Canadian Musician - May/June 2017 | Page 60

LIVE SOUND

Since graduating from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology ( OIART ), Blair Bondy has had the opportunity to work with some of music ’ s biggest acts , including Bryson Tiller , Migos , and Future .
By Blair Bondy

Tips for Landing & Keeping a Live Sound Gig

1 . Have a Realistic Path to Your Goal It ’ s not good enough to just be a good sound person and know a few people ( even though networking is paramount ). You have to put yourself in the right position to get where you want to be and work hard to get there . This is a dream job for a lot of people , but it ’ s a lot of work and you have to put in the time to gain experience , build a reputation , and get to that level .
When I came out of school , I landed a gig on a cruise ship . That was a good , realistic goal for a 20-year-old without much experience . I knew it would get me working on good equipment and let me practice a lot in a real-world environment .
After that , I thought I could go home and start at the bottom rung of a reputable production company as a pusher – someone in the warehouse that just moves cases or solders cables . At least I had some experience , and working with a good production company would get me even more .
Put yourself in the right place . Find out where the audio pros in your area go for a beer . Find someone that ’ s done what you want to do and ask how they did it . There ’ s nothing wrong with modeling your career after someone else ’ s , to a point .
Think of realistic ways to get into the industry and attack from every angle to gain experience .
2 . Study Up Ask questions , consider everything , and study up . Make sure you ’ re well prepared for any and all scenarios and equipment you might encounter on a gig .
For example , if you ’ re about to go on tour as a monitor tech and the only other tech is at FOH , be aware that you ’ re the guy on stage and you ’ re doing everything . You ’ re tying in the power every day , you ’ re coordinating radio frequencies for all the wireless , you ’ re setting everything up for changeovers , etc . There ’ s a lot you have to study up on before a gig – especially things outside of your specific department that you should know . Do you know how to use a ratchet strap to secure gear in the truck ?
If you ’ re mixing a show and were told in advance you ’ ll be using a new console , find out the firmware version of that board and make sure you can do what you need to do on it and everything else – especially if it ’ s a festival gig , with quick changeovers and no time for soundcheck .
3 . Think Politically Someone once told me , “ Nobody ever got fired for bad audio .”
That ’ s obviously false , but the point behind it is that attitude and work ethic go a long way in this business and are arguably more important than your audio skills . Touring with 10 people on a bus for weeks at a time , how you treat and interact with other people often trumps your technical skills .
Say someone puts two candidates in front of you : one person with 7 / 10 mixing ability and a 10 / 10 personality while the other is the best sound guy in the world but a total jerk . If the first person has a good attitude and willingness to learn , 7 / 10 doesn ’ t sound so bad .
Again , you ’ ve got to recognize and play the angles and keep everyone happy .
4 . Network Networking is everything . Your network is one of your most valuable tools , and you have to be smart with it .
Back in college , we had a course about studio etiquette and career management . We talked a lot about networking , and my teacher really showed us the benefits of just talking to and getting to know people and how we can learn from them . What ’ s the worst that can happen if you start a conversation with a colleague ? In a professional field , being approachable and sociable is always reassuring .
Becoming Facebook friends is often the first step . From there , you see your mutual friends and acquaintances and you ’ ll notice your network growing steadily . I ’ ve even received job offers from people I don ’ t even know because of our mutual friends . For example , you might get a call about a band ’ s engineer not being able to get into Canada for some reason and they need someone right away . It ’ s rare , but it does happen and that ’ s where your network can land you a job .
You don ’ t even need to ask anyone for anything . It ’ s a small industry , and once you get out there , you realize everyone knows everyone . You want to be a part of that .
5 . Don ’ t Burn Bridges This goes back to the politics of the industry and not being a jerk , but know it ’ s always better to be the bigger person and do the noble thing .
Even if you ’ ve joined a tour and know you ’ re being treated unfairly or too much is being asked of you ( relatively speaking ), be communicative . Talk to the production manager or tour manager and try and find compromises . If you simply can ’ t tolerate the working environment , give them notice and stick around until they can find a replacement .
What you don ’ t want to do is get fed up , get angry , stay quiet all day , and then quit , leaving the tour – and colleagues from your network – in a lurch .
Anger is a real thing , but keep a clear head and be smart . Think about the longevity of your career , and realize that with the size of this industry , burning even a single bridge could have dire consequences .
60 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN