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WCA #517 with Julie Kathryn

WCA #517 with Julie Kathryn – Career Shift, Sample Creation, Becoming the Artist, Collaborative Mixing, Film Scoring, and Parenting

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt discusses Julie Kahryns extensive experience in the music industry as a producer, sound designer, composer, and educator. With a background spanning from criminal justice to a full-time music career, Julie has worked on a wide range of projects, including crafting unique audio samples for top software companies such as Ableton, Output, Cherry Audio, Splice, and Bandlab, as well as supervising music for films, and composing original scores.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Career Shift From Justice
  • Roles: Producer, Composer, Designer
  • Teaching at Berklee NYC
  • Early Music Influences
  • Mentor Tony Conniff’s Guidance
  • Learning Logic Pro
  • Income From Samples
  • Film Music Supervision
  • Balancing Creativity and Business
  • Parenthood’s Career Impact
  • Building Artist Confidence
  • Collaborative Mixing Work
  • Income Diversification
  • Influences: Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson
  • Film Scoring Techniques

Matt’s Rant: Your Health

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Julie Kathryn
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

Video Interview

WCA #516 with Will Holland

WCA #516 with Will Holland – Internship Turned Career, Ownership Advantages, Low Overhead, Setting Rates, and Staying Young

In this episode, Matt talks with Will Holland, owner of Chill House, a 2,000-square-foot studio in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Will has worked with acts like SeepeopleS, Club d’Elf, Nth Power, Berklee, and the Lowell Chamber Orchestra.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Chill House Studio Location
  • 2,000 Square Feet Space
  • Multiple Studio Rooms
  • Local, Mid-Level Clients
  • Will’s Boston Beginnings
  • Internship Turned Career
  • Ownership Advantages Discussed
  • Low Overhead Emphasized
  • Word-of-Mouth Marketing
  • Work-Life Balance Focus
  • Future Relocation Possible
  • Classic Rock Influence
  • Staying Young
  • Setting Rates

Matt’s Rant: Following Up!

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Will Holland
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

VIdeo Interview

Chill House Studios Tour

WCA #515 with David Streit

WCA #515 with David Streit – Workflow Innovation, Gear Investments, Client Relations, Studio Efficiency, and Post-COVID Realities

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt Boudreau welcomes back audio engineer David, initially featured in WCA #210. David dives into his journey since his last interview, sharing updates on his Portland-based studio move, reflections on the city’s music scene post-COVID, and how the pandemic shifted industry dynamics. David offers insights on balancing live sound with studio recording, the adaptive approaches required in today’s music landscape, and how Portland’s music community is showing resilience in challenging times. David has worked with fourhundred, Lucid Aisle, Storm Large, Kelly Koval, Joshua Lowe and the Juncos.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Relocating Studio Spaces and Adapting to New Work Environments
  • Post-COVID Shifts in Portland’s Music Scene and Industry-Wide Changes
  • Balancing Live Sound, Studio Recording, and Creative Roles
  • Community Support, Artist Resilience, and Collaborative Culture in Portland
  • Freelance Audio Strategies: Workflow Tips, Gear Decisions, and Client Relations
  • Navigating New Music Production Trends and Managing Technical Challenges
  • Challenges in Sustaining a Music Career in a Changing Industry Landscape

Matt’s Rant: Refuse to Giveup

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: David Streit
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

Video Interview:

WCA #514 with Christal Jerez

WCA #514 with Christal Jerez – Education, Immersive Audio, Motherhood, New York Love, and VH1 Documentaries

In this episode of Working Class Audio, recorded live at AES 2024 in New York, Christal Jerez shares her career journey from Los Angeles to the UK. She discusses her experiences in live and studio sound, her move to the UK for a PhD, and the challenges of balancing motherhood with freelance work. Christal has worked with artists such as Lil Kim, Malik Moses, Al-Doms, and Timi O.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Move to the UK: Christal relocated to earn a PhD for the Andrew Scheps Music Production Scholarship, focused on immersive audio, supported by her family.
  • Immersive Audio: Passion for 3D sound and binaural audio, working with psychoacoustic experts at NYU.
  • Early Inspirations: Grew up in LA, influenced by family gatherings and VH1 documentaries.
  • Education Path: Studied audio production in university, learned hands-on through radio station work recording live bluegrass music.
  • Career Growth: Mentored by Serge Tsai at Platinum Sound, rising from assistant to freelance engineer. Focused on client relationships and studio professionalism.
  • Challenges as a Woman in Audio: Faced bias and underrepresentation in the industry. Emphasized importance of mentorship and resilience.
  • Balancing Work & Motherhood: Struggled to balance freelance work with being a mother, setting boundaries to manage family and career.

Matt’s Rant: AES 2024 Debrief

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Christal Jerez
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

Video Interview

WCA #513 with Joel Jaffe

WCA #513 with Joel Jaffe: Navigating 40 Years of Studio Life, Recording Legends, Perfecting Live Room Techniques, Overcoming Bay Area Challenges, and Getting Out of the Chair

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt Boudreau chats with veteran producer and engineer Joel Jaffe, founder of Studio D Recording. Joel reflects on his 40-year journey running a renowned Bay Area studio, working with legendary artists like Faith No More and Huey Lewis, and perfecting live room recording techniques. He also shares insights on overcoming the challenges of studio life, the evolving music industry, and his decision to step away from day-to-day operations, or as Matt puts it, “getting out of the chair.”

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Challenges of running a studio in the Bay Area
  • Building and managing Studio D Recording
  • Recording techniques for live rooms and handling isolation
  • Working with iconic artists like Faith No More, Huey Lewis, and Soundgarden
  • The impact of streaming and the changing music industry
  • Balancing a 40-year career with family life
  • Lessons learned from mentors and iconic engineers
  • Advice for aspiring audio engineers and producers
  • Shifting from studio ownership to freelance work

Matt’s Rant: Revisiting Putting Yourself Out There

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Joel Jaffe
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

Video Interview

WCA #512 with Dr. Mary Mazurek

WCA #512 with Dr. Mary Mazurek – Classical Recording, Mentoring, Microphone Techniques for Live Performances, Evolution of Audio Technology, and Moving to Canada

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt Boudreau talks with Grammy-nominated recording engineer and educator Dr. Mary Mazurek about her work in classical music recording and her approach to teaching and mentoring.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Grammy-nominated projects
  • Challenges of recording classical music
  • Microphone techniques for live performances
  • Managing acoustics in different environments
  • Mentoring young engineers
  • Practical learning in audio
  • Evolution of audio technology
  • Moving to Canada
  • Summers in Chicago

Matt’s Rant: The most important thing is what comes out of the speakers!

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

  • Guest: Dr. Mary Mazurek
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell

Video Interview

WCA #511 with Gabriel Shepard

WCA #511 with Gabriel Shepard – 25th Street Recording, Building, and Maintaining Client Relationships, Burning Out, and Learning from Other Producers

In this episode of Working Class Audio, we welcome back Engineer/Producer Gabriel Shepard, who first appeared on WCA #011. Now, 500 episodes later, Gabriel returns to share more from his journey. Gabriel’s impressive client list includes Cake, The Kronos Quartet, Bassnectar, Raphael Saadiq, and The Residents.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • 25th Street Recording
  • Building Client Trust
  • Creative Collaboration
  • Crafting Signature Sound
  • Navigating Industry Changes
  • Freelance Persistence
  • Audio Gear Insights
  • Mixing Strategies
  • Studio Workflow
  • Client Communication
  • Recording Challenges
  • Evolving Sound Trends
  • Learning from Other Producers
  • Earning Fans of Your Work

Matt’s Rant: Covid!

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Gabriel Shepard
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

Video Interview

WCA #510 with Steve Lack

WCA #510 with Steve Lack- Freedom In Podcasting, Freelance Journey Shifts, Midlife Career Pivot, Seinfeld, and Working from a Sailboat

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Steve Lack shares his extensive background in audio post-production and podcasting. Steve reflects on his time working with Warner Brothers Discovery and his contributions to iconic shows like Seinfeld. With experience at NPR, VPM, Al Jazeera, and HBO, Steve now operates remotely from Richmond, Virginia. He discusses the flexibility of podcasting and how his journey from network television to podcasting has shaped his approach to building lasting client relationships.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Freelancing Journey Shifts
  • Early Adoption Of Pro Tools
  • Discovery Channel Experience
  • Remote Podcast Production
  • Transition From Drumming To Film Composition
  • Midlife Career Pivot
  • Freedom In Podcasting
  • Networking And Relationships
  • Working From A Sailboat
  • Overcoming Corporate Mergers
  • Embracing Technological Changes

Matt’s Rant: Learning to Swim First

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Steve Lack
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

Video Interview

WCA #509 with Alberto de Icaza

WCA #509 with Alberto de Icaza- Mastering, Cash Flow Management, From Mexico to New Jersey, to Texas, Client Relations, and Crashing His Car

In this episode of Working Class Audio, mastering engineer Alberto de Icaza shares his journey from Mexico City to the U.S., transitio