FUTURE YARD
Sound Check Technical Mentor, Jez Wing; Future Yard’s first cohort of students; Adlib’s Kenny Perrin and freelance lighting specialist, Stuart Gray.
he furthered. “Academic learning isn’t for everybody and something like to run the show. After all, the more skills you have got, the fuller your diary this, which is unique to the area, should be happening across the board.” will be.” A familiar face to TPi for his touring exploits, Perrin was equally pleased Gray referred to a recent practical session which involved a handsto lend a helping hand to a local initiative. “It’s great to put this region of on opportunity for the students to build a truss, perfect their moving the UK on the touring map and make it a hub for a musical community truss calls, and adhere to the health and safety elements involved with which has been ignored for quite some time,” he said, gesturing to his operating on a stage – including intermediate terminology such as stage surroundings. “This takes us back to our roots left and stage right. “It all starts at this kind of as house guys in venues. If I was to walk into this level – can you count to four? Have you got a sense venue as a touring engineer, I’d be very happy!” of rhythm? Do you understand song structure? Shadowing people, setting mic stands and This is the starting point for anyone in lighting,” cables was how both guest speakers, Perrin he commented, adding that “there’s only so much “I believe that vocational and Gray, made their start in the industry. “The you can do” in pre-visualisation software. training is the answer for best advice we were given was to keep plugging “It’s difficult for students coming out of degree away, learn as much as you can and ask lots of courses, where they get a lot of hands-on technical young people. Presenting questions. It sounds silly, but there is no such thing experience and programming on a console, but a schedule which is more as a stupid question,” Gray supposed. “The more they don’t have any real-world gigging experience. you learn, the more useful you are to people. This They graduate not understanding the staging apprenticeship based, skills is the perfect opportunity to work around a stage or putting a truss together, because based and practical for young aspects and get an idea of what it is like on site.” they’ve never had to do it in a limited time frame The veteran LD believes that building when it needs to be up and running within a few people is a preferable way of relationships with people on site is integral. hours,” Gray sympathised. “The more handslearning.” “Asking questions of the band, what they want to on experience people can get, the better for Sound Check Mentor, Jez Wing. see from the show, gives you a better idea of how everyone.” Perrin echoed the sentiment: “Don’t 38
