Pastors and Worship Leaders,
There is someone else on the stage with you Sunday morning. You can’t see him (or her), but he’s not invisible. His presence rolls of the stage in waves – sound-waves. He lives in a world of high’s, mid’s and low’s – and no, he’s probably not bi-polar or manic-depressive. When he’s ‘on’, YOU sound fabulous. When he’s ‘off’, YOU sound boomy, hollow, or possibly demented. He is either your hero or your arch-enemy.
I’m talking about your sound man (or woman). Pixar did a superb job of catching the essence and challenge sound tech’s face each week in this short clip. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/i62znvPLlrw
Can’t see this video? Try watching it by clicking this link!
Love Your Sound Tech As Yourself
All kidding aside, your sound tech is a very important part of the Sunday morning experience. He probably knows things about sound that you don’t, and even if that isn’t true . . . well, he’s back there and you’re up here, right?
In my experience, a lot of pastors and church leaders nurse a gnawing frustration concerning their sound tech. They never seem to ‘get it right’. It’s too loud, too soft, or just mixed weird. The microphone isn’t working again, the monitors hum distractedly, or you can’t hear the video as it’s playing on the screens. Overall, the relationship tends to be strained. To make matters worse, whenever you request a change, they may give you some attitude, push back or simply start talking in a language you don’t understand!
A few years ago our sound tech and I were experiencing this tension. I was having difficulty getting him to represent the sound in the sanctuary the way we were wanting it to be represented. It’s not that he mixed bad. It’s just that he had different ideas and values. One day, I took him for a drive in my car and asked him to adjust the EQ on my music. I had a bass-boost button that you could hit three times to increase the bass. He popped the bass to the maximum level. We listened that way for a while and then I put it back to where it was, explaining my preferences as the driver and owner of the car. This began a wonderful conversation and a new understanding between us regarding the mix on Sunday morning!
My recommendation: Invest in your sound tech! Take him out to lunch or ask he and his family over for dinner. Set up occasional meetings with him to just talk shop regarding the Sunday morning experience. Invite him to your service planning meetings. Cast your vision for ministry to him. Let him dream with you about the church and it’s future. Find ways to help him understand your values and preferences with sound. Help him be an extension of you, onstage, every single week – after all, he is.