far . If you want a hobby to turn into a job , you need to venture out of the cave and into the world of people and relationships . It doesn ’ t matter how great you are , if nobody knows you , you won ’ t get your due opportunities for success .
YOUR AUDIO TOOL KIT When you develop your skills in any part of the audio community , it ’ s extremely important to always be aware that everything you learn becomes another tool in your tool kit . Just as a screwdriver doesn ’ t care if it ’ s tightening a screw on a toy truck or on rocket ship , a microphone doesn ’ t care if it ’ s capturing the sound of a baby crying or … well … the blastoff of a rocket ship .
Once you know how to use a tool , it ’ s up to you to apply it appropriately . Therefore , don ’ t limit yourself when you ’ re looking for employment , business contacts , or internships . You might end up doing live sound , studio tracking and mixing , broadcast audio , post-production , film sound , game audio , sales , marketing , manufacturing , teaching , writing , and so on .
And , if you ’ re looking for a gig in the church market , get all of your tools shined up because you ’ ll very likely be acting as the one-stop technical expert for every media idea anybody in the church can dream up .
successful at what they do . There are a few common traits that they share : they are relentless in their quest to succeed , and they are persistent beyond reason in that pursuit . They also tend to focus single-mindedly on what they ’ d like to accomplish in their career .
HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT ? A lot of people want to be involved with audio and music for their full-time gig . However , life has a certain influence on everything we do . For someone with a family to support , there are important responsibilities in place that can ’ t be overlooked , and pursuing the dream to enter the audio workforce just might not be realistic . That doesn ’ t mean that there aren ’ t plenty of opportunities available to contribute to the creative world during off-work hours or on a part-time or volunteer basis , because those opportunities do plentifully exist . Take things a step at a time and eventually you might find eventually yourself right in the middle of your dream gig .
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The adage that , “ Insanity is doing the same thing over and over , and expecting a different result ” is true and definitely applies here . The rest of this article is about finding a way to move forward , past insanity , in the audio industry - hmmmm , maybe that ’ s “ Past normality and into insanity …” Either way , here we go .
But , once you experience linking arms with your creative community to accomplish things that are far beyond what any individual could accomplish , it ’ s not so difficult to change your mind-set about joining up and helping out . Once we experience the networking benefits , and ultimately the philanthropic reach that some of these organizations realize , it becomes easy to lend support on multiple levels . That has definitely been my experience .
INDUSTRY EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS The music and audio industries are served by several societies , organizations , and guilds that offer excellent opportunities for any one who wants to build their network . All of these organizations produce regular events that serve as continuing education and networking opportunities . Building a well-connected and powerful network could possibly be your most important and worthwhile time investment .
CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN SUMMIT For contemporary worship events , the Christian Musician Summits are always on the A-List . They bring in world-class guests and well-respected clinicians . They ’ re mainstay events , so all systems , infrastructure , and organizational procedures have matured to the point where attendees receive a powerful , focused experience . And , they offer networking opportunities on steroids .
I can attest to the undeniable fact that the audio industry will draw you into areas you never imagined . Keep an open mind , meet a lot of people , and be brave enough to step up to any challenge your faced with .
JOIN UP ! Many people just aren ’ t joiners . That ’ s pretty true in every age group and demographic .
One of the important tools in your belt is the understanding of video editing and recording . Audio and video have become so intertwined that it ’ s hard to imagine one without the other . Even if you ’ re not actually recording and editing video , you need to know how the audio and video worlds interconnect .
RELENTLESS PERSISTENCE I ’ ve known a lot of people who are very