It seems as though the world is collapsing around us as people are losing faith in a system that has let them down. Powerful people who are supposed to be leaders and role models have betrayed our trust, and even the elected officials that ran on a platform of hope and change are viewed with a wary eye.
Greed has become such a way of life that it permeates our whole society and affects everyone from lenders to borrowers. Everyone is guilty and responsible for this massive failure because we are all attempting to live up to the same dream and expectations that we have been sold. Movies and television glamorize wealth and prosperity, and we not only idolize the hero, but we also sympathize with the fact that the hero may have to participate in some illegal actions to achieve their righteous end.
When such information is so thoroughly embedded in our collective consciousness it seems only natural that we would look the other way when such activities occur in real life. After all, we have all been told to “Keep our eye on the prize,” “Winners write the history” and “To the victor go the spoils.” Tough guys prevail because they are willing to do what’s needed and they make “Offers you can’t refuse.” Of course this mentality is nothing new and has been going on since the beginning of time (although one should remember that I am only postulating since, as old as I am, I have not been around since the beginning of time.) I do read history books though, and I can guarantee that neither greed nor lust for power is a new phenomenon —nor is the appalling behavior that is associated with these deadly sins.
From Ship to Lifeboat
I bring all of this up since every one is in the same boat that started taking on water due to the fact that we were so intent on keeping our collective eye on the prize. By focusing so unremittingly on the prize, we lost sight of the people in charge of steering the ship. Blinded by the dream, we allowed our captains to take our hard earned wages and abandon ship, leaving us adrift in a stormy sea without a compass. Or in other words, “Up sh*ts creek without a paddle.” So be it! Our captains jumped ship not only with all the money, but with all the supplies as well, and then they had the audacity to ask for a bailout, which they only distributed amongst themselves. In a more honorable time, the skipper would go down with the ship, and his loss would ensure that he would never again be entrusted with the command of another vessel.
Now, due to a loss of faith in the system, we have become cynical and distrusting. Investors are suspicious of the stock market — and rightly so. We the people do not trust our steroid-infused athletic heroes. The car manufacturers are less than trustworthy and the CEOs that run the companies have certainly lost their credibility. A short list of other things not to trust are insurance companies, mortgage brokers, credit card companies, the government, the bailout, the last eight years, the wars, oil prices, the Palestinians, the Israelis, terrorists, our allies, Hugo Chavez, Ticketmaster and their merger with Live Nation, Merrill Lynch, A-Rod, Chris Brown’s character, Michael Jackson’s nose, Britney’s sanity, pension funds, 401k plans, investments with Bernie Madoff or anyone who promises high returns, that justice will be done, reality shows, retail, religious leaders, politicians, the news, the weather, Al Sharpton’s motives, Rush Limbaugh, pet chimps or one’s mortgage agreement.
So, while the ship is taking on water and the captains are all awarding themselves bonuses, who is it we can trust? The obvious answer is the audio industry. That’s right, we can trust in ourselves and what we do because what we do is honest. It’s pretty hard to fake good sound, and I’m not referring to auto-tuning a vocal or singing to a track, because it’s not our fault if one cannot trust in the artist’s talent. What I’m getting at is that it is our responsibility to go into any given venue and properly install an audio system and make sure that it sounds good. If the sound is less than adequate, the boxes look beat or the crew is obnoxious, we do not get called back. Very simply, a fee is paid, a service is rendered and if the service is below par then we never hear from that client again. If good service is provided at a reasonable price and, in a timely manner, then we get called back to do the job again.
We live in a world of instant gratification where we do a show, get paid, go home and both parties — employer and employee — are happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, in these dire economic times, there may not be as many shows for us as when the economy is thriving. Since employers and producers are all looking for money-saving deals, things may be tight right now, but that too will change. During the economic lull we just need to be creative. Maybe we, as an industry, can hire out our services to rebuild the country. After all, who would be better qualified to oversee the rebuilding of America than the very same workers who, day after day, build sets, put on shows, strike the sets and move on to the next event- on schedule and in short periods of time? Forget credit. At the end of the day the project manager will go in and do a settlement with the buyer. When settlement is complete he’ll pay his crew and vendors a fair wage and then it’s on to the next day of rebuilding. If someone’s work is unsatisfactory then they will not get rehired for another day of labor and a more capable person will get the job.
It’s a familiar concept that will help in doing away with waste, graft and profiteering and just as soon as we get America rebuilt, we can resume our audio lives. In the meantime, since the captain and crew have taken the life boats and left everyone else to tread water or go down with the ship, my advice would be to keep your eye on the prize, but do not compromise. Be competitive, but not deceitful. Our word is our bond; therefore we should honor our agreements and build trust. Work hard and produce something of quality and value. Choose a catchy slogan that builds confidence in your company and advertise (in magazines such as this one) that you are a business that can be relied upon even in the most difficult of times. Some suggestions I might offer for a trust-worthy and beguiling slogan might be, “Audio you can believe in,” or simply put, “Sound you can hear.” Lastly, good luck and have faith in your ability to swim.
