OUR MISSION


We are uniquely designed and most of us have a bent. There are a few people who have that inner jack-of-all-trades trait in them; they’re the ones who can just figure out anything on the fly. One of the largest complaints I hear from touring companies, from rental houses to the church, is that good help is hard to find. This is true; however, good people who are willing to learn are not. Every brand, business, and franchise has to invest time into their new employees to instill in them the tools of the trade and share a vision to keep the culture of the organization growing stronger. 

They say being a tech is a thankless job; we are the people behind the scenes who are commonly recognized for our shortcomings and not our successes. So how do you find fulfillment in the thankless?  You pour what you’re learning into others. It’s funny how in just a matter of moments you can pick up what someone is passionate about from a few simple questions. Caring about people enough to get to know them is such a valuable skill to master. We desire deep connections with people. Most people who enter into our industry, be it on stage or pushing cases, do so out of human curiosity: what would it be like to play that instrument or sing songs, ride faders, or to be behind the steering wheel of a semi, seeing the world? 

How do we shape those curiosities to help those who wonder be most successful? Learning a new skill takes time. Here are some simple questions to ask yourself to start developing a culture of development & growth. 

  • Where does the process start? Defining this is pivotal.  Oftentimes we are so quick to get to the end that where we start seems annoying. The fact of the matter is, if you’ve arrived at the end then you’ve stopped growing. There is no end! 

  • What are your standards? Defining your target is also very helpful in developing a culture of growth within your team. What are the most important elements of what you do to be successful week in and out? Very few people can hit an ever-moving target!

  • How do you measure/chart a person’s growth? From a coaching perspective you have to shape your processes around the individual you’re training. What are their goals? Where are they currently? You can discover this by creating simple quizzes or having them go through leveled checklists.

We are all supposed to be on a journey of growth and relationship with one another; we love being around people who speak our language. We are a peculiar people . As our passion for growth and for this craft increases, our passion for pouring into others with an open hand grows as well. How can the road crew team help you? Feel free to reach out!


OUR COLLABORATORS

 

RON COOK

Ron is a Front of House, Monitor, and Mix Engineer.  For 15 years Ron was a staff audio engineer at Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago Suburbs.  In late 2015 Ron left Willow Creek to form Split The Difference Audio, LLC.  Recent highlights have included providing a broadcast mix for the Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage at NAMM 2020, being an on call band mixer for WGN TV's morning shows, mixing FOH for the Chicago Cubs World Series Rally, and Mixing Monitors for a PBS Soundstage taping with Jon Secada.  Ron also works with Irish band, Hermitage Green as well as Scottish band, Skerryvore, when they are in North America. Ron is also a DPA Microphones Master Club Member and was the 2018 Vice President of the Chicagoland Chapter of EARS, the Engineering And Recording Society.

JAMES BERRY

James is a touring monitor engineer who works with all the major touring acts to provide top notch monitor mixing. Before starting to tour, James was mixing in churches in the Houston, Dallas and Austin areas. Since then he has toured and work for 18 years as a monitor engineer and RF touring engineer. After many successful tours working with a-list artists, startup artists, and churches all over the USA. James is now offering training courses on the art of mixing inner ear monitors. He feels so honored to have had the opportunity to mix with Beyoncé for 13 years and work with countless artist like Stevie Wonder, Camila Cabello, Lionel Richie, Bruno Mars, Solange, Kelly Roland, Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia to name a few. James truly has a passion for his craft and looks forward to sharing 18 plus years of tour knowledge with you. 

IVAN TALAMANTES

Ivan’s involvement in the exciting world of music started at the early age of eight years old. He always had the desire to learn several musical instruments and the passion to perform at a high level of excellence. As time went by, he had the opportunity to meet different people who influenced and help him develop and grow within this industry. It was then that he began working within the fascinating world of sound. Ivan continued to pursue his studies and graduated with a degree in Engineering with concentration in electronics and communication. Since then, he has worked thousands of live concerts, hundreds of album-recording projects, and has traveled to over 20 countries. Currently living in Chicago, Ivan has been working as a broadcast audio engineer and technical director at Willow Creek Community Church. On the side he continues to work in his studio producing, mixing and mastering.