James Willets has been an audio engineer for the last 25 years. His work spans all the major careers in the field, starting in music at the prestigious Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, recording Foley and sound effects for film at The Saul Zaentz Film Center, freelancing at music studios in Boston, A/V and live sound around New England, and finally broadcast/podcast audio for news radio at WGBH and National Public Radio (NPR).
James has done everything from micing Santana’s guitars, driving shows like All Things Considered, booming Big Bird for the Sesame Street Tiny Desk Concert, and cleaning up podcasts like Planet Money.
Learn more about James and his work on his website: www.jameswilletts.com.
11 Questions with James Willets
We sat down with James to learn more about who he is, what he loves, and how he became a member of The Post. Here’s what he shared with us:
1. What wisdom would you offer to up-and-coming entrepreneurs and professionals?
Get a “biz” credit card. Only run that thing for business/deductible expenses, and run it for every business/deductible expense. Then, at the end of the year, get your year-end summary and those are your write-offs. If you need help deciding which one to get just see what Nerdwallet is fired up about lately.
2. What is the best advice you’ve been given?
My new favorite is from my friend Jim: “It’s an inside job.” It has so many layers and can be applied to almost everything.
One layer is that I have to remember my part in how or why things are the way they are and that it is my attitude that matters in dealing with things beyond my control.
3. What’s your favorite podcast and why?
Fear the Boot. Years ago, when I got started at WGBH, editing and mastering the podcast version of PRI’s The World (for the BBC), I wasn’t much of a podcast listener. I’d become a big TTRPG person in my adulthood as a way to do something that wasn’t tied to work or getting more work, and so I wanted to find a genre-neutral, system-agnostic podcast that sounded good. Since then I’ve visited Fear the Con in St. Louis to meet the hosts and brought them on as panelists for WashingCon in DC back in 2021. Great content, great sounding podcast, great people.
4. What’s your go-to holiday destination?
“Holiday,” as in, the Thanksgiving to New Year’s season? I tend to stay around here. If you mean “holiday” as a vacation, the best time I had was going to St. Louis, seeing friends, and renting a bike to ride all over town. My friend Julia (a Fear the Boot host) is talking about hosting more kid-friendly events, like going to the City Museum, so I can bring my tiny humans.
5. Could you share a bit about your morning routine and how it sets you up for a great day?
I’ve found my meditation ritual deepens a little if I walk around for a few minutes, so I do a little of my routine before that. I start with half a lemon and a ¼ teaspoon of himalayan salt in a glass of water, which my friend Chuck Worthy from my time drumming for The LustKillers told me about. Chuck is also a luthier at Gabriel’s Guitars on Broadway.
I also have some antihistamine eye drops in the fridge (a tip from a pharmacist) and make some French press from Savaya. Then it’s scoop the cat box and jump in the shower. Nothing too special.
6. What’s the best hack you know for improving focus and productivity?
Habitica. Even though it’s an attractive app for me as a gamer, what I love about it most is how it divides “habits” (things that are nice or bad that I need to practice or avoid) from “dailies” (which could mean things I need to do every day, every week, or every 21 days…) and “to-dos” (my bucket list of things with or without a deadline). Using a to-do list to “battle monsters with friends” and encourage each other is just a bonus.
7. What’s one skill everyone should master and why?
Meditation. Well, it’s kind of a trick answer, because I don’t believe meditation can be mastered. I think it can be applied in small moments throughout the day, so it needs to be practiced every day. “Practice”, as in, rehearsal; and “practice” as in a discipline. Having that skill to drill down and be present at the drop of a hat is high on my list.
8. What do you think is the best restaurant in Tucson and why?
I’ve got three: If someone’s visiting, Tohono Chul is a must, for the brunch, the atmosphere, and the walk through the park afterward. I think Truland Burgers are the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. I just get whatever the special is and trade in a vegetarian patty. It’s the perfect balance of melting in your mouth without falling apart in your hands. And then there’s a little unsung wonder in Marana called La Olla. Just go.
9. What’s your favorite way to take a break from screen time?
I find myself walking and reading. I’m honestly a terrible reader, so it’s a good excuse to do a little of both. Brushing my cats has become really therapeutic, as well.
10. What’s an essential philosophy or quote to ponder?
I think it was Immanuel Kant who said, “Act always so that you can will the maxim or determining principle of that action to become a universal law,” which is a really complicated version of the golden rule.
One for animal lovers from Irving Townsend that’s stuck with me: “We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan.”
11. How did you end up at The Post?
I moved from Washington DC to Arizona in July of 2020, and Tucson was already a very different place. I knew I needed the community of an office to work in, with other professionals to be around and break up my day. I toured The Post, gave it a shot, and have been here ever since.
I’m so used to working in an environment where everyone is collaborating and sitting either out in the open or all in the same studio, so the “Lord Foster” vibe at The Post is exactly what I was looking for. I’ve grown very appreciative of the community atmosphere, and really like all the folks I interact with whenever I’m there.
The best way to contact James is by email at james@jameswilletts.com.
You can also keep up with him on his website (jameswilletts.com), Twitter (@jameswilletts), Blue Sky (@jameswilletts.bsky.social), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/jameswilletts) or Instagram (@jameswillettsaudio).
You can also listen to James’ work:
- Planet Money Podcast – “AI Podcast 3.0: Dial M for Mechanization”
- Planet Money’s Indicator – “J&J tries the ‘Texas Two-Step’”
- Sesame Street: Tiny Desk Concert
- Bent Knee – “Sunshine” from Interrobang Records and DeSant Productions
- Maybe you’ve seen some of my work as a Foley recordist on iMDB.
- And lots more on jameswilletts.com/listen
- Tips on avoiding recording problems for interviews: “Catch audio problems in radio interviews — before they happen” on training.npr.org
If you’d like to learn more about the professional community at The Post and work alongside amazing members like James, contact us to book a tour today.