Women's Audio Mission shared the words of Sofia Rivera, who started with WAM as a Girls on the Mic student and is now, a graduate of WAM's 2023 Fall Internship program.
"I was always inspired to be creative. I grew up around a pretty musically inclined family, my mom being a dancer and my stepdad being a local DJ. I started writing songs super young, and I've always been fascinated with recording my own. I slightly understood the basic concept of studio recording but didn't have the resources to buy a proper mic.
I started at WAM at about thirteen, in the summer of 2015, with the Girls on the Mic program, which I was connected to through an elective opportunity at my middle school summer program. I vividly remember my first day of Girls on the Mic since it was also my first time ever in this studio space. Seeing this type of gear in person is something I never thought I'd get to experience and play with at such a young age. I immediately knew WAM was something I wanted to be a part of, and the staff members further solidified this conclusion.
When I became an intern, WAM provided me with the opportunity of being surrounded by an extremely inspiring team of women and gender-expansive individuals in a safe learning environment where any questions are encouraged, and everyone is supportive of your goals. This support and encouragement have shaped who I am as an artist and my career. Through this internship, I learned about job career paths I never knew existed and continue to learn more about. We had countless panel talks and opportunities to meet and chat with audio professionals. We also toured well-known establishments like Meyer Sound Labs and Dolby HQ. I got to shadow live sound at the Greek theater and was able to assist and attend WAM events such as WAMCON.
WAM relies on the support of donors like you to make stories like Sofia's a reality. This spring, Sofia and other WAM intern graduates will begin work with Dolby as a Critical Listener, learning more about how Dolby works and how the very best in audio is created and shared with the world.
