Auckland’s SAE Creative Media Institute has added musician and audio engineer Lora Thompson to the audio teaching team.

Lora is actively involved in promoting equality for women in the industry. She helped set up the NZ Women’s Music Industry Facebook group and is involved in other initiatives to help promote the audio industry as a viable career for women.

“I have long-term plans to work on the live sound component in the SAE offering. I’m looking forward to getting back in a studio environment, and passing on those skills,” she says.

Coming from a musical family Lora has always played in bands and began working in audio for theatre while studying for her Bachelor of Media Arts (Hons) through Wintec. She comes to SAE Auckland with a wealth of knowledge from over 10 years experience as an audio engineer, having spent the last four years as an AV tech at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre – while also taking vocals and guitar with her Hamilton-based alt-rock band, Cheshire Grimm. They opened for Ladi6, Devilskin and supported Cherie Currie (from Runaways) on her world tour around NZ, and has released two EPs, ‘Cheshire Grimm’, (2015) and ‘Rain or Shine’ (2017).