Meet Kara Snethlage | Mixing & Recording Engineer | Guitarist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Snethlage and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
As humans it’s in our DNA to explore, to discover and to grow as individuals and as part of a larger community. This is how we have managed to became who and what we are today, and at the root of it all is the courage to take risks and carve out a path into the unknown. It is this sentiment that leads me to believe very strongly that anything that has the potential for greatness involves a certain degree of risk, and when that risk is handled with intention and deep consideration it pays off more often than not. I view the nature of my work as an engineer and musician as an echoing of this, where I need to identify the risks and carefully consider the rewards that may follow versus what’s at stake in every decision I make along the creative process. In my life, I have taken some risks that have not paid off at all, but these were usually in times where I’ve used a bit too much head and not enough heart in deciding whether or not to go for it. When I first considered coming to the US to pursue my dream and study music production and engineering at Berklee the risk was completely unfeasible financially because I only had enough funding for my first semester, but I allowed my heart to take the wheel because I knew it wasn’t impossible to work around, and while my journey has been challenging I am now in my second year in the US going strong and making strides far greater than my imagination would have been able to conjure before I came here. So nowadays when I take risks, which is pretty much every step of the way in every mix, recording session or live performance, I allow myself to be informed by my heart as well as the logistical reality and try to find a happy medium between the two. Risk assessment doesn’t always have to be a clinical process and risk taking doesn’t necessarily have to be reckless or ill-thought through.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to view my current point in my artistry as being a focused mixing and recording engineer, as well as being a guitar player. At the moment I get the most joy from recording and mixing, and my guitar playing serves as more of a creative outlet and a tool to inform my engineering. Things used to be quite different for me and I started out as a guitar player in South Africa, primarily playing for church events and the odd theatre show here and there, which later developed into playing a little on the Jazz scene in Cape Town and thanks to the consistent help and teachings of my mentor and master guitar player, Allou April, I developed my own sound which was a unique blend of South African traditional styles such as Ghoema and marabi, and jazz. When I applied for Berklee, I came in with the idea that I’d become a rip roaring Jazz guitarist, but after taking a Protools class in my first semester I very soon realised that my passion for engineering was too overwhelming not to explore and I redirected my path to being an engineer/guitarist hybrid. I have been deeply immersing myself in the discipline of engineering ever since and that joy recording and mixing has bought me is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. As a recording engineer I make it a priority to honor the fact that the studio is a sacred and vulnerable space for the artist to be in, to understand and facilitate the chemistry between musicians in the studio, and to make them feel comfortable and seen so that they can play to the best of their ability and enjoy the process. As a mixing engineer I use my skills as a musician to view the music in terms of its arrangement, performance, and heart, as well as my engineering skills to augment those vital elements and honor the song as best I can. The road to my craft improving is an ongoing journey as it is for many, and the road thus far has been paved by very many mentors and teachers, love and support from a plethora of extremely talented and wonderful people, who were patient and selfless in teaching me the ways of engineering and musicianship. I have been very blessed to have been taught the value of enjoying challenges and embracing curveballs by the people I look up to, and even more blessed to have been shown the ropes and built a sturdy foundation by those same people. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and in my case it took a village to raise this musician! I’m proud to say my journey was shaped by loving hands and I have been allowed to grow as an engineer under the counsel of world class professionals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The food is insane! I’d definitely take them to a few of the great tacos spots like Sonoratown – I love getting cabeza tacos from there – and Hugo’s taco truck. Koreatown some great food, particularly a Tofu house called BCD Tofu House. I’d definitely take them to the Forrest Gump themed restaurant on Santa Monica for the vibes, and probably see if we could catch a fish off the pier while we’re at it. There are so many great surf spots scattered on the coast, and it would be great to just take a day with some snacks and chase the surf from spot to spot. You can’t go wrong with a good pacific coast highway drive, and a stop over at Malibu on the way, and a walk along the Santa Monica & Venice beach path, past the iconic Venics Beach skatepark. The hikes are also stunning, and while I’ve only been on a few around the green belts along the Palisades none of them have disappointed. LA is one of these places that are so brimming with life and variety that all kinds of people would feel like one week is just not enough time in this awesome city!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my unwaveringly supportive and inspiring parents, who have tirelessly worked to give me a joyful life and raise me to live a life worth living. And to all of my mentors, teachers and friends who have sown into my journey with love and kindness along the way (I would need a separate interview just to name you all and talk about you!). I would also like to thank the individuals and organisations that have made my studies at Berklee possible, such as the South African National Arts Council, the Ackermanns and the Berklee Financial Aid Department.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karafromthesahara/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmeerkatjie/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karasnethlage9004

Image Credits
Leo Do Gregory Franz