About me: I’ve been working with sound production since 2003, and the music industry since 1996. I like my niche of local and touring acts in smaller venues/festivals. I have no aspirations to do arena tours.
Venues – I've done some work in most venues around Regina and Saskatoon, but I’ve spent a lot of time at the Broadway Theatre, The Bassment, The Artesian, and festival stages like the Jazz Festival and Regina Folk Festival. Early on there were a lot of school gyms and small rural theatres, as well as outdoor spaces. Toured with Sask Express, Belle Plaine/Blake Berglund, Rah Rah.
Philosophy on live sound: Don’t make it sound worse coming out than it does going in.
Favourite show you’ve ever mixed: Tough one. I feel fortunate to say that there have been many, and for different reasons, and I also feel fortunate when I look back in my calendar at the incredible touring and local artists I’ve worked with in Saskatoon and Regina over the years. We have a wealth of talent in this country, and (normally) you can go see a world-calibre artist in a 150 seat venue here weekly. It’s amazing that we have this.
Some artists that I love working with when they come through, and that I talk up a lot would be Terra Lightfoot (just a powerhouse performer - she is the real deal) and The Fretless (precision, beauty and dynamic range - and nice people). One memorable show that comes to mind was when I worked with Belle Plaine at Danceland, maybe around 2015. It’s really exceptional when you get an artist and venue combination that is so perfectly matched. It is transformational. You get a sense that you and everyone around you is experiencing something profound, and you are sharing it together. We can't reproduce that through streaming online. And as a technician, to be the person who gets to contribute to that, to make decisions about how to shape it for everyone - that’s pretty great.
Advice for new or emerging artists: Learn your gear, prep your gear, learn some basics about sound, learn to love in-ear monitors. Also a soundcheck is not a rehearsal, but if you don’t feel comfortable with some aspect of the sound or setup, we are here to help you resolve it.
Advice for new or emerging technicians: This is an amazing and challenging field to work in. There is a wealth of resources at your grasp, both in terms of online tutorials and experienced technicians in your community. Connect with someone you respect and from whom you would like to receive mentorship. Most technicians that I know are happy to pass on their knowledge. I had/have great mentors. Couldn't have made it here without them. Don't hesitate to work with old, sketchy gear in bad sounding venues - while you will hate it, it will teach you a lot about how to adapt. Learn some basics about electricity. Respect weather. Be diverse and you will always be in demand. Be respectful and professional to artists and audience members. I “grew up” being the only female I knew of doing sound, and yet I was accepted by and found community among the techs I worked with. I would say to anyone with interest in this kind of work to not be discouraged just because you don’t see anyone who looks like you doing it.
And one last thing – I sometimes have had artists/organizers apologize for not thanking me at the end of a show, to which I respond, if you didn’t have to think about the sound, then I’ve done my job. We are often invisible when things go well.
Advice for established and/or touring artists: I won’t presume that I know anything more than they do. I find I can often tell a lot about the artist by their crew. If the crew is chill, then likely the artist is pretty good to work with. If there is tension and stress in the crew, well then it might be a long day for everyone. Generally speaking, most of my experiences with touring artists are good ones.
Favourite piece of gear: Quality mic stands, quality mic cables, quality microphones, and in-ear monitors. Oh, and my iPad. It’s a game-changer. It still seems like magic to me, what an amazing evolution in technology.
Dream gig: Touring Europe with a quality artist. Who am I kidding? At this point, doing a gig anywhere with anyone would be my dream gig.
