Zimbabwe Musicians Union to host sound clinic

The clinic will look at the studio and live environments for artists and engineers. It will also be attended by stage managers. Entry to the event is free and more than 100 participants are expected to attend.

The event comes after a number of local musicians accused sound engineers of sabotaging them with bad sound.

“The engineers have blamed the musicians for not cooperating. Who is to blame when the sound goes wrong? Is it really sabotage?” a post on the ZIMU Facebook page reads.

Music In Africa spoke to ZIMU chairperson Edith WeUtonga who said the sound clinic would seek to repair the professional relationship between musicians and engineers.

“We hope to create a rapport between our sound engineers and musicians as they get to learn about the dynamics of sound on stage and in studio,” she said. “The facilitators will address the issue of local, regional and international sound standards for recorded music and live performances.

“Our panellists will be coming courtesy of the Sound Engineers Association of Zimbabwe. Participants will attend for free for this first clinic only.”

WeUtonga said the sound clinic would only be held in Harare for the time being.

“It is our wish to host the clinics in other cities but we have financial constraints that limit us. We hope after this first clinic more partners will come on board so we can take the clinics to provincial cities.”

Netherlands-based Zimbabwean singer Vimbai Zimuto will also attend the event. She said the gathering was important for the well-being of the local music industry.

“Sound and how it comes out in a project, whether on stage or in studio, is the most important thing in music for both sound engineers and the musicians,” Zimuto said. “So it’s a good thing to do this workshop and through my experience I have noticed most musicians, backing vocalists and instrumentalists don’t really know what their sound should sound like.”

Zimuto said the event would be an eye-opening experience for the participants. “Whenever people meet for a purpose of learning there is always something new that they can learn. It will give sound engineers an opportunity to hear the views of musicians and vice versa.”

Music critic and journalist Plot Mhako endorsed the clinic and said it would improve the standard of music professionalism.

“I think this is a very sound and noble initiative," he said. "Often times we see workshops for artists and never for technical people who play a critical role in the creative and delivery process. Lately we have seen how poor sound management has affected and dampened some events, films, recordings and the like. Such a gathering, when well conducted, has the potential to give refresher and new knowledge to technical people involved in the arts.”