PROFILE
JEFFREY HOLDIP
By Megan Beam
G
rowing up in the early ‘60s in the
St. Clair and Caledonia area of
Toronto – also known as Little
Italy – Jeffrey Holdip was im-
mersed in music from a young
age. Following in the footsteps of his uncle,
a square dance fiddle player, Holdip picked
up the instrument in his youth and never
looked back.
It was in his later high school years,
though, that Holdip first started
experimenting with sound.
“There was a band that would
rehearse in my community – a
reggae band – and that’s where
I learned to do sound,” he recalls.
“I said, ‘Oh, this is something
I could do’ and that’s where it
started. That’s where I first fell
in love with mixing sound.” Such
are the origins of what’s since
become a very diverse and suc-
cessful career.
After starting profession-
ally in 1981, Holdip’s focus was
on reggae, and as his career
progressed, he found himself
mixing just about every reggae
act going through Toronto at
the time. That’s how he met
influential figures like musician,
composer, and producer Terry
Wilkins, who introduced him to
all kinds of artists and industry
professionals and helped grow
his network.
Working with artists like Billy
Bryans and Parachute Club’s
Lorraine Segato, Holdip main-
tained a focus on reggae and
other Caribbean styles through
to the late ‘90s, which is where
he ventured outside of his comfort zone to
work with Toronto-b ased blues rock band
Big Sugar. “They were at the height of their
career at the time, so that was really exciting,”
says Holdip.
It was in the year 2000 that Holdip
embarked on what would become a 13-
year journey with Canadian pop star Nelly
Furtado. During that time, Holdip was also
keeping busy with other artists, including
talent out of the U.K. and Portugal.
While he continues to mix live sound for
a host of popular and rising bands, he’s found
himself taking on more studio work of late.
Holdip says his most significant chal-
lenge lately has been navigating the ever-
changing digital world. He says technology
can simultaneously simplify and complicate
his life and work, and he puts a lot of time
into keeping up with current products and
platforms to always be producing his best
possible work, regardless of whether he’s
mixing a live show or studio session.
“There’s just so much more you need
to be prepared for. ‘Oh okay, what kind of
console they have?’ Oh jeez, now you've
got to go build that file. There’s a lot more
work that goes into it before I even show
up to the venue. For me, that’s my biggest
bugaboo these days, just having to stay on
top of all that.”
Even so, Holdip recognizes the benefits
these incoming technologies can offer.
“When you can just walk into an arena and
get a half decent mix out of it on the fly? It’s
a good deal. That’s something that didn’t
really happen back in the day.”
Collaborating with artists remains Hol-
dip’s favourite part about working in the
live sound industry. It’s difficult for him to
explain, but he says when there’s a
connection between the vocalist,
the musicians, and the audio engi-
neer, it can produce really special
results, and those are the experi-
ences that keep him passionate
about his work.
With the atmosphere of the
industry constantly changing and
forcing even longtime veterans to
adapt, Holdip encourages young
people entering the industry to
keep their skillset diverse and be
willing to take on as many audio-
related jobs as they can – studio
work, theatre, broadcast, whatever.
It’s all about keeping busy, build-
ing your resume, and expanding
your network, which is particularly
important in a small and tight-knit
industry like the Canadian pro
audio world.
When a stressful day on the
job comes to a close, Holdip likes
to cut loose with his 16-year-old
son. Parenting is a big but enjoy-
able responsibility, he says, and has
taught him a lot over the years. He
adds that genealogy is one of his
major hobbies, and that when the
opportunity arises, he loves get-
ting out and doing some fishing.
“If I could fish every day, that’s what I’d be
doing,” he says.
As 2017 approaches its halfway point,
Holdip says he’s looking forward to the
coming months, though he has a few irons
in the fire that he’s not able to disclose at
this point. Overall, though, he plans to just
enjoy his work and keep happy and healthy
to enjoy more time behind the console, on
the water, and with his family.
Megan Beam is a freelance writer and former editorial assistant with Professional Sound.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 21