I'm a musician, turned producer, turned global music tech education innovator and founder of Girls Twiddling Knobs, and since 2018 I've worked tirelessly to help more women take up space in music through harnessing the magical superpowers of self-recording and production.
Hi, I'm Isobel
My own self-released, self-produced music has amassed nearly 30 million Spotify streams, been broadcast on stations like BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 and 6 Music and I have a PhD in Sonic Arts - 'Dr Anderson' never gets old...
And yes, there's a path of mistakes, set backs and challenges that lead me to where I am today.
Let me tell you how I got here
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2008
Working full time in London, commuting two hours a day, playing endless gigs with no momentum.
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Suffering from chronic insomnia, my hopes of getting signed by a label seemed dashed and I knew something had to change.
Belfast, here I come!
2009
Left everything behind to take up a scholarship to study for an MA in Sonic Arts in Belfast.
2010
Graduate with a First and awarded an AHRC scholarship to study for a Sonic Arts PhD. Release my debut album, Cold Water Songs.
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My diy journey begins
2011
Release my 2nd album, Dark Path, this time with funding for merch and recording costs and an endorsement from Jamie Cullum on Radio 2.
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Told I'm, "like a piece of meat that just hadn't been cooked yet" by a London A&R guy. Nice! :-/
2012
Start playing bigger and better gigs, including Glastonbury's acoustic stage.
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Also develop tinnitus after an ear infection, which turns my world upside down.
Glasto' 2012
2014
Move back to Belfast and restart my academic studies. Also release In My Garden with huge love from Lauren Laverne on her BBC 6 Music show. Still with pain but much improved.
2013
Made the difficult decision to put my music and PhD on hold after developing debilitating pelvic pain.
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Record my 3rd album, In My Garden, which gives me a purpose in an otherwise immensely challenging time.
Dr of Sonic Arts
2015
Graduate with a PhD in Sonic Arts from Queen's University Belfast.
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My music starts racking up millions of streams on Spotify and I start making a full-time income as an artist.
2017
Supported by PRSF's Women Make Music Fund to release my 4th and most ambitious album to date, CHALK / FLINT.
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But after straining my voice and battling with chronic pain for many years, I once again step back from my music career.
My favourite music video
2018
Not wanting to waste the skills and experience I've gained as a DIY artist, and eager to see positive change in the industry, I launch The Female DIY Musician - an online resource offering support and community for women in music.
2020
Lockdown hits, but this gives me the space to finally launch my first ever online course, Home Recording Academy, after noticing a dire need for women-celebrating music tech training.
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I also launch the Girls Twiddling Knobs podcast in November that year.
I start teaching online
2021
I go full time with The Female DIY Musician, providing online music tech training to thousands of women all over the world and seeing my students release music they've proudly recorded and produced themselves.
I'm also shortlisted for a 'Best Podcast Host' Lovie Award.
2022
Continued to develop more programmes in music tech mindset, home recording, music production and field recording, cementing my position as a global music tech education innovator.
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Shortlisted for a We Are Tech Women Award and elected for the Musicians' Union Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
GTK for the win!
2023
Girls Twiddling Knobs hits over 100K downloads, 90+ episodes and 50+ guests.
Over 500 women have gone through Home Recording Academy and 30K+ musicians have taken one or more of our online trainings.
2024
The Female DIY Musician is rebranded as Girls Twiddling Knobs. Let the journey continue!
I now have the honour of helping other women, like you, sidestep years of imposter syndrome and failed attempts and actually record and release amazing music.
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How?
By making the recording process feel creative and personal.
I teach the 'why' and not just the 'what' of music tech
Not knowing everything is 100% normal and OK.
Don't get me wrong - I love teaching the technical process of recording and producing music and sound, and having a foundational knowledge can give you an enormous sense of confidence in your craft.
But what makes the best recordings? being led by a sense of creativity and self expression at every stage of the process. ​
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I help my students embrace their intuition, imperfections and experimentation so they can create music that truly stands out. And my non judgemental, easy-to-understand, step-by-step teaching style has helped *literally* thousands of women from all over the world start recording and producing, when other music tech courses and
communities felt overwhelming, unwelcoming and judgmental.
Many of my students had music buzzing around in their heads, keeping them up at night for months or even years, unable to find an affordable, effective or rewarding way to record and share it with the world. Now, they're recording and producing their music, fully in control of the process and releasing it on their terms.
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Did it take a little work? Sure. Was there a learning curve? Yep. Was it the best thing they ever did for their music? 100%!
But don't take it from me. There's dozens of student success stories that say it best.
SO, THERE'S JUST ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU
Are You Ready?
If you're tired of waiting months or years for free time in other people's studios or ££££s to finally book one yourself...
Or your done feeling disrespected and undervalued in these spaces...
And the music you've recorded before just never felt like yours...
And if reading about my students and I's stories of creative empowerment through self-recording and production has got thinking, "Maybe, just maybe, there's a better way..."
It's time to start your recording & production journey
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Stay In The Loop!
Join the exclusive Girls Twiddling Knobs email list to receive Isobel's weekly emails delivered straight to your inbox.
Expect a heady of mix of music production tips and tricks, #realtalk on all things being a woman in music and first dibs on our new trainings, opportunities and insider news :)
