PC: Maria Ulrich
Who is Maria and what would you like us to know about you personally?
I am a helper, through and through. I don’t know if it comes from being the oldest sibling, or if it’s just the way I was born.
Growing up, I love seeing live music but never had a desire to be on the stage. Music has always meant so much to me. It’s amazing how you hear a song that describes exactly the way you feel but never knew how to express it. There is nothing like the energy of seeing that happen live. I have always felt a sense of community in the setting of live shows and I eventually decided to make that my life as a live sound engineer.
PC: Maria Ulrich
Tell us about how you can help a client.
My services encompass anything to do with sound reinforcement for any kind of live event.
When a venue has an installed sound system, they can hire me to come in as the audio engineer to run it. I also own a sound system that is can cover most indoor or outdoor mid-sized events which I can be hired to set up and run.
I offer wedding DJ services and theater sound design services. I have experience working with venues, musicians, street fairs, weddings, funerals, theaters, fundraisers, churches, corporate meetings, schools, and probably some other events I am forgetting.
Is there a question that clients forget to ask?
Yes. One of the most important questions to ask is about access to power.
If I don’t have a solid circuit or two of power to plug everything into, nothing will go well.
Always ask about power.
Do you have a dream client in mind?
My ideal client is anyone who can tell me what they want. With good communication, anything is possible.
Maria, fantastic sound engineer!!
Tell me a little about your covid practices and how you are feeling about 2021.
The pandemic evaporated my business.
In a matter of weeks, my calendar was blank. It was terrifying. (I know you, reader, may have experienced similar feelings!)
I had been working as much as physically possible since about 2015: on the road touring with a band and then moving home to Traverse City to work day jobs to buy my own audio gear to be able to take gigs at night, and just doing whatever I could to build my business. After going 110 miles per hour for five-plus years, coming to a full stop was like slamming into a brick wall.
One of the blessings of working in live events though is that you have to be flexible and prepared to adapt to changing situations. It took some time, but I adapted to a slower pace of life.
Over the summer I did sound for some outdoor socially distant church services and weddings. The creativity the pandemic has inspired when it comes to events is impressive. I think it has forced us all to be more mindful of all our actions, which I hope will continue.
I am cautiously optimistic about 2021. I carefully consider the safety of any events I am asked to work.
Hopefully, the world of live events will slowly reawaken over the summer and if everything goes well, I can’t wait for the bangin’ parties that will follow.
I sure want to be at one of those parties!
If you want to contact Maria about your event her website is www.leelanausound.com
And she is on FaceBook
As well as Instagram
Thanks, Maria!
