Collaboration and Production
One thing that has remained constant in my life is the incredible opportunity to collaborate with talented musicians, composers, engineers, producers and technicians. Much of what I have leaned has come primarily from the experiences I’ve had working on theatre, music, film and television productions. The people I have worked with have constantly showed me that there is always so much more to learn.
Looking back at the theatrical productions we put together in high school and in community theatre groups, I’m amazed at the willingness of young people to collaborate on such ambitious projects! I understand now that these experiences provided roots for me; everything I do now as a technician and engineer is inherently connected to that time. Working on something for the greater good, using art and technology to convey a message, a story, a change of emotion and state of mind - catharsis! For me, technology must always serve this purpose, otherwise it has no place in the arts.
I was surprised this past week when some friends sent me a digitized copy of some old video footage from two high school theatre productions I was a part of. At the time, I was not a technician, but an actor and a musician! I played the role of Mike Lefevre in Working: A Musical, a story about the struggles and sacrifices of working class people. In the other production, Godspell, I decided to try my hand at playing guitar in the pit orchestra. After watching both of these videos, I was amazed at how such a young group of people could pull it all together! Looking back with admiration, I’m inspired by the dedication and intense collaboration it took to put these shows together.
I stopped performing in theatre after moving to Montreal in 2004 and decided I would focus on playing music. This inevitably lead me to studying music technology and gave me the chance to work as an engineer. Collaborating on the technical aspects of a production have proved not to be much different than collaborating on the stage. There is a constant give and take, a sacrifice, and when you find that the music, the story, or the message takes centre stage, then you end up being part of something much bigger, no matter what role you play.
I’m truly grateful for the experiences that I had growing up, which shaped me into the technician I am today.
Guitar overdubs at Hotel2Tango, Montreal.