Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the music
industry. This program profiles
Sandra Schultz, a sound engineer
and technician who records and
mixes for music producers; Shelley
Park, a guitar builder who produces
between 12 and 20 instruments per
year; and Alice Bernier, an
electronic music composer who
works out of her own high-tech studio. Remarks from
co-workers and supervisors provide additional layers to the descriptions of each
job. View a preview video clip and read below for descriptions of each segment,
or scroll to the bottom to order!
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One of the first requirements to do Sandra
Schultz's job as a sound engineer is that
you have to really like music. A sound
engineer listens to music all day, over and
over and over again. Sandra plays a bit of
guitar herself, but is more content "behind
the glass", helping to fulfill the dreams of
other musicians with her maze of cables
and high tech gear.
“It's a lot of fun. Everyone is into the music. They come to you with their dream
and hold it out there for you, and you have to be very careful that you don't
‘drop’ it or ‘step’ on it. You are holding their passion.”
Recording and mixing sound is a blend of Sandra's creative and technical
abilities. You have to be versatile in this business in order to stay busy
however, especially when you're just starting out. Sandra also does contract
work as a technician.
Becoming an in-demand producer or sound engineer takes a lot of dedication. Sandra s
come a long way since she first discovered
sound engineering as a volunteer on a
university television show. After hundreds and
hundreds of volunteer hours and training
sessions, she now gets paid for her expertise.
Sandra works on a freelance basis. Quite often she is asked to work on projects
on a very short notice. Sometimes she receives phone calls from producers,
asking her to work out of town. She will have to pack her bags, leave that night
and be ready to start a session the next morning.
Depending on a project, Sandra may work up to 18 hours a day straight. After
that, there is no guarantee that she will work at all. That's why it is so
important to network and be aware of opportunities in the field.
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Custom guitar maker Shelley Park says
that you can build two guitars exactly the
same way and they'll still sound different.
Why? Because of the wood used to make
them. Shelley makes specialized gypsy
jazz guitars. She got into building guitars
as a result of her love of playing the
instrument. Shelley took a college course
in guitar making and has been making beautiful music, and guitars, ever since.
Shelley shares a workspace with two others and has all the tools required to get
the job done. The sound of a busy shop is music to her ears.
Shelley owns her own company. From
purchasing wood and assembling guitars to
shipping her product and taking care of all
related business matters, Shelley does it all by
herself!
“Wood is amazing! I will be happy as long as I
work with wood. Every type of wood has its own
personality and I get to work with some of the
most beautiful and exotic materials in the
world.”
Many of Shelley's clients found out about her work on the Internet. It's ironic
that originally Shelley did not take the idea of having a web site seriously, but
her friend convinced her to get one. It turned out to be a valuable promotional
and communication tool.
Shelley works full-time and builds between 12 and 20 guitars a year. Client
satisfaction means a great deal to her: when the client is happy, she is happy.
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Nowadays, you can carry an entire
orchestra in a small black box, along with
every other sound you can imagine.
Electronic Music Composer Alice Bernier's
studio isn't much bigger, but her sounds
are! Even the most sophisticated
instruments in the world are only as good
as the people operating them. Alice's finger
brings her cyber-musicians to life on CD and the Internet.
Alice would love to see a place where all kids
could access the high-tech toys used in her field.
When she's not at the keys creating music, Alice
is promoting her album. She is working on
bringing her music to Europe.
Being shy isn't the right mix for Alice's job, so she
overcame this aspect of her personality. There
was no choice. You have to talk to sell. Thanks to
modern technology, she has friends and contacts
worldwide.
Alice has been determined to pursue a career in music since she was 12 when
she started a rock band in her parents' basement. After working in the music
industry professionally, she decided to start her own company. She is now
working hard to create music, spending at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week
in her studio.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
