Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1434375
76 W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Dan McCoy CAS, Jim Tanenbaum CAS, and Allie Boettger Dan's most recent mentee, his wife, Samya H. McCoy with enough time to change a flat tire," are words that I still put into practice. I pull into crew parking early, figure out the day with schedule, talent, and logistics—which all stem from Jim's comment about having enough time. I still call Jim when I encoun- ter a new challenge for which I need to problem-solve with a creative solution. A high- light in my career was when I was able to have Jim join our team on Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. The director asked me about Jim's experi- ence. On top of all of Jim's credits, I told the director, "This guy wrote the book on SMPTE timecode for audio." This past year, I've been able to "Play Jim" in sound mentoring my business partner and wife of 21 years, Samya H. McCoy. I'm always aiming to use the practical and scientific reasoning Jim so eloquently bestowed to me over all these years … and it's working! For me, mentoring is about listening and adding constructive experience and practical expertise to help a colleague or mentee solve a new problem. It's not always simple, but the proactive practice of mentoring has been invaluable in honing and perfecting my skills while paying it forward to the next mixer for when they step behind the faders.