Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Olson.
Hi Kristi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I came to Duluth from a small town in North Dakota in 2010 for college. At UMD, I meandered my way through Theatre, Music, and various Humanities and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Music and Psychology–and a baby. After working in marketing, nonprofit outreach and coordinating, and children’s programming, I returned to school for the education bits of my Music degree at UWS across the bridge in Superior. Convinced I was headed in the right direction with successful and fulfilling research-based classroom experiences on my side, I started teaching just before the pandemic hit. Something changed during that time in music education and education as a whole. The issues school systems and teachers faced became painfully evident and unavoidable. I taught middle school music online, elementary music in person, K-12 music/band/choir at a small school (in person, online, and via paper packets), and short- and long-term subbing. Nothing quite felt right for me.
In the middle of that, I took a summer Audio and Production Tech position at a local brewery with an impressive outdoor live music performance space and a whole summer concert lineup. It was a perfect seasonal fit for the music teacher’s schedule. I took some music technology coursework and worked with audio systems in vocal jazz ensembles. It took me only a short time to pick up the technical skills of audio engineering, manage the audio independently, and take over as the venue production manager and in-house audio engineer. Many of the concepts I’ve learned over the years apply to using a soundboard, and with my background as a lifelong musician and in directing and teaching music, I know what I’m listening for and how to shape the sound I want to hear. I immediately started building a reputation among local and touring bands for producing a rich, warm, precise mix rooted in musicality and highly attentive to details throughout the show. My student-centered teaching style has translated to providing excellent service and hospitality to artists. And I love coming up with creative solutions to creative problems. With the thoughtful touches to my production management style, folks enjoy working with me. And I love what I do as an audio engineer! I’m a musician who hates performing on stage. Being a part of the performance behind the scenes is my jam.
I had finally found my niche in the arts. Realizing how happy one can be while doing work made me see that teaching was not for me, and I left that career path behind. Word spread quickly about my work, and I started doing audio at other venues and contracting independently. Since I contracted enough to have to pay self-employment taxes anyway, I decided to commit and form an actual business – That Sound Lady LLC. That Sound Lady is my Instagram handle; I’ve more or less already been building a local brand based on a joke that’s less “ha ha” funny and more “ha, oh” Anytime someone down in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area mentions that sound lady they worked with up in Duluth; any artist who’s worked with me before knows precisely who they’re talking about. Audio engineers are most often referred to as “the sound guy.” Female live audio engineers are few and far between. Of the approximately 10,000 audio engineers in the US, only 7% are women, and most of those women are recording studio engineers. The name That Sound Lady gets people to confront some gender discrepancies and stereotypes. Live audio and production is often hard labor and dirty work in outdoor and bar venues, which more women can and should do! Having grown up on a farm, I don’t bat an eyelash at the less glamorous elements. I also grew up seeing my mom kick butt and take names in her male-dominated field. She was a draftswoman – the community architect. The running joke of the construction/lumber business she worked for was, “Do you want to talk to the man in charge or the woman who knows what’s going on?”
Shortly before my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022, I was almost ready to start up my concert venue. Caring for and spending time with her pushed that idea away from my mind. After she passed away in January of 2023, I found a little more mental capacity to reflect on what I want my work and family life balance to look like and what this community needs to light fire back into our live music scene post-pandemic. Rather than relying on the “if you build it, they will come” mentality, I landed on meeting myself and my community where we are right now – and On The Record was born.
On The Record: Duluth-Superior Music & Arts Magazine is a micropublication I’ve published and distributed every other week since June 2023. On The Record aims to uplift local music and arts in the twin ports, build community, and reignite the arts scene. Each edition features a comprehensive listing of music, theatre, indie film, and arts events. I scour and sleuth local websites, social media, poster sites, etc., to compile everything rather than rely on stakeholders to submit event info (though that’s a very much appreciated option). Each edition also features local art news, album reviews, artist interviews, art research, music scene comic commentary, featured artwork, music history, event highlights, etc. I write some content, but On The Record is slowly gaining an excellent pool of regular and occasional contributors!
What started with manic grief momentum has quickly begun growing into its vision. I constantly come across folks sitting down together with a printed copy, having honest discourse around the arts. Nearly every time I work on a show, someone graciously offers support and excitement for this project, getting them out into the community, connecting with others, and discovering new artists to love!
I also partially started On The Record in honor of my mom, and she’d be pretty proud. She was always creating something, making her corner of the world beautiful. She taught me tons of art and craft mediums. She was a big supporter of the arts and a frequent volunteer throughout her community. And that’s what this piece of the arts ecosystem is all about Supporting artists, helping people find the art and inspiration around them, bringing people together, and encouraging folks to create and explore new art endeavors.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Funds have been the biggest obstacle. Audio equipment is costly. Building up my collection of equipment could be faster. All the funds earned from On The Record memberships, ads, sponsorships, and tips go right back into printing. I’m getting a phenomenal deal from a local print shop, JS Print, who loves this project and supports the community, but printing is still another expensive undertaking. I debated whether I should keep this publication online, but there’s been so much excitement and ever-increasing demand for print editions! I currently print 560 copies of each edition and distribute them to 60-ish sites across Duluth-Superior. Distribution has been another challenge. It’s a full day of work running around town, dropping these off every other Tuesday and coordinating neighborhood timelines and site operating hours. Fortunately, since beginning this, I have found a few fantastic community members who have graciously stepped up to help me! Having a hard deadline every 2 weeks with the bulk of the work at the 11th hour is a personal challenge, too. I’m still working on the right balance and pace.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
I’m That Sound Lady, Kristi Olson, music educator turned audio engineer based in Duluth, MN. I can be hired anywhere for audio needs wrangling, and I also provide production management, event coordination, stage management, stagehand, and audio consulting services. I’m known for keen attention to detail, adaptability, collaborative spirit, and producing a warm, dark, balanced sound and focused on the artistry. I have an extremely well-trained ear to fine-tune a fantastic live sound. I’m also a big fan of keeping shows at safe, comfortable listening volumes. I love working with artists to come up with solutions to creative problems. Whether managing an event, coordinating details, or setting up a stage, I keep everything organized: tidy cables, structured spreadsheets, and clear and proactive communication. I see myself as a partner in the artistry and flow of a production or event. Bringing out those lyrical moments with lush reverb or stylistically beefing up drums are the little things that help create that concert magic. I approach my work with creativity and heart and will continue adapting services to meet needs in the area.
On The Record Duluth-Superior music and art zine, the publication I’ve been writing and printing every other week, has been a major catalyst for the local arts scene and live performance industry. It’s quickly become a significant arts infrastructure in the twin ports – a community heavily steeped in artists and musicians. What sets On The Record apart is that I rely on something other than the artists, venues, or other stakeholders to submit event info; I seek it out. Every other week, I open up my handy dandy spreadsheets and sleuth for all the shows and arts events on venue websites, Instagram feeds, Facebook events, and groups, posting sites around town, etc. Before this, promoting music and arts in this area was a significant challenge. Musicians and artists relied on venues to promote their shows, and venues relied on artists to draw their following. Community members had to go to each venue’s website or social media page, consistently follow an assortment of social media groups/pages, or scour through online/newspaper events listings that venues/artists have to remember to submit to and that shuffle arts events alongside things like equity in healthcare summits. As a result, too many great concerts and events needed to be promoted and more appropriately attended. With On The Record, I take care of all that and organize it into a clear and persistent listing of all Duluth-Superior music and art shows, plus plenty of local arts content from myself and other local artists and art enthusiasts to keep everyone in the know of the fantastic art around them.
There have been previous independent art publications in Duluth, such as The Transistor Mag, which ended about a decade ago, and The Ripsaw before that. However, On The Record is more centered on serving and uplifting artists. These prior publications have also been very much an old boys club. On The Record is giving some extra intentionality to put female and nonbinary artists and artists of color at the forefront, which is essential for this community and all arts industries.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
Wow, what a tricky question. I can’t narrow it down to one. The memories I hold closest to my heart these days are the times I spent making art with my mom. She was such an understated artist. She made beautiful stained glass art, and she’d help me make some smaller pieces, and we’d sell them at a craft fair or two each year. We made mosaic stepping stones, beadwork art, and Woodburn art. She taught me to sew clothing and quilts. She never had to teach me the importance of art and the joy and fulfillment it brings into a person’s life – we lived it.
Pricing:
- Editions are freely available in print and online, but members help so much to sustain this!
- Sustaining Membership is $5/month or $50/year and gives you access to local Twin Ports arts giveaways, the events in Google Cal format as far out as I find them, and directly emailed editions before distribution
- VIP Membership is $10/month or $100/year and gives you extra perks!
- Get all the details and sign up at ontherecordzine.com/support
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ontherecordzine.com/
- Instagram: @ontherecord.zine and @thatsoundlady
- Facebook: facebook.com/ontherecordmusicandarts
- Other: site under construction but might be finished by the time this prints: https://www.thatsoundlady.com/
