I'm Maggie, and I'm a Technical Support Engineer and Freelance Audio Engineer and Producer
Describe your job
I provide technical support for Focusrite Novation Inc. by helping customers troubleshoot our products.
I also freelance by mixing and mastering and producing for myself and other artists on the side. My artist name is Ghost in Real Life where I release electronic music.
What are the most important skills you need to do your job?
Besides having years of engineering training and knowledge, some skills I find important for the many masks I hold are patience, understanding, and most importantly listening.
I left school and...
I immediately moved out to LA where I was hired to assist the engineer for John Powell on a specific movie they were working on. From there I interned at Nightbird Studios and then I was a runner for Glenwood Place Studios. After that I started working for Focusrite Novation Inc.
I’m most proud of...
I am most proud of my artist image Ghost in Real Life. The entire brand is a forefront for bringing women into the picture in the music industry.
My name is code for GIRL and it makes me feel like I’m bringing the word female into the picture without people even realizing it. I currently have two songs out on Spotify and many more on Soundcloud.
Before I started my career, I wish I knew…
To not trust so easily and to always have my own back no matter what.
I don’t regret being so kind, but there are a few times I wish I recognised sooner that these people would have never actually done the same for me.
A mistake I made which you can avoid repeating is...
I wish I would have started studying music technology sooner. I always strayed away from technology because of the manly influence, I was often told it was not my place to learn these things. Another mistake I made was believing that women artists don’t belong as engineers and only as artists. That is a BIG lie to keep geniuses out of the room.
So, what’s next?
I plan to continue independently freelance engineering or producing for myself and others.
Other than that, my only hope in this world is to guide young women to be leaders in music technology and to not be afraid to look a man in the eyes and tell them they belong in the studio.
So many times I’ve walked into a studio and was mistaken for the singer or the artist and also completely ignored when giving directions. It’s sad and inhumane the way I was treated and I only wish to change that for future women engineers.
Here's my: