RACHEL WHITE

Los Angeles native, guitarist, producer and engineer Rachel White waded into the waveform waters by way of GarageBand, dove deeper with Logic and surfaced, ultimately, to record her own music. When a co-worker at a smoothie shop offered her $100 to engineer five songs, she realized that the profession held potential as a cash-creating career. She’s since worked with bands including Weezer, 5 Seconds of Summer and Panic! at the Disco. Indeed, on Panic!’s 2022 Viva Las Vengeance she contributed backing vocals to a number of tracks and was a member of the touring band. “It’s a lot of word-of-mouth,” White says of landing gigs. “I’ll do production for a friend and they’ll then recommend me to others.”

It’s evident to anyone who takes even a cursory glance at the proportion of men versus women in audio that there’s a profound imbalance. Fortunately for White, she’s been spared many of the barriers and inequalities that often accompany such disparities. “I’ve been lucky to work with women who’ve helped to funnel me into the industry,” she observes. “Sometimes there are dudes who are like ‘Oh, that’s cute. She thinks she engineers,’ but for the most part, everyone’s been super respectful. I’m grateful that I’ve made it to where I am because a lot of these opportunities for women didn’t exist back in the day.”

M NThere are any number of challenges faced by producers and engineers and usually they’re as varied as the individuals themselves. But for White, the biggest she’s faced has been self-doubt. “One of the hardest things to do while you’re working is to trust yourself,” she asserts. “Sometimes you ask yourself, ‘Does what I’m doing sound good?’

. . . lessons she’s learned in the audio world are:

• Learn to be quick. Speed is key, especially if people are waiting for you.

• It’s vital to be calm in stressful situations. People appreciate it when the person steering the ship has an air of calm.

• Experimentation is key. So many things are happy accidents and even if something doesn’t work for a song, you can save it for another time.

Learning how to be less critical in the creation stage is important. You have to accept that the things that have brought you into the room will continue to propel you.”

The selection of a software tool or piece of gear is nearly an art in itself. White’s go-to plugin is Avid's Tel-Ray Variable Delay. “It’s based on the Oil Can Delay [invented by Ray Lubow in the '60s],” she says. “That’s a fun effect for delay and chorus-like stuff. My favorite mic is the workhorse [Neumann U] 87. You can put that on anything and it’ll sound incredible.”

Currently, White is engineering for a number of pop and rock artists. Throughout her career she’s recorded at several studios, but among her favorites is Highland Park’s 64 Sound, where she interned as she was coming up. In recent years she’s labored alongside producer Jake Sinclair (Pink, Avril Lavigne, Gavin DeGraw), but a few months ago she struck out on her own. She now logs countless hours at her own studio, which she refers to lightheartedly as her “playground.” It was completed towards the end of 2022

Contact: Instagram@rachwhiiite

THE EDUCATOR

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THE STUDIO OWNER

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THE EDUCATOR

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“I find valuable information in every issue. I constantly refer engineers seeking employment to the annual Recording Studio issue, which has the most complete and comprehensive list of U.S. studios that you will find anywhere. And when I am asked for advice by a kid just starting out, I always tell them 'Well the first thing you should do is check out Music Connection.'”

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Founder and Chairman

Notes Live

Years with Company: 8

Address: 1755 Telstar Dr., Suite 501, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Phone: 719-895-5483

Web: noteslive.vip

Email: info@noteslive.vip

One of the creators of an extremely successful food business, J.W. Roth has earned more than enough money to retire. Instead of calling it quits, he decided to chase a dream. As the brainchild behind Notes Live, he’s taking over the country with a new breed of concert venue.

Shifting Focus and Changing Hands

I’m a founder at Roth Premium Foods. We’re the third largest prepared foods company in the United States. While I still am the controlling shareholder, I no longer work there. My son took over and I started Notes Live.

I’ve been a music nut since I was a kid. Music has always been my passion.

Tasty Beginnings

I started with a small campus here in Colorado Springs consisting of Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse & Tavern. I’ve been a bourbon connoisseur my whole life. I enjoy collecting not only music memorabilia but also bourbon, so I built a boutique bourbon room.

Next to it, I built an indoor, 1,400 cap room that caters to a demographic I thought would enjoy experiencing music with extra ambience —cocktail service, high-end menus, bathrooms that you’ll never stand in line for, parking that is super convenient.

We’re opening in Gainesville, Georgia in about four weeks. I built it around the idea of an old distillery. It’s a campus that sits on an entire city block. It encompasses both a Boot Barn Hall and a Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse & Tavern. The Boot Barn Hall is all brick, it has beautiful outdoor areas and bandstands and bourbon rooms. It’s got an indoor, 18,000 square foot floor and a big horseshoe balcony that overlooks the stage.

We’re getting ready to build in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on the Stones River. It’ll be the exact building that I’m building in Gainesville, Georgia. And then [there’ll be] a 4,500-foot outdoor amphitheater with 60 fire pit suites. I want people to feel like they’re sitting in their living rooms or on their back patios while watching our shows.

The one I’m building in Colorado Springs, Colorado opens in May of ’24. It consists of 90 firepit suites that sit eight people each. It’s got a capacity of 8,000. We’re in the process of developing a 24,000-seater in Fort Worth, Texas that will consist of 168 fire pit suites, not to mention 18 luxury suites. My vision is to build 10 of these over the next 60 months. I’m not doing it to be competitive with anybody. I’m doing it because I love it.

Every site has to be in a location that is home to a demographic we believe will pay a small premium to enjoy music in an ambience they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

The second thing is I want to find locations where there are not a lot of options. Now, there are options in almost every market where we’re building, but they’re not options that would necessarily compete with us. For example, in Colorado Springs there isn’t an outdoor amphitheater. [Regarding] Gainesville, anywhere within an hour north of Atlanta there just isn’t anything that would be competitive.

And the third piece we look at is route-ability. We’re very close to signing a partnership, so [we need places that are] route-able with that partner.

I never start with what financially makes sense. I always start with what is attractive to the consumer. I didn’t start this to be the most profitable guy in the world; I started this to be the best in the world. So while each of these [venues] will generate significant revenue, I don’t start off thinking that way.

Space per square foot is important. When you come into one of my amphitheaters, you’ll find that the seats in the lower bowls are all 21”. Over 8% of my amphitheaters are luxury suites. The lawns are larger and more comfortable. The one thing my wife hates more than anything is standing in a long line for the bathroom. So if the regulation says it’s one stall to X people, we would be 1.25 to X.

With the entitlement process, you’re not just dealing with the government and the building departments. You’re also dealing with the folks that live near your venue. It’s important that I spend time with those neighbors and help people understand what we’re building, why we’re building there, and how we’re going to be good neighbors.

We have a former FBI agent that oversees all the safety. We look at safety in three different ways. The first is preplanning what happens in the event there is an issue.

Number two is how we keep that issue from happening. How do we keep guns out of our venues? There are no backpacks or trench coats. You’re going to get wanded. We’re going to go through your purse. We are proactive.

And then the third piece is—how can somebody hurt us from the outside? Balconies, windows where people can see into our stadium… We have gone overboard in making sure that not only do you have a great experience, but also that you are safe.

We have small rooms like Notes Bar that are 400 people. Then we have halls that run 1,400 to 2,000 cap rooms. And then we have our amphitheaters, which are from 4,500 to 24,000. In each of those venues, we have set aside 15% to 20% for artists that are up-and-coming. It’s harder in our bigger venues, because our partner controls so much of that talent. But in the smaller rooms we own, it’s easier and we’re committed to that.

When you have the venue, promoter, customer and artist all in sync, things work. But as soon as you introduce some outside party, all of a sudden you are taking money out of the artist’s pocket and driving up costs for your customer. I am [in favor of] the customer not being gouged. And I’m a proponent of venues and promoters being able to make a living. I am hell-bent that those who have skin in the game should be making the rules.

We’re in the process of becoming a public company. I decided to do that because I want our fans to feel like they own [our venues]. I was that guy who always wanted to own something and didn’t have the money to do it. If I’d had the ability to own a piece of [something], I would’ve done it in two seconds.

I have always found you will make more money if you let passion drive you than if you let money drive you. It’s that simple. I don’t care if you’re making food or selling tickets or building an entertainment company. If you let passion drive you, you’ll win. •

Warner Chappell Music wants an Administrator, Royalties. Under general supervision, with latitude for independent judgment and decision, you are responsible for performing research and analysis relating to client royalty accounts, as part of the Royalties Payable team at Warner Chappell. Your job is the final rung on the administrative ladder what we do on this team a ects the distribution of client payments and statements, and establishes the terms of our client relations. Our team’s services include paying and distributing royalties, obtaining tax forms, setting up vendor maintenance, and general administrative maintenance. As a Royalty Administrator, you will report to the Royalties Payable Director as part of the larger Royalty Department at WCM. Apply at LinkedIn.

Warner Music Group is looking for an Assistant, Marketing. As a marketing assistant, you will work closely with two Product Managers (an SVP of Marketing & a Sr. Director of Marketing) to help support the set up, execution, and delivery of innovative marketing campaigns! You will have the opportunity to help build interdepartmental marketing decks (with the ability to provide creative input) while also handling more administrative/supporting tasks such as: asset management, release scheduling, curating marketing materials, event planning logistics, etc. The team is filled with hardworking individuals who are dedicated to building and supporting the artists they work on. Apply at Glassdoor.

Sony Music Entertainment needs an Administrative Assistant, Sync Licensing. Enter all relevant details for a very high volume of TV/Film, Sports and Podcast music clearances into a database, and track the evolving details of each deal from beginning to end as quickly and e iciently as possible. Provide assets and information (like audio files, label copy, credits, and ownership details) both to external clients and internal colleagues, in a proactive and anticipatory manor. Assist in pitching e orts by assembling playlists, identifying label priorities, tracking pitches/ projects and air dates, pulling TV/Film clips, attend label/artist meetings and take notes as needed. Apply at LinkedIn.

Universal Music Group wants a Coordinator, Production. The Production Coordinator contributes to the production process by assisting with the placement, execution and followup of manufacturing orders and by ensuring the timely delivery of quality, profitable goods. Enter and maintain updates for each style in Navision system or shared drives; perform daily tracking of goods on order, in progress (WIP) and in-transit to ensure timely delivery. Follow-up with vendors, factories and Design/ Merchandising as needed and in support of the Production Manager. Apply at ShowbizJobs.

L.A.-based rocker Beck Black began her illustrious musical journey by writing a waltz inspired by a sailor character when she was acting in a short film.

“The song I penned, ‘I’m Just a Sailor,’ became the theme,” Black says. “I didn’t know I was a songwriter until that moment, rather a poet. After the film, as an actor with a Bachelor’s degree in cinematic production concentrated in screenwriting, inspiration flowed through me to create other character-oriented songs: ‘Billy the Kid,’ ‘Feathers of a Phoenix,’ and the ‘Mermaid Song’ (sequel to ‘I’m Just a Sailor’).” The melody and lyrics emerged from the depths of my imagination via the magical piano keys as a story telling device.”

Black’s latest release is the “Puppet Show” single, featured on her Hollywood Blvd album.

Having directed her video, written her songs, and played multiple instruments throughout her career, Black has a strong understanding of what it means to be a DIY musician.

“DIY personally draws upon the painstaking process to create art with a minimal budget,” she says. “Time is of the essence to remain current and time is something that slips away quickly as a DIY artist that does almost everything on their own. It really takes a team to accomplish visceral

Los Angeles garage rock singer and songwriter Kit Major has released a video for the track “I Wish U Didn’t Hate Me So Much,” which kicks o an era of her career that she’s calling Love. Sick. Major. She’s exploring ‘60s Brit-pop and ‘90s rock with this chapter, as this song proves. “‘IWUDHMSM’ is funny to me because it’s such a long title,” Major said in a statement. “I tried every option, but nothing fit as well as just saying the full sentence! Saying, ‘I wish you didn’t hate me’ is so intense. You can hate me…I just wish you didn’t hate me SO much.” Contact wells@ tellallyourfriendspr.com for more info.

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ZAYN signs to Mercury Records. Multiplatinum-selling recording artist, songwriter, producer, and philanthropist ZAYN has signed to Mercury Records. “As soon as ZAYN and I met, I knew we had to work together,” said Mercury

President Tyler Arnold. “I was blown away by the new music, but just as impressed by his vision, drive and spirit. We’re honored he and his team have joined us at Mercury Records.” Contact teamzayn@alignpr.com for more.

Rapper Blakeiana has signed to 300 Entertainment.

23-year-old St. Louis rapper Blakeiana broke the news of her new deal on Instagram with the line, “anybody with a small fantasy. go for it!” She’s had a big year; last year, she scored imagery and sonic recordings. Orson Welles once stated ‘The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.’ ‘Do it yourself’ is synonymous with thinking outside of the proverbial box and relying on creativity for the answers.

“It is a daunting task to be an independent artist but the love/ passion/ is there and that’s what keeps pushing me forward along this arduous adventure called being a DIY artist/musician.”

Black will next release the single “Airplane Mode,” with a video to follow. Despite the challenges that face DIY musicians, she’s here for the long haul.

For more information, visit beckblack.com.

an online hit with the track “Bing Bong,” and that was followed with a video for the same song. Millions of TikTok hits later, and 300 Entertainment felt compelled to act. Contact janelle. gibbs@300elektra.com for more.

Marc Hudson signs to Napalm Records.

The DragonForce frontman has joined the Napalm roster in time to release his debut solo album, Starbound Stories. “It is with great pride that I can finally announce my signing to Napalm Records,” Hudson said in a statement. “I’m very grateful for the label’s belief in me as a solo artist and can’t wait to have Napalm on my side to show Starbound Stories to the world!” Contact natalie.camillo@ napalmrecords.com for more info.

Congratulations to the winners at the SoCal Journalism Awards. The Los Angeles Press Club revealed the winners at a swanky event at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in L.A. on Sunday, June 25. Holly Gleason of HITS took home the first place award for

BY GLENN LITWAK

In 2018, rapper Travis Scott founded the AstroWorld Music festival outside NRG Park in Houston, TX. Scott was also the headliner. On November 5, 2021 the festival had 50,000 people attending.

When Scott began his performance some in the crowd appeared to surge forward toward the stage and ten people were killed (and thousands injured) by being trampled or asphyxiated.

Scott has a somewhat checkered history as he had gotten into trouble in the past for allegedly inciting violence, as well as praising fans for participating in it.

On June 29, 2023 the authorities

Criticism of Music, while Yahoo writer Lindsey Parker got a first for her profile of Moon Zappa. Visit lapressclub.org for the winners.

Aquarius Records doc on Prime. A new documentary movie about Aquarius Records is streaming on Amazon Prime It Came From Aquarius Records is directed by Kenneth Thomas, and it’s “about the SF-based independent record store, Aquarius Records. Having closed in 2016 after 47 years, this small apartment-sized store championed local, underground, independent, and challenging music to the masses.” Contact dave@usthemgroup.com for more.

BRETT CALLWOOD has written about music for two decades, originally for Kerrang!, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and more in the U.K. He’s the author of two books, about Detroit proto-punks, the MC5 and the Stooges. He’s now the music editor at LA Weekly, and has regular bylines in the SF Weekly, Tucson Weekly and idobi Radio, as well as here in Music Connection. He can be reached at brettcallwood@gmail.com

Rising star Libianca has followed up her victory at this year’s BET Awards (where she won Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act) with a video for new single “Jah.” Directed by Meeks & Frost (FLO, Pa Salieu, Odeal), the video was shot on Birchfield Farm and details a young woman on a journey of discovery. “In my life, I’ve met and gotten close to a lot of people who are not here with me today (figuratively),” Libianca said. “Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out how you would have imagined, and sometimes you need to walk away from someone for the betterment of yourself.” Contact christina@chromaticpr.com for more info.”