AES Student Blog

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and what do you study?

My name is Mie Hirschfield. I'm originally from North Carolina, but I'm currently studying Sound Recording at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

2. What initiated your passion for audio? When did it start?

I've always had a passion for music. I've played violin since I was four years old and I received both my Bachelor's and Master's degree in violin performance while freelancing in different orchestras and chamber ensembles; I've been immersed in the classical music world for a long time. In 2018, I had the opportunity to take the courses for McGill University's qualifying year for the Sound Recording Master's degree, and was accepted into the program. I found that working in audio is refreshing because you get to focus on the entire picture rather than just a small part of it. I've been fascinated by how various audio technologies can capture different timbres and qualities of an instrument, and how it changes the character of the recording. 

3. Tell us about the production of your submission. What is the story behind it? What inspired it? How long did you work on it? Was it your first entry?

This track was a recording of the McGill Symphony Orchestra and soloist Tyler Song performing Mozart's iconic clarinet concerto. It was recorded during a concert in January of 2020, and remixed for about three weeks in July. Although the concert was performed twice, this concerto was only played on the first night so there was only one chance to get it right. This is my second entry to the AES recording competition. 

4. What/Who made you join AES?

My fantastic professors Richard King, Martha DeFrancisco, George Massenburg, and Wieslaw Woszcyk encouraged all their students to join AES, so I joined as soon as I started at McGill. Since then, I've had the opportunity to serve in the AES McGill Student Section. I love being a part of this community of audio-minded people. 

5. Tell us about your favorite experiences at the 149th AES convention online.

It was really humbling and rewarding to receive feedback from the incredible engineers on the judges panel. Being able to hear from such respected professionals in the industry was a really unique and special experience.