Breaking the Sound Ceiling: Women in Audio Engineering

---

When it comes to the field of audio engineering, women are still significantly underrepresented. According to the Audio Engineering Society, women currently make up only about 7% of audio engineers and producers. 

At the Creatio Center for Technology, Media, and Design at Northwest University, we value the voices and contributions of women in this competitive field. Creatio’s mission is to creatively build a better world—and we believe that happens when men and women both have an active role in that mission.

That’s why we have professors like Kate Orr leading the way in our entertainment media and sound design courses. She earned her BFA in Recording from NU and her MFA in Sound Design and Technology from UNC School of the Arts. In this interview, she shares what inspired her to pursue this creative calling, how her faith influences her work, and her hope for the future of audio engineering.

What made you decide to pursue a career in audio engineering?
A movie! Specifically, “Robots,” with Robin Williams in it. When I was around age 10, I was watching the behind-the-scenes footage of how they created the sounds of the soundscapes and characters—and I was hooked. 

When you were growing up, who were some of your biggest inspirations in your field?
Despite being interested in audio at 10 years old, I didn’t really start paying attention to some of the main players in the industry until I was in college. Some of my favorite movies that I grew up watching ended up all being done by the sound designer who inspires me the most today, Mark Mangini. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, his artistry was deeply impacting how I approached sound later in life and how I design films to this day. 

What has been the most meaningful part of working in Creatio? 
The students! It is so cool to collaborate and create with young people who are just starting the journey of their career. 

How does your faith impact your work? 
Everything I do is connected to my relationship with Jesus. I view my industry as my mission field, and I am thankful I get to create with fellow kids of Christ and share the gospel with those who don’t know Christ yet because we have a love for creativity and film.

What is your best advice to young women who are considering a career in your field?
Character and integrity is what will get you the job. This industry is not for the faint of heart, so you’ll need to get some thick skin and keep a cool head. If you can bring that to the table, people will want to work with you. Technical skills are great and vital, but soft skills will help you retain work. To practically prepare for that, I recommend working with people who think differently than you now, so you can learn to navigate those situations before you get into the big leagues.

Why do you think it’s so important for women to be leaders in the tech sector? 
It is extremely important because women can provide a different perspective. Without new ideas, perspectives, or innovations, the industry won’t grow.

Are there any famous female audio engineers who have inspired your own career?
EvaAnne Manley! She started her own audio hardware company and has been taking the industry by storm. She values quality gear and good relationships. This has impacted how I run my own company and approach teaching in the classroom.

What’s the most fun or unique project you’ve worked on with your students in Creatio?
Probably the dramatized podcast, “Painted Vessels,” that is based off of Gina Renee Freitag’s book, “Painted Vessels.” It was quite the adventure to coordinate 20 voice acting students, nine audio editing students, and recording schedules. But what a blast! I loved getting to collaborate with Chrystal Helmcke and the students on making the story come to life while teaching students how to edit on a project that reflected how work in the industry looks like in the real world.

If you had to recommend one resource—a book, blog, documentary, or podcast—to our future Creatio students, what would it be?
I would recommend the book, “Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking with People Who Think Differently,” by Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur. That book does such a great job at helping you understand how you personally think and learn, then provides suggestions on how to collaborate well with others on a team. It was really impactful to my career, and I commonly reference it to this day.