Monday Meanderings - 5.8.2017

I've mentioned before that from time to time I operate the sound system at church. Mostly, these days, I fill in on special events - weddings, baccalaureate services, etc. This past weekend I handled the sound for an orchestra program.

Central Texas Medical Orchestra is made up of volunteer performers who work in the medical field in some capacity; some are doctors, some nurses and many are administrative or staff members at medical facilities. The orchestra does 4 programs a year and each benefits some local non-profit (this time it was Central Texas Epilepsy Foundation). They always have guest performers - one is always a virtuoso of some sort - violin, cello, etc. - and the other(s) are from the current music scene. 

The guests from the current scene this weekend were Lloyd Maines and Terry Hendrix. You can Google them if you want, but the short version is that Lloyd - a long-time fixture in the Texas music scene - was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame as one of the first three members. The other two? Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan! He may be best known however, as father of Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks fame.

Terri is a prolific song-writer (co-wrote the Grammy-winning song "Lil' Jack Slade" by the Dixie Chicks) and is known for her high-energy shows. She and Lloyd have appeared with the CTMO multiple times, as has Sarah Hickman, Gina Chavez & others.

So I'm pumped, because mixing sound for these guys is sort of a high water mark for this old rock-and-roll disc jockey. It was a hoot, primarily because Lloyd and Terri are super-nice people and really, really easy to work with. And, if I do say so myself, it sounded awesome!

One funny story out of the weekend: I'm doing a sound check with Terri before the program and everything is sounding great when I hear this shrill feedback. I'm freaking out, because I spent about an hour earlier that afternoon adjusting the equalization on that channel and monitor to get a really good volume level without causing any feedback!

So I'm looking at the graphic display, frantically searching for a feedback spike at some frequency, and there's nothing! Terri is singing away, graciously ignoring the really obnoxious squealing going on, and I'm losing it!

Then I realize it's a piccolo player warming up! #IndistinguishableFromFeedback

The orchestra normally rotates the performances between larger halls (churches and St Eds) in town but they have asked to have all of next season's performances our facility because they like the sound of the room. And the awesome sound guy, I'm sure.

Here's a video recorded during rehearsal by Cynthia Sadler on her iPhone, I think.  It doesn't have my professional-sounding audio, but it captures the moment pretty well.