This is how you get a gig

I want to tell you a little story.

A few months ago, while I was catching up with a friend and fellow touring FOH Engineer, she told me about a group of recent graduates she met who were studying concert production at their university and wanted to go on tour.  

The aspiring audio techs and engineers had the opportunity to shadow her on her gig.  Sadly, she said most of them were completely uninterested in the experience and knowledge she had to offer, and their mindset was that they already knew everything.

There was one exception, however.  A young woman who asked many questions and was very eager to learn everything she could from the experienced touring engineer that day.  

The young woman mentioned that, even though she wants to be an audio technician and be on tour full-time, she takes every single job she can, whether it’s Lighting, Video, or Audio.  She just wants to work and learn as much as she can.

My friend was very impressed with how eager this young woman was to learn, how many great questions she had, and her positive attitude.

She told me ‘If I could have hired her on the spot, I would have!’

Fast forward two months later- I get a text from another friend of mine who is the Monitor Engineer on a tour that just fired their PA/stage tech person. 

Frustrated with a crew who are committed to doing as little as possible and who are more interested in just getting things done rather than doing things correctly, he is looking for someone who has a good attitude and is eager to learn.  He went so far as to say that he didn’t even care if they had any touring experience, their attitude was more important, and he could easily train the right person.

Who comes to mind immediately is the young woman that my friend told me about. Though I’ve never met or worked with this girl, my friend had spent the day with her and was thoroughly impressed. I trust her judgment.  

What she had told me about this young woman had stuck in my mind- how great her perspective was, she wanted to learn, worked hard, and didn’t have a know-it-all attitude. 

So, I instantly reached out to my friend for the young woman’s contact information to pass on to my other friend who is looking for a tech.

Guess what? The young woman was already on tour.  She had landed a gig as a tech for a major artist playing arenas!

That is how you get a job.

Here’s another story…

Years ago, I was speaking at a university that teaches audio and concert production.  A student came up to me after the session and told me that the band I was working for at the time was his all-time favorite band.   

He wanted to know if he could ask me a few questions, and I replied, ‘Of course’. He had some specific questions about how I did things regarding mixing this band.    

I told him that we would be coming through his city on tour in a few months, and he was welcome to come out and shadow me for the day.  He was thrilled to have the opportunity, so we exchanged contact info, and I told him I would check in with him as the date got closer.

Two months later, about a week before our show in his city, I emailed him to see if he was still interested in coming out to shadow.  He quickly responded that he managed to get himself on the labor call to work the show and was looking forward to being able to watch and learn from me.  I was surprised and very impressed with his initiative to work this out for himself.

When the day came for the show, he was there ready and waiting at load-in with the rest of the local crew. He worked through load-in and set-up, and when the local crew was about to be cut for the day, he asked if he could stay and shadow me and if it was ok to ask questions.  I said absolutely.  Not only did he stay, but he was fully engaged with all the technical aspects of the show. 

He was very professional and had a keen sense of situational awareness- knowing how to stay out from underfoot and not interrupt at the wrong times, while also paying close attention to what was going on and asking follow-up questions.

Not once did he try to tell me what he thought he knew; he soaked up every bit of information and knowledge he could.

I was so impressed with this kid and how he handled himself around not only our crew, but the artist, who stopped to chat with him backstage as we were loading out.  This was his guitar hero, and he was respectful through the entire conversation, never once coming off star-struck or anything other than professional. 

This kid had the makings of a superstar.  He showed initiative, showed up early and ready to work, and stayed after he was cut (with permission) to watch and learn.  He wasn’t afraid to ask questions or admit things he didn’t understand.  He behaved professionally with the touring crew and the artist.  He knew how to stay out of the way and yet still be right where he needed to be.

Earlier in the day, he told me how he really wanted to make a career out of music and audio, and he was nervous about whether he would be able to survive in the business.  At the end of the day, I told him he had nothing to worry about.  Just keep at it and keep doing what he did that day.

I’m happy to say he’s out there killing it right now.

The common thread between both stories is:

• They showed up.
• They took initiative and all the opportunities that were offered.
• They were on time.
• They were engaged when working with more experienced engineers and techs.
• They were professional and aware of their surroundings.
• They began connecting with and building a network of professionals who are doing what they want to be doing.
• They spent their time listening and asking good questions instead of talking about how much they thought they knew.

When you are getting started in this industry and short on experience, many people lack confidence in their skills and abilities, but it’s more important that you have the right attitude.  When you do, like in the two examples above, the right people will notice, and opportunities for advancement will come.  

 ^{By:Michelle Sabolchick}