Trust

Its all about trust.

That is the truth about the sound business. Now, when you are working for a promoter or a business client, they get to hear what you are up to. But in the church business and band gigs, your client never really hears what you are doing for the audience. They go by what the people around them are saying.

In the church, these are people that really don't know anything other than it was "good" or not. Sure there are musicians in the audience. I have found that they tend to judge you solely on how you did on the instrument that they personally play or have an affinity towards. Drummers want the drums louder, guitarists want the guitars louder. I mean I was once accused of making guitars sound like keyboards and more recently was told that I seemed to not like keyboards but guitars.

How does the church keep using that guy that lords over everyone and couldn't mix his way out of a wet paper bag. Trust. Why do some churches go through an engineer every year or two. Trust (or lack of).

These musical people are putting literally their careers (and egos) in your hands. They are believing that you will make them appear as good if not better than they really are with their musical talents. It falls under the same emotions that a mother goes through when leaving her kids with a babysitter.

So my advice to any engineer. Always balance your decisions on the job with one question. "Does this create (extend) trust?" Does making "fake" moves create trust even though you always end up back at the same volume at the end of rehearsal? Everything needs to go through the trust filter.

Its all about trust. When its gone, the gig is over.

Think about it.