My Early Years – Livingston Studio 3

Growing up my home was filled with music as my father was a well-known band leader in the United Kingdom. It was an early introduction into the joy of music and great sounds.  This resulted in my life long love affair with music and audio. My early years were shaped with clarinets, violin, saxophone and the sounds of great playing. Personally I can’t play any musical instrument, however both my wife and daughter are classically trained musicians and I am constantly treated to “real” acoustic music, both classical and modern, from various pianos, keyboards and, (dare I say it?), Apple’s Garage Band, that fill my home.

This led me to a career where audio was the focus, and the quest for great sound and perfection. As a result I have spent my entire professional life (about 40 years) involved in the design, installation and operation of high end recording studios and TV and Radio broadcast and production facilities. I have worked with some of the best people in some amazing places and have seen the industry grow and change and been happy to be part of it.

Here are some of the highlights of my career, background and experience:

• Various academic degrees and recipient of several engineering/broadcast awards.
• Trained as an RF design and installation engineer – Pye Telecommunications, Cambridge, UK.
• Published many articles on satellite communication and RF – What Satellite, UK.
• Trained by the BBC at Television Center as a video engineer and operator, White City, London, UK
• Lecturer/Professor in College and University – audio, electronics and acoustics – Salford University & Salford College of Technology, Salford, UK.
• Introduced to the technology and acoustics of the recording studio world at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, Manchester, UK.
• Technical Manager at what was London’s largest independent recording studio complex – Livingston Studios, Wood Green, UK.
• Technical Consultant & Manager for a London based independent Recording and Radio studio design and installation company – Kinsey Fitzgerald Associates (KFA), Wood Green, UK.
• Head of Research and Development at a satellite and cable hardware & software company – Hi-Tech, Surrey, UK.
• Senior corporate engineer for one of Americas largest broadcasters and news organizations – Fox Television Stations Group, LA.
• Senior Systems engineer, Senior Project Manager and Senior Director Solutions Architect Group for the design and installation of numerous American TV broadcast and production facilities – A. F. Associates (AFA) & Ascent Media, NJ.
• Consulting and Senior Estimating Engineer working in broadcast systems supporting the transition of broadcast/sports and production facilities to 4K, IPTV and beyond – Diversified Systems, NJ.

In spite of my extensive involvement in video (in order to make a living!) my love of music and audio is still what sustained me through my life and career. Leaving the recording industry was not by choice, a serious down turn in its profitability in the late 80’s and early 90’s changed the industry forever, and new opportunities beckoned. However, given the right opportunity I would return to the music recording industry in a heartbeat.