As we closed the books on 2024 and stepped into 2025, like most people, I’ve been reflecting on the work I’ve done and the lessons learned during this season. I never set out to track my “at-bats,” but as part of my weekly audio work for a large church, I keep a simple spreadsheet to stay organized. It includes details like whether I was mixing FOH or broadcast, the band lineup, special features, and unique challenges such as rotating between the church’s multiple drum sets or adapting to the variety of musicians who bring their own styles each week. With such a dynamic environment, no two services are ever quite the same. While reviewing my notes recently, I ran some calculations and realized I’d surpassed 300 mixes for this church. For some seasoned pros—whether volunteers, staffers, or contractors—that number might be dwarfed by their experience. But for me, balancing this role with my day job consulting for other churches and providing content for Worship Facility, it felt worth celebrating. Reflecting on those 300 services, I thought it might be fun to pause, mark the moment, and share some lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Relax….well, sort of
As audio engineers, many of us have encountered unhealthy church cultures at some point in our careers. I’ve been fortunate to work with many amazing churches over the years, though I’ve kissed a few frogs along the way. Even so, my experiences seem mild compared to some war stories I’ve heard from friends. There’s a certain “uncertainty” that comes with holding the A1 seat at medium and large churches, where turnover can be high. However, the church I work with has built an incredible culture among its staff, contractors, and volunteers. This has given me a sense of stability and confidence that my job isn’t on the line every week. If you’ve logged 50 to 100 mixes, you should feel similarly secure, even if you have a bad day here or there.
From this, I’ve learned to relax a little—though not entirely. Relaxed, yet vigilant, is the sweet spot. You need to stay sharp and on your game at all times, but also accept that mistakes will happen. When they do, own them and move forward. Extending grace to yourself makes it easier to show that same grace to teammates, who are bound to make mistakes too. With enough services under your belt, you can develop the “play tight but loose” mindset: staying prepared but flexible, knowing you can handle whatever comes your way.
Expect the unexpected
Just recently, while preparing for a Sunday morning broadcast, our WAVES server crashed, leaving us without any external plugins for the services. I’ve always heard about scenarios like this and knew they were a possibility, so early on, I made it a point to keep a scene (or snapshot, depending on your system) that bypasses any external inserts. In over 300 services, this was a first—but thanks to that preparation, what could have been a disaster turned into nothing more than an inconvenience.
And speaking of plugins
Sometimes as audio engineers we tend to overthink and overdo when it comes to technology. Over the years, I’ve experimented with plenty of processing—layering plugins (both internal and external) and creating complex signal chains that didn’t always improve the mix. More than once, I’ve felt like I was losing sight of the forest for the trees. When I began peeling back layers of processing, I often found what I’d been searching for by simply listening rather than looking. It reminds me of the analog console days, when we relied more on our ears than on visual feedback. Social media is full of posts showing wild EQ curves, often followed by snide remarks. The lesson? Sometimes the best setting on a plugin is the bypass button. Less is more—because at some point, you may have added too much brown to the Mona Lisa.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint-and the importance of a trusted ally
In spite of what we’ve been told by voices on social media, there is no “The one thing that finally made my mixes great.” Those voices are often tied to a product or service, but great mixes require what I like to call “seat time.” One of the greatest benefits of being in the seat week after week is the opportunity to experiment and make incremental changes. I’ve learned that implementing adjustments gradually is key. This is often easier in broadcast than at FOH, where you can review your work later. Comparing older broadcast mixes to recent ones allows me to evaluate progress toward my goals.
For FOH, where there’s no record to reference, a trusted ally—someone knowledgeable about your situation—can be invaluable. Their honest, constructive feedback helps you gauge progress in real time. Sometimes, I find I’m not moving forward and need to re-evaluate changes I’ve made. Progress isn’t always linear, but with reflection and trusted input, it’s easier to refine the journey.
Major on the majors
Many years ago, at a church far, far away—well before this season of 300 mixes—I was mixing a service where everything seemed to be going perfectly. The worship set was particularly moving, and it felt like nothing could go wrong. As the final chords faded and the worship leader prayed, the lead pastor walked onto the stage. Earlier that morning, he had eaten a jelly donut. How do I know? Because the jelly had clogged his headset mic, preventing any audio from passing through. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds.
That moment was a hard reminder that no matter how good your mix is—how perfectly the room is moving, with the congregation fully engaged and maybe even a few tears flowing—it means little if you miss the essentials. As I’ve said before, you could have the best mix of your career, but if the pastor’s mic isn’t working, you’ve failed. And guess what people will remember from that day? Not the flawless drum mix or the soaring vocals, but the silence that shouldn’t have happened. Always major on the majors: prioritize clear, consistent communicators and vocals and ensure the basics are flawless before diving into the finer details. And always, always, always have back-up mics on hand ready to go.
Let go of what you can’t control and enjoy the hard earned nap
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is accepting that some things are simply out of my hands. Out-of-tune instruments, poor tone choices, missed cues, and yes—even the occasional jelly donut incident—are all part of the unpredictable nature of live production. Once the countdown clock hits zero and every preparation has been made, there’s still a world of variables beyond my control. Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, I remind myself that I did my best. Some things were out of my hands, and I’ve earned the quiet reward of an afternoon nap. Open communication with leadership helps ensure one-off mistakes don’t become patterns. And if all else fails, at least I can write an article about it.
The importance of relationships
As much as I value the technical and creative aspects of mixing, the relationships I’ve built with the people on the platform and the other tech team members have been the most rewarding part of this journey. Over time, they’ve become more than just colleagues—they’ve become my friends. These friendships have enriched my life and made me want to work even harder to honor their contributions. They’re not just another channel on the console; they’re people I deeply respect and value. These connections remind me that our work isn’t just about achieving the perfect mix—it’s about supporting each other and creating a meaningful worship experience together.
So whether you’ve mixed 300 services or just 10, it’s worth keeping track of milestones and reflecting on the growth that helped you achieve them. Take a moment to celebrate with gratitude for the privilege of working alongside great people, united in a shared mission for the Kingdom. And while you’re at it, remember the most important advice for any audio engineer: don’t forget to listen.
