# Your status



## CURLS (Jun 29, 2006)

Just a Poll of WHO USES THIS SITE PEASE REFER!
Little more description!
1st. Someone who is interested in doing this line of work
2nd. More a person who is helping and is not payed just for the enjoyment!
3rd. A person in school paid or not that does it to furthur their education.
4th. A part time worker, Sunday services, theatre changeovers, install work.
5th. CAREER JOB!!! Fulltimer year round, ya just do it.


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## ship (Jun 29, 2006)

Remember that it's summer vacation for most and a slow period for the most part until the Fall.


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## pattrick1 (Jun 30, 2006)

I placed my vote on the education option, however I also do some well-paid freelance work in both sound and lighting. Wouldn't trade what I do for anything!
Patrick T


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## YHStechjordan (Jul 8, 2006)

I am a part time tech at my high school. And i love every moment of it! i have been doing things technical sence i was arond 8 when i got to touch a mixing board, and thats what got me hooked! I cant wait until i can get back to the theatre! There are no renters during the summer, and that means no pay for me! OR FUN!


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## thorin81 (Jul 8, 2006)

I am a teacher, however i also do some summer stock and Rep work acting and doing props. Love it!


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## Eboy87 (Jul 12, 2006)

Been doing this since 6th grade, now I'm a freshman in college. I wanna have a career in live sound, and am headed to school to learn the more technical side (you can never learn how to mix a show in a classroom. How the gear works on the other hand...). Been using CB for just over two years, and have gotten quite a few good ideas from it. 

So, thanks guys, gotten lots of good advice from you.


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## mbandgeek (Jul 15, 2006)

I am in High school, 

The oppurtunities that are open are school functions so, no paycheck for me.

There are rare occasions when there is a paying job, like when some non-school related group rents the facility.


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## Pie4Weebl (Jul 17, 2006)

I fall into 3 catagories
-I donate my time to my church for sound.
-I will be attending a theatre program in college this fall
-I work part time at a local venue.


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## BillESC (Jul 20, 2006)

I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I've been in the biz professionally for 33 years, 43 years if you count my amature experience.

I toured with bus and truck shows from Broadway and Rock n Roll from the early 70's into the late 80's. After that I got off the road and concentrated on sales, rentals, design and installations.

We are currently shipping a new church sound system to North Carolina, a distributed sound system to a new office building in Dallas, Texas and will be installing a new Boardroom sound system locally next week. Tomorrow we have two rental sound systems going out for local events as well.


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## ledieu (Sep 9, 2006)

I've got some catching up to do on BillESC but I've been knocking around in the industry for 19 years (and dont that make me feel old!!) Currently commissioning a new automation system in China, then back to Malasia for some maintenance work on their Automation system, then onto Qatar for the automation installation for the Asian Games - should be fun - same mod who did the commonwealth games - except its out in the middle of some middle eastern desert. Cant have everything.


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## Van (Sep 12, 2006)

Ok if we're gonna compare, Bill and I are close, I've been in for 25 years profesionally, if you don't count the early acting years, ( and beleive me I don't). Having done a little of it all I kind of refer to myself as a "Jack of all trades, Master of a couple". My favorite title so far, " Mr. Exotic Materials" I like that one a lot. That's what happens when your not afraid of expirementing with new things.


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## GeneralDoom (May 3, 2007)

I fall in to the 2nd and 3rd catagories, I've been working with a comunity theatre for the last 9 years and am now attending college for theatre


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## Logos (May 3, 2007)

40 years in the biz am and pro. Started as a "Saturday Boy" in local theatre making tea and sweeping stage. Did a lot of amateur and semi pro until 15 years ago decided to go fulltime pro. I am now semi retired doing jobs I want to as LD and Board Operator while also have gone back to the amateur world as a Director of mostly my own writing ( a skill discovered later in life)


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## PadawanGeek (May 4, 2007)

Do A/V (volunteer) for the 5th and 6th grade ministry at my church. I also do some lighting stuff at my school.


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## gafftaper (May 5, 2007)

That's a hard question to summarize as my life has followed a weird twisted path. The short version: 1) don't assume you need a tech degree to work in theater. 2) Never underestimate the power of who you know and dumb luck in advancing your career in this field. 

I started running sound at my church when I was in 5th grade... that's been a little over 25 years. Then when I got to high school I was on the stage crew and had my first experience with lights (one of those old monster dimmer panels 8 feet high and 15 feet wide with 12" handles to run 20 circuits... on a bad day you could see sparks inside the panel). 

The year after I graduated I was paid to come back and build a set for the drama program. Then there's 6 1/2 years of college with two years off between the B.A. in History and M.A. in Education to pay my wife's way through college. During that time off, I spent hundreds if not thousands of hours volunteer hours learning by working alongside a real master of the craft my old community college T.D. I got my first serious paid gig when he got seriously sick and I filled in as the college T.D. for a quarter. When I finally finished college I got my teaching certification and was off to teach High School Drama and History for almost 5 years... still doing some occasional tech on the side at my college and working for some friends. I was working at a very poor urban school with no parent support. I always wanted to be a drama teacher. But I just wasn't very good at teaching people to improve their acting skills. At the same time my shows had killer sets for a $600 annual budget and I would put my tech crew up against a group of pro's any day. So my interests focused more and more on the tech side. I got burned out quickly and when a baby came along, I quit to become a stay at home dad. Turns out this was the key to my tech career opening up. 

I started working regularly at a friend's high school performing arts center and landed a part time gig as a college T.D. The college had no theater program and no theater. They hired a drama teacher, she made a random call to a friend the answer... "I'm busy but Mark's just sitting home with a baby, I bet he can help you". I've done every set plus some lights and sound for every production in the last 3 years. I started teaching an intro to tech theater class at the college this year. I helped design the new theater. I've been responsible for almost every tech decision in the process. If all goes well I hope to occupy that nice office located in the shop next fall when they hire a full time T.D. 

That's the short version.


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## CPCTtechie (May 6, 2007)

I got interested during grammer school after touring the Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago. It was my freshman year of high school that got me into theatre. I had acted once but really didn't think of it as anything big. Tech is what really got me hooked. Mostly did stage crew with dabblings into props. I enjoyed being stage manager and was technical director for my last show of my hs theatre career senior year. Took an seven year hiatus due to college and not having time. One day at work I over heard another person who'd later I'd become friends with talking about theatre and was like, you're a techie too?!?! And ever since then, I've been back into theatre and enjoying it. Now I'm a board member for the local community theatre group that I'm a part of. I've moved up from a lowly stagehand to running lights, which has been something that I've been wanting to do since hs.


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## kovacika (May 7, 2007)

I'm going to college for Tech Theater while working part time tech. I offer my sound system and services to bands and the college. During the summer I work full time at a large rental house, and my evenings are spent mixing bands down at the park, which has an outdoor ampitheater.


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