Women in Pro Audio: Cynthia Campbell Women in Pro Audio: Cynthia Campbell...

For the past five years, the Women in Pro Audio series has highlighted the driven, capable professionals running the boards, tuning the arrays, and wiring the stages. Often, the origin stories in this industry follow a familiar script: a degree in audio engineering, a formal music production program, or a direct pipeline from University to the console.

Cynthia Campbell’s path has been quite different. Currently circling the globe as the monitor and RF tech on The Reality Awaits World Tour with The Strokes, Cynthia has built her career by shadowing veterans, saying yes to every local gig, and learning the console one show at a time. Before she was mixing Coachella stages or touring arenas, she was a young adult battling addiction, handing out samples at Costco, and taking shifts at Taco Bell. Her trajectory is a reminder that a formal education isn’t the only prerequisite for running a stage. Sometimes, the most capable people on tour are the ones who started by mopping floors, followed the music, and simply asked how it all worked.

Following the Sound

Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Cynthia did not have a clear vision of her future career. “I never really knew exactly what I wanted to be,” Cynthia explains. “I have to admit I leaned towards jobs that I saw a lot of my peers going after, but none of those things ever felt like what I was supposed to be pursuing. I got into my fair share of trouble as a young adult. The trouble ultimately led me to having to figure out a place to do some community service time. My family attended church a lot growing up, and I completed my community service hours at a church.”

It was during those hours that her professional trajectory shifted. “The engineer at the time was playing some music over the system, which I had overheard while outside mopping the floors. I essentially followed the sound and had asked the man what in the world he was doing. He replied, ‘Well, I’m working.’ Was I hearing this right? So I had asked, ‘So, this is your job?’ That moment changed a lot for me, realizing I could make a career out of something I really loved: music.”

The road from that moment to the console was not a straight line. “Some time went by, I attended school, and was a stellar student. I got an amazing internship at a very prominent studio in Hollywood, but unfortunately, I fell into the wrong crowd for a while and really lost my way. So much so, I fell into a pretty hefty addiction, but moving back home and becoming a mother saved my life. I’m happy to report I’m now 12 years sober!”

Cynthia worked a multitude of jobs to make ends meet, from Taco Bell and bartending to handing out samples at Costco. Eventually, an accidental internship after a company party at a brand new venue—The Van Buren in Phoenix—changed everything. “The rest is history! I had rediscovered myself through so many life challenges, a lot of perseverance, and plenty of hard work. I worked every position you could think of at that venue. Anything and everything someone would show or teach me, I would consume. That eventually turned into my full-time job. All I wanted one day was to just mix at The Van Buren. I never could have fathomed how far this path would take me. I’m eternally grateful every single day.”

Continued Growth

Over the years, Cynthia’s resume has grown to include an incredible variety of roles. She has served as FOH and monitor engineer for The Van Buren and ONEW, monitor engineer for fromis_9, Rolling Loud, and Ice Cube, PA tech on numerous festivals, Sahara Stage monitor engineer at Coachella, and monitor, RF, and communications tech for Doechii. Today, she works as a monitor and RF tech for The Strokes.

“I am currently on The Reality Awaits World Tour with The Strokes,” she says. “My role for this is monitor tech, so every day I get to the venue and prepare anything and everything on stage that has to do with audio. I set up the monitor world for my engineer Brett Heet. I place all the stage monitors for the band, I coordinate all our wireless gear, mic up all the instruments, and run out any necessary cabling. Then I provide any kind of support they need, whether that’s troubleshooting an issue or simply grabbing a stage water. Whatever the band or any of my crew needs, no matter the department, I am always there. Taking care of the people that surround you is a very crucial part of a successful show.”

Her success is a direct result of trusting the process and showing up. “My entire career is built upon two things: people and dedication. Before I was able to have a financially sustainable career in live music, I bartended on the side to cover my bills. I started out as a runner and a stagehand. Those jobs sometimes don’t pay that well, so sometimes you have to work multiple jobs in the beginning. It can be exhausting when you feel like you’re doing it all and getting nowhere. You have to trust the timing and the process and know it will happen. I said yes to every gig in my hometown, no matter what the role or pay at first.”

Cynthia also leveraged every free moment to learn from the veterans around her. “I would spend almost any free time I had somewhere trying to learn something from someone. This is where people come in. I have been beyond fortunate with many amazing teachers. I would go in for a load-in as a stagehand, and when we got cut to leave for the day, I would stay whenever I could and shadow the techs who ran the shows. This kind of attitude generally will get recognized by the right people, and those people will give you something that’s worth more than money: knowledge. Every job or task you’re given, no matter how small, do it to the best of your ability, and treat everyone you work for or beside with kindness. You never know who that person is or what they will become one day. How you show up matters. What you’re willing to sacrifice for the ultimate goal matters.”

The Other Side of Fear

Navigating the world of audio required Cynthia to conquer her own internal doubts. “When I realized I had the opportunity to work in music again, I never let it go. Something I really struggled with as I navigated through the world of audio was fear and self-worth. Life is hard, man! I wish I didn’t waste as much time as I did on being scared and not feeling like I was good enough. I started to realize that everything I wanted and desired was literally on the other side of fear. So I started changing the narrative and realizing this by just trying! Start agreeing to more things, within reason, of course, but just say yes if the opportunity presents itself. The worst that can happen is that you fail; then you learn from it. Once you mess something up, you will more than likely never do it again. Our failures and mistakes are where we gain that knowledge and experience that we crave. The best that can happen is you crush the gig! Then you look back on it once completed and get to say, you know what, I did that. It’s all about not letting those voices control the narrative. We all have them, but it’s up to you to decide who gets to write your story: you or your fear. You are good enough, period, but you have to try.”

Developing a Strong Work Ethic

When discussing the unique challenges women face in production, Cynthia advocates for an empowered, unified mindset. “While I feel like, yes, as women we face our own unique challenges, I also believe we all are simultaneously going through similar experiences or challenges as human beings. I want to change the narrative that surrounds this. No matter who you are or where you come from, if you show up with a good attitude as well as a strong work ethic, you can and will create success for yourself. If someone isn’t recognizing your efforts or appreciating you when you bring these two things to the table, then move on. There are amazing people out there who care and are willing to support your growth as a tech and as a human being! Whether you are a woman, a man, or non-binary, there is a place for you in this industry. Sometimes it just takes a few bad eggs to get to the good ones. Stay true to who you are in the process, and show those not-so-nice people kindness. You may be the one to soften their heart.”

She has also faced the reality of being underestimated. “To be honest, some hardship that I felt I have faced in the industry is being underestimated in my abilities. You can handle this by showing up and making sure you are the most organized and hardest-working person in the room. The only person I need to prove my worth to is myself. I keep the standard high, and generally that translates well to others around me who maybe had the wrong idea of who or what I can accomplish. I used these moments as a fun motivator instead of becoming what people project onto me. I ultimately am in control of who I am and what my abilities are, not the naysayers.”

As a mother, Cynthia refuses to be boxed in by outdated expectations. “Well, I feel as though this is changing and women are more present than ever in production,” she says. “I hope we keep the trend moving in this direction. Unfortunately, now, and even more so not that long ago, women were and are put into boxes! We have been told for so long that we are only capable or should only do certain things. I am a woman, and a mother as well to two super cool kids, Serenity and Truett. I faced these challenges with my own family, who tried to tell me I shouldn’t or couldn’t do certain things. I did my best to drown out the noise and kept pursuing what I felt like was meant for me. In my eyes, I felt like it was more important to show my kids, no matter if I was a woman or a mother, that doesn’t mean you stop pursuing your dreams. To me, that was a much more important lesson to teach the little woman I’m raising, rather than show her life stops when you become a mother. We, as women, are unique and have our own special set of skills that contribute to the industry! We have to drown out the noise where we can and really learn to listen to our inner intuition, letting that voice guide us and our decision-making. That’s the voice that matters.”

The Sacred Stage

For Cynthia, ensuring a flawless show requires meticulous focus and a remarkably level head. “I stay calm,” she says. “Staying calm is a new skill for me in the past couple of years. Problems are inevitable; they happen all the time, it’s normal. We, as techs, set the vibe for our clients on stage as they create their art. The stage is a sacred place! The best techs I’ve worked with always keep a cool head. No matter what, you have to fix whatever is going wrong, so adding frantic energy to a problem that’s already occurred literally does nothing to fix it. Keep it cool, keep it calm, fix the problem.”

Building that calmness required deep self-reliance. “I got to this point by developing a relationship of trust with myself. Trusting yourself is so important, and you build it by successfully executing tasks or jobs. I would look back on work that I never thought I could do, and started to realize I, in fact, do got this, and I just need to trust my skill set because it speaks for itself. I had shown that to myself time and time again by following through and never giving up when things got hard. There are a lot of moments when I do want to give up; even now, that still happens. Whenever I feel that way, I just ask myself, are you doing your best? If the answer is yes, then everything else is out of my control. Keep going.”

Advice Beyond the Stage

Beyond remaining calm, Cynthia points to rigorous attention to detail as a non-negotiable skill. “In this job role, you are chosen and trusted with building a sacred space for artists to create and people to come together and connect. Artists are creatives, and creatives are sensitive individuals. Our subconscious picks up so much more than we are aware of. It’s a process that starts with BOH management and hospitality, who spend the day curating for our artists and making sure they feel good. When they step on that stage, it is up to you to make sure the space feels good! See trash? Pick it up. Is your space approachable? Are your cable runs tidy? When you look around, what do you see that could make it cleaner or better? A calm, safe, and approachable environment is the best foundation for your artists giving a great performance. This skill also translates to the interwebs! Remember, everything is also a camera shot now, which means a good amount of your work is now recorded and put onto the internet forever. So making sure things look camera-ready at all times is a good thing to focus on.”

When it comes to elevating a career, Cynthia relies on one guiding principle. “My absolute favorite advice in the world, which I feel applies to everything, is, ‘Don’t take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade places with.’ I feel like this is similar to that old saying our parents loved to tell us: you are who you hang around, but it’s true! Select the people you choose to learn from wisely. There’s a lot of hoopla in the industry. If you see someone doing what you want to do or in a way that’s admirable, that’s the person you want to ask advice from.”

She offers a direct challenge to anyone trying to break in. “To women who want to make this a career or who are trying to get started, I would say there’s a place for you. More importantly, get a job, any job that has to do with live events. Getting your foot in the door is the most important part, and sometimes we do that by taking on other jobs that have nothing to do with our end goal. Then find the person or people who are doing what you want to do and offer help, ask them how you can grow in that particular environment, and put 100 percent of yourself into anything you touch. I treat every gig as though it’s my interview for the next one. Most, if not all, my jobs transpire from a job I’m currently on. To all my ladies out there, just know, please, you are smart, you can do it, and I believe in you. I never thought I would become or do half of the things that I have done, so I know it’s possible for anyone. We all have those little voices of doubt in our heads, and it is up to us to redirect those thoughts in a manner which serves us for good. Every day, I constantly remind myself that I am valuable, I am strong, and I bring things to the table that nobody else does. I say these things even if I don’t quite feel it in the moment.”

Standout Moments and the Future

Cynthia’s career is marked by incredible highs and beautifully chaotic memories, many of which are rooted right back where she started. “The Van Buren in Phoenix is my hometown venue, and while I haven’t been there much lately the past year, this place I hold very near and dear to my heart. It’s the kind of venue that tours roll through, and say I love this place! This is my favorite venue! No one does it like you guys. Now touring full time, I know how meaningful that really is that I got to be a part of creating and building that place when it opened.”

She specifically remembers a high-stakes soundcheck at that very venue. “Well, the one thing that pops up first in my mind is when I mixed monitors for Turnstile at The Van Buren. I remember I had no idea who they were, but they were friends with a lot of my friends. So I was nervous. The band had come to the stage for sound check, and the lead singer right away takes his mic and sticks it into the wedge, and boom, feedback. I looked at him, put my finger up signaling one sec, and pulled some things out of my graphic to fix the issue. Then he does it again! But this time, silence. He looks over, nods his head in approval, and we go on to have an absolutely killer soundcheck and show. If you’ve never seen that band live, highly recommend. The energy is so unique and beautifully chaotic.”

Other standout moments defy description. “NDAs keep me from sharing most things, but recently I mixed monitors at Coachella and had Oliver Tree as a special guest. I have always loved him and his energy, so getting to mix for him was really special to me, especially because he was a role model to my son as well. One of the weekends, he had painted himself completely red and worn a zebra suit and stood at my desk and just danced his little heart out next to me while I mixed. Now that he has moved on to a different lifetime, that moment has even more meaning. LONG LIVE OLIVER!”

Recent projects have offered entirely new levels of fulfillment. “More recently, I just got done working with Doechii,” she notes. “She is a powerhouse and is extremely supportive of women in production. Our entire stage left was run by women, and when the show started, man, that energy was powerful! We were locked into our positions, and it was incredible to see so many women just smashing those positions and having a time while doing it.” And then, of course, there is her current tour. “Then how could I leave out The Strokes? This tour I’m currently a part of feels like my golden goose. Working with a band that is so unapologetically themselves is such a unique thing. Funny enough, I was finally supposed to be taking some time off, then I got the call and thought to myself, how could I ever turn this down? I just want to say thank you to The Strokes and the crew for welcoming me with such open arms. Every single person on that stage is truly a master of their craft, and I couldn’t be more inspired or more grateful to be a part of it.”

Future Forward

Looking forward, Cynthia insists on maintaining a high standard for effort across the board. “Opportunities don’t just happen, you have to create them,” she says. “Sometimes I do get bummed how little some people try. What we do is so special and should be treated as such. There’s no better feeling in the world than working side by side with people who care! I will never understand those individuals who show up to do the bare minimum and complain every day. I wish people would sometimes take a step back and realize how lucky they are, how they once dreamed of being where they are now… and now just complain about it? If something isn’t working for you, change it. I see a lot of people work hard to get what they want, only to put in half the effort. Stay motivated and be grateful!”

She also envisions a shift in the live events industry model. “I hope to see the future of live events stay human and affordable. I would like a quarter of the energy that goes into management and corporations filling their own pockets to go towards the fan, artist, and crew experience. Greed is a real thing; everybody wants their slice of the cake, and most times that comes at the cost of the most important people who either attend or create these core life moments. Why is the topic of conversation always how can we cut budget more, instead of how can we make this experience better for the people building it and attending?”

Through every success and struggle, Cynthia remains anchored to her earliest motivations. “I love how my passion for music has translated into what and who I am now. This career has caused me to grow in so many different ways, and I am truly grateful for both the good and the bad. I showed up and had no idea who I was as a person or what I wanted to do. Through the many challenges I have faced and never giving up or quitting when things got hard, I learned a lot. For every bad moment, there’s always a moment where I’m looking out at the crowd or space I’m working in and just go: WOW! And then I think to my inner child, look where we are, girl. Now I get to take all those life lessons and use them to hopefully inspire others who have felt the way I have. Let all those people know they, in fact, are not alone, and many of us are struggling or fighting our own demons simultaneously.”

To stay up to date on what Cynthia is doing next, follow her on Instagram @cynthesizerrrrrrr

To read last month’s Women in Pro Audio interview, click here.

First two photos courtesy of photographer Jenna Murray

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