BG>  Thought I'd seen you in here before but this was the first
BG> opportunity  to write back. Thought I was the only female in here, so few 
BG> of us are into sound, recording in addition to just music. I had to
I'm in here... but a novice at both...
BG> learn all of the technical stuff just to be able to use electronic
BG> keyboards, which happened to be used with amps and speakers,
BG> and like any control freak I had to learn how it all worked enough to
BG> get through a gig.
I was active in here about a year ago (when I lived in Florida)... There's 
been a lot of water under the bridge and a lot of miles of road since then 
(Just wasn't road work! - sigh). I've been in San Antonio about a year 
(11months to be exact) and put my name on the call list for IATSE out here 
(but they do a lot of work as convention decorators too, depending on which 
company is hiring the work). There's only 2 women in the Decorator's Union 
(with about 100 men - so you get the picture as far as sound work through the 
union goes.)  Plus being on the call list, means they really have to be busy 
for me to even get called.  (like most union work goes).
I know the feeling.  I've done convention decorating too (and that is like 
sound work, being mostly men doing the job.)  In Dallas it wasn't as 
male-oriented as it is here in San Antonio.
BG> Good calls on that live sound job. [Getting taken seriously has
BG> always been a bit of a problem, but somehow I've gotten past a lot of
BG> these  difficulties over the years, so that now I'm "overqualified"
BG> for most everything. Wonder when that happened??!! I can recall not
BG> being  qualified enough for such a long time! And this always having
BG> to  prove yourself to anyone new crap... gets old... fortunately,
BG> I've  stayed in Sacramento for 15+ years and am now recognized by
BG> many of  those in the industry locally and nationally. It has taken a
BG> long time  to get this "networking" going.
What really irked me on that particular gig was I *KNEW* I was right and the 
board reflected the fact (cause the mids were hot on the board).  I just 
couldn't get the guy to admit the problem and better yet, to fix the problem 
(at least in front of me).  I later found out from the band that the guy was 
just learning how to run sound (in the first place) and that they appreciated 
my help.  They also told me, "Too bad you don't have equipment or we don't 
have ours any more cause from what little we heard that we KNOW you corrected 
and the response from the crowd, the booking agent and the promoter, you 
would be one busy little beaver..."  Part of the band is in session with me, 
cutting my original songs and it's amazing how quick things can fall together 
when folks know what they're doing..
You're one of those "Females" who paved the way for the rest of us! 
  I still get asked "How do you know that?"  when *They'd* NEVER 
ask a guy that... It's still a *man's world* as far as running sound goes... 
I guess it's cause there's just not that many of us ladies out there! 
BG>  Are you working in the industry or just a fan of gizmos like
BG> most of us? You seem to have a good deal of experience in live sound.
I've done my share of live sound and have more recently done studio work.
I did some stuff on the east coast (Florida, TN mainly - where I lived).
I liked the gizmos, and did mostly sit down club work for about a year plus 
did some work setting up equipment when I worked in a band in TN.
I've been told I've got a good ear for sound... I guess it comes from having 
done a lot of listening to bad sound over the years.  I know what I like to 
hear (a good overall mix and if there's vocals, they need to be clear!  One 
of my mentors told me "Put the vocals on a fence, and everything else 
somewhere below the vocals all the way to the ground!"  It works, for the 
most part.
Nancy
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