BEHIND the SCENES
of a Collingsworth
Family Concert
RenewaNation asked some of the key individuals behind the scenes to describe their role , what it takes to produce a Collingsworth Family concert , some of the challenging aspects of their job , and what they enjoy most about serving in this musical ministry . photographer : Jake Harsh
William Blair ( Front of House Engineer & Technical Manager ):
My primary role in the ministry is the Front of House Engineer . My typical day on the road involves loading the equipment into the venue , including the infamous grand piano , “ Lucille .” Once the equipment is staged and set up , I will tune the frequencies of the sound system to the sound response of the room to prepare for a sound check with the family , which usually lasts about an hour . At that point , we are about two hours from the doors opening for the concert . That two-hour window is used for dinner and showers . I am typically back in the building by thirty minutes until the start time to check batteries and ensure everything is ready to roll . Once the concert begins , I am at the console till the end of the concert and teardown begins . We typically close the trailers around 11:30 pm through midnight . We generally put a good twelve-hour day into the whole process from start to finish .
The element I enjoy most in fulfilling this role is the ability to work behind the scenes of something bigger than myself and watch God work and bless people through the music . My prayer is that my job goes unnoticed so that the words and messages in the songs are the focus of the night . I came into this role without any experience , and I thank God for
26 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW