We’re so glad you asked! Programming will include the following:

• Deep listening sessions

• In-depth tour of studio and gear

• Q&A sessions

• Guided recording sessions — these are the centerpiece of the workshop. Participants will be guided through the process of choosing a microphone, setting up and understanding signal flow, and techniques for identifying and capturing your desired sound. Participants will have hands-on practice time in the pre-production and production process, including being both behind the microphone AND behind the recording console. We may get into basic mixing techniques depending on time and participant interest.

• Group meals! Fun hangs!

This workshop will be hosted at Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield, ME on August 18th-20th, 2025. The studio is in a beautiful converted farmhouse with on-site lodging for participants. Two of the four bedrooms and both bathrooms will be shared.

GEAW is hosted by Carolyn Kendrick and Isa Burke. They have invited Alli B. Rogers as this year’s guest mentor!

Carolyn Kendrick is a musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer. She currently lives in Los Angeles, but has lived in the Northeast on and off for many years of her career. Isa Burke is a multi-instrumentalist/singer, producer, writer, and music educator originally from Maine and now based in Durham, North Carolina. Carolyn and Isa met during their first week at Berklee College of Music and have been friends and collaborators ever since.

GEAW was born when Isa and Carolyn realized that they shared a desire to lower the barriers of entry for women musicians looking to improve their production and engineering skills. Carolyn and Isa will be hosting and facilitating the workshop, but the bulk of the programming will be guided by Alli.

Alli B. Rogers is the in-house engineer at Sylvan Esso's studio, Betty's, in Chapel Hill, NC. She has worked with artists like Sylvan Esso, Bon Iver, Hurray for the Riff Raff, the Tallest Man on Earth, Flock of Dimes, and many more! Isa worked with Alli on Sam Moss's record Swimming and immediately knew she would be a perfect fit for GEAW.

Thanks to the generosity of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund, this is a free workshop! However, we are not able to cover the cost of travel. If you can’t drive yourself directly to the studio, you just need to get to either Boston, MA or Portland, ME, and we can arrange transportation to the studio from there. Housing and food are also free and provided (more details on food and lodging are available in the application, and we can discuss dietary accommodations with you if you are accepted).

We encourage all musicians, producers, and audio engineers who identify as women and gender-expansive to apply. No previous engineering or studio experience is required. Working in music full-time is not required, but we are prioritizing folks who have music as a centering force in their creative lives. This workshop is not intended for hobbyists, nor for musicians who don’t have a strong interest in production and engineering. We don’t care how you pay the bills, what you already know, or what you’ve already done — we just want you to be serious about recording music!

You certainly do not have to be a full-time professional musician, but this workshop is meant to be a resource for people who want to work in audio recording at a professional level, and will use these skills in a professional capacity.

We are prioritizing women and gender-expansive people for this workshop, in an effort to level the gender inequity that exists in the world of professional audio. If you identify as a woman, non-binary, transgender, or anywhere under the broad umbrella of gender-expansive, please apply!

Applications are open from May 15th until June 20th, 2025. Apply as soon as you can!

Due to the physical limitations of the recording studio space we use, we only have the capacity for SIX applicants to participate during the intensive. Once all applications are submitted, applicants are chosen by a random lottery. Applicants will be informed of the selection results by June 25th.

Unfortunately, the studio is not accessible for many people with disabilities. One of the bathrooms, three of the bedrooms, and two of the recording spaces at Great North are only accessible via stairs. You also need to climb a few steps to get into the studio. We hope to be able to offer a more physically accessible version of this workshop in the future!

Never fear, this is NOT a one-time event! We held a small pilot version of GEAW last year, and we hope to make this an annual event at the very least. We’re scheming and dreaming about a variety of ways to grow this project, so follow us on Instagram or sign up for Isa’s and Carolyn’s newsletters to keep up with future iterations of GEAW!