Technical Artists, Huh?

Technical Artists, to some of you this may seem to be an oxymoron. Technical - \ˈtek-ni-kəl\ a: having special and usually practical knowledge especially of a mechanical or scientific subject, Artist - \ˈär-tist\ 2 a: one who professes and practices an imaginative art.

Can Art and Science co-exist, of course. Whether you run the sound board, operate the light console or operate/create the slide show for worship, there is a certain amount of artistic influence needed. Does the light program enhance or detract from what is going on in the service. Does the backgrounds in your slide shows use matching colors, are the speed of those cool moving backgrounds appropriate for the song being sung? Hows the sound mix? All of these things require, believe it or not, an artistic touch. Are your audio fades smooth and consistent? How are the transitions between different parts of the service in your church, awkward and sloppy, or smooth and clean. What can you do as a Technical Artist to make them better?

Being a sound, light, video operator for many years. I never thought of myself as an artist. As time went on I realized that my job was not just to push buttons and sliders, my job is to enhance worship, or at the minimum create no distractions. Every fade, every cue, every mix, every slide needs an artistic touch.

I encourage all to go to the Willow Creek Arts Conference, awesome experience.