-Follow Your Passion and Act Passionately
As someone who felt the fire of live music early on, I have been pursuing a fulfilling career in Music ever since. At this point, having done sound for hundreds of different bands in dozens of venues, I am now set on getting more closely involved with the music I love. After all, I can be the greatest help to music that I can truly get behind. The best way to show you are passionate about something is to be completely dedicated to being the greatest at that thing. For me that means, surrounding myself with the greatest engineers and learning from their experiences, constant study of the principles of the industry (books, magazines, blogs, www), seeking new and interesting music, carefully observing and immediately integrating new techniques and attitudes, and working flawlessly when given the chance to work alongside great people of the business.
-Be A Lifelong Learner and Infinitely Self-Critical
I always make sure to keep ears, eyes and mind wide open to new ideas that will help my becoming a better engineer, musician, producer, listener and technician. It is tempting to read about a great way to engineer a show and immediately implement that technique into the show you are mixing. My hard and fast rule regarding mixing and engineering techniques is to ask: How does it affect the sound? I admit that the number of blinking lights in front of you at a mixing console can be mesmerizing. There is a strong temptation to mix by what you see, not by what you hear. That is why I find it so important to sometimes look away briefly and ask myself a few questions: What is this piece of gear doing to change the sound? Is it improving the mix? Is the mix too loud? Is every element of the music clear and sounding as it should? Is the vocal sitting comfortably in the mix? One of my greatest strengths as an audio engineer is that I am my biggest critic. Every night I mix, I do a self-debrief and think about any problems that occurred and what I could have done better to resolve them. I don't dwell on my mistakes, but instead think the situation through until I figure out exactly what I should have done better and how, and apply this new approach to future situations in the show.
-Know Your Craft
Master musicians spend hours each day perfecting their craft. As the person through whom their music flows in a live setting or recording session, every sound engineer has the responsibility of spending the same time every day studying the science of sound, hearing, and the physics of electronics, ear-training, and listening to a LOT of music.
-Communicate Clearly and Tactfully
It has often been said that being a great audio engineer is half technical aptitude and half communication skills. As the guy at the controls of the show there are so many people that need to be happy with your work in order for the show to be considered a success. Among these are the musicians, audience, promoter, venue manager, production manager, and many more. On big productions there are many reputations at stake, large amounts of money invested, and as a consequence delicate - sometimes volatile - personalities emerge. It is crucial as an engineer to be able to communicate effectively with all of these personalities in such a way that feelings and egos are considered and problems are addressed professionally, all for the sake of the show.
-Be a Team-Player
On your own crew be safe and predictable, ask questions, communicate, take charge, lead by example, and waste no movement. When setting up sound gear for live concerts all personnel are on the same team - catering, engineering, bar staff, event suppliers, grounds crews, and production staff. In my view, we all want the same thing - a great show that people remember fondly, and that the performers enjoyed as well. Whether it is communicating with other crews to avoid set-backs or simply being polite, it is crucial to every show that there be teamwork amongst teams.
Young the Giant taken at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH. The oldest (and maybe most beautiful) rock music venue in the US!
Everest and I made a pit-stop at Devils Tower, WY - one of the most beautiful natural monuments in this incredible country.
Posts
