John Taylor, d&b audiotechnik Education Development, has received a United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Presidential Proclamation Award for his ‘Long standing and exceptional support to the sound design and technology commission.’
A veteran of television, recorded and live sound, John has pointed a camera, microphone or loudspeaker at someone for most of his working life. Since joining d&b in 1995 John has played a central role in the development of the d&b Education program, training the trainers and impassioning them with his belief in empowerment through learning.
Chris Kulesa of the US Education team nominated John for the award; he was assisting the Sound Commission while at graduate school in North Carolina when he first met John: “John brought such fresh insight,” he recalls. “He had an enthusiasm that infected us all, and he taught us not to be so serious, because, ‘after all, audio is fun’. He made complex concepts look easy. He also made things interesting in new and unexpected ways; he has that ability to approach a subject from an unexpected direction.”
Both surprised and moved by the recognition, John commented: “I joined a group of friends the first time I came to USITT and I’m still with them today. I'm drawn to passionate people and that’s what I found in the Sound Commission, they really care about sound in the theatre and that makes them a delight to work with.
After all these years, I’m still passionate about sound: I love what I do. When I've taught at USITT, I look up and I see the next generation of sound engineers and designers who will carry these skills into the future. There is no better place to be. Thank you, I’m delighted.”