Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie N. Sandoval Valbuena.
Hi Angie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I have been a music lover since I was a child. My dream was always to work in music. When I was a teenager, I saw a program on MTV where they explained the making of a song. From writing, recording, and mixing, to distribution. I liked it so much and thought it was such a cool thing that I decided to pursue a career in the audio industry. I went to a school called F.I.R.S.T. Institute, where I had the opportunity to learn from some great professionals in the industry. And I graduated as the Valedictorian of my class. I was eager to learn new things, so during my time there, I was very involved in all the activities and opportunities that came my way. At that time, the school had a 40-hour internship requirement for graduation so that students could have a realistic idea of what the audio industry is like by the end of school. I did about 300 hours because I wanted to keep learning and staying in that music environment.
After graduating, I landed a job in one of the studios in the city. I was working doing live sound as well for different events and companies. Now, I am a Freelancer working all over the city recording or mixing. I had the opportunity to travel to different places like New York and Miami visiting their music studios. After doing so, I think my perspective changed completely. For the future, I have the goal to build my studio so that engineers and artists can have a place like never seen before in Orlando to record their music.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I believe that like anything worthwhile, it takes a lot of hard work, passion, and love for what you do. I would even go so far as to say that it is not easy to break into the audio industry with a musical focus and that I admire people who can do it. In this industry, they will try to take advantage of you and belittle your work without any shame, there will be a high margin of competition, and you will work long and odd hours. In a study done by USC Annenberg in 2021, it was found that only 2% of the audio engineers and producers were women. Being a woman working in a very male-dominated field adds to that list of things that make things more difficult. I once read about someone telling their experience trying to find a job at a music studio being a woman and getting a response that was ‘well, the vibe here could is not really friendly if you’re a girl’ Many times that is the reality.
But there is a movement that is growing and the online support is incredible with organizations like ‘We Are Moving The Needle” who offer education programs, scholarships, and support for women in the industry. Thanks to them, I was able to attend the AES Convention last year in New York City. They are incredible and what they’re doing is changing the industry,
As I mentioned before, working in this industry requires a high level of love for what you do and passion, and it can be hard, yes. But when I finish recording a song with an artist, I get this feeling of satisfaction that is priceless, and that’s when I realize that there isn’t something else I want to dedicate myself to. It’s hard to describe. When you are part of that creation process it is as if you were working for something timeless, and that makes me believe that it’s worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a mixing and recording engineer. I think something that has made me stand out is my passion for creating at the industry level. And my desire to continue growing and learning. I am in a state of constant evolution, I am not the same as I was a year or two years ago. But my love for music hasn’t changed. I am my genuine self when I work with others, and they seem to like that. I have met amazing people on my journey, and they have inspired me to dream of doing extraordinary things. I really don’t plan to give up on achieving those dreams, that is something that defines me.
When I was younger I wanted to create music for myself, but now that I’m older I want to help other people bring their songs to life. And I treasure those songs as if I had created them myself, I care about the projects I work on and I think a project is not finished until the artist is happy with the final result.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think my parents have played a big role in who I am and my work ethic. I have always admired them, and they are my trusted advisors when I need guidance. I was born and raised in Colombia and without them, I would never have been able to be in this country and pursue my dreams as I am doing now.
I have had challenges and problems, of course, I have. But they have always been there to show me their support in every circumstance and I think I couldn’t be more grateful to them. They are the most positive influence I have ever had in my life. And that is reflected in my work and who I am as a person. I would like to be for others what they have been for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angiensv.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angie.nsv/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-nsv/
