Programs

Girls on the Mic

WAM uses music and media to attract and connect 2,000+ underserved Bay Area girls and gender-expansive youth (ages 11-18, 93% BIPOC, 96% low-income) every year to free audio and music production and STEM/creative technology training, mentoring, and career/educational counseling. The program provides students with tuition-free, hands-on, project-based training and access to musical instruments, technology, and young women/gender-expansive mentors. GOTM partners with 50+ schools/organizations throughout the Bay Area to provide after-school programming year-round.

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WAM Academy

A formalized training program to gain new skills & get a head start on your career. By the end of the workshop, students will have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to produce audio recordings and mixes. These courses are taught by qualified recording engineers and aim to equip students with the necessary knowledge of audio production, recording, and mixing.

• Level 1 Basic Audio Production course: Uncover the fascinating realm of sound through our comprehensive 7-class foundational series! This course provides a solid foundation for understanding the physics and science behind sound, ensuring you gain essential skills for basic recording, production, and digital technologies.

• Level 2 – Studio Recording, Production, Mixing, and Signal Processing: Join us for an exclusive opportunity to put theory into action in WAM’s professional recording studios as you delve into the intricacies of studio consoles and processors, all within a low-pressure and encouraging community environment.

Pro Tools

WAM’s Pro Tools Fundamentals classes introduce concepts and principles, covering everything an individual needs to know to complete a basic Pro Tools project, from initial setup to final mixdown. These courses are strongly recommended for those enrolled in WAM Academy.

• Pro Tools Fundamentals PT101: Introduces fundamental Pro Tools concepts and principles, covering everything an individual needs to know to complete a basic Pro Tools project, from initial setup to final mixdown.
• Pro Tools Fundamentals PT110: Expands upon the Pro Tools Fundamentals PT101 course and includes using MIDI, virtual instruments, and additional recording and mixing tools.

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Workshops

WAM provides hands-on training in audio engineering, the recording arts and creative technology to over 350 women and gender-expansive people every year in a world-class recording studio with award-winning female and gender-expansive instructors. WAM graduates have been placed in positions at Dolby Labs, Pixar, Electronic Arts, Google, Sennheiser, NPR, Pandora, SFJazz, Stern Grove Festival, Animal Planet, Comedy Central, Rickshaw Stop, El Rio and many other professional venues as well as securing credits on recordings by legendary artists such as Beyonce’s Band, Mary J. Blige/Hillary Clinton Interview, Denise Perrior, Kronos Quartet, David Sedaris, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Angelique Kidjo (Grammy win), Soundtrack to the film “Dirty Wars” (Academy Award nomination), Pamela Z, Sean Dorsey Dance.

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Internship Program

Women’s Audio Mission recruits and selects intern cohorts 2-3 times a year of female and gender-expansive individuals looking to start their careers and receive invaluable training, mentorship, and education at our studios. Interns are mentors to the students in our Girls on the Mic program, assist on recording sessions in our recording studio,  and have invaluable training opportunities for live sound shadowing for WAM and WAM partners’ events. Through an application process, we choose 30 interns per year out of a pool of applicants from all over the US. Interns are introduced to WAM’s extensive network and recommended for positions with WAM partners and connections such as Dolby Labs, ESPN, Sweetwater, various recording studios, and more!

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WAMcon

WAMcons are interactive recording conference series for women and gender-expansive individuals. Featuring top leaders in the industry – including award-winning music producers, recording engineers, songwriters, beatmakers, and record executives involved in making the music you love the most – WAMcons offer workshops, networking, and discussions covering topics like recording techniques, mixing, mastering, vocal production, songwriting, beat-making, the music business, music licensing, and more!

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Local Sirens

Local Sirens: Women in Music Performance Series is a free, all-ages quarterly performance series that features exceptional Bay Area women and gender-expansive musicians and performers. Local Sirens supports predominately BIPOC artists who are creating new and innovative work that is representative of the diverse communities of the Bay Area.

Launched in 2014, Local Sirens has promoted the work of 120+ women and gender-expansive artists and reached 8,500+ people through free Bay Area concerts. Each year WAM celebrates and promotes the careers of 40+ women and gender-expansive artists a year (90% BIPOC/86% low-income) with paid performance opportunities at premier venues (Dolby, YBCA, Brava, etc) and virtually to audiences of 2,000+.

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