(An ongoing and growing diatribe... a perpetual rough draft)
I came into this world with a deep attachment to music. From the very beginning it moved me. I was indoctrinated early and exposed to all kinds from all places...
[[turning to the family]] Folks you did good!
A lost young man, I was pulled into the fold of the theater.. (the technical side) to embark on a historic path traveled by most of my immediate family.
Blessings to Kate Cell.. you saved me... Thank you for the firm yank on the arm!
I was in heaven... too much to do and it used ALL of me... I finally found my place...
Who Knew!
Well, They did.. I am at least a 3rd generation "theatre tribe".
As a green tech in UNC's Memorial Hall, the first sound board I saw was a Yamaha 8-channel, self-powered, piece of shit.. but I saw God. (Thanks Speedy!) I was completely engaged for the next 3 years . Whats a guy to do? Run wild in UNC's libraries... especially the Physics Library... scrounging everything I could; from the basics of "soundman cookbook's" through to entire tomes exploring the complexities of sound propagation and psycho acoustics!
I spent the next 15 years in the gut of the Entertainment Industry. I worked everything our "Little" Memorial Hall road house brought in: Ballet, Pilobolus, Michael Hedges , Husker Du. I worked with IATSE local 417, on the coliseum shows... then there was Duke.. fine facilities... almost no perceivable internal programs to use them... but boy did New York know it was there. Broadway had a habit of booking Duke facilities for a month or two and bring their shows down here to NC to prep 'em for the road. We had an enormously talented labor pool and yet had to be a 3rd of the cost.
I was exposed to so much so fast!
Rough weather makes good timber.
No life in entertainment can be complete with out tour. Three years on the road, full time as house engineer will make you good or kill you..
(oh.. by the way... you run lights too!)
I was in the right place at the right time when I joined "Mike Edwards and The Banned". I will Never forget that first night in that small ass joint in Richmond. Scared to death... felt Like I was in way over my head. The Banned didn't hold back.. they unleashed a monsterous taste of their 250 plus song repertoire of cover tunes, from lush harmonies of CSNY to the (famous) 36 minute Pink Floyd Medley from hell.
I learned so much.. we all did.. not just our crafts, but about life on this gyro rock covered with dancing monkeys.
Like ? - If you are on the road and your wife is not.. NEVER call home and show any glimpse that you are having fun.
- I have Irish genes
- A Peavey Mark IV 24 sound board is the work of the devil-- you WILL get gain structure of spend your life in distortion hell.
- Time travel does exist! Take a road trip and talk constantly from one end to the other- it will seem like 1/3rd of the time.
- You can drive while you are asleep.. ie wake up or return to consciousness at the wheel.
I learned soo much.. we all did.
I got real good.. had to... was one hell of a lab.
Take the same stuff (gear and personalities) and make it work in places that should never see Rock or Roll one night... the next night do a outdoor concert for 6,000.
Thanks Mike E.!
Burnout and the desire for a life and companionship (Hi Dana!)... leads to bouts of "house engineerism"..
I came home and stared at the world for a bit... then took over and sat in the house sound seat of the Carolina Theater for 2 years.
YARH! Yet Another Road House...
We did it all.. ballet to rock.. jazz to broadway, Community opera to corporate gigs..
what !? pugh plehh yech!
Yep physically attached to big ass hotel they booked corporate gigs... up early and stoooopid requests. I like the Carolina but it was cursed by an evil director who thought technicians were not and should be replaced by immigrant workers and paid accordingly. It was a pity.. the Carolina could have been wonderful.
Everyone was overworked... The trickle down effect of information caused poor schedule management and my eventful burn out. Here's the scenario.. As a freelance technician your goal is to fill your calendar with a reasonable schedule.
You are offered bookings.. you take them based on your cost/benefit and how many long calls you already have.
The Assistant Tech Directors at the Carolina Theater never knew how long a call would be.. So I accept the gig not wanting to turn down work.
Inevitably, 3 weeks later I would have 3 days of 12 to 18 hour calls back to back with an 8am call on the forth day.
Simple insanity and no benefits or insurance to boot.
Duke University's Technical Services offered me a position. I functioned as their lead Audio Engineer but also did crap like deliver slide projectors.. Tech Services was responsible for all of the non theater performance spaces, including the PA and scoring systems for the Athletic department and Duke Chapel as well as a clearing house of audio video support services. 3 full time employees managed a student staff.
Funny, everyone focuses on the athletic stuff.. "you got to get into Cameron and see basketball games?!!""Yes, and I got to go church Saturday and Sunday.. Very little happens in the chapel with out TS.. With a 7.4 second reverberation hang time (need it for the organs) you have to mic everyone for intelegibility. I now know that you can schedule 8 weddings a day.. Lord If I never hear Ave Maria again... it won't be few enough!
The Good part was I was exposed to the most amazing talent and instruments from all over the world. As lead engineer I got to wave my hands over most concerts and decide whether we would handle it in house or sub contract it out...
Yes! you can attach guitar tuners to antlers with old wire and strap those antlers to a dried gourde... just string up some more of that old wire or if you are lucky... some used guitar strings and by god you have a Bolon... perhapse the oldest tonal instrument known to human kind.. and one of the oddest instruments I have ever seen. Elegant is not what the eye sees.. Placed in the hands of a Bolon artist and that is what you ear takes in. In between a Lute and and Harp, the bolon is often used to shape west african music. The player I worked with spoke zero English. He was used to engineers making him stand still by a mic on a stand... Yep... I set up a stand-bound mic as backup, but i inserted a wireless lavaliere mic. We were all so happy! I didn't know Bolon players Dance too! This guy would shape a tune by diddle-twangin' the strings and then slap the gourde on the down beat.. kida like a bass drum. (His Bolon was not traditional... both the antler and the tuners were the mark of an artist in search of more control).
didil didil da twang thaap! tw-tw-twang thap!!
So...
We have both flavors... seasoned and experienced.
I now see myself as an artist and a technician.
The performance space... my canvas.
The equipment.. my brushes...
The talent... my paint...
If there was any more wax in this poetic we would run outa Q-tips!..
A sign that you are a good engineer?
If you are truly good, you can show up to guest engineer a show and find your tools are just horrible! The space is small and covered in mirrors (hard reflective surfaces).. the PA.. garbage. IF you are good, The clients don't run screaming, you can hear that someone is singing vocals, and the talent pays you at the end of the night.
Well... when you are great
You slide down the "razor blade of inverse mixing" and dance with compromise... and of course, walk right up and unplug offensive guitar amps...
"I said TURN IT DOW-WEN!!"
The clients want to smoke hash with you or have your child, you can understand the vocals and the the band pays and tips 25% at intermission begging you not to leave...
I know how Jackson Pollock could exist in an aural context [[shiver]]
Now, out of all of those years I never did any real recording... sure.. a cassette here.. a reel there... never had the desire.
Well...
nearly 7 years in the realm of computer support and web architecture has primed me for the digital recording industry.
Guess what Time It is! Just Create Dammit!
just you wait..
after I wrap my mind around this stuff..
we ARE gonna have fun!
|
