Lyn has always had a love of music, which started from a very young age. Her initial experience was with classical music, and she always remembers wanting to be a songwriter, and then later a producer. As a child she didn’t have any fear and when she was asked to play at a young age (she learnt to play the violin at the age of 2) she would just play what she knew without being worried about others’ expectations. This lack of fear was a real advantage.
There are a lot of females who work within the industry but they tend to get pigeonholed early in their career. Once pigeonholed it can be difficult to move out of that area – e.g. from a singer to a producer. Often moving between areas can be difficult, and sometimes it can happen just through chance meetings.
One of the issues that Lyn has come across is that women are generally not expected to be doing the technical aspects or background work. The initial reaction she gets from being a female producer can be anything from surprise to distrust, although the reaction can also be positive, with an appreciation that she will bring a different perspective.
In Lyn’s experience those who are in the minority, either because they are female or due to their ethnic background, do not follow a conventional career pathway and tend to get to the producer level using longer or round-about routes. The positive is that you learn a lot along the way, and this knowledge and experience is really useful. The downside is that if you say you know how to do too much people just don’t believe you. The best way to tackle this to is do the job you are doing today – focus on the task in front of you and if an opportunity comes to showcase your other skills use that, but don’t come out with a list of additional things you can do up front.
It’s all down to education and openness. Lyn has always taken the approach that if you are open and encourage those you work with to see what you are doing, and learn from you, then the experience will be better for everyone. If you allow people to try things, and importantly to practice (and at times to fail) then they – and you – will learn from this and the final outcome will be better.
Firstly, focus on your qualities and don’t obsess about your limitations. Women will generally focus on the things they can’t do – but if you change your perspective and talk about what you can do this positive mindset will help everyone.
Secondly, it’s important to have allies and to be supported in your role. In any situation, whether it be a corporate environment or in the music studio, you need people who will stick up for you and appreciate the qualities you bring. In any industry you should strive to have the best person for the job – and old prejudices should be set aside.
One of the striking differences between feedback in a corporate environment and feedback in a music studio is around mindset and the ability to take on constructive feedback. In Lyn’s work environment it is normal to receive real-time feedback because you want the track to be the best it can possibly be. The artist wants to know, quickly, what they need to change in order to make the track better. It’s expected that you will provide constructive criticism, and this is given in the spirit of wanting the best outcome. So, next time you go to an appraisal think about the constructive feedback you may get and take it as a way to help you improve and develop yourself.
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Our thanks go to Lyn Goddard for speaking about her experiences, and Caroline Stockmann for sharing her knowledge and chairing the event.
The ‘In conversation with’ series is designed to broaden members’ business and behavioural skills and future events will consist of conversations with our Chief Executive, Caroline Stockmann, along with a variety of guest speakers and experts who will talk informally on the behaviours and skills needed to develop a successful career. Visit the member events page to find out about the latest event.