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[AllenDeneau]

I'm still pretty new here on the forum and as I peruse through the posts I find myself wondering where this person is from or what do they do besides post on the forum . Meaning are you full time employed in the audio/entertainment field or is there another "day" job rounding out your dance card...

If you are full time in this field, what are your specialties? Are you a mixer, system designer, speaker designer, stage tech, product rep, etc...

1. Where are you located
2. Is this all you do or do you have other business
3. How'd you get into it

I'll start with less than mindblowing info:

I'm originally from near Chicago but since January 2011, I've been a Tennessean. I live in Cookeville, well Livingston actually but Cookeville line is literally right across the road.

I am/was employed full time within my own company that specialized in corporate events needing sound and lighting but we also have a DJ side of the biz too, although that's pretty much in Chicago as my DJ still lives there. I've been involved in the industry for most of my life, in one way or another... Growing up my Dad was in bands and also had the business I now own. He was also a partner in one of the very first karaoke clubs in Illinois...

I tried my best to avoid this line of work I went to school for business and graduated with a BA in Marketing. I was drawn back in when I had to cover an event for my Dad as he was recovering from his quadruple bypass. He was scheduled to sing and provide the entertainment for a wedding and told me I had to do it. Unfortunately I CANNOT sing, at all, and I agreed if I could just play music (DJ) the event. The clients were ok with this and off I went. I gathered my CD collection and a pair of CD players and talked a family friend into going to the event to MC the event, I was scared to death to talk on the mic.

The night went great and I actually revived my love for the entertainment industry. I started taking over my Dad's biz and grew a pretty profitable DJ business right off the bat. Sadly, even with my marketing degree, I never really promoted the sound side of biz and subsequently, we kept getting more and more DJ events and less and less sound jobs.. That, along with the fact that my DJ doesn't like the live sound side at all, so I went with the flow and focused on the DJ biz. Only after years of a small sound show here and there did I start to turn things back around to sound and lighting. Former and current clients would call to inquire about names to call for their other events and it hit me like a ton of bricks, I had NEVER even discussed my ability to do it with them.... I took advantage of those opportunities as best I could from then on out.

Opportunities that I never noticed, or weren't there, began to arise for me to return back to my true love, live sound. I was just getting traction back home when the opportunity for us to move to Tennessee came about. After a lot of thought and prayer, here we are.

The first year I sat back and surveyed the area as to what opportunities there were and what needs there were and who could fill them here an hour East of Nashville. The second year I started engaging a bit but, I still kept busy with business in Chicago so not a lot materialized here in Tennessee. Now we are starting year 3, literally our anniversary of moving was just 5 days ago, and it's time to kick it into high gear. I'm fighting a small town area in which I'm clearly an outsider or newcomer so it's been a bit challenging but I like a good challenge.

So there it is, I'm from Cookeville, TN and I own a small event production company and I tried to escape this line of work only to realize, it's what I love and always have.. So I'm back and trying to make up for lost time.

Just thought it'd be cool to learn who some of you are, what part of the world you live in and what it is that you do.

Next.....

[Rick Powell]

If you are in Cookeville, you are in the same town as Ronnie Reels.  I bought some floor monitors from him that I still use, and he has mixed a few shows that some friends played in TN.

1. Where are you located
80 miles west of Chicago.
2. Is this all you do or do you have other business
In my other life I manage multi-billion dollar projects for a British-owned multinational engineering firm.
3. How'd you get into it
I am a musician and I hated playing on other people's crappy equipment, so I followed the old maxims, "If you want something done right, do it yourself" and "Buy once, cry once".  I am actually on my third or fourth sound system, having once had a 22' truck full of stuff I drove around the USA back in the 80's, but now have a compact system that's nearly as loud but fits in a Ford E250 van.

[AllenDeneau]

If you are in Cookeville, you are in the same town as Ronnie Reels.  I bought some floor monitors from him that I still use, and he has mixed a few shows that some friends played in TN.

Yep, he is here in town and a pretty nice guy. We've talked a bit and he even loaned me some gear for an event when my system was still sitting in Chicago. We've chatted a bit about working together but nothing yet. He's gots plenty of sound with very little lighting so I'm working on adding to my lighting inventory to make working together a bit easier. I firmly believe it's easier and better to work together than to try to beat each other up.

So 80 miles west, what town? I was about 40 miles SW of Chicago, in Montgomery, just down the road from Dekalb and Upstaging...

Thanks for playing along Rick.

[Joe Gislason]

1. Where are you located
Selkirk Manitoba Canada

2. Is this all you do or do you have other business
I am a Millwright. Industrial Mechanic is the other accepted name. I work in a factory repairing heavy manufacturing equipment. 
 
3. How'd you get into it
I am in a band, and we play smaller shows with not lots of pay involved. We can't pay someone to do back line for us and still put cash in our pockets, so it was put up or shut up time. I done one show for someone else, and while it was fun, I think I will stick to my band for sound stuff.

[Bob Leonard]

Try this link for starters. Located at the top of the page in the basement, this link will tell you how to display your location.

I got into this in the early 60's when FOH was where the band would pick you up for the ride to the gig.

Not full time days for many years now, but still most of the time nights, and winding down.

[Rick Powell]

So 80 miles west, what town? I was about 40 miles SW of Chicago, in Montgomery, just down the road from Dekalb and Upstaging...

Thanks for playing along Rick.

Next to Starved Rock State Park, between Ottawa and Utica, but we will be moving this year closer to the city.  I have been to Montgomery and DeKalb a little bit. Montgomery used to be the little town next to the Caterpillar plant, now it sprawls nearly all the way out to Rt 47.  Me and my youngest son do sound/lights for occasional shows for other bands, and all our "business" such as it is, is word of mouth.  There are a few other guys with systems in our area, including Mario Data who is a PSW member and has been building his business and adding to his system.  We throw work each other's way and I agree, I like an atmosphere of collaboration rather than the cut-throat stuff you read about here occasionally.

[Samuel Rees]

I'm in Washington D.C., I'm an engineer at a new club downtown called The Hamilton Live and I run small events with my own PA gear. I'm graduating from American University in the spring and I'll be trying to work in audio full time after that. Very glad to be on the forum. I've learned an incredible amount from some really smart people on here. Hopefully I'll be seeing more of you guys in person in the next year!

[Jared Koopman]

1. Where are you located
2. Is this all you do or do you have other business
3. How'd you get into it

1. Loveland, CO (I would love to find someone from this board that is local to me that I could mentor with)

2. My day job I am a sales admin for IBM. I do not work for or own a sound business (though I would like to). My experience in sound is serving at Churches, and therefore limited experience. Everyday I try to learn something new and I love being a part of this forum as well as others.

3. When I was 14 a friend of mine needed help loading his drum kit for gigs. I started helping do that and eventually started mixing for his band. I had no clue what I was doing but I had fun. I moved away to college and became the sound guy for the university singers (drummer, bass, keys, guitar and 22 singers). We did a couple tours around the country over spring breaks which were a lot of fun. Again I really had no clue but it worked. I ended up making  a change after my second year at college and decided to go to another school and got my degree in criminal justice. Worked full time to get through college installing home theater systems and as a hotel desk clerk. I "ran the sound" at my church during that time, but it wasn't anything more than 1 vocal mic and a guitar. I then met my wife and we have since moved to Colorado raising our 2.7 children. I have served as the lead sound technician at my current church for 2 years now. I also volunteer at another local church when I have time.

I know it is not an easy business and frankly wouldn't be very profitable. But I still would like to get my own rig and provide sound for bands and musicians. I am currently working on putting together a business plan (starting small and realistic) and I would love any advice I can get. I want to do this for a couple of reasons...because I love working behind the mixer and I want the experience.

Jared

[David Parker]

I live near Houston, work the Houston area. Retired machinist from a major oil company. Now associate pastor and bassist at my church. Work sound for club bands on weekends. Been in the sound business part time for 25 years. Got started by a buddy asking me to run sound for his band. I actually enjoy loadout at the end of the night. My favorite thing is when they turn on the lights at 2am.

[Scott Harris]

1. Where are you located
30 miles West of Boston

2. Is this all you do or do you have other business
RunningSound is a night & weekend business for me.  On weekdays I work for a 3D CAD software company where I run the Virtual Reality Center, basically 4 folded screens with 3D projection that you stand in the middle of, and yes, it's very cool and yes, many people call it a holodeck.


3. How'd you get into it
I had been DJing off & on for too many years, got bored of pushing play and started helping friends bands with sound.  Discovered that most local bands were attempting to run sound from the stage and proved that I could improve that quite a bit to a few of them.  I upgraded my gear and now have what I consider to be a respectable bar/club system which fits in my van.

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