to build a great team for your business.  Start with an agent, and watch your business grow.

 

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