Here’s a statistic for you: women and non-binary folks hold just 18% of sound tech positions, with the remaining 82% being held by males. It’s a statistic that makes this article feel even more necessary.
Andrea Matchett is part of that 18%. That is to say, she is in the small percentage of female sound techs in Canada. But for Andrea, it always felt inevitable.
Andrea says she’s always been creative and musical; she stared singing at 5 years old. Over time, she picked up new instruments, developed her writing, and built a creative identity that would later influence her production work, but her introduction to the tech side of the music industry didn’t begin behind a mixing console.
“I was such an art freak. I loved the visual arts,” Matchett says.
That led her to the Fine Art program at Fanshawe College, but it didn’t take long for a shift, starting with a glance across the hall and an inherent curiosity.
“I pressed my face up against the window, and said what’s this?”
Inside was the Music Industry Arts production lab. She saw students with instruments in-hand, and they were building tracks from the ground up in near silence, wearing headphones.
“And then I was like, ‘I’m in the wrong program… that’s where I’m supposed to be,” Andrea says. This moment marked the monumental pivot in Matchett’s journey; she switched programs to learn how to produce her own music.
Upon graduating the MIA program, Andrea moved to Toronto to intern at a studio – a traditional “next step”. Again, that plan quickly shifted when her Dad suggested she take an unconventional approach and work for herself instead. She took his advice and produced independently while playing smaller venues, working as a stagehand for large concerts, and working for music editor/composer, Neil Parfitt. By 2011, Andrea had written, recorded, mixed and released her own solo EP, Words & Letters.
In 2015, Andrea moved back to Grey/Bruce to be closer to family, and studio production quietly took a backseat while her writing flowed. Studio production would slowly return as a focus in 2019 after meeting her spouse, Terry Marsh, and forming their band, Boiler Beach.
“If it fits, it sits, and where it sits, it rocks, and I do everything I can to make sure performers sounds great using my Behringer XR-18 wireless mixer and table”
Live performance was at the forefront of the band’s immediate goals, but recording and releasing original material came in at a close second.
For 7 years, the band released singles and a Christmas album while writing and recording songs for their first original album, Feel This Way. Once recording and editing were done, Andrea made an ambitious plan: to mix 13 tracks in 28 days. On paper it sounded easy, but time passed more quickly than anticipated, and she realized she needed to enlist the help of other mix engineers to meet the deadline. Ten engineers assisted, and the album was mastered by Siegfried Meier of Beach Road Studios.
Letting go of control wasn’t easy, but Matchett knew it was necessary, and Boiler Beach’s album Feel This Way became a fully collaborative effort.
“Frankly, I love how the collaboration turned out. I learned so much throughout this project, and I plan to delegate more while I keep practicing studio mixing – and I can’t wait to start our second album!” she says.
Her work on the tech side of the music industry doesn’t stop in-studio.
The scale of what Boiler Beach has built becomes more apparent behind the scenes. Boiler Beach is not just a band; they also have a 28-foot trailer that folds out to reveal a 16’x16’ stage with professional sound and lighting. The team can set up in locations that wouldn’t typically host live music, turning beaches, streets, and open spaces into full concert environments.
This same setup accommodates Fourth Rock Entertainment’s “Summer Sunset Music Series”, a monthly shoreline event that blends live performance with community fundraising. Bringing together local musicians, featured artists, and community organizations, the Series creates outdoor spaces for performance, connection, and support. Each event allows charities to raise funds while audiences experience accessible outdoor live music across Grey, Bruce, and Huron counties. It’s within this environment that Matchett is constantly balancing performance, production, and community.
“If it fits, it sits, and where it sits, it rocks,” Andrea says, “and I do everything I can to make sure performers sounds great using my Behringer XR-18 wireless mixer and tablet – when we’re not performing, of course!”
Between their mobile concert stage and their focus on collaboration and community, this flexibility has placed them at the centre of some standout moments. Some favourites were supporting Owen Sound’s first Pride Festival with a full lineup, DJs and a drag show, and performing at the Kincardine Scottish Festival where they collaborated with members of the Kincardine pipe band (documented in their biography, Party for a Living).
Andrea has also been spotted at local venues while sharing live mixing responsibilities with other bands during multi-band nights.
Plans for the upcoming season include bringing the Summer Sunset Music Series to additional waterfront communities, increasing the number of performances, and continuing to build relationships with local organizations. But, growth at this level comes with real costs: artist fees, equipment maintenance, transportation, and overall production all need to be sustained.
To keep the Series moving, Fourth Rock Entertainment (run by Terry Marsh) is actively seeking sponsorship support. Sponsors play a key role in keeping the Series accessible and impactful by supporting local artists, and giving community organizations a platform to connect and raise funds. In return, sponsors gain visibility across communities, on-stage recognition, and the opportunity to be part of blending music, culture, and community in a meaningful way.
Because for Andrea, and for Boiler Beach, this isn’t just about putting on a show; it’s about creating something that lives, moves, and leaves a lasting impact wherever it lands.
Keep an eye out for all things Boiler Beach in summer 2026, from the Summer Sunset Music Series to new music from Feel This Way, and tour dates rolling out. It’s just the beginning for this crew!
Written by Ashley Winters
