Breaking Barriers: The Story of Jett Galindo (Part 1 of 2)
When we listen to the albums of our favorite musicians, we typically only pay attention to certain aspects. More often than not, the lyrics of the song or the instruments playing in the background catch our ears. Many of us think that these are the only important things that go into making these tracks and albums. Many of us would be wrong. Countless hours of work by different people go into making these songs we love. One of these people is the sound engineer. These people make sure that the albums we listen to are polished and sound right. In a way, their work is quite paradoxical. You will only notice it when it is bad. Great music engineering is seamless and is almost unnoticeable in its beauty.
It is already hard for sound engineers to get credit with the general public. What more if a particular engineer is Filipino? And what more if she is a woman? Enter Jett Galindo, a young Filipina sound engineer, now based in California.
Breaking into this industry has always been hard for Jett. In fact, even her parents initially discouraged her from pursuing a career in music. In an interview with Rappler, she shares her of her time in the Ateneo. “So I took psychology at Ateneo de Manila University,” Jett said. “I also grew up being passionate about technology. With my dad's encouragement, I taught myself graphics design, web design and development, video editing, etc. Sometime after my first US tour with the Ateneo College Glee Club in 2004, I knew I wanted to pursue music. But it just felt perfect to combine music with my love for technology. Sound engineering was the clear future for me.” It is interesting to note how the Ateneo was able to foster Jett’s passion. Though she attended the university as a way to move on from it, in the form of taking up Psychology, she was still able to nurture her dream through her being involved with the Ateneo College Glee Club and the Ateneo Chamber Singers. Through their performances all over the world, Jett was able to grow comfortable in an international setting. Coupled with her self-taught proficiency in technology, she was able to find a middle ground for both her passions to grow.
This was Jett’s first step in making it in the music industry. Her first taste of it was actually in an institution very much connected to the Ateneo: the Jesuit Communications Foundation. Even then, Jett already faced the glass ceiling of being a woman. The man who initially would train her wanted to back out when he found out Jett was a girl. However, he had already been paid so he had to stick it out. This meant that Jett had to work extra hard to prove herself. She did and now that same mentor became a dear friend. Jett ended up working with the Jesuit Communications Foundation.
On women in the industry, Jett shares, “Audio engineering still continues to be a field that is largely underrepresented by women. According to Women’s Audio Mission, women currently only make up 5% of audio engineering professionals here in the US. But the numbers are slowly but surely improving with the help of existing support groups and organizations that encourage young girls to pursue engineering careers. The same thing applies in the Philippines. That's why I have mad respect for the few women in our local recording industry who are thriving, like Aji Manalo [Lea Salonga, Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, etc.] and Hazel Pascua [Sugarfree, Sandwich, Imago, etc.].”
After deciding to pursue this passion of hers, Jett went to the United States to enter the Berklee College of Music. This was a fresh and exciting, but also turbulent time for her. Yes she was pursuing her passions but she was also paying a hefty price. Financially speaking, she had to take scholarships, loans, and part-time jobs to pay for her education. Also, as an international student, she had to worry about immigration policies, rules, and even the simple act of fitting in a new environment.
After graduating, she found an internship at Avatar Studios in New York. It was here where she learned the discipline and hard work necessary to succeed. This led her to being employed full-time at Avatar Studios, under Jerry Barnes. Through this, she was able to work with many renowned artists, one of which was the great Roberta Flack.
Over the years, Jett was able to work with many other distinguished artists. These include credits with Bette Midler, Marc Shaiman, Carmen Lundy, Randy Travis, and Gustavo Santaolalla. She was able to work under the mentorship of mastering engineer legend and Grammy Technical Achievement Awardee, Doug Sax. Nowadays, she works as a mastering engineer at The Bakery in Culver City, California, with Eric Boulanger. Jett has even been nominated for top prizes. In 2014, her work with Brazilian rock band, Jota Quest, garnered the group a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album. As mentioned before, Jett is also an accomplished soprano. Though her heyday happened before as part of the abovementioned chorale groups, she still is present in the local music circuits of the places she calls home. This inclination to song could be a factor in her talent for sound and mastering engineering.
Jett’s goal of course, is to become one of the premier sound engineers in the industry. However, she knows where she comes from, and would gladly do anything she can to help the Philippines. Specifically, she would like to have a hand in the development of the local audio industry. In many ways, this also speaks of how, even after so many years removed from the institution, Jett still holds the values of the Ateneo dearly. Jett ends by saying, “I've always thought that it defeats the purpose of my studying abroad if I don't contribute at all to the development of audio production in the Philippines.” This echoes the sentiments of what we learn in these hallowed halls. Our efforts are for naught if not put in the service of those around us. This is what being a man and woman for others truly means. No matter what industry we may end up in, we can always find a way to offer our work in service. For Jett, being a sound engineer meant answering to her personal skills and passions as well as to the needs of the industry. It is where she found her calling; something that started as a dream, but turned into reality. She exemplifies a lesson that many of us can relate to - that there is no dream too big, nor too small.
*This article was originally written on May 9, 2016
*Edited and published by Lawrence Magadia
Sources
[1] Galindo, Jett. Jett Galindo. Web. 6 May 2016. < http://www.jettgalindo.com/masteringengineer/>.
[2] Lopez-Quimpo, Candice. "Jett Galindo: Engineering the Future of Music Production."Rappler. 21 Sept. 2013. Web. 6 May 2016. <http://www.rappler.com/life-andstyle/39348-jett-galindo-engineering-music-production>.
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