If you are a regular reader of “Sound Sanctuary” then you have probably read my holiday primers before. If this is the first time, I will give you the outline. Whether you mix at one house of worship or a number of them, the holiday season can offer more challenges than any other time of the year. Each season, I put together a list of my advice, my rules and anything else I have learned during the previous year. It is my hope that this information will help you navigate (in a sane manner) though the holiday season.
Ringing In the Season
For me, it all begins right after Halloween. However, this year, things began to rock one day after the Day of The Dead (Día de Muertos, Nov. 2). On Nov. 3, I received two calls about my Christmas schedule. It is common for houses of worship that I haven’t heard from for the entire year to call me to mix their Christmas events.
Along with my worship schedule, I have a handful of clients who are planning their holiday parties and need sound systems. I know most of you are audio volunteers and only have your home church to deal with, but I am guessing that you will still have lots of additional responsibilities and will be asked to invest more time into your worship house sound duties. Of course, if you use your spiritual mixing skills as part or all of your income, the responsibilities can be even greater. Please don’t get me wrong, I love the Christmas season. It is a great time of year. Those of us who mix for our livelihoods can certainly increase our income, but some simple rules must be kept.
Before we jump into the rules, I would like to share one thing I began to do last year before my house of worship rehearsals. I started playing Christmas music as soon as I got the sound system fired up. Stored in my iPod is everything from spiritual choral music to Frank Sinatra and the boys singing some of the holiday classics. Playing music is a simple thing, but it seems to lift the spirits of everyone involved with the house of worship events.
Holiday Rules
Okay, on to the rules. The first of my rules is to communicate as clearly and early as possible. If I am working with more than one worship house, the different houses should know this. This knowledge will make it easier to schedule the various rehearsals. I have found that most houses of worship will work with my schedule or allow me to set up the actual rehearsals around my schedule. The obvious advantage is that I won’t be double-booking myself.
My second rule is not hard-and-fast, but, nevertheless, I try not to plan on mixing two rehearsals in the same evening. I have been in the situation where I was mixing a rehearsal at 5 pm, which was planned to go until 6:30 or 7 pm. I had an 8 pm start at another church just 15 minutes away. You can guess I was late to the second rehearsal. It is simply that “church time” is often in some other dimension. By booking one rehearsal per evening, you will eliminate a lot of personal stress.
Along with booking one rehearsal a night, I suggest you leave your Fridays and Saturdays open. Most of the worship events, parties and shows fall on the weekends. So it only makes sense to keep your weekend free. Besides, nobody wants to rehearse on a Friday or Saturday night. (Maybe a Saturday morning or afternoon.) Oh, by the way — Christmas will fall on a Sunday this year.
Take Care of YOU
This next rule falls under what would be considered common sense. Please take extra care of your physical body. We generally don’t equate sound technicians with health nuts, but during this time of year, try to raise the bar on your personal nutrition. Obviously, every sound tech must drink buckets of coffee, but a donut stuffed with strawberry jam does not count as a serving of fruit. The reality is that a head cold or flu will mess up your hearing, and your hearing is your number-one tool. That said, take your vitamins, drink water (not soda) and eat something that didn’t come from a drive-through window.
My next rule is, don’t overbook yourself. There is no doubt that, for some of you, there will be a great demand for your time and others of you will have an opportunity to make some extra cash. As you know, I believe that, as sound techs, we are a positive influence in the community of God. I also happen to enjoy cash. But it all boils down to proper balance. You can only mix so many events and make so much money. Don’t overdo it. Know yourself and your capabilities. And if you have family and friends, don’t forget to spend some time with them. It is the season to be jolly, after all. Remember, as much as you may want to say “Yes,” you have to also be willing to say “No.” God knows what you are capable of. You don’t have to be a hero (as a volunteer), and you shouldn’t let greed control your decision-making process.
My Holiday Plan
As usual, this year I have two Christmas Eve events — one early evening and one midnight service. It is simple, and I can mix both events well without any stress. In the past, I have booked three Christmas Eve services. That is just dumb and a bit greedy. Not any more. I want to have fun during the holiday season, and I want to have good will toward myself. I also plan on spending more time this year with my family and friends — even if it means I miss out on a few dollars or don’t catch my midweek church service. The idea is to celebrate the season, not burn out on it.
Personally, I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I look at it as a huge birthday party. If your house of worship believes something different, more power to you. You are free to believe what you want. I am a sound man, not an evangelist. I hope Santa brings you everything you want. See ya next year.
