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Alesia Hendley – From Live Sound to AV & IT

Make Audio Work for You – Don’t Work for Audio.

Alesia Hendley’s introduction to audio started with a traditional path. She learned about sound at her dad’s church in Connecticut and decided to study audio at a trade school in Texas after her family moved there. Even though the program was focused on music production, her career focus at the time was still live sound. 

Alesia recognized she needed to get her hands on live soundboards. “When I was in school, I got to work with SSL consoles and it was amazing, but I knew those boards weren’t at venues. I couldn’t walk into these places saying, ‘I’m an audio engineer, but I have no experience with the consoles you have.’” She kept note of boards she saw at local venues, searched the Guitar Center stores in the area to see what consoles they had, and got some hands-on time at the store. “One of my classmates actually had a job at a Guitar Center. I’d go in and get some work in. We were bouncing ideas off of each other and improving together.”

While in school, Alesia created a music label and a publishing company, but it was a major challenge to make a business out of it.“Everybody’s doing their own thing. I was an audio engineer with nobody to record,” She said. “I’m not making any money here. So what the hell am I gonna do?”

She tried a few avenues for freelance gigs, saying yes to everything (including sound for hotel events and church services). She applied and got an interview for a part-time job opening at a multipurpose facility, even though she needed full-time work. “The technical manager should have never gave me his card because I kept calling him and was like, ‘I’ll take anything. I’ll take four hours a week. I’ll do whatever.’ That’s how I started. They brought me on part-time, and I just kept building up the hours. They saw what I can do. Six months later, I was full-time.”

The facility was a stadium, arena, and conference center for the school’s district’s major events (such as plays, football games, proms, and graduations). She started seeing audio outside the “traditional” box she had learned it in. She explains, “When I started exploring the other components of AV, I found all of these spaces and verticals need audio. Even though it’s not just me running front of house, I can still be a part of creating this overall experience, which is what I love about audio anyway. When you’re behind that board at front of house and you’re doing a gig whether it’s a band or a play, it’s just a rush. So I wanted to fill that rush, no matter what part of the experience I was in.”

Alesia recognized a major need related to audio: people who also understood IT and networks. “All these digital consoles – it’s all connected to a network. The network goes down, and nobody on our AV team knows how to fix it. We had to call the IT team of the school district, which was a language barrier because traditional IT doesn’t really like to play with our AV stuff. They don’t want the AV stuff on their network. So, the IT team had a learning curve as well.” She realized, “If I don’t learn networking, I’m going to be out of a job in this AV thing sooner or later.” Alesia took a risk, and applied to Access Network, a company she had been interested in for some time. “It’s basically an IT company, but everybody that works for this company is an AV person. They’ve been an integrator in some form or fashion.”

She landed a job. “What we do is we design networks for AV solutions. Everything lives on the network. About 85 to 90% of what we do is in the home because our clients are people who have home studios or have smart homes. The other 10% of what we do is on the commercial side, where you’re in those corporate environments, where there are Dante, Shure ceiling microphones. So it’s been very, very exciting to constantly pivot but let audio lead me through all of these different roles.”

She finds her company is welcoming to diversity. “Don’t get me wrong – I’m still surrounded by men because we’re in technology, but there’s more discussion of being diverse. They’re more open and more welcome, instead of you running into the knucklehead behind the console that doesn’t want to move aside because he’s front of house – he’s the sound guy.”

Alesia still has “traditional” audio in her life, including a podcast about a personal interest, digital signage. “I’m still creating. I host it, I create all the content for it, I do all the recording. Me and my team, we do the editing. We created the intros and outros. I still have a home studio, because now I can afford to invest in a home studio.”

On Pivoting out of Live Sound

It was a bunch of soul searching. It did take some time. I stayed in my facility job for an additional two and a half years. It takes time to really do that kind of soul searching and figuring out what is the next step to help you pivot.

Of course, I miss running front of house, but my pivot was for education. I needed to learn about a network. I didn’t want to just go join a random IT company, and they weren’t going to hire me because I have no IT background. I needed to get with a company that understands that IT needs to talk to the gear that I love. 

I started off with Dante. That was my first touchpoint with audio or AV on a network. When I transitioned to this company, the education continued to roll in with this company. They paid for a lot of training. The education came within that package.

Bringing AV, IT and Audio Together

I’m a SoundGirl at heart. I love audio. I love everything about it. But what I realized is I had to look at the bigger scope of this experience that I loved creating. That led me up to the point where I’m at now, doing the IT side of this AV/audio lifestyle.

I have people ask me all the time, ‘Do you miss running front of house? You do nothing with audio now.’ You can look at it that way, or you can look at it: I’m the person who’s orchestrating the sound that people experience. They need the network that I’ve designed. Without it, it’s not going to work. So, it’s about perception. Change the perception of it and try to look at it in a different sense that’s more positive versus ‘I’m losing something.’

At the end of the day, you’re not pressing the physical console buttons, but you’re pressing the overall button. Without you, it doesn’t exist. That’s a huge button, like, the biggest button on the console. You’re still creating this experience. 

Honestly, so many people don’t even know this exists. I had to randomly find it. This is years and years of time being put in to do something that is different.

On how AV work is creative

My work is still creative because of the things that create the experience. It needs us. It doesn’t exist without us. Yes, I would love to be mixing for whoever my favorite artists at the time or running Front of House. That is more creative, and that is more goosebumpy. But my focus was, where’s the industry going? If we don’t learn how to pivot, then we’re stuck in these positions. I was an audio engineer with a studio background, but there was no money in that vertical for me. There’s nothing wrong with doing what you love, but you have to have a balance of creativity and money flow.

Advice

Make audio work for you – don’t work for audio.

We all have the odds against us. Don’t let it dumb down your greatness. Just realize that the odds are there, work three times harder, get gritty and find ways to freakin make it work. Keep knocking down the door as much as you can, like, keep kicking it open until something happens.

Don’t just latch on to the microphone or the soundboard. Explore what these things lead to, or what they create. There’s just so much opportunity. At one point, I felt like I didn’t fit into SoundGirls anymore. I’m not mixing music. I’m not doing this stuff, so maybe I’m not a sound girl. Then I was like, wait a second – You’re pulling the strings here. You’re doing sound, just in a different perspective, in a different way, and it works.

Figure out your little milestones. You can have a goal, but what are your realistic goals in between? And if you focus on that, you’ll find your career path and you’ll grow a lot faster – instead of stumbling into it like many of us have done.

None of this happens overnight. I hated loads and load-outs, but I don’t regret one bit of it. I got a little muscle on my arm. I learned how to hold my own. I learned from people who had been in the business for 20 years. That groundwork is what matters the most, so don’t run from it. Don’t be like, ‘I hate load-ins and load-outs. Stick with it for a while and see what happens. 

More on Alesia

Alesia’s website: https://www.thesmoothfactor.com

Alesia’s Blog for SoundGirls 

Sound & Communications Articles

Alesia’s Podcast Interviews

 

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

Audio on the 50 Yard Line

The Super Bowl is no doubt one of the biggest watched events across the nation. I’m not a fan of the sport but you betcha I’m there watching at someone’s Super Bowl party for three reasons. The food, spending time with friends and family and the halftime show. No matter who is playing and performing that night, I’ll be there to watch. As a child, I thought it would be the coolest thing ever to be a part of a major production like the Super Bowl. Doing audio, doing some cool stage designing, or calling the shots that go live to all the viewers out there watching.

Now I am working within a venue that gives me the opportunity to be a part of large productions (not as big as the Super Bowl) but each day is something new. One aspect of my job that was very new when I began working within this venue was heading audio in a stadium setting. High school football is a big deal to everyone here in Texas and at one of the biggest stadiums in the state, we like to do things big. College and professional leagues aren’t the only ones putting together big games and housing big crowds.

At Cy-Fair FCU stadium we can house 11,000 people at a time. All the district games and homecomings are showcased here along with the battle of the marching bands and activities like such. Being in the profession of audio can lead you many different ways. I want to share my experience heading audio on the field. There are a lot of challenges that are faced.

One being distance away from the source. We typically run everything audio-related from the 50th-yard line which is center field. In my case that leaves me even further away from the source which causes a very long delay. Our speakers are housed about 80 feet in the air, and about 240 feet away from the 50-yard line. So not only are you experiencing a long delay but depending on where a spectator is setting they can be experiencing an even longer delay.  

When mixing a choir down on the field for a national anthem or a production for homecoming, my best friends are my cans (headphones). This way I get a solid mix out to my house, I then set a proper mix for my choir monitor that lives right in front of them during the performance. This helps keep the focus off the delay that is accruing. Another thing that makes it extremely challenging is wind. If it’s a windy day I have sound flying every which way. Not only is sound being bounced around. I have wind hitting my microphones pretty hard which causes dropouts from time to time. On days like these, I use a gate to try and control when my mic’s open and close to catch the performance only with minimum dropouts and the loud howl of high winds.

Another major part of audio during the games is the Referee microphone. The red is equipped with a headset- countryman-styled mic with a bodypack each game. Connected to his headpiece and the bodypack is an in-line mute switch that allows the Ref to open and close his mic as needed, this takes some of the stress of your back by not having to mute the mic during actual playtime. You still have to pay attention and listen because sometimes a Ref will forget to cut their mic after a call and it’s on you to cut any unwanted chatter into the stadium.

Lastly, running audio from the press box is the most difficult for me. One, I can turn my monitoring system up in the booth, but I don’t know what it sounds like in the stands. Sometimes I have to rely on my camera ops to communicate with me and let me know if we need more or less volume in the house. The other option I have is to use an app to control my audio surface, which is most efficient when time allows.

I know Soundgirls are working in all areas involving audio. But if any of you specifically want to get into sporting events, or have experience within the sporting side of things. I would love to hear how you specifically deal with challenges. I’ve headed audio for the final four basketball events, slam dunk contest, and nothing has challenged me more than audio out on the field. Your challenges might be different than mine, maybe you’ve done gigs outside that weren’t sporting events. I would still love to hear how you deal with different weather conditions. The thing that drew me to this platform is the same thing that keeps me here. Being able to share experiences, learn and grow together. I can’t wait to hear from you all.

 

Professional Social Media

I like to read a lot of articles via sites like AV Nation, Inc. , Pro Sound Web, Forbes, etc. I read each platform for different reasons. Inspiration, motivation, to learn about new products, business storylines, and all in all to stay in the know. One key factor that is consistent across each of these platforms is the topic of millennials. 10 mistakes millennials need to stop making, what millennials want from the workplace, millennials, and how we use social media trends.

All kinds of titles leaving all generations kind of divided. We have a handful of industry leaders voicing their opinions, “they (millennials) feel entitled to things. They’re lazy.” On another hand, you have a group of industry leaders embracing us millennials and all the different aspects we have to bring to the workspace. They’re willing to teach us what we have yet to learn and guide us through situations we haven’t to fully experienced. Both of these groups are a blessing to all of us millennials. We might not like or agree with the boxes they try to fit us all into. But this group of wise industry leaders keep us sharp and on our toes if you take a minute to listen to what they’re really saying.

How does any of this tell you how to create an awesome portfolio on social media? It doesn’t, not yet anyway. But the point is, I want all of us to reap the benefits of utilizing social media outlets to build awesome portfolios no matter what generation. No matter what age, whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, employee. Personal branding online is important in each circumstance and when your passion is reflected throughout your social media properly, it can create one beautiful portfolio and great opportunities to push you forward within your career. On social media not only do you need to remain professional, but you need to showcase your personality across all platforms.

Most millennials love social media and most of our elders are not fans of too many social sites. But in this day in age employers and clients are looking for you online before they even ask you to come in for an interview or to discuss a project. Here are some social platforms we all can utilize to create an awesome portfolio on social media.

Instagram 

Instagram is a great place to showcase your work for one reason that is pretty obvious. You can display visuals. Pictures and videos are one the best ways to show prospective clients and employers the gear you’ve worked with, the types of training you’ve participated in or even the school you’ve attended.  It’s living proof of you working with a particular console or at a specific gig. When utilized correctly, Instagram can be a visual resume of what you can do, how you do it, with a hint of personality to give a little sense of who you are. As a freelancer or entrepreneur, you will possibly have more freedom in posting what you want from the gig. But always be sure to have social media postings cleared in a contract or have final approval from the overall facilitator of the event. Do not overdo the picture-taking. Remember, you’re working so you will have other important things taking place. Find the right time and prioritize accordingly. Maybe before soundcheck, or after the show get a few pictures of the board and some behind-the-scenes footage of the band showing their gratitude toward all your hard work that night. Get creative but do it within the right time frame.

Twitter 

My favorite platform of them all. There is so much you can do with Twitter to showcase your passions and interests. The best thing you can do on Twitter is engaged in a Twitter chat. Twitter chats allow you to connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. It also allows you to become a part of a community where you can share your knowledge, collaborate and learn from others. This will show you know at least minimum information about audio or production. Or it will show that you are beyond proficient in the subject matter. If you don’t give a lot of feedback or information, still participate. Ask questions to show you want to grow, have a strong passion and are willing to learn. Another great way to take advantage of Twitter is to post about your work. Share tips on how you EQ a particular instrument or share a blog post about a console and incorporate a known hashtag to correspond with the post. For example, below I share an article. I tag the company or person it is in relation to. I then use hashtags to connect my post to the community.

You can also use Twitter to post pictures and videos. When you post pictures and videos on Twitter it will create more engagement. This is exactly what you want, you want to be active so people have a reason to follow and connect with you. If you’re not active why would anyone want to follow you? Of course, you must continue to be professional on this platform as well. Don’t tweet about how unorganized a client is or how difficult a band was during a show. Your public timeline is not the place. Your professionalism and personality have to equally shine and reflect you in the same light across every social media outlet.

LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is the social platform created for professionals. This is the place where you always want to remain professional no matter what, this is not the place to post too many pictures or add videos. It’s very direct and straight to the point. On your profile you create a resume, make sure you keep your profile up to date, and keep any gaps in your work history to a minimum. After you have created your profile make sure you fill out every section in its entirety. Especially the skills section. This will allow people within your network to endorse your skillset.

For example, as a sound engineer, you would list skills like audio engineer, audio, sound, pro tools, music, etc. Over time as you build your network people will begin to endorse you and vouch for you in your particular skill sets. The skills listed on your profile will also lead you into groups that represent your skillset. There you will meet possible employers and other engineers looking to connect and build genuine relations that can lead to greater opportunities in a community of your peers.

Now, this platform is professional, but you still have to find a way to incorporate a hint of personality. You can do this but publishing articles on LinkedIn. Here you can write about audio and anything else you have a passion for. This way anyone looking at your profile for the first time gets your work history, schooling and a little taste of who you are as a person. You must stay active on LinkedIn so you don’t miss any job opportunities or a chance to connect with influencers and shot callers. LinkedIn is not the place to down-talk your previous employer or talk about any other personal business. Your colleagues within your network will become very annoyed if you do this and it will turn off any future leads.

Website 

This is the place where you bring it all together. Yes, websites can be expensive but there are a lot of ways to get a nice presentation of yourself up and running. Here are a few free sites where you can have a bio, a display of your work history, showcase your mixed content, and have the links to all your social media outlets in one place. Utilizing anyone of these free website developers will give you a specific online address and help people connect with you. There are many more free builders I’m sure, but find which one displays you and your work best and create your online address.

Some of the industry leaders that have paved the way for us say there is no place for social media in the workplace. But there is and it can possibly help advance your career if done in a proper way. Social media can generate clients and a variety of different gigs. Creating more revenue, more experience, and greater opportunities. Social platforms allow us to connect with community more than anything, the SoundGirls platform is living proof of that. If it was not for the SoundGirls Facebook group and website, I wouldn’t have connected with all you awesome people. We wouldn’t be learning from each other and sharing experiences and how to handle situations in the moment. If you are using any of these social platforms to create an awesome portfolio, please share below so we can all follow you and see how you’re building your portfolio.  

 

Alesia Hendley is an AV professional that found her passion at a young age as a sound engineer with her Father’s church. In the early stages of the church’s foundation, they couldn’t afford musicians. By utilizing audio and technology she and her Father found creative ways to go higher both musically and spiritually, taking the congregation with them. Now you can find her operating/installing audiovisual systems or executing creative ventures. As a young professional she’s finding ways to bring AV, creatives, and creative visions together in the effort to leave her mark by making an impact and not just an impression.

 

Interview with Producer Sound Engineer Juno Black

Does continuing your education within audio guarantee your success? Of course, not, nothing is guaranteed. Will continuing in higher education give you some type of lead way? I’d like to think so. I was taught audio by my father at a young age. As I grew into this passion, I taught myself and continued to grow with the technology. I learned a lot of lessons through experience, failing, and trying different things.

Nothing is better than experience, that’s part of the reason I choose to attend Media Tech Institute when I relocated to Houston, TX. Media Tech provided an atmosphere not only where I could learn. But I could also apply what I’ve learned up until enrollment and actually get my hands dirty on industry-standard, state-of-the-art gear. Yes, I know many schools offer similar products and experiences, but Media Tech was the best option for me and my buck at the time. The facilities extended the opportunity to work with multiple DAW’s and analog consoles. After taking a tour of the school I knew right then it was the place I wanted to continue persisting in my passion.

Many times we hear the topics of continuing education and being well rounded. I’ve written an article on being a lifelong student myself. Everyone learns differently and at their own pace, which is fine. Because you’ll never know where you’ll end up with that knowledge. No matter what, it will take hard work, having the right knowledge, and utilizing that knowledge. Then you can harness different learning curves to help you climb up the ladder.

Juno Black 2I took some time out to chat with Juno Black. A woman who has been active in music, video, and film since 1996. Juno has expertise in production, engineering, live sound, and more. Juno was born and raised in Colombia and studied and majored in music performance at Universidad Javeriana.

She didn’t stop there. Juno went on to study computer science and then found herself at the Art Institute of New England to pursue music production and engineering. A prime example of gaining proper knowledge to start along a road to a career you desire. She continues to experience different opportunities and has invested in the growth of her own career from the beginning, which leads me right into my first question.

What’s your point of view on higher education within the audio world?   

When I first started there was only a handful of learning programs. Now there are many more options and curriculums, everything is much more, specialized. I feel a structured program can make it easier. It gives you a head start, but it is the experience and practice that is going to get you wherever you want to be.

Do you think the degrees you have earned played a major part in your growth within the industry?

Honesty, I feel the quality of your work and attitude is what creates growth. Having a degree helps in certain fields. But at the end of the day, we are problem solvers and people pay to make issues go away.

How have you managed to keep up with the rapid pace of technology?

It’s challenging. Reading trade magazines, going to conferences, and being a part of organizations like AES and Infocomm are vital.

Your career has been very diverse thus far. How have you built such a strong portfolio within so many different aspects of audio?

I have always been a curious person, I wanted to learn and feel how different aspects of the music industry felt to me. It was hard for me to decide what I was most comfortable doing as a job, so I kept saying yes to projects that presented an opportunity to do something new.

Leading to your current position at Media Tech Institute. – Austin, TX campus. Why did you go into education and what courses are you currently teaching?

I wanted to help people achieve a level of proficiency focusing on what is important. I was running into people in the field that graduated a program and didn’t know basic concepts. I remembered even though I had gone to school the most important lessons I learned in practice. Now I am teaching audio 101 and 401 live sound.

Have you always wanted to teach? What are some pros & cons?

I had been thinking about teaching for a while. It’s really rewarding, but it’s hard to maintain focus with so many career choices in the industry today. I also miss traveling sometimes. It’s funny because part of teaching’s advantages is being steady in one place.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to climb the ladder and reach greater opportunities in audio?

Observe and learn from people that are in the position you want to be in. Pay attention and be present. Learn the science and concepts behind the gear, however, is best for you. Gear is a tool like a hammer. The objective is to nail it. Regardless of what kind of hammer or how it’s built you need to nail it. Network, anticipate problems, take care of all gear, and keep clean organized cable boxes. In that order.

There are a million different ways to obtain the information you need

Sign up for Commercial Integrator Magazine or Live Sound Magazine. Each platform has something unique to offer and each subscription keeps you informed on the latest trends and technology being used in the industry.

Attend trade shows it’s a form of hands-on experience with all the training courses and demos of new gear being offered. Another reason to attend trade shows is the networking opportunities. You get to talk one on one with influencers, recruiters, and representatives from manufactures all over the world, which can lead to endless opportunities for career growth. As an engineer, producer, musician, and more. Juno utilized similar pieces of the puzzle to build her professional success.

Stay up to date on the latest technology. Sometimes it seems like once you learn one digital console the next generation is being released.

Attitude is a key factor that plays into your success, as Juno stated. Many of us have horror stories of working with an engineer or producer that may be difficult to get along with. Being able to work well with others and learning to communicate with one another will be strong assets to have when working on any production team. Word of mouth is just a powerful as social media, if not stronger. You want to have good working relationships not only for future references but for recurring work opportunities. You want your name as wells as your work to carry a good representation.

Juno Black is a woman I’ve followed in the industry. Seeing her work in many ways has inspired me. Being able to ask a few questions and tell a piece of her story has been an honor. We can create our dream job by capitalizing on opportunities, being present in every moment, and having the knowledge along with the experience to back everything up. Let knowledge and experience carry you to wherever you want to be. Having a balance between the two will come over time, follow your passion, and don’t be afraid to try new things. You don’t necessarily have to have a certification or a degree. But you must know how to obtain the knowledge you need to get the job done. You can get in touch with Juno by visiting her website Junoblack.com

Media Tech is a year-long program where you obtain an audio engineering certification. Audio 101 is the first step in the process, it covers the basics of audio and 401/live sound is the last course in the curriculum. With this opportunity, Juno is placed in a very strong position to create change and set every student up for success in the program. When I was enrolled in Media Tech my 101 teacher was my 401 teacher as well. I was able to build a relationship with my instructor. I knew his skill set and his experience which pushed me to ask questions and soak up everything I possibly could. He became more than just an instructor, he became a mentor to me.

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_

 

Female Frequency Hosts a Twitter Chat

Twitter chats continue to grow in popularity within the Twitterverse. The variety of subjects that can be found to discuss is amazing. A chat can boost engagement with customers, influencers, and like-minded individuals all over the world. That’s why I love Twitter chats and participate in a handful of different chats myself. From time to time I even get to host one. But if you have never heard of a Twitter chat or participated in one, let me provide you with a quick rundown.

A Twitter chat takes place on Twitter (of course). Each chat covers a different topic, providing knowledge on a specific subject or platform, and has an associated hashtag. For example: #ChatSnap touches on all things related to the SnapChat app. #TwitterSmarter covers tools and techniques to help expand reach and engagement on Twitter. #ggchat targets indie music artists around the world, focusing on everything indie.  Some chats take place weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or even bi-monthly – each group is different. Usually, a chat will last anywhere from 30mins to an hour, with a designated host leading the charge.

ffreqFemale Frequency, a sister company of ours here at SoundGirls, is a collective dedicated to empowering women and girls through the creation of music that is entirely generated by women. They have started a new weekly chat, hosted by Angela Sheik every Monday at 8pm EST. So far, the chat has covered topics on recording preparation and choosing/working with a producer. You can participate in the weekly chat by using the hashtag #ffchat. I look forward to seeing some new and familiar faces during next week’s #ffchat.

To connect with me or any of the platforms mentioned here on twitter, you can click the hyperlinks or follow each as listed –

Female Frequency: @FemaleFreq

Host of #ffchat Angela Sheik: @AngelaSheik

SoundGirls.org: @SoundGirlsOrg

Alesia Hendley: @thesmoothfactor

The Life Long Learner

Personal growth and professional growth work hand in hand for me. The more I expand my mindset, the greater the possibilities. Julia Child said it best “You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” So why should we stop learning, right?

I started my journey in media at a young age within a place of worship. Audio has always been my focus point. But I noticed as an in-house engineer once communication was set and audio was brought up to a standard of excellence there was still more work to be done. Which led me to expand my reach as a freelance technician.

Once I set up a multimedia platform for one worship center I continued to research equipment that could take the worshiping experience to the next level. From audio consoles to projectors, from lights to CD duplication. From live broadcasting to DVD production, they all played a significant role in creating this great experience. The leaders loved the thought of having all these outlets to help spread the gospel. Not only did it help the leaders and the congregation. It helped me gain experience, which births excellent technicians.

After working in places of worship for over eight years and graduating from a Media Tech Institute with a diploma in audio engineering and multimedia. I choose to see what other routes I could go with this passion and experience. I then found the wonderful world of AV (Audio and Visuals). A place where being proficient in all areas of event technology is golden. I had been in AV for years and didn’t even know it. I just specialized in worship centers; now I’m branching out even more. Seeing what all the world has to offer a young audio engineer willing to learn and grow.

Being an audio engineer can take you in many different directions, but no matter which route you take, the more you know, the more you grow. You can start as a monitor engineer and then move to mixing at FOH. You can be a boom microphone operator and develop into recording and mixing Foley. I started in AV as a stagehand just doing load in and load-outs. You never know, continue to keep an open mind. Never stop learning. The possibilities are endless, so is the amount of growth within the industry. Once you feel you know everything there is to know, you put a cap on yourself and opportunities. Don’t be a know it all, be willing to learn it all.

SoundGirls Build Community

 

By: Alesia Hendley 12698410_763865163745500_4765980734819949490_oand Evelyn Salas

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas, which has become a local hub for all of our Texas members. Our goal, just as all the local chapters, is to build a community keeping the core values and mission of SoundGirls front of mind. This month Evelyn Salas had the opportunity to shadow Front of House (FOH) engineer Gil Eva Craig. Evelyn is currently enrolled in the Audio Engineer program at San Jacinto College and was more than happy to share her experience with her class and all of us. (more…)

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