She's at the Controls gives a socio-historical examination of the roles of women studio professionals in the UK music industry. At the heart of the book are interviews conducted over six years with 30 female studio practitioners at different stages of their careers and working in different genres of popular music including reggae, hip hop and pop. The edited interviews are followed by an in-depth exploration of the often unseen and unacknowledged gender rules of music industry practice (both personal and technical) that underpin popular music etiquette. A range of supporting material from academic works to technical publications and popular music journalism is used to expand and critique the discourse. She's at the Controls will appeal to everyone interested in new developments in the music industry, as it recalibrates itself in response to current challenges to its traditional gender stereotypes.
Introduction
1. Starting Out: Early Engagements with Sound, Music and Technology
2. Becoming Professional: Entering the Music Industry
3. Specialisation and Entrepreneurship
4. The Workplace Experience and Relationships with Clients and Colleagues
5. Male Culture and Studio Territory
6. Gender Ventriloquism: Song Writing, Production and the Mediation of Women's Voices
7. Fighting Back Against Stereotyping: The Case of EDM
8. Education, Inspiration and Potential for Change
9. Conclusion
Bibliography
Producer Biographies
