Film and Theater Sound Designer, Filmmaker

Oakland, CA

Early in James LeBrecht’s career, when he was told “no,” he came back with “why not?” “I pushed as hard as I could to be given a chance to prove myself,” he said. “And I was right—I could do that job!” 

LeBrecht, who was born with spina bifida and today uses a motorized wheelchair, says he’s grateful for early experiences that taught him how to adapt. “I think that my disability has forced me to be disciplined in my work,” he said. “I have felt the need to be better than everyone else so as to overcome the negative stereotypes of being disabled that I grew up with. I strive to work at a high level of competency, because my survival depends on it. So, my disability has been a motivator for me to excel. And that motivation has served me well.”

The seeds of LeBrecht’s career in sound design were planted in high school, when he “fell in with the drama crowd” and made sound cues for several high school theater productions. Later, during college at the University of California-San Diego, he sought out the drama department and found summer work at some regional theaters, which in turn connected him with the Berkeley Repertory Theater, where he became the resident sound designer for ten years. From there, he transitioned to working in post-production audio for film, which has been his life’s passion ever since.

LeBrecht founded Berkeley Sound Artists, an audio post-production house located in Berkeley, California. His sound credits include several notable films, including The Blood of Yingzhou District, which won the Academy Award for short documentary in 2006. He co-directed and co-produced, with Nicole Newnham, the award-winning feature-length documentary Crip Camp, which is an untold story about disabled teens and the legacy of the community that thrived out of their revolutionary summer camp. “[It] continues to be the highlight of my life in the arts,” he said.

LeBrecht maintains that it’s important to find a career that you love. He advises other aspiring artists, including those with disabilities, to research various professions. “Don’t be shy about contacting someone that does what you want to do and ask for an informational interview,” he said. “Find your community. Don’t be afraid to fail. It might not feel so good, but if you aren’t going to risk failure, you may not reach the heights that you want to get to.”