PROFILE
Tom Wood
By Andrew King
T
om Wood is more than grateful that
his parents made him stick with his
piano lessons as a youngster.
A native Brit now based in
Canada, Wood is an in-demand live
sound engineer with a list of recent
clients that includes major names like Shawn
Mendes, Florence and the Machine, Julia Mi-
chaels, Liam Payne, and more, and he credits his
parents’ perseverance for much of his success.
Wood was born in Coventry and grew up
in a nearby village called Binley Woods in the
Midlands of the U.K. “Luckily, as I got closer to
starting high-school, I fell head-over-heels for
the piano and still play to this day,” he shares.
“Piano, along with bass guitar and baritone
horn, led me to play with local bands and get
my first taste of live shows.”
It was when his longtime piano teacher invited him into a record-
ing studio for one of their lessons, though, that he realized “just how
tempting all of those buttons and faders could be.”
It turns out that very studio offered a 10-week introductory
course on sound and recording. Wood enrolled and studied under
engineer and instructor Den Hands, who he also credits as being
critical to his career trajectory.
Come his high school graduation, Wood had his sights firmly
set on a career in pro audio, which led him across the Atlantic to
study at the Metalworks Institute in Mississauga, ON. Enamored by
his newfound surroundings, Wood decided to make Canada his
permanent home following his first year of a study.
“From there, the touring part of my career really took off, and I
began working with artists such as K-OS and Dragonette, travelling
across North America,” he says. “I’m pleased to say the momentum
continued, and after multiple North American tours with mid-level
artists, I was recommended for the Shawn Mendes gig.”
Mendes’ stock has soared in recent years; in the last 12 months
alone, the Canadian pop powerhouse has headlined some of the
biggest and most reputable arenas, stadiums, and music festivals
around the world. Needless to say, Wood has been enjoying the ride.
When asked about his favourite part of the career he’s chosen,
the answer seems pretty obvious: “Mixing!”
He elaborates: “It’s a boring answer, I know, but ultimately, if you
don’t love your job on the road, whatever that might be, the road
will chew you up. It’s easy to fall into bad habits out here, eating
terrifying things, drinking too much… If you’re already unhappy
about having to mix the same show for the hundredth time, then
doing it with a hangover isn’t going to help.”
Fortunately, that’s not the case for him in the least. Reflecting
on some highlights from over the years, he mentions Mendes’ first
headlining show at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air
Canada Centre) as a standout. “That will always have a special place
in my heart,” he says candidly. “After working so hard to become a
permanent resident of Canada and calling Toronto home, it really
felt like I’d made it – whatever ‘it’ is.”
He also fondly recalls mixing his first stadium show when
Mendes was tapped to support part of Taylor Swift’s extensive
1989 World Tour in 2015. “To say I was nervous would be an un-
derstatement,” he recalls. “In fact, I even lost my pass – talk about
a rookie move! Thankfully, I’ve mixed a bunch of stadiums since
then, though it’s still quite the feeling to be in the middle of 80,000
people at the helm of a colossal PA. It never gets old!”
Ironically, Wood says he finds the job gets more challenging
as he logs more time at the console. “I guess as you improve, you
become aware of countless things you could be doing better,” he
muses. “I’m a firm believer that’s the way it should be. Tomorrow’s
mix should be better than today’s and hopefully miles ahead of
yesterday’s.”
In the rare spans that he’s not on the road, Wood enjoys spend-
ing time with his “incredibly tolerant” girlfriend, Leah, in their shared
Toronto residence. “I’m a massive Formula 1 fan, so keeping up to
date with everything motorsport in my spare time is a must,” he
adds before drawing some parallels between the Formula 1 circuit
and touring as a live production professional: “Travelling around
the globe every five minutes with the expectation of producing
consistent, world-class results – we must be nuts, right!?”
With just a few Shawn Mendes tour dates and some other
odd projects remaining in 2018, Wood says he’s looking forward
to some downtime to recompose and recalibrate in late 2018 and
early 2019, but the break won’t be a long one.
“That will quickly be followed by producing what I have no doubt
will be one of the most exceptional world tours of 2019 with Shawn.”
The run is shaping up to be monstrous, starting in the Netherlands
in early March and hitting mainland Europe, the U.K., North America,
Australia, and New Zealand over the following eight months.
It’s sure to be a whirlwind, though Wood wouldn’t have it any
other way, saying with a chuckle, “Did I mention I like mixing?”
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Professional Sound.
20 PROFESSIONAL SOUND