Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert

I recently went to a Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) concert to get me in the holiday spirit. This was my first TSO concert, and I was looking forward to it. I became a fan of TSO because of their Christmas music, not knowing that they are so much more. For those of you who don’t know (because I didn’t) TSO is made up of six longhaired rocker guys and one girl. The name orchestra is used in a different way when talking about TSO. When I think about an orchestra I see a large group of musicians playing strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, and a conductor leading them. TSO is different in that they are a band with guitars, drums and keyboards that also has a string section of 6 musicians. These musicians are selected from a local orchestra from the city TSO is currently playing in.

     This concert was amazing. I knew that the audio would be good because I already love their songs, but I had no idea that the production quality was going to be so high. TSO tells a story with their music. They have a narrator who paints the picture, and then the song and lights display tells the story. The lighting was expertly done. The lights dance around the area and stage in a very visually appealing way that highlights the tempo of the song.

The rigging moved up and down. It had video monitors on the ends, and at one point the monitor displayed teeth. The rigging looked like a dragon with flame coming out of its’ mouth. There was cold flow, snow falling and lasers. As well as a bridge that came down from the celling that their dancers danced on. This is the type of show that I would like to work on one day.

I would really like to know how they finance a tour like this. I had the highest price range ticket of $70. TSO does something really nice. One dollar from every ticket goes to a local charity in the city they are currently playing in. For the concert I went to $10,883 was given to a local soup kitchen. Then they have to pay their crew to set up and break down the set. The equipment I assume is rented. TSO has 6 orchestra members, 7 singers, 1 narrator and 7 members of the band. It takes a lot to put on a concert. If I want to start my own venue I am going to have to learn a lot more about finance, and I hope that this month will be a great start to my financial education.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” those were Steve Jobs parting words to the 2005 graduating class of Stanford University. They weren’t even his own words (they came from the Whole Earth Catalog), but this parting sentiment is what I will take away from this commencement speech. But let’s start from the beginning. Jobs is an excellent storyteller. His commencement speech was broken down into three stories. In essence these stories cover his life.

     Jobs dropped out of college because he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. College for him was taking required classes that were not interesting to him. Instead he sat in on classes that were interesting to him. Jobs mentions a calligraphy class that ten years later inspired him to incorporate into the first Mac Computer. This was his first story about “connecting the dots”. Jobs wants all of us to trust that the choices we make now will connect the dots to the future.

     Jobs next story was about how he overcame being fired from Apple. He claims that being fired was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was now free to be creative. Jobs started over with two new companies Next and Pixar. The moral of this story was to “love what you do”. Jobs believes this and follows it everyday.

     In the aftermath of his passing this last story about how to live each day as if it was your last is the most touching. Jobs talks about having pancreatic cancer, and having to prepare for his death. Having faced that challenge once he hoped to have a few more decades before he had to do it again. Unfortunately, that was not the case. His point of this story is to follow your dreams, and not to let anyone stop you from obtaining that dream. Life is too short to follow someone else, and deny yourself from doing what you love to do.

     Now back to Jobs parting words, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” After listening to Jobs explain his background he truly lived by these words. To me they mean never settle for what society is telling you to do or follow. Go against the norm of society, and keep improving on what you love to do. I personally will try to live by his words of wisdom because they make sense, and they worked for him.

Rest in Peace Steve and thank you for you genus innovations.

What is PLASA?

Earlier this year, 2011, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) and the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) merged under the PLASA name. PLASA exists to support the people who work in everything from theatre, live music, to TV and film. PLASA regulates technicians who work with camera cranes, electrical power, fog and smoke, performance floors, rigging and stage lifts. The main goal of PLASA is safety. They have developed the Entertainment Technician Certification Program, which will be awarded to technicians who pass the rigorous requirements.

As a stage manager my number one goal is also safety. Backstage during a show is dark. It is important that all props are organized and all wires are off the floor. This ensures that everything is in its proper place, and there are no trip hazards around. In addition the equipment we use is heavy, and most of the time hanging from the catwalk. It is important that there are regulations in place to protect the cast, crew and audience. For example, every light must have a safety cable attached to it in case the C clamp comes off the pole.

PLASA membership includes a wide range of benefits such as: business support and advice, industry news, events and meetings, business resources and financial advantages, industry research, technical and professional development. These are great benefits to those who want to improve their skills and strengthen the entertainment industry.

One way PLASA tries to strengthen the entertainment industry is by holding trade shows. This years trade show took place at Earls Court in London from September 11 to the 14^th. There were over 340 companies that displayed their exhibits in audio, AV, lighting, stage tech and rigging. This was the place to be to discover the latest technology in the entertainment world.

To keep up to date with the changing technology PLASA publishes Lighting & Sound America, Lighting & Sound International and Protocol. These industry-focused magazines cover product and business development as well as industry news and issues. Some of the material in the print magazine can be found on the website for free.

PLASA is a small entertainment association of around 1,100 members. However, these members are dedicated to their craft, and what they do is important for the events industry to operate successfully. So here to the people who work behind the scenes to make events possible and safe for everyone to enjoy.