FRONT OF HOUSE
MENTORS AND MENTORING | Kent Morris
Photo by Emily Lewis on Unsplash
How do we learn how to mix , patch , EQ , gain and route ? Who taught us our craft ? For most of the younger set , YouTube has been the great instructor while for the gray-haired set , it was a grouchy old engineer . In any case , we owe someone for their knowledge transference , whether in person or on a screen . None of us would be where we are today without help . Taking what we have learned through books , videos , hands-on and observation and passing it to another person is the greatest contribution we can make to the world of audio . A topflight FOH mixer may generate a compelling mix for the audience , but it is her willingness to convey her skill set to someone else that matters , for we are all off the stage soon enough and it will be the next generation who stands in the booth and makes things happen .
Mentoring is both art and science . There are certainly pedagogy principles to follow and logical steps to take , but there is also the art of the entire thing : that which makes a mix beautiful , not just correct . In art , beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in music it is in the ear of the listener . Unfortunately , most listeners are not trained to appreciate balance , dynamics , or multi-band compression in the mix , nor are they apt to appreciate the subtlety applied to the snare reverb tail . But they are not the “ audience ” in a worship setting . As long as the congregation is engaged and not distracted by the mix , they are served .
On a higher plane are the leadership team , who typically each have concrete ideas as to how the mix should be laid out . They have authority but often wield it without regard for other issues at play including acoustic anomalies within the room , the capacity of the congregation to withstand high levels , and the state of the equipment . Finally , we have the Audience of One , God , who should be served at the highest achievable position . Since God invented sound and acoustics , we are wholly incapable of impressing Him with our work any more than a child ’ s stick drawing could impress Raphael .
However , we strive for excellence in the mix not to impress God , but to honor Him . We cannot be perfect , but we can be perfectly aligned with serving Him . In the same vein , those who come after us deserve our full attention as they labor through the process of live audio production . Why allow someone to fail when we can steer them in the right direction ? We still allow them to stumble in order to learn things like feedback firsthand , but then we step in and demonstrate the proper technique to ring out the monitor rig .
Selecting a mentor and becoming the right kind of mentor are interrelated . As someone being mentored , the right guide to find is adept in the trade , skillful in execution , but above all , capable of teaching with empathy and understanding . To become such a mentor requires setting aside personal opinion and focusing on SOP ( Standard Operating Procedures ) of the trade .
All brands should be acknowledged as usable and useful in some capacity and varying methods for doing the same tasks should be
given equal weight , assuming each is safe and effective .
Once engaged , the mentorship should be held in confidence and treated as duty-bound to uphold and continue until the student has gleaned everything possible from the teacher . And just because it is old does not mean it is useless . Everything in audio begins and ends as an analog signal . Digital is always just a temporary state , and today ’ s latest gadget is tomorrow ’ s yard sale item .
I owe Bill Thrasher , Dr . Eugene Patronis , and Hartley Peavey an immense measure of gratitude , for each of them poured knowledge and wisdom into me when I deserved none of it . These three men shaped my attitude , approach and execution of live audio into a successful career . Without them , I would still be working at Radio Shack .
If you are new to the industry , grab a mentor and never let go . If you are a crusty veteran , brush off your people skills and find a newbie willing to learn .
Kent Morris Kent Morris is a 44-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge all technology is in a temporal state .
94 July 2024 Subscribe for Free ...