A lot wrote about the difficulties of getting high profile gigs and headlining events dominated by male performers. Vocalists mentioned being ignored and sidelined by male producers in the final stages of the production process. Others complained that they had no girlfriends to talk about gear and production with.
I appreciate that I've picked up most of my technical knowledge from men and use software and hardware primarily designed by men. Most of the sound engineers, electronic producers and DJs I know are men. And most events I attend and perform at still feature mainly male performers. Little wonder that women don't see production as a viable career option. To many it seems like an unattainable field. It's already got the reputation of being an exclusive profession. Having to learn about how to operate mountains of technical equipment can seem like a daunting and even terrifying prospect.
I know that's how I felt when I first started out. All those unexplainable computer crashes when I first started using MIDI 10 years ago would leave me feeling the computer was out to get me. Till I discovered a sampler, I could barely pull a decent sound from my setup. I felt like trashing my first keyboard - a Roland JV-30 for it's aritifical sounds and unexciting interface. I suppose I was lucky then, that it got stolen 3 years ago when I was overseas.
Without even realising it, I've reached a point where I can competently use a range of studio equipment to achieve my own creative ends. Somewhere along the line I became better at troubleshooting and stopped looking at the computer and other technical gear as my enemy, but just a transparent tool for creation. I've also got some amazing technically minded friends who help me with seemingly unsolvable problems.
I'm really excited to be presenting a music prodcution workshop for women as part of Bondi Wave at the SoundHouse in the Powerhouse Museum. Having an all-female learning environment, which I learned from HOWLfest and Ladyfest, can make the subject of music technology seem more friendly and less intimidating. The best part of this workshop is that it's hand-on, so participants can spend time mastering the different processes of recording with a computer, arranging, mixing and working with loops. It's coming up on July 6, 7 and 8, 6pm - 9pm each evening. More info is on the Bondi Wave website -
www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/wave
