Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1335010
38 W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y speakers and in your headphones, but then you hear it on a mid-priced TV and you go, "Where's the bass?" (laughs) DB: The ability to collaborate in a positive manner eludes many students. One of the biggest criticisms I get from students is that I make them work in groups. Students rarely understand that they will never be working alone. At the very least, they must please their clients. If they work at a facility, they don't get to choose who does their Foley or who the music editor is, yet they have to create a working environment with them. I have seen brilliant students turn in terrible work because they were unable to work collaboratively. What is the hardest part of teaching students how to mix? DB: It is hard to make them good listeners. I believe the Socratic teaching method is correct: at some point, the education must come from within, or there is never true discovery. The most I can hope for is that I give them enough of an interest in the subject that they will follow up on it. TF: Getting them to realize that, ultimately, they have to teach themselves to mix. MF: Years ago, when I first started teaching, one of my teaching mentors, Dr. Bob Wood, heard some frustration in my voice while I was discussing challenges I was having with teaching. He provided some very sage advice that I carry with me and share with those new to teaching. He said, "You're trying to teach them something across a semester or two that took you years in professional studios to develop. Take your time." Do you have any former students that you would like to mention? TF: One of my students who became a TA in her senior year is Yan "Carol" Li. She is extremely talented and I invited her to sit in during the mix of The Irishman. She sat there for the entire mix and took copious notes and never got bored. She has been invited to the 2021 CAS Awards as one of the student finalists. DB: I have been teaching longer than the other interviewees for this article, so I have had more opportunities for success. Every year, I make a public post on Facebook asking my former students to check in to let me know what they are doing, and every year I am amazed at the success that many have had (in spite of my teaching!). I collect this information for faculty reviews to show that I continue to be a mentor after students have left school. Also, after a rough semester like this one, it's nice to read a few compliments about my teaching from people who can look back on it with a lifetime of experience to interpret what they learned. If interested, here are this semester's responses: https://www.facebook.com/Bondelev/posts/10108641812989325 Do you have any former students who have now become mentors? TF: I do have one former mix tech who then worked second chair with me on a few pictures and finally became a mixer on his own a couple of years ago. I'm sure he is or will be a mentor at some point. MF: Since we don't do a lot of production audio in my classes, I have two former Nashville-based students who went the production route come and speak and demonstrate production audio each semester. Zach Noblitt, who typically stays local but did a recent season of Survivor, and Tony Pecorini. They both show some of the "real" world side of being a production mixer for those mixers not typically tied to larger, big-budget projects. They 've been wonderful with having interested students on set and have used a number of students when they need a hand. Tony was actually brought up by Zach, which was great to see. DB: I have been lucky to have quite a few former students who have become teachers. I see mentorship like this happening all over the industry. For example, Chris Howland CAS was mentored by Mark Ulano CAS, and Chris is now an incredible mentor to many in production sound. Is there anything else you would like to add? MF: Unlike some other majors, such as nursing, where employment in your field is guaranteed, audio is much more uncertain. We really emphasize learning, practicing, and mingling outside of the classroom—especially for those trying to focus on the artistically creative sides such as mixing or sound design. There's motivation, determination, and happenchance involved that teachers just can't control. My target is to prepare students as best as possible so that when luck happens, they 're ready. DB: I'm still a student myself, trying to keep up with all of the new technologies, even though I no longer work full time in post-production. Also, I am always looking for ways to tweak our curriculum or my individual classes so that the students have better outcomes at the end of the semester. TF: I began my career as a mixer in 1978. I learned to mix in analog mono, then stereo, then digitally, then in the box, then in Atmos. It has been an ongoing learning process for 42 years and there has never been a year that I haven't learned something new about my craft. Mixing is one of those things that never stops evolving. There is always some new device, technique, or format to learn about. I tell my students that this class is the beginning of an education that will never end as long as you are mixing.