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Breaking Down Barriers and Paving the Way for a New Generation
Leslie Ann Jones - Breaking Down Barriers and Paving the Way for a New Generation
By Savina Ciaramella
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Leslie Ann Jones is a force in the video game audio industry. She has recorded and mixed hundreds of AAA video game scores and has earned seven GRAMMYs, including two this year. Leslie began advocating for GRAMMY recognition for video game music in 2001. Her efforts along with other members of Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) helped recognize the importance of the artform in the music industry.
Music has always been a part of Leslie’s life. She grew up in a musical family with her mother, Helen Grayco, who was a singer and recording artist, and her father, Spike Jones, who performed with his band, Spike Jones and The City Slickers. Her passion for music blossomed at age 14 when she was given a Sears Silvertone electric guitar, and she has been making music ever since. Leslie was the first woman assistant engineer to be hired at ABC Studios, and was the first female National Officer of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). Leslie has had an illustrious career working at the Automatt Recording Studios in San Francisco, Capitol Studios in Hollywood, and since 1997 she has held the position of Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound in Marin County recording and mixing music for records, films, television, and video games. She has produced numerous recordings that feature and promote women musicians.
Leslie has contributed to numerous awardwinning scores across all screens and has been honored with several awards and recognitions throughout her career. In 2019, she was inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame, and was presented with the award by her friend and colleague, Herbie Hancock. This year, she was presented with the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards show. Not only has Leslie trailblazed her way throughout the industry for herself, she has also paved the way for many women.
Audio Source: It’s great to talk with you, Leslie. Let’s start from the beginning. You grew up in a highly recognizable musical family. What was that like, and how did your musical journey lead you to becoming an engineer?
Leslie: My mother and father both influenced my musical taste, and I was a big fan of contemporary music when I was growing up. My cousin, Tony Greco Jr., was a songwriter, and soon he and other cousins and I formed a vocal group. I was about 15 at the time. We had a blast, and even though nothing was ever released, we did get to record with musicians from the Wrecking Crew and other greats like Glen Campbell. I never thought about engineering then, but I knew enough that I was never going to be as good as the players I admired. Fortunately for me, sound and I found each other, and I realized the impact I could have on other bands’ sound just by moving some faders. I was hooked!
Audio Source: That’s a great story, and now you are one of the most sought after recording and mixing engineers. How did you navigate that in a male-dominated profession?
Leslie: I guess I just didn’t think about it. I knew I was one of the few, but at ABC where I first started, so many of the other engineers took me under their wing. I had great mentors who must have seen something in me. They wanted me to succeed, and for that I will be forever grateful. People like Barney Perkins, Reggie Dozier and especially Roy Halee.
Audio Source: It’s remarkable that you had so many generous and talented mentors to guide and support you in the early days. You have recorded hundreds of scores and albums with world-renowned composers and recording artists. What are some of your most memorable projects?
Leslie: That is always so hard for me to answer as I love so many of the projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on. Some highlights would be filling in for an engineer and working with Renée Fleming, my first sessions with Rosemary Clooney, working with Lisa Fischer and Jean-Christophe Maillard on a Lines Ballet project, and spending a day with Steve Vai recreating his amazing guitar parts from Halo 2. What a virtuoso!
Audio Source: Most definitely, and given your vast career, it’s understandable why it’s difficult to highlight only a few projects. You sit on the board of many organizations, including Game Audio Network Guild, Recording Academy, Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program at SFCM, and The Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, MA, which is a performing and recording institute with a nonprofit mission to support women and girls in music and music-related business. Please tell us about your experience as an advocate and mentor, and how that has helped shape your own career by giving back to the community?
Leslie: Well, when I was starting out there were no women to look up to, so it has been important to be visible, to be out and be present. As they say, you can’t be it if you can’t see it. I am fortunate now to have a platform, and I try to make the most of it. Also, my involvement in the Recording Academy really gave me a voice and the ability to be in leadership positions.
Audio Source: It’s terrific that you are able to give young women hope for a fulfilling future doing what they love to do as boundaries and stereotypes are diminishing. The game audio industry was happily surprised this year when the Recording Academy finally added a category to the ballot for “Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media.” You were on the original
committee that spearheaded this initiative over 20 years ago. What has changed in the last 20 years to get the proposal passed?
Leslie: Well, music changes, attitudes change and scores have changed. Video game music has become so much more sophisticated over these past 20 years with highly skilled and celebrated composers in the game industry, and now you have feature film composers also composing for games. I think the combination of the two makes a big difference, and hopefully we will get a lot of submissions. The time was right.
Audio Source: It’s a very exciting time, and we’re all looking forward to the GRAMMY results in February! What are some of the highlights of your career, and do you have any words of wisdom for the next generation of female engineers? Leslie: I know this sounds corny, but every day that I walk into a studio and get to sit in the big chair and witness great art being made is a good day. I love what I do and love my Skywalker family who support me in every way possible. I also love being challenged, so I don’t shy away from things that even to this day might be a bit of a stretch. That has always been true. And I have a life outside of work…or try to. Having that outside perspective is very important. If I had one highlight to mention it would be getting hired at Skywalker in 1997. What an incredible place to work, surrounded by such talent. It’s the kind of place that just makes you want to be the best you can be, and I think that culture translates to how we work with clients. Skywalker was created to service George Lucas and his films, so in the end we are a “yes” company and very artist driven. It is a very creative environment.
My words of wisdom? Find a mentor, don’t try to do everything yourself, and say, “Yes.” Oh, and don’t make plans on a Friday night!
Audio Source: That’s great advice, and Skywalker certainly is a magical place that inspires creativity, productivity, and wellness. I know you enjoy making and sharing wine. What are your other interests and hobbies?
Leslie: I love food and cooking, spending time with friends, and going to concerts from Opera to Rosanne Cash.
Audio Source: You have a lovely work-life balance, and you’re an inspiration to all women. Thank you for your tremendous contributions to G.A.N.G. and the game audio community!
