< About | General Info | Pianist | Vocalist | Songwriter | Producer | Live Sound Engineer
"On The Way" Work Experience
Bryan Woolbert was chosen and hired as the Live Sound Engineer for Cairn University's traveling worship band "On The Way" for the Spring 2018 semester. Although he had acquired an AVID® Pro Tools User Certification for Version 12 before graduating as the salutatorian of CharterTech High School for the Performing Arts in 2017, he had no prior experience in the field other than a small amount of knowledge that he had gained from a Technical Light & Sound course during his senior year of high school. Nonetheless, Woolbert traveled with a group of fellow Cairn students (most of whom he had never met before) to winter bible camps located throughout the state of Pennsylvania, into parts of southern New Jersey, and as far north as upstate New York. The team's first event was held at Rock Mountain Bible Camp. Woolbert served as both a lighting engineer and sound engineer for the band as no technician was available on site to run lighting at the time. He successfully operated both the light and sound boards at the same time with no prior training in operating lighting equipment. A few weeks later, the team served at a bible camp at Spruce Lake Retreat Center. The worship sessions were held in a long, narrow room with a very low ceiling. In order to raise his ears above the audience to run sound, Woolbert stood on a plastic-metal chair while clinging to a metal support pole. He frequently bent down to the band's analog sound board to make adjustments before standing on the chair again to hear the changes that he had made. While he could not interpret visual cues from the band on stage due to his visual impairment, Woolbert was able to communicate with the band via text messaging. When the team went to Camp Orchard Hill, Woolbert was thrilled to see his youth pastor and students from Mission Point Church (his home church) while serving as a lighting engineer for the weekend. Woolbert also gained expertise using multiple digital sound boards and effects that were present at a few of the venues that he worked at.
Rowan University, DANTE Certification, & 2022 NAMM Show
In addition to his work experience, Woolbert acquired considerable knowledge about electronics, sound, and more during his studies as a Music Industry: Technology major at Rowan University. He took multiple courses (including a Sound Reinforcement class) with the renowned Philadelphia-based sound engineer Barbara Adams that covered nearly every technical aspect of the field. Microphones, cables (and how to properly wrap them), preamplifiers, analog and digital consoles, crossovers, power amplifiers, PA speakers, and troubleshooting were all discussed in detail, just to name a few topics. Additionally, he took a Physics of Sound & Music course which provided extensive knowledge about acoustics, standing waves, and more. Woolbert simultaneously acquired the Audinate DANTE™ Level 1 Certification in audio networking. He also studied the structure of the live sector along with several related topics within his Business of Music courses. Woolbert graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rowan with a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry: Technology in May of 2022. Shortly after graduating, Woolbert attended the 2022 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA where he picked up additional expertise in acoustics, immersive audio, and the ever increasing role of artificial intelligence within the music industry, just to name a few topics.
Today
Given his experience and knowledge pertaining to the live sound field, Woolbert is equipped to engineer for solo artists and bands alike. Despite the limitations that come with his visual impairment, Woolbert possesses a unique listening advantage thanks to perfect pitch and Chromesthesia which enable him to analyze and adjust a mix in great detail. To have him engineer at your next show, contact Bryan Woolbert for details.
Quotes
"Your ears are the microphones, your mouth is the amplifier, your mind is the sound board."
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert
"A teaspoon of common sense in everyone's coffee would make this nation a much better place."
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert
"The following is a sound check. This is only a test. I repeat: this is only a test."
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert