Despite the fact that many women enjoy successful careers as recording artists, the number of women “behind the glass” as producers and recording engineers is less than 5% in the recording industry – an amount that hasn’t changed in over 30 years.
A San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded by professional songwriter, composer, producer and recording engineer –and a woman–is trying to change all of that.
Terri Winston, who started Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) three years ago, believes that women’s participation in the recording of sound for music, film, television, radio, and the Internet will have a direct, positive impact on content, thereby ensuring that women’s ideas, interests and views are conveyed in media and popular culture.
To that end, WAM offers a variety of training and development programs for women and girls to introduce this field to more and more women. WAM also offers a rare source of professional networking for women–WAM is the only organization of its kind in the nation, and now has over 400 members from around the world. It is one of the few booth sponsors at the Audio Engineering Society’s annual industry conference held at Moscone Center in San Francisco October 5-8, 2006 where women recording engineers and producers play a visible role.
On Saturday October 7, WAM will be holding a benefit party from 5pm to 8pm at 111 Minna Gallery, only 1½ blocks from the Moscone Center. There will be free food and Happy Hour cocktails and live music. A $10 donation is suggested at the door, but nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. The benefit party is sponsored by Mercenary Audio, A Designs Audio, Geoffrey Daking & Company, and Boudin Bakery.
