Photo of the Grads.
Connor opens the panel with a short speech, introducing the panel and the gratitude he holds for the opportunity to host events like this. He talks about the importance of remembering that these graduates have come from the exact seats that all of the attendees are sitting in, and encourages all members to ask questions. He then introduces the panel members Chance Hubbard, Erika Koski, and Matt Trenhaile.
Chance Hubbard is a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer working with Internet Money. He mainly works with recording and mixing in Los Angeles, but occasionally does freelance work on the side with artists outside of the area. He hails from Penthouse in New York. He graduated in 2019.
Erika Koski works for Reel Foley sound in New York as a foley mixer. She primarily works in Post Production, and has remained on track within the industry. She graduated in 2019.
Matt Trenhaile works as a recording and mixing engineer at Concrete, a subsidiary of Quality Control Records based in Atlanta. He graduated in late 2018.
Chance shares that he moved out to New York originally with a room-mate that he lived with at CRAS. He worked at an internship in New York for about a year before starting to get into sessions. After sitting in on sessions with the head engineer, Chance was asked to assist on a few sessions out in New York. After working there for 2 years, Chance moved to LA. He worked with Internet Money after reaching out through a networking event between the two labels.
Erika Koski applied for an internship at Atmos interactive and worked as a sound designer there for a while before moving over to Monkeyland, and later Reel Foley, focussing primarily on foley sound design. At the time, she lived up in NoHo and commuted 3 hours each way to get to work.
Matt Trenhaile moved out to Atlanta immediately after graduation. He moved into his own place and started freelancing. After with the studio for a while, Matt began taking every single shift that he possibly could. He had a completely full schedule and was assisting on sessions within four months. He bounced around between a couple different studios for a few years before getting a call to come work for Quality Control. He has been working there ever since.
Connor asks Matt what the drive was behind moving to Atlanta. Matt replies that he noticed two major artists coming from the same row out there. He moved out at 19 years old and got right to work with the intention of working with one of those two artists. Matt talks about the surreality of walking past big name stars in the studio and how that environment can drive your work ethic into overdrive.
Erika originally thought that she was going to have to work a second job while on internship. She was able to sample a lot of different career paths before finally setting on foley sound design, and expresses her gratitude for the ability to work in an industry that she cares about. She acknowledges that some of the big moves can be scary, but if the opportunity presents itself to make a path for yourself, its important to take it.
Chance, originally moving to Arizona from a small town in New Mexico, talks about the culture shock of moving from there to New York. He claims that the first thousand hours of the internship were the most important hours of his life. It was the first door he was able to open, and he encourages all members to put their all into those first hours to make a good first impression. Chance talks about the importance of taking all the opportunities you can. You never know when your long night could turn into a session with a big name artist.
Matt mentions that in his line of work, there is no set time for work. He could get a call at 9 PM that won't end until 9 AM, and whoever calls first will usually get the first slot. Normally, a session can be between 4-6 hours, but it isn't rare for them to be longer. The longest he's ever worked on was a 27 hour session. He mentions that the studio world is a small world, and if you network with the right people you can get in at most of the big studios in the area just by being good at your job and talking to the right people.
Erika retells a normal day for her. For a voice over, you are usually doing union work. You have regular breaks, directors will usually show up, and it can be wild. For foley work, it acts similar to a studio session. You aren't able to go in until the last session is over, and you don't leave until you finish the show. She remarks that its important to keep your head down and stick with your work, especially with how small the foley artist community can be. Driven by a passion for sound, Erika moved from Minessota to Arizona to attend CRAS, then moved out for internship in LA without having ever been to the city.
Chance goes over a day in his line of work. Usually, a producer could make a beat on the spot for artists that come in. As much as possible, they try to cut records as much as they can within the normal time frame. Most of his sessions are late, leaving only in time to catch the sunrise and the morning traffick. He mentions that its important to make a template for your work. It can not just save time, but can streamline your workflow to allow you to focus on the creative aspect of music production and recording.
Connor mentions that all journeys from point A to point B can gather additional points along the way. With that, he asks Chance whether or not he believed that he would end up in LA after moving to New York. Chance remarks that yes, he hoped that he would. He acknowledge early on that he was there to do a job and enjoyed doing his work, so he always wanted to make it out to LA to work with some of the big names out on the West Coast. Erika mentions that she was not driven by a particular location, but by the presence of the Post Production industry in LA and Burbank. Matt, on the other hand, has known since day one where he wanted to end up. Even with that steadfast mindset, he ran into roadblocks and left turns along the way. Anxiety and nerves are the biggest roadblocks that he ran into, but he mentions that he never made the same mistake twice. He would go home and practice the same thing over and over until he didn't make mistakes anymore.
Connor asks Matt what his biggest mistake on internship was, and Matt tells the story of a time that he lost an artist's credit card on a food run. He jokes about the importance of, once again, not making the same mistake twice, especially with a mistake like that, which could cost you an opportunity. Erika chimes in, telling a story about a time that she took home a drive, thinking that nothing important was on it, only to find out that one of their biggest projects was on that drive. She was, at the time, on a ten million dollar NDA, and could have lost everything if she had lost the drive, had it stolen, been hacked, etc. She remarks that the producers were very forgiving and understanding of the situation, but she would never make the same mistake again. Chance gives a final story about a time that he bounced out stems for an Alicia Keys record in multiple mono instead of stereo. He wound up not being credited for the project and being removed from the record due to not being able to print stems properly. He went home later that night and practiced bouncing stems for hours.
Chance remarks that hard work and awareness are what earned him the trust to work on larger sessions. Erika talks about how her speed and efficiency as a post production engineer is what earned her the trust and reputation to be able to work on larger sessions. Matt states that working on a holiday is what got him that trust, especially since the session on that holiday was for an A list client.
Connor asks the panel what they believe their best advice could be for a student going out onto internship. Chance reminds the audience that internship can, and likely will, continue after the required internship hours for CRAS. It is, however, important to make sure you approach those internship hours with the same attitude and intensity as always. Erika states that she interned for nearly 11 months at Monkeyland before an opening was available for her to work. She took boom operating jobs, music editing for TV, and other odd jobs just to expand her resume so that when an opening was available, she would be undoubtedly the best pick for the position. Matt remarks that he didn't even notice when the hours were done. He was in it until he got hired or until another opportunity came along. He mentions that if you're around long enough, they're either going to send you out to somewhere else where a job is open, or they'll put you on a test session to see if you can handle working at the studio you intern at.
Chance states that the longest he had spent at a studio was 4 days straight. He had been removed from his temporary housing due to covid, so he would rotate in and out of the studio every three days, staying at a hotel on the fourth, for months before he was offered an opportunity. Erika tells a story about a time that she had stayed at her boss' house overnight due to the length of shifts and the long commute. She would work 10 hour ADR shifts just to drive back down to Costa Mesa and work another shift at Reel Foley. Matt re-states the 27 hour session, but adds on that he would catch small naps on beanbags at work, shower in the bathroom, and hop onto another 12 hour shift.
Connor asks the panel what the most important soft skill is for the industry. Chance mentions that it's important to be able to read the room. The soft skill of social aptitude can make or break a session, and being able to hang out is important in the industry. He also mentions the importance of networking and making real connections with your co-workers. He stresses the importance of creating real relationships with the people around you in order to gather the opportunities from others. Erika remarks that taking care of messes is important. If you see something, fix it. Fixing problems and having attention to detail is wildly important, especially with game audio. Matt chimes in and enforces the importance of building relationships with other engineers and coworkers. If you can show that you're paying attention to the small details about people, they will notice and, in some cases, offer you opportunities.
Connor asks Erika about the cross bleed between the post industry and the game industry. She claims that at this point, she's lost count of the game credits that she has. She states that working at Formosa interactive has offered her the capability to work on both post and game audio projects. The industries don't often cross over, but when they do, it can be a fantastic experience to be a part of it all.
Matt states that he was expected to be able to work with ProTools from day one. Setting up mics, using templates, and cable wrapping were all skills that he was expected to have from the jump. Erika remarks that a lot of the same skills are expected in post production. She had to work with SoundMiner and Microsoft Excell as well. Chance states that he was expected to always be on time, always be prepared with all the gear and tricks of the trade. He adds, however, that its important to always do more than expected. Clean things that other people don't clean, make sure that when you go on a run, everything goes smoothly, so on so forth.
Connor asks the panel what hard skills they learned at the conservatory that played the most into their success in the industry. Matt pauses for a moment before affirming that ProTools setup takes the cake for the most important skill. Being able to route and create new tracks quickly made him a fast and hard worker. Erika re-states that ProTools is absolutely the most important thing she had to know going into the field. Chance enphasises the importance of discipline. Being on top of your attendance and school work in class set him up well for being able to stay on top of the expectations and work out in the studio world.
Chance tells the members the importance of having a gratitude-centered mindset. Being around larger engineers and being immersed in the industry offers opportunities for learning every day, and asking questions that may feel dumb show that your drive to learn is still strong, even out in the real world. He states the importance of not getting complacent. Being able to be gracious is important, but striving to learn more and get better is what keeps you on top. Erika re-emphasises the importance of always trying to get better. Get faster, mix better, keep pushing. Matt remarks that his passion is what drives him. Being able to keep learning and keep creating new music is a constant journey, and staying open minded is the key to success.
Matt tells a story from internship. He was always around at the studio, so he was offered an opportunity to be in an episode of Love and Hip Hop. He jokes about how fake the show is and how they had to re-shoot a fight scene multiple times.
Erika tells a story about a challenge she never thought she would face. A cockroach crawled out of her fader board and across the surface while she was asked to keep a straight face so as not to give it away to the people on the other side of the glass. She states that nobody else noticed, but she was definitely surprised.
Chance talks about a time that he had a client bring in tens trippers to the studio for a music shoot. They had thrown nearly five thousand dollars in ones onto the ground for the shoot, and he had been asked to sweep it up so they could collect it for later. He proceeds to tell another story about a time he worked with a client for the first time. He mentioned that he wasn't punching in fast enough and wasn't able to decipher the communication between himself and the artist. Clarifying the communication was difficult, but rewarding after the session was over.
Erika piles on with another story about a session gone awry. She talks about a time that she was trying to record remotely during covid. Directors would get upset that recordings were going late, voice actors would get upset with technology not working, and Erika would have to siimultaneously try to calm people down while also trying to troubleshoot the problems with the gear. She remarks that sometimes it's important to take a breath and separate people from situations where they are uncomfortable.
Matt chimes in about his second session at Quality Control. His template wasn't coming up, so he had to rebuild his template from scratch for the artist. They refused to record without Matt's template, so he had to try to get it all working as fast as possible in order to keep the client happy. With that, the proudest moment he's ever had came from a time where he had worked with Rico Nasty and Lil Yachty. He felt that it was not just one of his proudest moments of his career, but one of the coolest from a vibe perspective.
Erika states that although the challenges from being in the post industry are many, she was nominated for a CAS award for her work on Only Murders in the Building. She remarks that it not just opened doors for her in the industry, but also reminded her of just why she does what she does.
Chance tells a story about being RA certified, getting his plaque and being able to look at a tangible proof of his work. He remarks that there are times where he would listen back to a song in the studio and have a gut feeling that the song was going to go big. Being credited for a plaque is surreal in his eyes, and being able to be appreciative of the time that has gone into his work is what reminds him of how proud he is of his position.
Connor then opens the panel to a live QnA, asking attendees to come up and ask questions about whatever is on their mind.
Jesse asks about the money in the industry. He asks how much money each person had when they moved across the country. All of the panel members state that they did not have much. Making sacrifices and taking risks allows you to get the opportunities to make larger moves. Taking risks and being diligent is what can get you the paycheck, and using that lack of resources as a motivation can help push you to work harder.
Jacob asks Erika what she believes stood out on her resume that put her ahead of everyone else? She mentioned that going diamond helped her get her shot. Aside from that, being able to be good in an interview was what made it. Being able to get up to speed quickly and dress for the occasion. Jacob asks how the various recent strikes have affected her career. She somberly states that her work has been slowing down enough that she's had to take on projects she normally wouldn't take on, all in the name of keeping busy.
Kenzie asks Matt how he got his name out as a freelance engineer. He replies that he just happened to move into an area where there were a lot of artists. Since then, he's gone to artist showcases and handing out business cards.
Jordan asks Erika what jobs in the industry aren't being as affected by the strikes recently. She replies that being flexible in the industry is the best move possible. The entire industry is so tied in with itself that if something effects one part of the industry, it will likely affect the entire thing.
Solstice asks Matt to describe the general scene and studios around Atlanta. He states that in Atlanta, you're going to run into a lot of strange activity in the studio. As the trap capital of America, a lot of artists bring drugs, guns, etc into the studios while they are recording. Solstice then passes the question on the Chance who replies by remarking that he works for a hip-hop label, so it's remarkably similar. He claims that the community is very well connected and a lot smaller than everyone would imagine. He emphasizes the importance of using social media to reach out to other artists and get your name out into the mix.
Andrew asks the entire panel for advice on tools they feel have been helpful for their growth as engineers. Chance jumps in with a recommendation for Waves and Universal Audio plugins. Matt chimes in with recommendations for God Particle, Soothe 2, and Blackbox. For analogue gear, he recommends the API 500 series gear. Erika recommends anything to help you work faster and more comfortably. Keyboard Miestro allows her to program macros to optimize the workflow.
Max asks the panel what makes a good opportunity for them. Chance states that in the moment, it's nearly impossible to identify a good opportunity. It can come at the weirdest times, but taking those risks allow you to stand out from the crowd. Erika re-emphasises the importance of keeping good relationships so that in the case of failure, you can go back to the people you are in good with.
Vaugn asks Matt what area in Atlanta has the most buzz. Matt answers quickly with Folton and Deca. Vaugn then asks the entire panel what the time frame is on going from saying yes on everything to being able to say no. Erika claims that it happened when she was so overwhelmed that it was effecting her product. Chance claims that it happens when you are offered bigger and bigger projects, you have to start saying no to smaller ones. Matt states that it's only come recently, but it came in similar ways as Erika. When having too much work starts to degrade the quality of projects, it's time to start saying no.
Jacob asks the entire panel what their advice is on maintaining relationships with clients and artists. Chance jumps in to say that it's important to find real relationships with the people there. Being able to enjoy the work that you do with the people you do it with allow you to be a more natural person, and people will notice that. Erika and Matt nod in agreement.
Marie asks Chance and Matt the differences between New York and Atlanta. Chance claims that the adjustment period is strange. The culture shock can throw you for a loop, but if you take it for what it is, you can make the most of it. Matt remarks that the community on the studio side takes a lot of adjustment. Even with all of the guns and drugs, people are there to make music. As long as you are a professional, people will see you as one and treat you like one.
Elijah asks the panel what a healthy mindset to enter internship would be. Erika jumps in to say that it's okay to mess up, it's important to ask questions, and gratitude will be your biggest friend. Chance states that it's important to be optimistic in your capabilities as an engineer. Reminding yourself that you are a capable engineer is important. Matt remarks that you should be excited! It's the start of your career, so listening to the list of rules can be important, but once you get in, be cool. People can tell if you're excited, and they will want to help you.
Bea asks the panel what soft skills they would recommend brushing up on before going into internship. Chance starts with being prepared to make mistakes. He emphasises that its important to be able to make mistakes without getting too hurt about it. You have to take criticism and mistakes as learning opportunities, not personal attacks. Matt and Erika agree, adding that it's important to know how to fail upwards.
Pablo asks the panel how they keep a good vibe going in a session. Chance remarks that it's important to be aware of the fact that it's a creative, collaborative effort. Everyone is there to make a song, so it's important to stay in the creative flow. Being able to read the room can be the difference between making the right recommendation and overstepping your boundaries. Erika recommends leaving your emotions at the door. You have to get in the zone when you go in because your emotions will transfer into your recordings. Matt states that it's important to keep moving. Acknowledge the mistake and move on. Don't fire back at the artist.
Romeo asks the panel how they got their name across from one location to another. Chance recalls that Internet Money came to the studio he worked at in New York, that was his connection to them. Even still, when you're working in the digital age, you're going to be sending mixes across the country to another mixer or another label, depending on who you work with. Matt claims that the more you're around in the studio, the more you'll network with other people who come in to the studio. People from other places come in all the time, so being around and being present allow you to network with those other people.
Davino asks the panel what the differences are between the expectation and the reality of being out in the real world. Chance remarks that its going to be ten times harder than you can imagine. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Your first few years are going to be a lot harder than you could expect, so being aware of the challenges and expectations of you are important.
Vari asks the panel what tools or resources they use to keep up with current trends and remain adaptable within the industry. Erika remarks that it's important to keep an open mind. Learning new tips about workflow and sound can come from anywhere, whether its senior sound designers or new interns. Chance states that getting caught in a workflow can be fast, but sometimes its a good idea to look outside of your groove and bounce ideas off of other engineers. Don't get stuck in your ways, always remain open to new ideas. Matt encourages everyone to go out and listen to the people who are on top of the industry. Finding a way to recreate the sound is important.
Another student asks the panel how they survive working long weeks unpaid. Erika jokingly references the college meal: Ramen noodles. Matt talks about the importance of talking to parents about financial support. Chance re-emphasises the importance of staying hungry for success. If you can stay motivated, you can get to your destination.
Dylan asks the panel how they balanced freelance work and label work. Chance quickly states that labels will always pay more, so he always prioritizes those jobs. Matt agrees, reinforcing the importance of the recording budget that a label offers, as well as the ability to add big names to your resume. When you have those bigger credits, you can also start to charge more for those freelance jobs.
KJ asks the panel how academic progress as a CRAS student effects your progress in the real world. Chance states that it matters a lot. Showing that you have discipline demonstrates to a possible employer that you're going to commit to what they give you. Erika states that the first job she landed was because of her certifications. Having good attendance also acts as an insurance policy, showing that you can show up consistently for nine months is a huge vote of confidence. Matt disagreed, stating that he had a low GPA while he was in school. However, going out on internship allowed him to get a fresh start.
Aristotle asks the panel what they would change, out of everything they've been through so far. Chance remarks that he would probably put himself in more uncomfortable situations. Being able to learn things as deep as possible, such as the differences between different types of compression, would have been very beneficial. Erika states that she wishes she would have perfected her workflow sooner. She read manuals and got the information down, but getting her workflow took a while. Matt enforces the importance of paying attention to the "boring days" in class. The business, the networking information, the technological information, its all useful in some way or another.
Hunter asks the panel if they are still in contact with a lot of the alumni from their time at CRAS. Chance remarks that it's crazy how many CRAS grads he runs into on a regular basis. Erika re-states that CRAS people are the only people who will understand what we're going through. Matt claims that it's surprising how many CRAS grads are out in the industry.
Connor closes out the panel with a round of applause for the panel members. He offers the students a final thank you before ending the panel.
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