Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1259912
64 S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y named Led Zeppelin. I blame this song for driving me down the path toward a career in music recording. In my undergrad years at the University of Florida, I had started as a music major. I played string bass from sixth grade through college. This path did not work for me, and I continued to look for direction while taking many classes in soci- ology. I got to work on a stu- dent film after my sophomore year in California. It was an AFI film, a Western, and I was a PA. I took to it like a fish to water, and upon return to school for my junior year, I changed my direc- tion to a degree in broadcasting. While I had minimal exposure to audio directly during this time, I learned about all of the positions (crafts) required for a team to produce TV program- ming at a working PBS station on campus. I picked things up very quickly and knew instantly that I was headed toward music production. I spent a year after graduation working as a master control operator for the station (WUFT), signing on with Mr. Rogers, and signing off with High Flight every day. In 1979, I was faced with a decision. Did I want to be a big fish in a small pond or a big fish in a big pond? Since music production was my goal, I felt I had three choices; New York, Nashville, or Hollywood for the chance at the big pond and chose to move to LA in 1979. I arrived in LA and literally went to the Yellow Pages to find a good starting point for my search. It was 1979, and there were so many studios in Hollywood alone that I couldn't possibly see them all, so I started with one and kept going until I found a studio owner who took an interest in me. Thank you, Mr. Ken Story. My first gig was at KSR Studios, located in the Taft Building at Hollywood and Vine. One studio on the fifth floor and one on the seventh. We did some gospel recording and some jingles. It was a great learning experience for me. Thank you, Mr. Bob Rose. I started to over/under all the wire I could find. The best thing to come out of this first job was a visit from the one-and-only Sherry Klein CAS, who used this studio when she could not access a larger, better-equipped studio. I worked as an A2 for her on some sessions, and after a few days, she offered to introduce me to the owners of Larrabee Studios, a larger, better-equipped, and more in-demand studio. Sherry had been working there for a while and felt I could contribute. I got the job and some fantastic hands-on experience installing the second SSL console to arrive in LA, as well as being an A2 on many great records. I also got to work with some great engineers at Larrabee. I had the honor of working with Stephen Paul, RIP, installing the SSL. Stephen taught me more about audio and life than most. They needed an A2 that could teach the board to all of the engineers that would rent the space. I knew it as well as anyone in the building, so things went great for the next few years. Thank you, Ms. Sherry Klein. I ended my career in music recording while working at Record Plant L.A. on 3rd Street. That place was a trip and the tip of the iceberg in studios for me. My old friend, Derek Casari of FOX fame, had shifted from music to video post and helped me to get an interview at Vidtronics. At that time, Vidtronics was one of the most successful video post facilities in Hollywood and also an IATSE signatory with an in-house contract. Thank you, Mr. Derek Casari. After a few years at Vidtronics, I learned that I was no longer interested in being in dark spaces anymore and wanted to be in production from the start. Fortunately, my older brother Mel was starting to take off as a director and invited me to join his crew on a feature film, Mischief, which we shot in Ohio for 10 weeks. I was home. Thank you, Mr. Mel Damski. When I returned to LA from the filming, I had no idea what was next for me. I had stored my belongings and given away my dog to pursue this crazy life and had no clue what was next. About a week later, I received a call from Embassy Productions, Norman Lear's production company. I was a new name on the IA Production Roster, and they were looking for a boom pusher/ utility person on their sitcom productions. Now I had found my happy place in my home! I learned a great deal about sitcom mixing from my old friend Ed Moskowitz CAS. He was the first multi-camera mixer I worked with on, I believe, Different Strokes. Thank you, Mr. Edward Moskowitz. I had a great career in production mixing, but the Writers Strike of 2007 really scared me. Sitcom production had already slowed down, and now there was no work for months. During the strike, another old friend, Steven Venezia CAS, turned me on to a teaching job at Moorpark College in Simi Valley, where I lived. Thank you, Mr. Steven Venezia. A year later, I was invited to give a talk at a college, SCAD in Savannah, GA, and decided to accept their offer to teach at their institution full time. I have now been retired for 3½ years due to life events and medical challenges. I have no regrets about my choices and know that I have been blessed. Have you always participated in community organizations? It all started about midway through my career. I had become active in the ATAS Peer Group after being bestowed with their highest honor in 1994-95. I worked with many current Board members during that time. That was where I became interested in giving back for my successes. I decided to run for a CAS Board position around the year 2000 and was elected as an alternate. You also have a career in education. What would you say is the best part of working in education as well as the professional world? I think many of my former students would tell you that my professional training and deep understanding of the production world made me a valuable asset in their educational experience. During my teaching tenure, the best part of the job was finding the passion that lives in young minds. The payoff for me was seeing the light go on over their heads when they understood a difficult concept, and I was able to help get them there. The