Once upon a time..
I studied Environmental Science, and after graduating got a job as a field officer for the National Rivers Authority (NRA). The NRA joined with other public sector bodies to become the Environment Agency and I worked in various roles, mainly to do with protection of aquatic ecosystems and preventing the entry of chemicals and other pollutants into water.
Then after a while..
I went back to college to study Creative Music Technology. I learnt a lot about sound and how audio equipment works. I became interested in field recording and experimental music, developed some technical skills, and discovered there was a genre of music called ‘ecological sound art’. I started to explore ways of combining my creative interests in sound with my environmentalism.
I also got involved with Yorkshire Sound Women Network (YSWN), a Community Interest Company that works to address the stark gender imbalance that exists across audio and music technology - whether that be in educational settings or industry.
And now…
Whether this will all end happily ever after or not who knows, but for the moment I am busy doing the stuff you can find out about on this website. I have my own creative practice, but also work as a freelancer doing audio work for others. I’m particularly interested in projects which use sound creatively to connect people with nature and their local environment.
The mission to bring about gender equality in the audio industry goes on. I hope that by being seen out there, doing stuff, whether that is setting up microphones, sitting behind a mixing desk, or running a technical workshop I am helping to break down gender expectations and stereotypes. I also work voluntarily as a co-director at YSWN where some fantastic initiatives are underway to open up the audio industry for all.