Bradley Stephens – Class of 2016
What is your job title and what are your job duties?
My job title is Sound and Lighting Technician at SpiritSound Production Services. Some of my duties include setting up and tearing down sound and lighting equipment for shows and events. These events range from small stages at local festivals to presidential campaign rallies.
What are some of the things you like best about this job?
There is a huge variety of skills required in this field of work. One day I could be mixing monitors for a band and the next day setting up lights in a catwalk for a theatrical play. Once I find what I like to do, I can learn more about it and thrive in that area. It is awesome to be a part of a crew that sets up for big concerts and to see it all come together in a show you’ve helped to create.
How do you see yourself using your Recording & Sound Technology skills in the future?
In the future I see myself using my sound and recording skills to continue to work for this company and continuing to learn as much as I can with audio to help us succeed as a business. I will also be using my recording and sound skills at my church to record services for podcasts, and in the future, record the live worship music and mix it for broadcasts and video archives.
How did your education at AMP prepare you for this career?
I knew some basics of audio, but when I started at AMP they really broadened my knowledge of sound. We studied sound production and recording both in a theoretical aspect and through several hands-on projects. The techniques I learned not only apply to the recording side of audio, but for live applications as well. If it wasn’t for AMP and the awesome instructors that would help out with anything you needed, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
What is your fondest memory of AMP?
The fondest memory I have is when our class was recording sound effects. We were to go out in the field and record as many sounds as we could without getting into trouble. We decided to go to Walmart because we figured we could get a lot of good sounds there, which we did. But after 20 minutes of being stared at because of our audio gear, we got kicked out. It was just a funny experience and was cool going around town recording a bunch of different sounds.
What advice would you give to a student who is considering pursuing the Audio field?
I would advise them to give it everything and really try to learn as much as they can at AMP. The courses go by super fast and then it’s time to get a job within 6 or 12 months. If you don’t know exactly what you want to do with it yet, it’s okay. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do either but I got an opportunity through the school. They help graduates get out in the industry and it worked for me. So apply to a lot of places and don’t hesitate to take a job that is sent to you from AMP. Even though it might not seem exactly what you want, it could help you get exactly where you want to be.