Content from the Live Event Production Community

Ron Mesh is a tour manager for some of the biggest names in Live Sound. Ron cut his teeth as an audio engineer for touring bands such as Uncle Sam and the Chesterfield Kings, a Punk Rock band that enabled Ron to tour Europe for the first time. Over the years he developed skills in logistics and fell into the role of Tour Manager, working with bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Tower of Power, and Billy Gibbons. Along the way, Ron also formed and ran his own audio equipment rental company for over 25 years called Advanced Audio Services.

Lucas Van Der Mee, Principal Design Engineer for Apogee Electronics, has a fascinating background in Live Sound and studio engineering. He spent ten years on the road as an audio engineer before focusing on studio work and designing mastering studios. While Rob Halford, former lead singer for the band Fight was working on his solo album, Lucas served as mastering engineer, which took place in the early days of digital recordings. During the 1990s he served as a recording engineer for the famous Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles.

Kevin McGinty is the audio engineer and Front of House for one of the most historic venues in music, the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Kevin began mixing Live Sound while in high school and later attended Belmont University studying Piano and Music Business. In 1986 he worked as the FOH mixer for the Exit/In and put PA systems in other clubs and concert halls around Nashville. He finished his degree in 1993 at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2003 Kevin joined the Grand Ole Opry team as their audio engineer, a position he says is never boring, and after each perfor

The NAMM Show is a hub for live event production professionals, providing access to the latest live event products, immersive lighting showcases, specialized education sessions, and more. From lighting designers to live sound engineers, staging professionals, and beyond, everyone who works in live events is welcome at the show and needs to be there. NAMM is proud to partner with industry organizations like ESTA, the Event Safety Alliance, Lighting&Sound America, and others to create specialized education and training opportunities where live event professionals can learn trade

Deej White is a familiar face to those backstage at the NAMM show. As a long-time roadie and production manager, Deej has learned the importance of being prepared, for example he always has a flashlight on hand to help people on stage. After ten years of serving in the US Navy, Deej spent 15 years on the road traveling with performers all across the United States and five continents. He began driving trucks but soon his skills as an electrician paid off when he was asked to repair a guitar amplifier. He then became a drum tech for years, tuning and making repairs for live events.

Harold Cohen's name can be heard spoken by Chip Monck during the Woodstock film. After the Sha Na Na performance on Sunday evening and just before Jimi Hendrix appears on stage, Chip says softly in the microphone, "Turn it up Harold." And so Harold turned the controls on the sound system way up to accommodate the legendary artist on what would become an epic performance. Harold worked for Terry Hanley and other sound companies over the years and was key in providing mixes for a number of iconic performers, even working the sound at the White House.

Bill Hanley is known as the Father of Festival Sound for a good reason. Beginning in the 1950s Bill and his brother Terry provided sound equipment for outdoor events and as the rock-and-roll era boomed, they found themselves inventing and innovating new ways to address the needs of different spaces and larger audiences. Bill was on hand at Woodstock providing sound in addition to working thousands of other events including the Beatles at Shea Stadium and the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals. Hanley Sound became a powerhouse for the industry for decades and launched the careers of m

Bill Hanley is known as the Father of Festival Sound for a good reason. Beginning in the 1950s Bill and his brother Terry provided sound equipment for outdoor events and as the rock-and-roll era boomed, they found themselves inventing and innovating new ways to address the needs of different spaces and larger audiences. Bill was on hand at Woodstock providing sound in addition to working thousands of other events including the Beatles at Shea Stadium and the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals. Hanley Sound became a powerhouse for the industry for decades and launched the careers of m

Mike, Dan and Ashley are going behind the scenes this week to discuss the evolution of Front of House (FOH). Using in...

Mike, Dan and Ashley are going behind the scenes this week to discuss the evolution of Front of House (FOH). Using in...

The Music History Project is going on tour! This week Mike, Dan and Ashley are highlighting some of the amazing touri...

The Music History Project is going on tour! This week Mike, Dan and Ashley are highlighting some of the amazing touri...