With this series, we bring together the experiences and perspectives of women and non-binary people in the music business. In 2025, we take a look behind the scenes and focus on the people beside the musicians. Regardless of quotas, so-called categories or classifications, it takes 100% of us to stand up for feminism to have the greatest impact.
What kind of support have you received in the course of your career? Where would you have liked (more) support?
Marlene Brüggemann: The financial support from waffs – the Vienna Employee Assistance Fund – was particularly helpful at the beginning. As I had neither a rich family to support me nor a well-paid job or capital, this made it easier for me to get into sound engineering.
The support from my mentors Gitti Petri, Bernd Neuwirth and Oliver Brunbauer was priceless. All three sound engineers showed me their day-to-day work even before I went freelance and gave me small sound engineering tasks. This allowed me to gain experience, make contacts and have someone to talk to when needed.
I would have liked to have had a point of contact or reference who was familiar with the day-to-day work of self-employed event technicians and offered professional psychological support. The rather complex and peculiar nature of the profession does pose its own special challenges. After a few years, I found a great balance for myself in supervision.
How and where did you gain experience in the music industry?
Marlene Brüggemann: HANDS ON, EARS OUT! Just do it and work as many gigs and jobs as possible. Getting to know people and venues is the best thing that can happen to you at the beginning. As the event industry in the DACH region and especially in Austria is not particularly large, the likelihood of meeting someone again is very high. I have learned and continue to learn a lot from my colleagues.
“Pressure to perform and performance anxiety are not unusual for anyone who works so much in front of an audience, with frequently changing teams and UNDER massive time pressure.”
What were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Marlene Brüggemann: Access to professional material was a hurdle at the beginning. When I didn’t know many colleagues, my internships at the Arena Wien and Konzerthaus Wien were particularly valuable. Now I can just call up colleagues when I need something. I’m in the fortunate position that most event technicians are very happy to help and support each other.
I don’t think pressure to perform and performance anxiety are unusual for anyone who works so much in front of an audience, with frequently changing teams and under massive time pressure. It’s a process that is not over for me. It helps me to plan strict breaks after intensive phases of work, to seek therapy, to read books on mental health and technology and to spend quality time with friends outside of work. I recommend, for example, “Touring and Mental Health. The Music Industry Manual” by Tamsin Embleton.
Did you have role models in your environment that you could look to for guidance?
Marlene Brüggemann: My mentors at the beginning and then actually all my colleagues who, in my opinion, do a good job, i.e. do high-quality technical work and are interpersonally accessible.
I am particularly impressed by event technicians who are on the spectrum of neurodiversity, who have addictions, chronic mental and physical illnesses, who take good care of themselves and others despite massive external pressures.
“Most event technicians are very happy to help and support each other.”
How can women and non-binary support each other and promote solidarity in their professional environment? What can you/what can you pass on to the next generation?
Marlene Brüggemann: For several years, I worked intensively at the Pink Noise Camp, a low-threshold DIY music camp for female and non-binary teenagers. This experience and working together in a young female and non-binary team had a huge impact on me. Apart from that, it’s quite simple: finding or passing on well-paid jobs to women and non-binary people so that they can earn a living and stay in work for the long term.
What questions are you asked that, in your opinion, a man would never be asked?
Marlene Brüggemann: In an official job interview, I was asked by a technical manager how heavy, i.e. how many kilos, I can lift. Anyone who frequently deals with heavy material knows that it’s not just the net weight and muscle strength that determine whether the material is easy to handle or not, but the tools and technology available. This question gave me enough insight into the interviewer’s lack of professionalism to confidently turn down the job.
“I’m impressed by technicians who are on the spectrum of neurodiversity, who have addictions, chronic mental and physical illnesses, who take good care of themselves and others despite massive external pressures.”
Marlene “Marle” Brüggemann has been working independently as a sound engineer in various areas of the live event industry since 2018. Marle works with My Ugly Clementine, Voodoo Jürgens, CHRISTL and others.
Translated from the German original by Arianna Alfreds.