THE FINAL NOTE
CHRISTOPHER SPAHR
Vice President of Sales and Marketing, DPA Microphones By Brian Berk
The Music & Sound Retailer: Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why? Christopher Spahr: It really depends on what part of my career that I was in. When I was working in the recording studio full-time, all of the great engineers in Miami really influenced how I worked: Eric Schilling, Mike Couzzi, Carlos Alvarez, Ted Stein, etc. But my biggest mentor at that time was the great Tom Dowd, who showed me how to really listen. The few times that I was able to work with him opened my ears to an entirely different way to hear a song; almost a scientific way to hear it. On the pro-audio sales side of my career, the late Jeff Alexander from Sennheiser showed me how to make a sales organization work well while still being a genuine, personable and likeable boss! The Retailer: What was the best advice you ever received? Spahr: It was pretty simple. Do the work! You can’t take shortcuts if you want to excel or be great at something. You have to put in the work. The Retailer: What was your first experience with a musical instrument? Spahr: I started taking guitar lessons in sixth grade. My first guitar teacher was actually a piano teacher who didn’t play guitar at all! The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoy playing? Spahr: Guitar, but I also love bass. I fumble my way around a keyboard and struggle mightily on a drum set. The Retailer: Tell us something about yourself that others do not know or would be surprised to learn. Spahr: I started out in college studying veterinary medicine. The Retailer: What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work? Spahr: Spending time with my family. The Retailer: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? 46
Spahr: I saw Jeff Buckley play an intimate show at a small bar in Miami Beach. It was magical.
The Retailer: If you could see any musician, alive or deceased, play a concert for one night, who would it be and why? Spahr: Frank Zappa. He was an irreverent genius who was also a gifted musician and usually surrounded by even better musicians in his band. From recordings of his live concerts that I’ve heard, it seems like a show of his would have been a wild ride! The Retailer: What musician are you hoping to see play in the near future? Spahr: Paul McCartney. The Retailer: What song was most memorable for you throughout your childhood and what do you remember about it the most? Spahr: “Love Me Tender” by Elvis. He was my mother’s favorite artist and this was one of the first songs I ever learned on the guitar. When that song came on, there was a moment of silence in my house! The Retailer: What are your favorite songs on your smartphone/iPod? Spahr: My musical tastes are a bit schizophrenic and there are too many albums to choose from, but lately I’ve been listening to “Marigold” by Pinegrove, The Highwomen, “Good Apollo, I’m Burning” by (continued on page 45) AUGUST 2020