Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1335010
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 33 working in L.A. I can trace almost every mixing job I have ever had back to someone who knew me from USC. MF: At Sony, we were groomed to grow into mixers and the senior mixers were very generous with sharing knowledge and affording opportunities. With established clients who were familiar and friendly with the assistants from their sessions, it was not uncommon for a senior mixer to say, "Why don't you get the session running and start mixing dialogue for the fi rst act or so." This would lead to, eventually, being booked as a junior mixer on lower budget projects or even fi lling in for a senior mixer if an emergency arose and no other mixers were available to cover—which is how I got my break with more notable projects. I was a regular assistant and editor for one of our senior mixers and had worked on a number of projects with them for a couple MTV clients. Shows used to have really quick turnarounds back in the mid-to-late '90s, so it was not uncommon for a mix to be scheduled the day before air and, sometimes, the actual day of air. In this case, a mix was scheduled a day before air, but it was for an hour-long show, which was usually allotted two days of mix. Unfortunately, the day of the mix, the senior mixer's mother sustained an injury that required the mixer to go to the hospital with her. None of the other mixers were available, so the client asked, "Can Matt just mix it?" It was their faith in knowing that I was studying under folks they trusted, along with their familiarity with me that led to that opportunity. I mixed all day and all night because they wanted to be sure the mix would fi nish. With clients passed out on the couch, we wrapped at about 6 a.m. the next morning. After that, I was bookable as a mixer when other senior mixers weren't available and things took off from there. How do you teach mixing in a classroom environment? Do you provide one-on-one teaching? If so, how much? MF: I like to break mixing down into various parts and build from there. We can discuss spectral considerations, for example, and work on some exercises relating to that topic so students can concentrate on what they "should" be hearing, why things sound the way they do at a particular point in a project, and go from there. We'll do the same for dynamics and spatial considerations. I give written feedback for all assignments and tell students to listen to their projects while reading my notes in an effort to hear what I'm hearing. I'll also do a couple one-on-one sessions with students because, even in senior-level classes, folks are at different levels. Students really enjoy these sessions because they 're kind of like what you'd have with an individual musical instrument lesson. TF: I start with several lectures on theory, sound for storytelling, use of the tools, and workfl ow. Then we assign the students projects to design sound for and mix. When the projects are complete, I work one-on-one with each of them and critique what they 've done. DB: I've been doing it for years and it is still a mystery to me how to teach mixing. This may not be popular with my sound designer friends, but to me, mixing is much harder than editing. To be a good re-recording mixer, you have to know most of what editors know, plus a mountain of technical information, plus practice with faders until you can really mix. Finally, you have to deal with the performance anxiety of mixing in front of impatient clients who often do not even understand the process. At USC, I was present for the student mixes. For a few semesters, I also trained advanced students in mixing. Any of the students who had me those semesters will tell you that it was not a pleasant experience for any of us. My expectations were much too high for what students could do after only three semesters of audio. At CU Denver, I actually teach less about mixing now, but I expect it to grow with the new curriculum, as they can now have four semesters of post audio instead of two. Are you still teaching during the pandemic? If so, how has this changed your teaching? Do you believe it is possible for students to be fully educated online? MF: Like many universities, in March 2020, MTSU moved to remote learning. This had students meeting at the same scheduled class time, but from the other side of a computer screen. Fortunately, vendors such as Avid, Sonarworks, and Waves were extremely accommodating with extended trial licenses so students could work from home. Unfortunately, because the whole campus was off limits, this meant students couldn't practice mixing on the speakers in our studios or use our control surfaces—so the experience was different. In the fall of 2020, I began teaching in person again, though many faculty continued teaching remotely. We had reduced room and studio capacities, so that removed us from teaching in the studios and, instead, working in larger labs. Students were able to use the studios for projects, however, which was great and necessary. I'll continue that approach in the spring and our university president just announced that we'll be "back to normal" in fall 2021, assuming viral spread is signifi cantly better controlled. As for online teaching, while I believe a number of audio production topics can be taught effectively online, there are an equal amount that rely on technology and space that students just can't be expected to have their own access to. Relative to mixing, while I felt I was able to convey my discussions on stereo mixing effectively online, teaching surround became more theoretical since students were, at the time, just mixing via the downmix. So, it was like going through the motions as opposed to actually hearing and engaging. As compared to last spring, students will be able to use the facilities and learn about surround mixing this spring by doing and hearing.