Meet Bethany Sands | Audio Engineer and Sound Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Sands and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
2023 so far has been a year that has led to asking this question often. Do I keep going or do I give up? Most of my work as an audio engineer in recent years has been mainly in the podcasting industry. We’ve seen some big changes this year in the industry with companies downsizing and some independent podcasters turning to AI for their editing help. It has definitely had an impact on my business and the same can be said for many of my peers.

This impact has had me questioning whether it really is time to “throw in the towel.” I’ve thought about things like going back to college for ecology or maybe even teaching myself a couple programming languages. But it wasn’t necessarily what I thought about during this down time, it was actually what I found myself doing. I found myself actually diving deeper into audio. I participated in sound design challenges, I went out and did field recordings for fun and dipped my toes back into music production.

As someone who has a natural curiosity and a lot of interests, I remembered why I enjoy doing post production for podcasts. I enjoy listening to people’s stories and being educated about different topics while I’m working. I love that someone can get started on making their own podcast with just the mic on their phone if they wanted to get their story and perspective out to the world. I love the impact it has on people to listen to conversations and stories that may otherwise go unheard.

While having a bit of down time this year had me questioning whether I should keep going, I ultimately decided my heart is still deeply embedded in many aspects of audio. That’s what let me know I should keep going. While my schedule is currently filling up again with more podcast post production work, I will also continue to spend my free time practicing more sound design and getting out to do field recordings. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, I will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, I actually moved to Phoenix, AZ from SW Colorado (originally from New Jersey) to begin my career in late 2006. I attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2007. I didn’t have plans to stay here after completing my education but life threw some curveballs for better or worse and I have lived here since then. I am aware that many opportunities in audio are in cities like Los Angeles or New York but at this point, I’ve fallen in love with Arizona and feel very settled here. I also know from my peers that even working in cities like LA or NYC, you aren’t always guaranteed a straight and narrow career path.

After my workload got much smaller in late 2022 with the economic downturn, I found myself reflecting a lot on my own path. After school, I was working out of a small home studio with a couple of other engineers but when the recession hit in 2008, I found myself going back to work as a bartender. I took some audio gigs here and there like audio restoration for legal cases and I edited a couple of podcasts. I continued to work as a bartender for a lot longer than I had planned but in early 2019, I had to quit due to a chronic health condition that made such a physically demanding job with late hours too stressful for my body to handle at the time (I’ve since recovered, thankfully).

I guess that was a blessing in disguise as they say because it forced me to seek out audio work once again. I started reaching out to folks that needed podcast editors and I worked as a rideshare driver on days that I felt well. When the pandemic hit in 2020, much to my surprise, I gained a few new clients. While the pandemic was an extremely challenging time for many of us, people were able to work on some of the projects they had put on hold including podcasting.

In 2021, I was hired as a contract audio editor for Whetstone Radio Collective. This was quite exciting for me as it was the first time I would be working on narrative style podcasts with a big team. I had a great time working with them and loved the content they were putting out into the world.

The first few months of 2023, things slowed down a great deal for me but I just signed a couple new contracts that I’m really excited about. And while it was a struggle, I appreciate the time I had to reassess my career and what I wanted out of it and what was important to me. I connected with a lot more audio focused communities and learned to no be so hard on myself when things are a bit slow. Audio Engineering is a particularly thorny path and there is no guidebook on how to be successful. It’s allowed me to redefine success as being able to work in a field that I’m passionate about, to work with people that are kind and have integrity and to always continue learning. I’m also looking forward to spending some time with sound design and field recording and hoping to one day work on some independent films as a sound designer.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I just got back from hiking in the Grand Canyon recently. It’s probably one of the most obvious Arizona things to do but still… I feel darn lucky to live so close to a place that people from all over the world plan for years to go see.

If it were spring time, I would definitely take them out to the Superstitions. Even if they’re not into hiking, the drive to the Peralta trailhead filled with wildflowers and the cacti against the backdrop of the mountains is a sight to see and a beautiful representation of the Sonoran Desert.

I would take them to the Musical Instrument Museum. They have instruments on display representing all of the world’s countries with a guided audio tour. It’s fascinating to see the similarities in instruments in many countries and even across oceans. It’s an important reminder of how music has shaped us as humans, how we celebrate, how we grieve, how we connect and how we honor our time on this planet.

I would also take them to see Las Chollas Peligrosas if they were performing. They’re a really talented group of female musicians inspired by traditional Latin music styles such as Mariachi. Their music is amazing and they also spend a lot of their time giving back to the community. Pro tip: Bring some tissues if you’re like me and music can sometimes move you to tears.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout Pete Salaz and his fiancé, Katia NiñodeRivera. I think many know Pete as a House music DJ and a business owner in Phoenix, but to me, he and his fiancé are pillars of support in this community. If I’m struggling with something, need a home cooked meal made with love or just need a big hug, I know I can always call on them. I know they are those things for many other people in the community too. I look up to both of them with a great deal of respect for their integrity, their kindness and ability to help their friends navigate bumpy times in life.

And a shoutout to PHX Podcast Club! As someone who works remotely and is self employed, I have very little face time with people in the industry. Having a face to face meetup every month with people in the industry is something I’m truly grateful for.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanysandsaudio/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-sands/

Image Credits
Photo Credit on second image: Mary Jelkovsky