We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allie McSwain. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allie below.

Allie, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

Breathe. No, really, take a moment to pause and breathe.
Somewhere early in my career, I started taking everything way too seriously. When I worked as a live sound engineer at bars and clubs in New York City, I would begin every gig in full panic mode. I expected things to go wrong and always had plans A, B, and C running through my mind, all while keeping a straight face and making sure everyone around me was taken care of.
I think this mentality stemmed from hearing over and over from professors that the live sound industry is “sink or swim,” and that if you’re not “on” 100% of the time, you’ll fail, or worse, find yourself out of a job. I would leave those gigs exhausted, yet fulfilled. I loved the adrenaline, but I didn’t realize how much of a toll it was taking on my body.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that taking a moment to reconnect with yourself and your body is essential to staying afloat. You simply cannot live in panic mode all day, every day. Eventually, you’ll burn out.
I’ve learned that being prepared and being present are not the same thing. Some of the best work happens when you’re calm enough to trust yourself. Breathe.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always been a music nerd. I loved being in chorus in elementary school and quickly discovered that I had a knack for reading sheet music. I was the kid in sixth grade who wanted to win all the awards in our “note naming ” competitions.
I’ve also always loved the idea of entrepreneurship. My grandmother owned her own barbershop, and I spent many afternoons there after school. I thought it was incredible that she had built a place where she could do what she loved. She would often employ people who had been overlooked or didn’t have opportunities elsewhere. Watching her taught me to see the potential in people who are sometimes counted out and to understand the importance of creating opportunities for others.
I was always fascinated by the intersection of music and entrepreneurship. For the longest time, I envisioned a career in the music business as an artist agent. That passion led me to the recording studio at Jacksonville University. However, instead of falling in love with the artist management side of the industry, I fell in love with the technology behind the studio. I became fascinated with microphones, mixing consoles, signal flow, and the technical aspects of recording. That passion inspired me to continue my education in Music Technology at New York University.
Since then, I have continued to pursue audio engineering and community building, combining my love for creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship. At the core of everything I do is a desire to tell stories, create opportunities, and build spaces where people can connect and grow.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Shortly after graduating from New York University, I started having seizures. Five months later, I was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy. Doctors are still unsure what triggers my epilepsy, but medication has allowed me to remain seizure-free for the past three years.
For as long as I could remember, New York City had been my dream. I thought I would stay there for at least a few more years, but life had other plans and brought me to Kansas City. Starting over in a new city meant having to network harder than ever and constantly find new and innovative ways to stay creative.
Since moving to Kansas City, I have helped rekindle the local Audio Engineering Society chapter, which had been inactive for several years before I joined. Through that effort, I have helped create a space where fellow audio engineers can connect, collaborate, and discuss the future of audio engineering.
What initially felt like an unexpected detour ultimately became an opportunity to build community, adapt, and grow.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Authenticity. There is so much fakeness in the world, especially with social media and everyone trying to fit a certain mold or aesthetic. It’s hard to find people who are genuinely and truly themselves.

My childhood has been a huge motivator in my artistry, to be honest. I was a very shy and quiet kid who always expressed herself through scrapbooking and art projects. Every Christmas Eve, I would completely destroy my room trying to hot-glue together handmade gifts. I wasn’t always the “straight-A” student, but I was always the one going the extra mile with PowerPoints and science fair projects.
I’ve always loved the idea of telling a story, no matter what I was doing. My story is authentic to me, and it makes me who I am. I don’t have to hide my illness, and I don’t have to make myself smaller to fit into a room full of people. I am who I am, and if people resonate with that, that’s incredible. But if they don’t, there are plenty of fish in the sea.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://allie.mcswainmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcswain.music/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-mcswain-99bbba177/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mcswainmusic

Image Credits

Bentley Mahakijkittichai Raquel Delgado