273: Living Sound: April Tucker, Caroline Losneck, Christoph Gelfand, & ETHEL GABRIEL

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April Tucker, Caroline Losneck, and Christoph Gelfand are the filmmaking team behind LIVING SOUND: A Documenatry About Ethel Gabriel

The film began in early 2019, when April Tucker was researching early women record producers, and discovered an article about Ethel Gabriel–someone she'd never heard of before. Co-directors Caroline and Christoph interviewed Ethel for SoundGirls, an organization that supports women and underrepresented groups in the audio industry. They are currently in production and have interviewed Ethel, Ethel's family, former RCA colleagues and friends, and significant figures in the recording industry today. They have visited SONY archives and have access to Ethel's personal archives, and continue to uncover more information about Ethel's career.

Ethel Gabriel broke barriers throughout her sweeping career in the music industry.

Gabriel was the first woman record producer for a major music label (RCA) and the first woman A&R producer in the industry. But her contributions and achievements have been mostly unrecognized. Living Sound portrays how this remarkable woman–and the music and technology she ushered in during her five-decade career–has persevered. Gabriel's story has never been told until now, just as the music industry is starting to reflect on its own deeply entrenched issues with inclusion and diversity.

Music has always been the throughline for Ethel Gabriel's life and career. Despite obstacles, she found a way to turn her love of music into a successful career. The film follows her early life as a trombonist and bandleader (playing for wounded soldiers during World War II), and her early years at RCA, where she affixed labels and packed records at the RCA Victor Camden plant. In the 1950s, Ethel worked with RCA legend Steve Sholes, through the signing of hip-swingin' Elvis Presley to RCA, and the opening of Nashville's RCA Studio. In the A&R department, Ethel had a magic touch with albums of compilations and re-released works. Her A&R work spanned across nearly every artist on the RCA catalogue during her time–including Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Perry Como, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey. The film uncovers how Gabriel, each step of the way, shattered the glass ceiling en route to becoming the legend she is today.

Weaving archival footage with music that Gabriel discovered and produced, the film juxtaposes Gabriel's memories with interviews of influential music industry figures and family members. The film portrays her huge (yet largely unrecognized) influence on music and technology, as well as the path she forged for women in the industry. Even as the memories fade, Ethel Gabriel's music and legacy remain.

Special Mentions:

Steve Walsh Gofund Me, Living Sound, Roadie Free Radio Merch, RFR Podcast Bundle, Follow Your Drishti Yoga Podcast, roadiecare.com, musicares.org, Roswell Pro Audio Mini K87