Meet Patricia Polgar | Audio Engineer

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

Hi Patricia, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balance is very important to me. I work hard, but I need time for myself as well. I rather be alone than around a bunch of people, so I need some alone time every day even if it’s for an hour. Meditation, pilates, reading are also helping me to stay focused.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started as a guitar player at a very young age and my dream was to get into music school and be a full time musician. First time I performed on stage, I didn’t feel comfortable at all. I was extremely nervous and I couldn’t concentrate. For years I was struggling because I wasn’t’ sure what to do with my passion for music. I got into A&R, artist management, but I missed the creativity. After a visit with some friends to a recording studio in Arizona, something shifted. I wanted to learn everything about getting the right recording, the knobs on the SSL mix board. Couple years later, I moved to the US and graduated as an audio engineer in Las Vegas, Nevada. It wasn’t an easy ride, but nothing can make you stronger than a move across the world and figure things out on your own. From my perspective, coming from a different background and growing up around pop and rock music in Europe, it definitely sets me apart from other mixing engineers. I am a very goal-oriented person and whenever I work on a project, I want to make sure I micro-managed all my tasks, and of course the mix or vocal production I have my hands on is pushed the song to another level.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely drive all the way to Laguna beach, and take them to all these local restaurants; Oak Laguna beach, The Deck. I am a super chill person, I don’t like going out to clubs or pool parties. I prefer to have meaningful conversations with my friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I feel very fortunate to have so many supportive people in my life. My parents have always believed in me and encouraged me to follow my dreams no matter how hard it is. I would like to thank Josh Gudwin, Christopher ‘ Chrishan ‘ Dotson, Luca Pretolesi for their mentorship and support in my career. Ultimately, shoutout to the Recording Academy, LA Chapter to make the effort and organize incredible events such as the Women In The Mix Craft Session where I had the privilage of speaking on a panel discussion alongside Lynne Earls, Ali Stone, Ebonie Smith and Qiana Conley.

Website: https://hoo.be/patyka

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

Image Credits
Marlon Lenard