Thoughts on Sunday

I was thinking through some advice and concepts I've picked up along the way and how they relate to production and life. These are very obvious, but I think sometimes forgotten. So, think of this as a kind reminder. These are applicable to life or whatever line of work you may be in but I've used them towards production and church. These are in no particular order and ended up being a long one, grab a warm drink (I mean it is winter) and read on.

1. Don't be afraid of your neighbor.

Space on stage looks awkward both in the room and on screen, unless done for dramatic or programmatic effect. We are a happy united team and space speaks otherwise. In life and in film it is the common understanding that actions speak louder than words. How you look or act on stage will reflect more than what you sing or what you say.

2. Don't be afraid of the edge.

Being downstage brings a closeness and intimacy with the audience that standing further upstage will not reflect. Hopefully the people won't bite, so don't act like they will. Distance shows disconnection or fear.

3. Practice as you play.

This is fairly obvious and self-explanatory.

4. In a mix, if you can't hear everyone else, you won't be able to add or blend.

Running monitors is a fairly simple job (I've had plenty of debates and conversations about this). All you do is give the talent their desire in mix. One thing that is very common in amateurs or those with less confidence is their mix is only their instrument, voice, or both with everything else very below. If you are a solo act, that would be awesome. But since you probably are not this means you don't know what everyone else is playing and doing. This can lead to a group of lead instruments instead of a band. Since it is a team objective you should know what the rest of the team is doing.

5. Sometimes you should turn things down than turn them up.

The common request is, "Can I get more of myself?" or "Can I get more..." whereas it should be, can I get these things turned down so that I can hear this more clearly. There is only so much headroom and it is typically easier to turn stuff down to make it sound better than to turn it all up. Once you hit the ceiling in a mix and in life, there is nowhere else to go except sideways.

6. Tone is key.

There is only so much you can do with EQ and effects. What you deliver is what is given. Unless you have a magician in back or are mostly a loop act, it's best to make sure what comes from stage is the best it can be so that those in the booth can deliver the best they can. It is a tandem objective, that I don't disagree, but you can only give what you get.

7. Own your area.

It's easy to worry about what other people are doing wrong. The saying is those that aren't rowing the boat are the one's that have time to rock the boat. If everyone is doing the best they absolutely can and focused on making their part the best, you won't have to worry about what everyone else is doing. Focus on yourself and expect the same of your team. In the sports analogy, let the manager/coach worry about what the team is doing and you just worry about being apart of the team.

8. Actions speak louder than words.

In film, they say the eyes expose the truth in someone, and this can't be truer in image magnification (Imag). Imag makes it so that you may be a hundred feet away, but someone is watching you as if you are four feet away. If you don't mean it, it will show.

9. Ask questions.

There is nothing wrong with asking questions. If you aren't sure, just ask. I tell volunteers and employees that you can ask me anything at anytime and that my discomfort comes when they aren't asking questions. No one knows everything, and no one is expected too. When you ask questions and show what you don't know, it proves and backs up even more what you do know.

10. Be confident.

In the movie Moneyball, one of the things they talk about is the confidence players have relating to how well they play. This is true in productions as well. If you aren't confident in what you are playing or doing, it shows. Especially with Imag. Make sure to come prepared, excited, expecting, and confident in what you are doing. If you aren't, it is better to pull yourself out of the "game" than to bring the team down to your level.

11. Practice, practice, practice.

Michael Jordan didn't just practice one day a week and go play the game. The NFL doesn't just practice on a Tuesday and then show up Sunday for game day. When I was a volunteer I practiced more at home than I did at church. I wanted to know the music inside and out. If I couldn't carry a conversation while playing my parts then I knew I wasn't practiced enough. In other words, if I could play my part and not use my brain to think about it, then I knew the music was apart of me and I was no longer performing it.

12. If you can't hit it, don't swing at it.

It's better to not try, than to try and miss when it comes to music. Being unsure and trying to hit a note would be like if I put an apple on your head, shot at it, missed and said, "Well it was close." Notes and pitch don't lie. If you can't hit it, there is nothing wrong with playing/singing it a different way (falsetto, different octave). It may not be as cool as written, but it is better than a swing and a miss. You could even rewrite it all together. Be creative with it.

13. Be kind.

The worst situations can be deflated with kindness. There is no perfect person, but there is someone that tries their hardest and strives for excellence. People make mistakes; it's how you react to those mistakes that will define that situation. Kindness will go a long way. As Plato says, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

14. Expect the best in one another.

We're all here for a common goal. People will let you down, but I would rather think the best of them in every situation and give the benefit of the doubt. This will help in dealing with kindness, and context is a big part of it.

15. Context is the best text.

There are two texts that are most important, context and subtext. There are always two sides to every story. Everyone has a bad day. I always find it better to ask questions than to just start making statements when it comes to sticky situations. This again ties into thinking the best of others and kindness.

16. Hold all things with an open hand.

In all things I do I always try to keep the context of at anytime my leaders or God can take it and have me focus on something else. I am not defined by what I do. I do what is needed and what my leaders or God would have me do. This has brought far more fulfillment to what I do at the church and in life. I'm not worried about everything else because there are two things I know for sure. The Lord will always provide and he always has a plan.

17. Prayer will take you further than you can alone.

Again, self-explanatory but true. There shouldn't be a week that you aren't praying your heart out for what you are going to accomplish. Don't just let the intensity of your prayer life come during big events at work or in life.

Hope these thoughts help, even if they are just an encouragement in what you are doing. I'm not perfect or the best at all of these, but strive to do them well and to work my hardest in all that I do.

Feel free to comment below, tweet it, post it, or pass it on.

What could you add to this list and conversation? Share below.

Cheers!

The Grace of God - A Book Review

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

If you haven’t guessed by the title, this book is on grace. The book approaches God’s grace from stories in the Old and New Testament to show God’s grace. It gives the paradigm of how we all want grace, but it is harder to give than to receive. It gives hope and faith through grace.

I’ll be candid; I’m a huge fan of Andy Stanley. I love his speaking, his sermon series, etc. If he made furniture, I would think about buying it. All that to say; I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible in this review.

The book does well in that you get the humor and personal stories that Andy Stanley is known for, but you get the biblical teaching and example that backs everything up. Chapter by chapter he uses the illustration of another story in the bible to show God’s grace and gives the ability to apply it to your life.

Is it the best book I’ve ever read? No. Is it a good book to read? Yes. If you want a straight forward, biblical approach to the history and relevance of giving and getting grace, pick up the book.

Cheers!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You're Right and So Am I...

   In 2011, I was invited to fly out to Winston-Salem, NC to listen to the Martin MLA speaker system with Special Event Services(SES). While out there I had dinner with Jim Brammer (SES), Greg Slape (SES), Scott Ragsdale (Willow Creek), and Ron Cook (Willow Creek). It was a fascinating and flowing conversation about all things production, common trends in the industry and church today, as well as personal histories in music, concerts, and production. Outside of all of the laughing there were several moments that left me to think and reflect on the conversation.
   Scott Ragsdale pointed out that the majority of posts and articles he had been reading claimed how right they were and how detrimental to our field that can be. I'm sorry to say, but what works for you may not work for me. What you find awesome, I may have found awesome ten years ago. In everything I write and say, I hope that I can portray what we've done, how it worked for us, and how I don't have all the answers. It's great to research and see what other people do, but the day you think you've arrived and that there is no better way is the day you have officially said you no longer want to investigate and learn, which means you have flat lined in your forward momentum and creativity.
   Working where I do, I receive a lot of calls from sales reps for every product you can fathom or imagine. The typical response for someone trying to sell something in this industry is to tell me how it's better than everything else and they have the best price. In my opinion, nothing out there is the best. All there is is what works for an application. 
   With art being as subjective as it is, what you like I may hate and what you hate I may like. Neither is right, it's preference. There are speakers that I love that I would never use in certain situations. There are speakers I don't like that are perfect for other applications. Instead of thinking in terms of best product, we should shift to thinking of best in terms of situation. Every sales rep has a certain company they will or can work with, so with that in mind, they will find that to be the best product out there. Sadly, in a lot of situations, sales is about the units sold, not the best for you.
   Another thing that makes the law of I'm right and you're wrong a terrible outlook is the context of the situation. What one place might do as trendy and hip, another place may have done five years ago. Style and fashion is a cyclical industry. What was worn in one decade, made fun of in another decade, is now hip, trendy, and chic in this decade.
   So my resolve is this, please don't tell me you have "the" answer or "best" product. We are all right in most degrees as it depends on context and preference. Don't be discouraged, continue to change, shape, and make better whatever you resolve your vision and direction to be. Continue to strive for excellence and research new and better ways to do what you are doing. Humility will bring you much further than pride. Know who you are, what you are to accomplish, and work to the best of your ability.


May you be encouraged in blessed in all that you do. Would love your thoughts or comments below. Feel free to tweet, post, or send along.


Cheers!

Production is Art

     I once heard that 86% of the touring production folks were, at one time or still were, in bands themselves. I will post, for the benefit of people like Ed Stetzer, that I don’t know if that is accurate or not as I haven’t read the study that was conducted to get that number. I can understand that statement, as I was one of the people that were more heavily involved in music than in production.

     In audio you are conducting the dynamics of the mix as a conductor would a symphony, which I did take conducting class in college (part of the double major in music and communication) and know what the tempos and hand motions look like. If you aren’t actively mixing it would be good to remember what Jason Farah once told me, ‘mixing’ is a verb.

     In lighting, you are creating ambience and feel. You are drawing people in as the impulse of lights flow by. Redirecting attention as well as keeping people engaged.

     Video draws in the concentration and attention to the details of what’s being shared or played. It connects you to what may be far away. In film they say the eyes tell the story. I’ve heard it said that the eyes are the pathways to the soul.

     All areas of production shape and shift the atmosphere and feel. The worst thing you can do in the production world, or any job for that manner, is to think that you are just making something happen. Be engaged, full on, and make things better than when you found them. What you do could be the difference between life or death, between life changing and just another moment.

     Art is subjective, it won’t always be accepted, and it is all in the eye of the beholder. But do remember one thing, Production is a team role. It’s not just you; it’s a team (band/speaker and the conglomerate of production roles) that is making art together. So, to think you are painting this masterpiece alone is a fatal error to your goal. That will mean people want to speak into your art, guess what, you’re not Picasso. Think of the team it takes to make a movie. That’s how Production is as well. 

     It’s not about you. Remind yourself that. It’s not about you, but the end goal and the team you’re going to make that trip with.

     May your art be beautiful and life changing in whatever picture you are painting. Figuratively speaking of course.

Feel free to comment below, to tweet it, to post it, to send it.

Cheers!

The Substance of Things Hoped For...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

I’ve always loved this paradigm in Hebrews portrayed in how hope and faith are intertwined. The world is continually searching for hope. It’s something I have, it’s something the church has, it’s something the government promises, it’s what people desire. They want hope and it’s readily available to them.

Sitting in a meeting we were celebrating the hope and excitement that we carry through life and my mind wandered (this should never shock you, my mind moves a thousand miles a minute and always processes) to this thought. The hope we have in Christ is in direct contrast to what our politicians and government try to pull from. Hope draws people. Listen to every political speech, it’s that time of year again, and you’ll continually hear about the hope they will and can provide. I even read an article that said the President’s book The Audacity of Hope, which was titled off one of his minister’s sermons The Audacity to Hope, was partly credited to his being elected.

In my life, I have not found a truer hope and joy than what I have in Christ. I live my life excited every day knowing that I live fulfilled in Christ and in Christ alone.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26

May you be encouraged and blessed. Feel free to comment below, to tweet it, to post it, to send it.

Cheers!