It’s been a long winter, but spring is just about here and hopefully it signifies an end to the bad weather and the beginning of a beautiful summer touring season. All the road dogs who recently submitted resumes to me looking for off-season work are now mostly unavailable when I call. The bus has left the dock, and audio is on the move! Once again, the musical caravan is carving a path through the clubs, sheds, theaters and summer festivals on this continent and across the globe. Regional audio companies will be getting calls to fill venues with sound for concerts and corporate events, and local television stations will require assistance with band appearances as they promote the show du jour when the tour comes to town. For a month or so, high schools and colleges will be having their graduation ceremonies and — in association with their formals and proms — there should be a good amount of work for local audio companies and audio technicians.
There is work for those that want it, but at the same time, our business is a fickle one, and there are no guarantees in the capricious world of freelance audio that a particular gig will be there again — despite the wonderful job you did for your employer during the last show or tour. I know an engineer who had successfully gigged and toured with a top name artist for more than a decade who woke up one spring to find that he had been replaced and the bus had rolled without him. There was no indication or warning that anything had been amiss during any previous gigs, or the many years of touring with the artist and — as far as he was concerned — the band, the management team and the artist were all satisfied with his work. There was neither a dismissal letter, a phone call nor a meeting to alert him of his new status. He had taken it for granted that the repeat work would be there and, at a time when he should have been packing his bags onto the bus and amending the current band rider, he was scrambling for work and trying to figure out what went wrong.
A talented and capable engineer, he was not out of work for long, but the experience impressed upon him just how vulnerable one is in the freelance world. Most likely there was no infraction committed on behalf of the engineer, but the artist — in the same way they might change musicians — may have wanted to change his audio team for artistic or financial reasons.
While touring can be an exciting and satisfying way of making a living, it also has its drawbacks when it comes to long-term planning. Of course, this won’t come as any surprise to those who have been plying their trade living in bus bunks and racking up sky miles.
The New Recruits
Yet, while we’re on the subject of spring and new beginnings, it only seems fair to mention that each year a plethora of aspiring engineers graduate from the many colleges that offer audio and communications programs. For the most part, the graduates of these programs have a good understanding of electronics, maintenance of gear and digital recording.
Most of these graduates realize that they will have to prove themselves in the workplace, but very few have the working knowledge of a live engineer, and the ones that do don’t necessarily have the desire to adopt and live the lifestyle that becomes a requisite of the job. While the lack of certain technical skills can be overcome and the dynamics of live audio can be mastered, it is much more difficult to teach someone the art of dealing with managers, agents, artists, bands and fans than it is to pass on the intricacies of setting up gain structure. I can’t say for sure, but ironically, I don’t think interpersonal communication is one of the courses offered in a college communications course.
Communication graduates and aspirants who are considering joining the profession have often asked me, “What is the best way to find great work mixing bands?” Therefore, for those who might be interested, I do have a few suggestions. First of all, it takes a certain mindset and personality to want to be part of a musical event and to endure the associated lifestyle that accompanies it. So, if you suffer from pteromerhanophobia, agoraphobia, xenophobia or any other phobia that might be associated with people and travel, this is not the job for you. If you made it past the last sentence, then I would say you are off to a good start. And now that it’s determined that you can do “the hang,” then the next thing on the list for getting a great job is “being there.”
Making Your Move
Professionals tend to call on people they know and see on gigs and — regardless of your skills, if you are not in the mix (so to speak) then you will not get the call. It’s as if a farmer moves to New York City and complains that he can’t find work. If you are ambitious and strive to work with top-name artists, then you have to go where the work is happening. It’s not that you can’t find work in all of the 50 states, but New York, Los Angeles and Nashville might be good starting places for someone trying to get ahead in the business. If these cities aren’t for you, then try hitting the casinos in Vegas — or any other state that sanctions gambling, for that matter.
The work is not necessarily coming to you, so you have to go to the work. Try to get a job in a venue that promotes the music with which you want to be involved. Get to know people, contact every audio company by starting with the major companies first and working your way down. If there is a particular company you like, then you should contact them and make yourself known to them. Move to their town and offer your services even if the money is not there to in the beginning. Contact management agencies and let them know you are available. Get names, get numbers and don’t be shy about calling and emailing whoever has the work you want; since jobs are not always available the first time you make contact.
It’s tough, but you have to keep reminding people that you are available, so be importunate in your approach — avoid stalking, but be persistent so that you become a familiar figure. While it’s true that familiarity breeds contempt, it’s also true that people like hiring those with whom they are familiar… the contempt will come later.
Good luck, and have a great touring season.
