Old Soundman: Chuck It All For A Sound Career?
This guy needs some treatment immediately!
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What’s wrong with this Steve guy? He has a lifestyle that 80
percent of humanity cannot even dream of achieving, and he wants
to throw it all away to be a soundman? Dear Old Soundman: |
That’s kind of funny, but also kind of silly. Don’t get me wrong,
when I was a young pup like you, titles meant a lot to me too.
...for a local band, since once upon a time I was a “roadie” for the
likes of Brooks & Dunn, Randy Travis, Sammy Kershaw and others.
Hey, what’s Randy Travis really like? Why’d he marry that old babe, anyway?
I’m sorry, do you have an audio-related question, or are you just here
to drop names?
However, I did not work as a sound tech. (I was a “lighting/video dude”.)
I guess the band thinks that l would just automatically know live audio
because I’ve been to a lot of concerts.
Aren’t people great? Like maybe I should be a cop, because I’ve gotten
so many traffic tickets. Or maybe I should be a cow because I’ve consumed
so much milk! Mooooooo! You’re probably too young to have heard the old
saying if my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a truck!
I know the basics of mixing live audio...
As do I, Stevo, as do I. See? We’re really buddies, total brethren, hail
fellows well met. Workers of the world unite we don’t need no stinking
line arrays!
... but would like to acquire a serious working knowledge of pro sound...
As would I, Steverino, as would I! Did you ever see the old clip of Steve
Allen interviewing Lenny Bruce? That rocked! Now, what are you babbling
about?
... and perhaps pursue a career in the field. (The telcom company I
work for is bankrupt, and my job as a video tech is getting boring.) Oh
wisest of the wise where do I start?
Steve
Dude, if you’ve got a salary and benefits, do not, I repeat not, walk
away from it! You must not be a parent. See, me, with the wife and the
young soundman, I don’t have the option of spitting in the face of my
salary, and running away to join the rock circus all over again.
I do have to admit that you get some points for addressing me as the “wisest
of the wise.” The old soundwoman has a few other terms she uses to describe
me, with wiseass probably the only one that can be used in a family publication.
Here’s the big question, Stevie boy: do you really enjoy coiling XLR cables?
Because you’re going to have to about a million of them over time. The
shows are a bitch, and then you coil cables. You’d have to be clinically
insane to choose a lifestyle like that. I know I was!
Here, just bite down on this rubber block, and let me smear a little conductive
paste onto your temples, this won’t hurt a bit!
Luv
The Old Soundman
There’s simply no denying the love. The Old Soundman (OSM for short) continues to hang out at ProSoundWeb, dispensing his wisdom to anyone who has the nerve to ask. Check out more OSM files at www.prosoundweb.com/live/oldsoundman
November 2003 Live Sound International