Scott first experienced live production as a drummer. He eventually made the transition from band to crew & started doing sound in clubs, and finally switched from club gigs to touring as an audio engineer in 2005. Rather than limit himself to one role, he’ll cover both front of house and monitors, even tour and production manager duties on occasion.
Based in New York City, he’s toured with bands such as The Joy Formidable, Motion City Soundtrack, Blonde Redhead, and The Bravery. His primary role since December of 2012 has been front of house audio for Imagine Dragons.

Favorite concert or live show you’ve attended as a fan (not for work)?
This may fall into the “attended BECAUSE of work” but I wasn’t actually working for the artists. A few years ago Dragons played the Made In America festival in Philly and Beyoncé was the headliner. That whole performance was nothing short of amazing. On the smaller end of the scale, we had an opener on a European tour named Dan Croll, and I would watch his set every night because the songs were so good. Any time he’s played in NYC and I’m in town I try to go to the show.

Is there anything you try to do every off day?
Brunch. I love brunch. Not just for the food, but it’s a nice chill thing to do with people who are a good hang on the tour. I also go to a lot of museums, but maybe not every off day.

What are one to three work-related tool(s) you can’t do without? (Computer, gear, tool, phone app, etc.)?
I can definitely do a show without them, but SMAART and virtual sound check are things I have grown to really appreciate.

Are there any standard industry practices that you’d like to change?
This has been changing a lot in recent years, I used to see it a lot more, but I’ve always been put off by the good-old-boy mentality of treating other people like dirt, whether it’s locals or people on the tour. I can’t stand the jock culture of harassment and debasement. Just treat other people like you’d want to be treated, or maybe better said: DON’T treat other people how you DON’T want to be treated.
Also, I hate it when people send you an email with a subject line that has no context. It should be standard to include the name of the band, the date of the event, the venue, and the city. And worse yet, when I take the time to change the subject line to include such info and someone changes it back to utter nonsense, it makes me want to do bad things. If you expect me to reply to your email, and I don’t know you personally, I’m going to need something to search it with.

Since you began working in this industry are there any concepts or practices you’ve implemented that have had a positive impact on your work (reduced stress, saved time, etc.)?
When I first started touring I went out for almost 3 years straight between 2 different bands. It was great! But after that long without even having a place to call home I got a little burnt out. It made me realize that it’s good to take some down time. Everyone needs a vacation. So I try to remember to save up some money to just chill out at home for a while when I can.
When I’ve been tour/production managing, the hardest part is just staying on top of everything. I make checklists of things I need to do and make sure I keep looking back at it and crossing things off. And just organize, organize, organize. Keep everything in folders and labeled easily and clearly so I can find that info when I need it.
And in whatever role I’m in on a tour I try to make sure that I am open to other people’s input. It’s impossible to know everything. You’ve got to ask for help or advice sometimes, and the more comfortable you are with asking for it, the easier you can make things for yourself. That being said, you still need to trust yourself and make the calls when you need to.

Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-8 years?
Hell if I know. But I hope I can still be in it.

How much sleep do you actually get? And how do you manage sleep deprivation?
I get a lot more regular sleep when I can just be an audio guy. Sometimes even a whole 7 or 8 hours for a few days in a row if I’m good about not having too many drinks after the show. Although, there are a lot of times when we’ve got ridiculous fly schedules where I may barely get any time in a bed and just need to sleep from take off to landing.
When I’ve gotta TM/PM too, the sleep gets progressively less as the tour goes on. Sometimes it has dwindled to 2-3 hours a night.
I honestly haven’t found any other replacement for sleep, but when I know I’m in a sleep-deprived state I just try to be present in my own mind, and eat some healthy food. I try to make sure that any reactions are not controlled by the lack of sleep, and still think through my responses to situations.

What improves your day at a show?
People who are nice.

Our industry isn’t as glamorous as often perceived. What continues to motivate you to work such long hours, and be away from home for extended periods of time?
I just love it. Maybe it’s a strange addiction. I love the travel. I love being part of a rock show. I love the comradery of a tour. I love being in a weird new city and situation every day. I’ve had other good jobs before touring, and worked locally between tours, and at this point I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than this.

What advice would you give to someone just starting his or her career in the live production industry (perhaps something you wish someone would have told you when you were getting started)?
The industry is surprisingly small. You will see people over and over again. Sometimes you could be their boss, sometimes later they’ll be yours. Everything happens through word of mouth. So don’t be a jerk, and it’s ok to apologize.

What's the most important thing in your suitcase?
Toothbrush and toothpaste. Tom’s of Maine mint of some sort… none of that fennel nonsense.