Taxes

I probably should have done my taxes today. I had the time. I had the papers. I even, briefly, had some motivation to do so. And then, hours later... taxes. Not done. I'd like to say that I got something else accomplished instead. But... ya... no. Not really. On the bright side, I slept in and feel more awake and well than I have in a month. I think I've mentioned once or twice that my January and early February are mostly given over to handling sound and live mixing for our Education program's productions of musicals - one with the teens, one with the younger kids. While they aren't bad... and actually occasionally show some real talent and skill ... the process is chaotic, undersupported, and 'noisy'.

I've tried to explain to my boss that live mixing is literally the hardest mental focus work that I've ever done in my life... and I've run a nuclear reactor and studied a number of meditation and martial arts techniques. Like most people though, I think he takes it as just the joke side of it. He certainly doesn't understand that coming out of those rehearsals, I feel as though I have been battered and beaten by the inconsistant sounds and noises that I am trying to wrangle into something that will awe and amaze their families... and our staff. And it doesn't help to hear them praise each other that the kids sounded so great... when I know that they don't realize that if I weren't watching for every unexpected breath, hand motion, or footstep into a mic; there would have been an explosion of deafening sound throughout the room. At one point in rehearsals, I was running floor mics so hot that the air blowing down on them from 20 feet above the stage sounded like a storm outside... and kids... barely audible. :)

Don't get me wrong... I love the kids and am horribly jealous of the opportunities we give them. If only I'd had such things growing up. It's the Education staff and my co-workers, who pat themselves on their backs while actually not doing much more than signing the paperwork to put those kids on the stage. And definitely not being aware of the demands placed on those of us who are in there doing the shows.

Any-who... that part of the season is passed and I get to return to working with the trained professionals. Mostly.  I hired an assistant. He didn't even make it to day one before he got offered a gig with more pay, more hours, better benefits. I've told my boss that the California average for sound engineers is about twice what he pays me... again, I think he believes I'm joking. But this is the second person now that we've hired but can't really put to work because outside work it worth too much for them to work with us. 

But hey... enough of my crazy life. The story is already available, so some people are probably already reading it. It's from Morpheus, the first part of our next Bianca piece: "Ink in Her Veins".  Enjoy! and be certain to comment!