Have you ever thought about how sound affects you?
Concerts, sports games and speeches have different focuses, but rely on sound to convey feelings. Churches are no different – and Tomas Guevara, an audio engineer and FTC student, knows all about it.
Here's How He Started
Guevara has volunteered at his church in Westbury, NY since 2018. “Someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to help out, so I figured I may as well give it a try.” He started with a Yamaha MG32 analog console, but that wasn’t his first time using a mixer. “I’ve been taking audio classes since I did BOCES in high school.” Guevara explained, “I just knew this is something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Yamaha MG32 analog audio console
What is an Audio Engineer?
A live sound engineer is the person in charge of setting up a venues audio system, which includes a variety of tasks. “I get there two to three hours before anything starts. I set up mics first, then speaker wires, then instruments like keyboards and drums, and I finish by setting up the mixer,” Guevara said.
But the work doesn’t end there. Audio engineers also need to mix audio during the event, paying close attention to the sound of the room. “Vocals are the most important part. It’s what people remember most,” Guevara stressed. “I want the bands to sound unison and complete. If something is a lot louder than the rest, you need to adjust it.”
Thinking Big: Career and Future
He hopes that volunteering as an engineer will earn him an internship so he can work professionally. “Doing live sound for the church has helped me out a lot, and learning to mix in the studio at school helped me improve on what I was lacking.”
By gaining experience as an audio engineer, Guevara aims to open up his own studio business in the future. He plans on renting out audio equipment and mixing services, and offering internships to those interested in music. “I want to help people so they’ll have experience and jobs doing what they want,”
You Can Do It Too!
Audio engineering may seem intimidating, but Guevara says the payout is worth it. “Miking a drum, equalizing vocals, it’s very interesting to learn,” He explained. “It could benefit you to have a broad knowledge of music genres because you’ll have more opportunities to meet people and work with them.”
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