Women in Pro Audio: Malin Hansén Women in Pro Audio: Malin Hansén...

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This month, in our Women in Pro Audio series, L-Acoustics had the pleasure of interviewing Malin Amondi Hansén, a co-founder of the Stockholm-based audio production company Norr Collective. Like many others working on the technical side of live sound, Malin brings that dual perspective to the pro audio world: that of a working technician and a professional musician. Currently based in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, Malin is originally from Märsta, a town north of Stockholm. While she started her career in live touring as a Front-of-House (FOH)/Monitor (MON) engineer, she now primarily works as a backline technician. “I do a little bit of everything as a tech,” she says.

Who Doesn’t Dream of Becoming a Pro Musician?

A rhetorical question for many in the audio industry, Malin shared that same wish. “I grew up dreaming of becoming a professional musician. I was musically raised in a local church, where I had the chance to try many things at an early age, including audio work. I’ve always had a curious streak in me where I always want to know how and why things work.” She reflects, “Why does my guitar sound that way in the PA but differently directly from the amp? Why do some instruments need to use a DI? And so on.” That curiosity led Malin to where she is now. “I now make a living as both a musician and a technician.”

Her break came during her music studies in her early twenties when she took a live sound course. “I reached out to the teacher and asked if I could shadow him at his gigs. He said yes and started with giving me small gigs, but then ended up hiring me, and that was my way into the industry, both as an engineer, but it also opened doors for me as a musician.”

Challenge Layers

The industry, however, is not without its struggles. When asked about unique challenges as a woman, Malin acknowledges that “There are layers to the unique challenges I’ve faced as a woman. Many of them are subtle and hard to explain, but one of the hardest things is constantly feeling like I need to prove myself as being good enough, or even justify being there at all—if that makes sense? I’ve had people walk into a room, look straight past me, and ask where the technician is—and I have to say, ‘That’s me.’”

When facing a mental challenge, such as self-doubt, Malin says, “I usually just try to talk to someone in the industry I trust. It could be a colleague, friend, or even my wife. A lot of people are nicer and more helpful than one might think, especially when you start opening up. That’s because then you realize that you’re not alone with having struggles, and it suddenly feels less isolating.”

If the challenge is technical, she adds, “I turn to Google or YouTube, but now also ChatGPT! I’m also getting better at asking friends for help.”

The pressure of the job actually led her to take a break from the industry in 2019. She candidly admits, “I actually gave up on the industry then and studied to become a web developer. I felt like I had had enough of the industry. There was so much self-doubt and stress in my life. I think I needed that break to find balance in my life, surround myself with people I felt safe with, and also figure out what I actually wanted to do.”

Women in Pro Audio: Representation Matters

Malin points to two key factors for the low representation of women in the technical side of pro audio: the lack of role models and limited opportunities for women to try it out. “I teach live-sound classes, and a lot of girls and women tell me that they grew up never considering this career because they’d never seen anyone like them doing it, so it didn’t even occur to them that they could do it. I feel like we all have a responsibility to change that—to include, encourage, and highlight more women in this industry.”

Malin relies on “Google and YouTube for sure” when she talks about career growth. But she also highlights the power of social media. “I’ve met a lot of new colleagues and friends there and learned from people in the industry who so generously share their knowledge and also their failures!”

Be Good, But Be Kind

The advice she would give on essential skills is twofold: “Be good at your craft, but even better at being kind.” She wisely notes, “Skill might get you the gig, but people remember how you made them feel. No one wants to work with a jerk, no matter how talented they are.”

She also advises other women just starting in this industry: “Reach out to people who do stuff you want to do! Ask to shadow them, ask a lot of questions. One of the best pieces of advice I have received is to prepare for things that were not planned but could easily happen or change at the last minute. I don’t know how many times that has saved me, ha!”

Regardless of how beloved a career is, most people always wish they could change a thing or two about the field. For Malin, “If I could change one thing, it would be the culture. I would want it to be a space where respect and empathy are valued just as highly as technical skill. A more inclusive and supportive space benefits everyone.”

Never Lose Your In-Ears

Malin’s favorite memories are less about technical feats and more about the connections. She shares a memorable story from a tour during which she performed as a musician.

“The show started with me alone on the piano while tracks played. Right as I sat down at the piano, I realized that I forgot my in-ears. I RUSHED downstairs, tore apart my dressing room looking for where the heck I’d placed them while listening for my cue. The artist gets on stage and is so nervous because he’s like, “Where is Malin!?!?” (He told me afterwards.) I still couldn’t find them and only had seconds left, so I rushed upstairs, walked calmly out onto the stage, started playing, and prayed to God I didn’t miss any cues (I had a click track in my IEM).”

She continues, “Halfway through the first song, I felt a hand on my back reaching out with my IEM. One of my guests at the show (he also works as a backline technician) had seen me running off the stage during the intro, and he immediately (as the tech genius he is) understood that something was wrong and somehow figured out that I was missing my IEM. The guy doing FOH didn’t notice anything, so I guess the audience didn’t either. But that was wild, scary then, but a fun memory now!”

Touring Bonds

Being out on the road with an artist may sound glamorous to the uninitiated, but it sure does have its grueling side: being away from loved ones for long stretches of time, awkward bathroom situations or sleeping arrangements, and a lack of healthy food options, just to name a few things.

However, there are so many reasons why many people choose the tour life, and Malin points to one. “Many of my shows have been so good in different ways. But one tour that stuck out and has stuck with me since was when I did backline for Thomas Stenström. Even though he’s one of the greatest artists in Sweden, the thing that stuck with me most wasn’t that; it was how welcome and safe I felt with the whole crew. It was my first tour back after a break from the industry, and it reminded me why I love this job.”

She adds, “To be honest, what I love most about this job is less about making a technical impression and more about the people. Touring bonds you with people in a unique way. You become a family during your time away from home, sharing struggles, laughter, and work. But you also get to inspire other people at the same time. That’s what I love most.”

Looking ahead, Malin hopes and sees “for the future of live events a more diverse, welcoming and inspiring place for everyone.”

You can connect with Malin on Instagram at @malinamondi and her company, Norr Collective, at @norr.co.

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