Air Edel’s Maggie Rodford joins prestigious Sound Fellowship at annual recording industry lunch
FOR THE sixth year running, the APRS and its guests and friends gathered at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London to induct six outstanding people into the APRS Sound Fellowship. RØDE, Genelec and API – in conjunction with their UK distributor Source Distribution – were this year’s platinum sponsors of the annual event, once again hosted by Sir George and Lady Judy Martin. For the first time, a female joined the ranks of honoured engineers and producers – Maggie Rodford, managing director of Air Edel studios. Every November, the Sound
Fellowship Awards Lunch recognises six individuals who have made a significant contribution to the art, science or business of sound recording. With the room filled to
capacity with some of the UK’s leading recording industry figures, Source was particularly pleased to be joined at its table by Jarmo Masko of Genelec and engineer/producers John Leckie, Guy Massey, Andrew Hunt and Tom Morris, along with Keith Malin of pro-audio retailer KMR. David Hamilton-Smith and Peter Filleul acted as joint MCs for the lunch, while keeping light-hearted buffoonery levels high. The annual Harewood Toast
was delivered by Alison Wenham, chief executive of AIM (Association of Independent Music). This toast provides an
thanked Veale for his innovative approach to studio design which led to the creation of Townshend’s floating Dutch barge studio, created by Veale in the early ’80s and still in use today.
Maggie Rodford (centre) with staff from Air Edel studios
opportunity for a prominent member of the music, film and TV businesses to speak about the relationship they have with the studios and service providers that make their products. Wenham, noted for her outspoken views, gave an engaging insight into the challenges involved in operating a small independent record label in the current climate of large-scale record company mergers and acquisitions – and did not shy away from criticising those she feels do more harm than good. As well as Rodford,
Fellowships were also bestowed on acoustic engineer and studio designer Eddie Veale and prolific audio journalist John Borwick; all three were present to accept them.
Borwick – author of industry
bible Sound Recording Practice – described how he “thought about retiring when I was 79 – nine years ago”. He poignantly described how he now spends time listening to his record collection, “while the faces of the people concerned float around above me”. Veale becomes the first acoustician to receive the Fellowship. In a video message, Fellow recipient and Who guitarist Pete Townshend
Another first saw Rodford become the first female to become a Fellow. In a citation, British Grove’s Dave Harries suggested that via Air Edel, Rodford had created the most “successful film and TV studio in the western world”.
Fellowship Awards were
also presented to rock legends David Gilmour, and Grammy award-winning engineer and producer Bruce Swedien, none of whom were available to receive the award in person (and found themselves subject to Hamilton-Smith’s gentle ribbing). Finally, US record producer and writer Joe Boyd – an award winner at last year’s Sound Fellowship Lunch – gave the President’s toast in honour of Sir George Martin. n www.aprs.co.uk
+ More of Joe Boyd’s thoughts on producing on p50
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Source’s Howard Jones (left) and HHB’s Ian Jones (right) with guests