Today we’d like to introduce you to John Young.
John, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started working at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in 1983. I was hired as a special effects technician, and my job was creating devices to recreate astronomical phenomena such as rotating planets, the rising Sun and Moon, and many other natural sights. These devices were individual projectors placed in the planetarium and operated in synchronization with the soundtrack. I also worked on laser shows, exhibits, and astronomy outreach. Later, I worked in the recording studio creating the soundtracks. I recorded the narration, created the sound effects, and worked with the composers creating the music. The final step was mixing it all together in surround sound, at the time a very new format. Later, I learned HTML coding and programmed the Fleet’s web page for several years. As technology changed the productions shifted to video, so I learned 3D creation software and the special formats for presentation in a dome theater. In 34 years, we went from slide shows to video projectors. What great fun learning all the new technology. One of my favorite activities was going into the schools and teaching music technology. I presented classes on computer music production and synthesizer use. After I retired, I moved to Borrego Springs, became the technical director at the Performing Arts Center. I run my own web hosting business and playing in a local band. I’ve also been certified as a paleontology volunteer and do lab and field work with fossils.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For me, the main effort in media production has been the constant gaining of new knowledge. Technical manual reading, training and new equipment in order to stay relevant and up to date. Learning new computer languages. Working in groups has occasionally been challenging. Personality conflicts with directors, co-workers and budget issues can be disheartening. I’ve always found a way to satisfy everyone with the resources at hand. Much of the planetarium work was done at night when the place was closed to the public, so there was separation from my family to deal with. The inevitable crunch time at the end of a project could be a real slog, requiring careful balancing of the various production elements.
It’s not unlike cooking a meal: everything takes different amounts of time to prepare, but it has to be all finished at the same time
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My best work combines complex technical requirements with creativity. I balance multiple elements to create a final effect. Ironically, my work can sometimes be unnoticeable if done right. In my theater role, I will be carefully lighting a show to bring out the best in any artist. Colors, brightness, movement synced with the performance. All this while also running the soundboard, adjusting the sound volume on multiple channels, tonal qualities, cueing sound effects, and thousands of tiny adjustments to make a hopefully seamless show!
I record music of my own, too, and bring a sense of humor and a touch of the bizarre. I can only thank Frank Zappa and my own quirky sensibilities for my unique sound. Modern music distribution has brought me an audience of several hundred!
What are your plans for the future?
I am looking forward to learning new things, new songs, making new sounds. In paleontology, I am learning to combine multiple images of fossils to create 3D models. These models can be shared using virtual reality techniques, inspiring a new generation of scientists. I am involved with the Borrego Springs Music Festival, and our key goal is to bring music education back into the schools. Many local donors are helping us revitalize the local school districts’ instruments and to teach and inspire future musicians. I will be presenting my course in home music production – computers are a gateway to creativity and now are ubiquitous.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://digitalsoundandpicture.com/
- Instagram: https://borregospringsmusicfestival.com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyyoung
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/johnnywhy
- Other: https://underthedomefleetspacetheater.wordpress.com/soundtracks-from-john-young/
Image Credits
Rossy Sanchez
