In a past life, a.k.a. my 20s, I primarily worked as an audio engineer in post-production and live events (at Woodward Theater, Memorial Hall, Fountain Square and more). I don’t always talk about this in professional spaces because it can confuse the narrative of who I am and what I offer. But I do believe I learned valuable professional and life skills through those experiences.
I also had the opportunity to work with many renowned artists whose music I respected, including The Mountain Goats, Guided by Voices, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Béla Fleck, Alison Krauss, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 10,000 Maniacs, Al Di Meola, Deerhoof, Roomful of Teeth and many smaller bands you’ve probably never heard of.
Here are a few things that stuck with me long after I left that career behind.
This may sound obvious, but it can be difficult in practice – especially if you are suddenly working closely with six people you have never met before.
Learning someone’s name is a meaningful sign of respect.
When you’re suddenly thrust into a professional partnership with someone, it builds invaluable trust when you learn who they are as a person, and not just their job title. People notice the difference immediately.
Sometimes the best work is indicated by no one noticing it at all.
Good live audio often means nobody is thinking about the audio. A good mix coincides with a more effortless sense of the present moment and a state of flow for everyone in the room. The event just works, the transitions feel natural, and nothing distracts from the emotional experience of the audience.
Accept feedback graciously, even if it stings. Even if you think the person giving it doesn’t fully know what they’re talking about.
They may still be reacting to a real issue you hadn’t considered. You may have been too laser focused on one specific to see the forest for the trees. Which leads me to my nexst takeaway...
This applies to mixing audio. It applies to graphic design. It applies to marketing strategy. It probably applies to most things in life.
You can obsess over making one element perfect while completely missing how it fits into the larger experience. A layperson will invariably experience the final product as a whole.
Save your income. Build relationships. Follow through.
Freelancing teaches you very quickly that talent alone is not enough. Reliability matters. Relationships matter. Your reputation matters.
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
Fast Forward...
Oddly enough, I still use many of these lessons in marketing and communications work today. A good campaign, like good live audio, often succeeds when the audience is focused on the experience rather than the mechanics behind it. Strategy matters greatly...but execution, timing, collaboration, and trust-building matter too. And just like sound mixing, marketing usually works best when you stop obsessing over individual parts and start thinking about the holistic experience of your customer. They won't know how much planning, coordination, troubleshooting, revision, and invisible work went into a campaign, but they will remember how your message made them feel.