AES Worship Sound Academy Just Days Away in Nashville
Presenter and program details reveal an enlightening and educational program. Pre-registration is open online through March 7 for this first-ever AES event aimed at house of worship tech teams and volunteer staff.
The Audio Engineering Society is setting its sights on next week’s AES Worship Sound Academy, with additional presenters and program details just announced. Online registration is available through Saturday, March 7 and registration will also be available on site. The AES Worship Sound Academy will take place at the Johnson Center on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, TN, March 10 – 11, and is presented by the Audio Engineering Society in collaboration with Belmont University and the AES Nashville Section.
Recently announced presenters include a variety of audio engineers and industry experts who will share relevant and relatable insights and advice on house of worship audio for any congregation or event size. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions pertaining to their house of worship workflow and production.
Ben Williams, owner/operator of the Nashville-based AVL integration firm and house of worship specialist firm, Essential Audio, Inc, will participate in the opening session, “Wearing Each Other's Shoes: The Role of Technical Ministry,” followed by his presentation “How Sound Moves – Physics Without Math.” Next up, Tony Staires, veteran church production director and House of Worship Sales Manager/Engineer for Lawo North America leads the session “FOH Mixing for Worship,” followed by Jason Spence, Director of Sales & Systems Integration for Solotech. An acclaimed touring and broadcast monitor mixer, Spence will offer his take on “Monitor Mixing – Who Needs to Hear What?” Solotech’s Integrated Systems Designer, Luke Lasater, will follow with a presentation on “Reaching Outward – Streaming and Podcasts,” and the day will conclude with a “Producing Worship” special event – “Beyond the Tech - Bringing in the Heart of Worship,” presented by Jenny Youngman and Jeana Campbell, Worship Pastor and Worship Leader, respectively, of the rapidly-growing Providence United Methodist Church in nearby Mount Juliet, TN, along with Barry Sanders of Spectrum Sound – a Providence worship team musician – and Tevin Turner, Audio Technician at Providence.
Day two begins with a focus on microphones. MTSU Recording Industry Professor Emeritus Christian Haseleu will cover microphone basics, then Jason Waufle, Senior Specialist in Market Development for the Pro Audio division of Shure, will host the session “Panic-Free Wireless – Mics and Monitoring”. Worship producer/songwriter and worship pastor Chris Clayton will then join Spence to discuss the finer points of “Productive Rehearsals and Sound Checks” for your worship team, along with planning, maintenance and communication considerations. Lasater will return to discuss AoIP networking followed by a session on video for the audio engineer. Both days will offer a variety of chances to have questions answered and to learn what technologies and workflow work best to serve a tech team, including an event finale townhall session.
Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to hear about and experience the latest technologies from our partner sponsors including Alclair Audio, Allen & Heath, Bosch-Electrovoice-Dynacord, d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, DPA, JH Audio, Lawo, QSC, Riedel, Shure, Simply Sound Acoustics, Solotech, and Waves. Golden Preciado of QSC will host the TouchMix training event: “Volunteer Sound Person? No Problem! - A Mixing Solution for Intimately Sized and Portable Churches” multiple times throughout both days of the Worship Sound Academy.