Behind the scenes at the Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Party

Gary Baldassari, Incorporated Magi audio engineer, instructing Full Sail interns on microphones

Teachers and students

The tagline for Inkwatu is “Delights, near and far.” Less poetically put, that simply means that this blog is about things that I find delightful: people, places, things, food…and also the good I see some people do. One such instance is the training of young engineers in acoustic jazz since 1989 by the seasoned professionals of Incorporated Magi. This training is a free benefit that these pros offer at any festival where they have been engaged to provide sound. They’ve been doing this in places such as Pori, Finland; Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina; and, of course, the USA. They do it to keep intact the knowledge of how to provide audio for acoustic jazz.

Last year was the First Annual Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Party and it was covered by Inkwatu: see Arbors Records. That post covered the event itself with a few asides about jazz in Florida and different kinds of jazz record labels and musicians that part part of the local scene. But, this year, for an Inkwatu post on the Second Annual Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Party, the post theme is a little different. It’s a look behind the scenes of the event, especially the teaching by a group of dedicated professionals of hands-on skills to the “next generation” of audio pros.

Gary Faller, audio engineer, with Full Sail intern

With any contemporary musical event, even many concerts of classical opera or outdoor symphony orchestra events, sound reinforcement (audio amplification) is an invisible but essential aspect. Like many professions, it’s only noticeable if done poorly; done correctly, no one even notices. It’s not as easy as it looks, either. It’s not just a matter of turning a knob to make something louder or softer. Professional audio requires a knowledge of acoustics, electronics, music, and (I know this from extensive personal experience)…psychology. An engineer with a good attitude makes for much better music, since musicians are chronically concerned about the quality of their playing. An engineer with a sunny disposition dispels much of the musicians’ self-doubt.

Audio engineer, Mike Morgan, instructing Full Sail intern

A feature of this year’s Arbor event was that Incorporated Magi of Orlando (407-257-0832), the company responsible for the sound for the event (as well as many other Arbors events and recordings in the past, hosted and instructed (gratis) a group of audio engineering interns from Full Sail University. The interns were Kamil Grzych, Elmhurst, IL; Daniel Gentry; Tampa, FL; and Colin Tumey, Michael Iannetta, Kahlyn Kelly, Ashley Parker, and Allison Ledwith, all of Winter Park, FL. These students assisted Incorporated Magi in every stage of preparing the sound and lighting for the event.

Dan Czernecki, audio engineer and an alumnus of Full Sail, instructing Full Sail interns

It’s one thing to learn the theory of one’s craft in school, but it’s another to actually apply it in the real world. That to me was always the true meaning behind the word “engineer.” Engineers are the folks who, after scientists have made their mathematical models, make things actually work…even if it takes duct tape to do it!

Microphones

At the heart of any sound installation are the microphones. It is through that point in a long chain of electronic processes that the sound becomes an electronic signal. If the microphone is bad (or even inappropriate for the situation), the entire rest of the chain (amplification, recording, etc.) will be bad. The art of the microphone is a skill acquired from long experience and knowledge.

Gary Baldassari with two revolutionary microphones: Grado Holographic Recording Instrument (the sphere on the left) and the HMP-1 Scalar microphone (the stick mike on the right)
The Arbors event, which is acoustic, classic jazz, is the perfect event for students to experience adapting classical music techniques of microphone use and placement instead of common pop music engineering which is what is usually taught. This approach–a specialty of Gary Baldassari of Incorporated Magi with whom I had the pleasure of working ten Super Bowl Pregame shows–uses techniques more commonly associated with good symphony orchestra recording in which the listener hears the orchestra as if it were really in the room, without individual instruments having their volumes exaggerated (for instance, no solo flute as loud as a brass section!).

Baldassari showing different microphone heads	Baldassari installing piano microphone
DPA 4041 Tube microphone inside piano	close-up of HMP-1 Scalar microphone

The recording room

What the audience heard at the Arbors event was a mix that’s done in the actual hall, intended for the audience in the hall (as well as a subordinate mix that’s onstage, just for the benefit of the musicians). That mix was engineered this year by Gary Faller (pictured above) with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working a number of sessions in the old Roy Disney Post Group studios on the back lot of Disney in Orlando.

In addition to the mixing of the sounds from the stage for the audience at the Arbors event, a documentary recording is made, backstage, in a recording room well isolated from the sounds in the performance room. The Full Sail interns learned what goes into that step as well. An important aspect of this craft is the extensive documentation which must be made at every moment of the recording. The producer, faced with countless hours of recordings, relies upon this documentation. (Think of all those unlabeled cassettes in your junk drawer at home–imagine that times 100!) Engineer, Dan Czernecki (owner of Classical Recording Service, 96 N Lake Ave., Troy, NY 12180-6704 — serving the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metro Area), with whom I’ve produced at least one recording, is a master of documentation and a producer’s delight. Mike Morgan, who also worked the recording room, is an outstanding opera tenor as well as an audio engineer.

Mike Morgan & Dan Czernecki instructing interns in recording room

A very special piano

A real treat for me, as a pianist, was getting to meet the creator, Justin Elliot (www.classicpianoshoppe.com), of very special piano accessories. Mr. Elliot originally intended his unique piano legs and music rack (see photo) as mere decorative touches. He soon discovered, as did the artists who now demand his piano, that these touches very positively affect the actual sound of the piano. The Yamaha pianos for the event were provided by Steve Trawford of Piano Distributors of Sarasota, but Mr. Elliot fitted one of the pianos for the event with his special accessories. I really like the way it makes the piano sound. He was also the piano technician for the event, carefully shading the quality of sound to work properly with the acoustics of the room, the performance style of the artist, and the kind of music being played. There’s a lot more to being a piano technician than just tuning the piano!

Justin Elliot with Yamaha piano fitted with his accessories

Musicians relaxing

It was a personal treat to get to see the great musicians backstage relaxing, practicing, and trading stories. Just the pianists at the event were an impressive list: Dick Hyman, Bernd Lhotzky, Louis Mazetier, Rossano Sportiello, Jeff Barnhart, Chris Hopkins, Norm Kubrin, Ehud Asherie, Tom McDermott, and Mike Lipskin. There were musicians from Israel, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada, and Holland. If you’ve not been to an Arbors event, and you like classic jazz, visit the Arbors Records website (www.arborsrecords.com/) and get ticket for next year’s event when they’re available and/or buy some recordings.

pianists Mike Lipskin, left; Louis Mazetier seated; Ehud Asherie, right

Hanging theater lights

The Full Sail students also learned about and assisted with the hanging of lights. Lights and sound are often part of the same production company and they affect each other electronically. The lighting system for the Arbors event was provided by Atlas Production. The folks who hang lights are a lot braver than I am. Not only do they work with real, dangerous electricity (not just electronics), but they do it up in the air!

It’s a joy to see pros teaching the youngsters who will be the pros in the days to come. The apprentice concept is time honored. I’m glad to see the tradition so enthusiastically continued by Incorporated Magi.