Natalie Bayne – Instructor
Name: Natalie Bayne
Title: Director, Lead Instructor
Organization: Seattle Sound Girls – a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women and girls to develop confidence and a strong foundation of technical skills needed to excel in the fields of live music production and audio engineering.
Links: Seattlesoundgirls.org
FEMMUSIC: How did you get started in studio production?
NB: I was an event planner in my early twenties and I spent a lot of time working with technical crews. The work the audio techs were doing, in particular, really sparked my interest. So I decided to go to audio school. That’s where I first stepped into a recording studio and really fell in love with the process. So much so that when I graduated, I stayed on and taught studio recording classes.
FEMMUSIC: How did you end up at Seattle Sound Girls?
NB: Over my 16-year career, I’ve done just about every audio job there is. The one constant has been the dearth of women in the field. When I decided to return to teaching audio after I had children, I chose to focus specifically on educating girls. I started Seattle Sound Girls with a partner a little more than three years ago and now we are running a year-round after school program and a week-long summer camp every year.
FEMMUSIC: What challenges do you see for women in studio production?
NB: The main thing I see, and I’m sure you’ve heard this before, is a lack recognition for our work. There’s an assumption and, frankly, a history of music production being a man’s world. And, it’s a difficult mindset to overcome. I’ve been in situations where I’m sitting at the desk tracking a session and someone will come in looking for the engineer and talk to every male band member, intern, or random dude friend hanging out on the sofa before they’ll even consider that I might be the one in charge there. It’s infuriating, but the only way to change it is through visibility, improving our numbers and representation in the field.
FEMMUSIC: What mentors did you have when learning?
NB: I had some really incredible teachers at school, but I learned the most from shadowing other engineers and producers on the job. Even if you’re only working with them for one day, you can learn so much if you pay close attention.
FEMMUSIC: Are women in studio production treated differently than men? How do you see this?
NB: Haha, see number 3.
FEMMUSIC: What advice do you give to women wanting to go into studio work?
NB: Start doing it at home, right now. Technology has changed the industry so much in the past decade. It’s no longer this closed-off, exclusive studio system. Learn how to produce and record on free software and cheap gear. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake or fail.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you change about the music industry?
NB: How to choose just one? Let’s see, well, I guess I’d like to see more variety in the way that female artists are marketed. We never see their musicianship or production skills highlighted in any meaningful way. There’s so much focus on image that the rest becomes invisible. I want young girls to be able to look at their role models and see the whole artist.