Working at a music studio

A personal insight given by London’s Bally Studios’ owner, Jimmy Mulvihill, when interviewing applicants for the post of Studio Manager (adapted from an article first published on the Bally Studio's website).

In June 2013 I advertised the post of Studio Manager at Bally Studios in London. I put a notice on our Facebook page and posted the advert to a UK music jobs website. To my surprise within 48 hours I received 172 enquiries. Whilst I want to say I didn’t know where to start, sadly that was not the case. Despite the high number of applicants, it was surprisingly easy to discount many. Over 120 were discounted immediately.

On one hand this was just business. I had a position working at a music studio to fill and needed someone to fill it, so culling a huge amount of candidates should have been easy. On the other hand, there was a strong pang with every rejection.

See, when I was 19, just over a decade ago, I was in the same position. I would apply for sound engineering jobs at studios via email and a letter in the post. If I didn’t receive a reply and in the hope of improving my chances I would even hand deliver it if it was local, hoping they may put a face to a name. I contacted over 50 companies in London, with no luck.

Album cover: Marvin Gaye's What's Going On

I once purposefully walked into a few studios with a vinyl copy of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” under my arm as if I had just bought it from a local record shop, in a strange effort to make a good impression. In my confused teenage mind I thought if the studio owner saw the image of Gaye in his black leather jacket on the cover, they would instantly offer me a 5-year contract with a company car.

I also once borrowed an autoharp from a friend in the vain hope I would be remembered as “that guy who came in with the autoharp, shall we employ him?” If there was a way to be noticed I would take it, and yet perhaps unsurprisingly, I got nowhere.

Throughout the whole process I went through the whole gamut of emotions. The hope of applying, the frustration of waiting, accepting I was unsuccessful, the regret of not doing things differently, and yet here I was, many years later doing the same to someone else. It felt weird.

In many cases it was not due to the applicant’s fault they were unsuccessful. Obviously due to the large volume of candidates, and our tight working schedule, I did not have the time to offer feedback on an individual basis.

However, there were many mistakes I saw repeated. Some had no experience working in a studio – and you could hardly hold it against anyone for that, while some came down to common sense. Large or small, they were mistakes that moved them from the “maybe” pile to the “no” pile.

To help give a perspective to anyone looking for a job in a music studio, and not to criticise, these were the common mistakes I felt people made.

Music rehearsal space reception area

Applying for the right job

I was advertising the role of “Studio Manager at Bally Rehearsal Studios”. The studios are not a recording studio, yet many of the applicants listed skills in recording bands: being able to use recording software, having degrees in sound engineering and knowing how to play multiple instruments. All of which are useful skills in the music industry, but not essential skills in managing a rehearsal space. From this I felt many confused studio manager role with a producer/sound engineer job.

Eighty per cent of the daily activity in a rehearsal space is dealing with rehearsing groups, booking sessions, keeping the place running well, taking money and dealing with customers while keeping the rooms clean, organised and preventing any potential problems.

band rehearsing

You may have spent many years building up skills and qualifications in certain subjects, but your CV is an opportunity to show you are the right candidate for the job being offered. You should only reference skills and qualifications to help you do this. Applicants in a band or had played in bands instilled a confidence. Whoever I picked, I want them to relate to the people I work with and serve.

Farm Factory Studios

Rehearsing in other rehearsal spaces is relevant, recording a string quartet is less so. If you have visited rehearsal spaces as a customer, give a list of them: the more you have visited, the more knowledge you may have on how they operate and a greater perspective on what is expected. Whatever you reference, ensure it is relevant to the advertised job. Instead of thinking “what can I offer them?”, better to offer them what they need.

A limited team needs flexibility

For a small company with four employees and only one working at any one time, there is a lot of multitasking. The candidate would need to ensure sessions booked in on that day ran smoothly, whilst preparing future sessions by leaving notes for other staff members, making tea, cleaning and fixing equipment and taking new telephone bookings.

When there is only one person you need to be a jack of all trades. The best candidates will need to demonstrate an attention to detail by keeping users happy. For these aspects of the job there needs to be a great sense of overview.

When applicants went into detail about how qualified they were in recording whilst not listing more practical skills, I assumed they were skilled in one field alone. I needed a candidate who had a broad range of skills in multiple fields who could execute them simultaneously. Listing all your relevant skills is the best approach to take.

Emma Lawrence, Brunel Studios

Build your approach around whether the position will require concentrating on one task at a time or multitasking. If you are unsure visit a rehearsal space as a customer to see what staff members do. If staff are multi-tasking ensure your application lists all your skills and experience. If they concentrate on one task for most of their time, tailor your application to how great you are at that task. If you notice them chatting to band members, make sure you reference your cheery disposition in your covering letter.

Ask your friends if they know someone who works in a rehearsal space to find out what their job entails. Once you know what to expect, tailor your approach to getting the job.

Nemix Studios

Show you can manage

The best candidates showed an ability to keep an eye on the different aspects of studios and how to improve the company. I asked questions around generating new customers, reducing costs, completing repairs, sourcing new equipment, motivating staff, improving the facilities, services and working practices.

The better candidates gave great answers to these questions. The best candidates anticipated them and gave their thoughts without being asked. They took the initiative to tell me. The conversation was led by them.

If they needed me to take the conversation in a particular direction, they may be more suited to being managed, rather than managing others.  The best candidates anticipated what a manager needs to do and displayed an ability to deliver. They suggested improvements where we were lacking, proving they could improve the business before taking the job.

Your qualifications need to be transparent

Many applicants had a degree from the same British-based college’s sound engineering course. I couldn’t get hold of the syllabus so I couldn’t be sure they had the skills we needed.

Whilst I am sure students leave university with a broad skillset it is unlikely one course can cover all the skills every studio will ever need, since every studio is different. I was concerned the university course was not relevant to our work. When I contacted the university to seek this information, they were not forthcoming. As a result I discounted qualifications obtained from this institution. I did not discriminate against anyone with the qualification, I simply ignored it when considering the candidate.

Seeing as it is such an important position in a small team, with other people’s jobs and the future of the company riding on us picking the best candidate, I could not take any risks, which meant I could not place as much faith in these qualifications as other employers. If there were 20 staff members working at any one time and I employed the wrong candidate, the other 19 staff members could anticipate potential problems. But I do not have that luxury. If a candidate did not expressly state a skill, I could only assume they lacked it.

Put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer. If you have a qualification in the position you apply for, make sure a prospective employer is able to see what topics have been covered. Include a link to the page of the institution’s website listing the topics covered. If a link isn’t available, list them yourself to be sure the course content is relevant to the job spec.

buskers' case

Meeting deadlines and making money

Working in the music industry is all about two things: making great music and making money from that great music. If you do not make money from it then it is only ever going to be a hobby and nothing more. If you join a company with a large workforce, you may be able to concentrate on making sure the music is as great as possible and delegate the task of monetizing your skills to someone else. If you join a small team you will have to straddle the divide between both creativity and business.

This was a serious failing I noticed in many candidates. Few realised it was a business position where colleagues’ incomes relied on the successful applicant meeting financial targets. Many talked about recording great music, but few actually stated “I can find ways to make your company more money” or “I am great at spotting ways to save money”. For such a small company with little backing, located in one of the most expensive cities on earth, such concerns are at the forefront of my mind.

repairing an XLR cable

Perhaps colleges offering sound engineering courses do not prepare students as much as they should? For example, do they teach students how to go about covering costs? What equipment to invest in? How to repair cables? How to soundproof a room? What about how to negotiate a deal for a discount on new equipment?

Anyone with the ability to haggle a £100 discount when buying new equipment will earn an extra £100 profit for the studios.

This is what I am looking for in a candidate. These skills can mean the difference between a studio thriving or closing, so they should not be overlooked. 

I spend 8 hours a week doing small jobs to keep the studio in a position to deliver great quality recordings, while trying to capture as much attention for the studios as possible. I could see nothing on any of the music courses that taught carrying out small repairs to keep the equipment in good working order or how to attract new customers. This is not to say they were not on the course, but we could not see any evidence in the job applications.

mixing desk

Training on equipment you will use?

Many educational courses use high quality equipment such as Neve and SSL desks, Avalon processors, Neumann microphones, etc. Many candidates took pride in using such equipment. A big advantage of using such gear is that you are able to have much more control over the signal chain, and that it will be much more forgiving.

There is a difference between, on one hand, having a 48 channel SSL desk with high end compressors and amazing microphones with a professionally treated room at your disposal, compared with recording in budget studios.

If you do not state you can get great results from limited equipment, how will any studio know you can? It can be hard to adjust to working with a mixing desk that cost £1,200 if they have learned on one that cost £300,000. If you can work without automation when mixing “on the fly” then state as much. Many people I have worked with can’t. If you are able to get the best out of limited resources, ensure you make this clear in your application.

two inch tape machine

Applicants who stated they were proficient in using DAW software such as Logic, Cubase and Pro Tools failed to note on our website we do not use computers at our studios. We have a “no-edit rule” and record everything live, using a 24 track digital recorder and tape machines.

Whilst I did not discount anyone with skills in using computer recording software, I felt such skills were not relevant for this job. It would have been more of an asset to have had knowledge on how to de-magnetise and clean a tape machine. When applying for a job make sure you research the equipment the studio uses and tailor your approach around it. If the equipment you are familiar with is different to that they use, make a point of stating you can work with their set-up, to avoid any presumptions otherwise.

Think of it like a football team. There are players in the top 10 in the world, but they may not fit into some teams. If a player’s skills are based around individual flair, it could be a problem if their team’s ethos is based around organisation and strength. Not all skills are transferable to all situations, so instead of letting them know your skills on equipment they don’t use, let them know about the skills you do have on the equipment they do use.

recording a band rehearsal

Efficiency

The average candidate said they had recorded “five songs over a six-week period when completing their course” (since most of them went to the same college). If I worked at that rate I would go bankrupt within a few months.

Educational facilities that structure their courses to such time frames are neither preparing their students for real life recording studios, nor imparting the skills needed to secure a position within the industry.

When courses start to teach students to record a whole album in 2-5 days, then I will know graduates will be able to work as intensively as I do. No doubt such recordings may not be perfect, but that is the reality of being in an unsigned band: most bands are on a tight budget and make compromises wherever necessary.

April Media Productions

I have recorded an album 72 mins long in under five hours, including mixing. It was rough and ready, but the band was delighted. From a business point of view, they were happy to pay the session fee and booked more sessions.

To stay in business depends on happy customers paying for their sessions, instead of making perfect recordings that don't generate income. You need to understand the purpose of the studio, and express how you will fulfil that purpose. If you are applying for a post at Abbey Road Studios, by all means let them know you can make perfect albums. However, if you are applying for a position at a studio that does budget demos, you need to prove you can record quick demos.

When I was recording, my focus was on making sure clients are happy with the quality of their recordings or rehearsals. I would balance that with fitting in as many sessions as possible. If those two objectives are reached then I am doing my job.

I run a budget studio aimed at customers with restricted resources. MY customers would love to pay more for better results, but many simply cannot afford it. If they cannot afford to pay, I cannot afford to pay a member of staff to complete such work. If you want to treat recording music purely as an art-form, then do it on a creative basis. If you want to get paid for it, then demonstrate you understand the need to generate income from that talent.

using a mixing desk

A degree in sound engineering? Join the queue

Out of the 172 applications we received, 108 applicants had degrees in sound engineering. The majority gave more consideration to their qualifications, rather than the mundane skills our staff find a necessity in their day to day job.

Try to keep in context that such qualifications are not as rare as they used to be. That means you have lots of competition, and you need extra assets to stand out from the crowd.

fixing a amp cab speaker

Remember a degree in a subject is a means to an end, a way to show you have the ability to perform the task to a high level and have good knowledge in it.

But whilst the skills you learn in a masters degree are helpful, so too is the ability to solder cables, knowing how to match different speakers with different ohm ratings, being able to re-skin a drum kit, wiring a plug, doing data back up while keeping detailed notes about sessions, knowing how to change a tweeter on a blown speaker, setting up a drum kit, being able to install a multi-core cable as well as being able to work for 12 hours continuously if required.

It should never be underestimated how much the ability to work at a high level for many hours at a time is valued. Failing to mention such attributes means missing out on a large part of what the whole job is about, yet that is something rarely touched upon in a sound engineering college.

recording a band

Only a small number of people commented on their interpersonal skills, which shocked me considering how important it is to interact with band members to get the best results.

Attributes such as great diplomatic skills, being able to diffuse tense situations, (which can come up from time to time), being able to make creative suggestions when needed (and understanding when a band ignores them), keeping a cool head under pressure and being a calming influence, are all attributes that have made some of the greatest producers in the world. Instead many concentrated on the technical skills they learned.

The qualities needed to be a good member of staff

Keep negativity to a minimum

About 20% candidates were so enthusiastic they said they would be happy to leave their current job at the drop of a hat to come work for us. While this enthusiasm made us feel honoured, I felt if they were willing to do that to their current employer, there is a chance the same could happen to us.

Our small workforce is such if they leave suddenly it would cause a knock on effect and likely set the company back. Therefore I felt it was counter-productive to mention this, since it gave us reason to doubt the candidate's loyalty. Most small companies value loyalty.

Many candidates mentioned being bored with their current job. It didn’t reflect well in many cases because it looked like they blamed their current employer for such circumstances. If your current job has reached a stage where boredom has set in, it could suggest you are simply going through the motions, which may not bode well for those employers thinking of taking you on.

Some applicants listed aspects of their current job they disliked. Whilst it is handy to know what motivates candidates, eight people spent over 300 words complaining about their past job. Many took the opportunity to criticise ex co-workers, and generally vent their frustrations.

The job position requires someone to represent the company to customers. I want a positive person, so such comments have a bearing in my decision in inviting them for interview. Ensure you keep any negativity out of your application.

Act in an authoritative and pro-active manner

If I had a penny for every time someone asked “please let me know if you would like my CV,” I would have 26p. One in seven candidates did not attach a CV but instead asked if I would like them to send one. The position of manager in any company is one that demands leadership skills, initiative, efficiency and confidence. Although I understand many may be courteous in not wanting to overstep the mark, however I reacted more positively to those that simply sent their CV without being asked.

Many applicants wrote in their accompanying letter: “in case there are any positions available.” I usually get two job applicants a week, but on the two days after advertising the role, I received 31 applicants writing: “in case there are any positions available”. This may have meant one of two things – they either saw the advert and did not address the application directly, or did not see the advert, in which case they would not know which role they are applying for. In either case, it may harm the chances of being successful. You know there is a job available, so does the company, so just apply for it directly.

Some applicants included references they had from past employers which I thought was great. If I was interested in them I would need to ask for the references, so by including them it saved me a job. After all, that is the role a manger would fulfil, to get things moving and make my job as easy as possible. They have not even got the job yet and they are already fulfilling it!

Respond directly to the job advert

In the job advert I included the line “…have a good knowledge of how rehearsal studios run, or have strong ideas on how they should run…” The candidates I warmed to suggested where improvements could be made in studios they had used as a rehearsing musician. I liked those that after using our studios offered suggestions where I could make improvements. I liked their pro-active nature and attention to detail. In many cases I agreed with the points they made, re-assuring me this person was on the same page as me. Try to pick out parts of the job advertisement and answer them. Most likely the interviewer has listed these points specifically as they are important to the eventual position.

If the advert says, for example, “looking for someone to help open new studios” why not suggest an area you think could have potential? A company advert that says: “help us to make the transition to the new recording setup we are building up”, why not say: “I see you are buying new equipment for your studios. I could suggest the xxxxxx and the xxxxxx, as I think that they would be suitable for the set up you have.”

A job advert that says: “looking for someone to help us to appeal to new potential customers,” perhaps you could suggest: “have you considered appealing to church bands? Our area of north London has a lot of church bands needing studio space”. You would be answering the question directly. Don't beat around the bush, be direct.

check your email

Details

Although it may seem insignificant, 88% of applicants’ letters and CV’s had a spelling mistake. I make the odd spelling mistake in emails and on the website (and probably in this blog now I come to think of it) so I am in no position to take a moral high ground. However, the job of Manager is one requiring attention to detail where spelling mistakes are unfortunate.

Double and triple check all correspondence. Also, ensure the email address you use is appropriate. When applying for a gig, drunkmonster69@gmail.com may be an acceptable email account, less so when trying to gain employment.

Back up your credentials

Not everyone who applies for a job gets to the shortlist stage. But everyone that gets to the shortlist stage will be investigated, so you need to anticipate this. Many candidates included in their application statements something along the lines of: “I am very skilled in social networking from my time in…” and then list a former job, band or project they were involved in. However, upon investigation out of the 40 people that wrote this, I was unable to find social network links from 25 of these. For example, one applicant wrote: “very skilled in social networking, and have been doing it for my band for the last three years.” Yet when I googled them, I found the band had 30 “likes”, and had done 50 tweets and four Facebook updates in three years.

It is so easy for companies to check up on small factors like this, so it should be anticipated such claims will be checked. One candidate’s experience listed: “played Wembley Arena with my last band”, but upon investigation no such concert had taken place. You should thus ensure the information in your application can be verified easily, and if it is not, leave it out. When I asked one applicant about this they said: “when the band split up the account was deleted.” The problem with that is that once the account is deleted, so too is the ability to take credit for it.

Technical details

I received corrupt email attachments or in a software app I don’t have and would have had to pay to open. The easiest kind of document for me to open is a simple .doc file. When a candidate sent an attachment difficult to open I would have to contact them to ask them to re-send it, which did not set the best first impression.

Four candidates said: “Please find my CV attached” but did not attach it. Again, as the managers job requires attention to detail, it is important small mistakes are kept to a minimum. 39 candidates named their files “cv.doc” or something similar, and whilst I could change the name myself it may be better to name it with the convention “firstname-secondname-cv.doc” instead, to make life easier for the interviewer.

Attachments with examples of past work were sent. Five applicants sent attachments that, together, came to 104mb. One sent attachments which came to 36mb. If everyone had done that my email server would have been clogged. It is not an efficient way to send music because I would have to download it, listen to it and then delete it. It would have been preferable to have instead included a Soundcloud link so I could easily listen to it.

Ensure you can be contacted

There were a couple of candidates who did not reply when I requested further information. I sent emails and even called. I suspected they may have found another job in the meantime, but as it was only a few days after the job advert was posted, that would have been surprising. The emails may have been going to their spam folder, or maybe they were not getting through at all. There was no way for me to know.

It may be worthwhile when applying for a position to save that company’s email address to your address book, to ensure emails they send get through. Make sure you check your spam folder regularly. On two occasions when I called a candidate, they answered the phone and sounded very surprised. It took them 10 seconds or so to compose themselves. If you add the phone number of the studio to your phone it will warn you when an interviewer calls, allowing you to answer in a professional manner and create the best impression. It will also let you know if you have a missed call from an interviewer.

If you decide the job is not right for you after finding out more, let the interviewer know in a professional manner. I contacted four candidates to tell them about the job and only heard back from one who told me: “I’m sorry, I don’t think this job would be suitable for me after all. It is five hours a day, six days a week, so it would involve too much travelling because I live on the other side of London. Sorry, I thought it would be eight hour days, which would make travelling worthwhile”.

This made complete sense. I appreciated the feedback. I emailed the other candidates twice more, without any replies, and finally called them. Two hung up and the last one said: “No chance mate, I’m not doing 5 hours a day, not worth the effort”.

Three months later a friend opened a studio on the other side of town and was looking for a good candidate. He asked “Could you recommend anyone?”. I was happy to put him in touch with the candidate that had been polite enough to message me clearly explaining why they could no longer take the job.

Remember, even if you do not get the job, it does not mean you can’t get something out of the connection you have made. Just because this position may not be right for you, it does not mean you will not get a good job in the end.

Jimi Hendrix with interviewer

It is not what you know, it is who you know

Not surprisingly, I took more notice of a candidate I knew personally, particularly those who’d used the studio facilities. I needed to chose an applicant I could trust. Naturally it is easier to trust someone you know. If there is any way you can meet the interviewer under casual circumstances before applying for the position, it could make a big difference in your chances of securing the job.

If you use a rehearsal or recording studio, introduce yourself even if they are not looking for anyone at the time. You never know they may be recruiting in the future. If the studio has a store, using or browsing it may give you a great opportunity to break the ice. Try to connect with them in person. The most casual of meetings could put you ahead 95% of the other candidates.

So much of the music industry is about meeting people. It helped me to have a clear image of the candidate in my mind. During job interviews many are putting on an act, so presenting yourself under non-interview conditions could be a great advantage.

If the studio has a Facebook page, even something as basic at “liking” their statuses, commenting on them or adding the people who work at the studios on your personal account means they can interact with you. It will give an interviewer a good idea of your character through your updates. Make sure you prioritize getting to know the studio staff members as people. As they say, “it’s not what you know, but who you know”.

do your research

Tailor your approach

It helped when the candidate reassured me they shared and understood the values of my company, not least because it showed they had taken time to do their research. When seeking employment it is important to spend 15 minutes to check through a company’s website, reference parts you like, including the bands they have worked with, their location, their target market and any mutual contacts.

If the company has plans for expansion, convey your ambitions for growth too. If the company wants to stay small, let them know how much you admire those wanting to keep in personal contact with their customers. To the interviewer it is not just a studio, it is something close to their hearts. Make sure you let them know you understand what the company stands for by sharing common values.

Be available should you be offered the position

If you have to work a notice period with your current employer and the position requires the successful applicant to start working without delay, you may have to accept you could hinder your chances of being selected. This is not to say you should be quitting your current job to make yourself available, especially if there are no guarantees of any other employment.

Instead you should accept that a candidate with a more flexible schedule is always going to be preferred to one that has prior commitments. If you are able to start immediately and have no prior commitments, use this as an asset. If you are willing to work immediately on a trial basis, or as a back up to current members of staff, that could be a great way to edge out other candidates.

Once you secure the position then you may be able to ask the company to be flexible in their schedule to suit your lifestyle. It is reasonable to expect a company to help out their staff wherever possible, but until you get the job you need to do as much as you can to secure it. That means you accommodating the needs of the company.

Attributes that appealed to me:

– Past experience in the music industry, specifically promoting gigs/club nights. I remembered candidates who had promoted their own band’s gigs. It would have involved building a relationship with bands, organising the logistics, knowing people within the music industry, understanding the different jobs needed to be done, keeping to a time schedule, covering costs, dealing with the public, as well as showing a passion and pro-activeness for wanting to work within the music industry. Even organizing a couple of shows at a local pub could be a great boost for your CV, as well as displaying a positive attitude.

– Writing for, or having your own blog, particularly if it was about the music industry. It shows a passion for the subject and a positive and confident work ethic.

– People who went into detail about how much they love music. Everyone who currently works for the studio has a great passion for music. I thought it great when people took time to articulate this passion because it affirmed I was choosing the right work colleague.

– Location. With all the other factors being consistent, the nearer you lived to the studio, the greater the chance you had in securing an interview. The further from the studio the candidate lived, the more chance of delays on their journey to work. There is a greater likelihood of them being tired when arriving at work, and less chance they will be able to take short shifts. If you lived an hour away, it would mean 2 hours of travelling for a 4 hour shift, and most people may not feel it worth the effort. That all changes if you live 10 minutes walk down the road. If there was the opportunity for last minute bookings and I needed staff at late notice, living close-by would be a great benefit for the candidate and the studio. So it was a factor I valued greatly.

– A driving licence and access to a car. Having a car opens up the possibility I could ask you to run errands in quiet periods, such as collecting or dropping off equipment to be fixed, or stocking up on store supplies. It also removes the risk if there is a failure of public transport to operate.

– Physical strength. Most rehearsal sessions include using heavy equipment such as drum kits, guitar amps, bass amps and PA speakers. If the candidate cannot lift them, or is slow in lifting them, it is a lot harder for the session to run smoothly and on time. In some cases there were candidates physically not able to lift an amplifier at all, in which case it was impossible to consider them as a potential candidate. If you are particularly strong it could mean you are able to carry two amplifiers at once, which will make you a much more efficient staff member. If you are in good physical health make sure you let the interviewer know. Such attributes are in high demand in any studio setting.

Summary

I hope this helps. If it helps one person, then it will have been worthwhile. I appreciate many employers do not offer feedback to applicants, so I thought I would take the time to do it because so many made for strong candidates. I was so happy to have had so many applications, I wanted to do all I could to help applicants in their future job search.  

Wishing each and every person out there much success in your job hunt, and in your musical endeavours!! :-)