Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538091
40 FA L L 2 0 2 5 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Finding Success Through a Sound System Erin Paxton: Adapting Through Logistics Erin Paxton is a production sound mixer and audio supervisor who has found her niche working in reality television and is perhaps best known for her work on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Erin began her career as a PA and worked up to becoming a production manager. It was here that she realized her affinity toward the logistical side of producing and the creativity associated with that over the managerial side of the job that kept her constantly tied to her phone and computer. She became interested in audio and asked the sound supervisor whom she worked with on the show to mentor her. She would borrow equipment on the weekends, watch YouTube videos, and write down questions for her mentor as she worked to build a complete understanding of the machine and flow of sound. Erin adds, "Once you understand the concept of it, it's much easier to troubleshoot." This led to an opportunity with another audio supervisor who gave her a break working on another show. Erin shares, "I told him that I'd never done audio before and he said, 'It's fine. I'll be there. It's gonna be you and four other mixers. If you run into any trouble, you can just ask somebody that's Erin Paxton Ever wished you could make your job look super easy, have all the answers right away, and look cool, calm, and collected during moments of high stress? To our clients, our work is often seen as reactive—faders moving, problems solved on the fly. But the truth is, the most effective mixers, through years of experience, have built systems that absorb the chaos, allowing them to stay calm and create confidently. That creativity thrives best when built on a strong, repeatable system. By developing efficient workflows that minimize repetitive decision-making, sound professionals free themselves to focus on nuance, problem-solving, and storytelling. I had the opportunity to speak with three professionals to understand what systems they have in place to help avoid making the same decisions over and over, allowing them to focus on being creative, serve the client, and stay at the top of their game. b y C A S A s s o c i a t e S a m C a s a s Courtesy of @KourtneyKardashian (Instagram)