Who: Dana Roun, Program Director, Show Production & Touring Associates Degree Program
What: An entertainment media college
Where: Winter Park, Florida
DanWhen: Founded 1979
First gig: “Working on a remote recording truck as a runner for a Warner Bros. corporate production. I was around the age of 16, and I remember helping load in equipment and getting pretty excited just being around the gear and technicians.”
I knew I wanted to do this when… “I went to a Grateful Dead concert. I was about 17 by then, and I remember standing there in awe as I watched the FOH engineer work. At that point, I realized I wanted to somehow be part of it all.”
Career low: “I was touring with Bon Jovi, and we were doing the first Farm Aid concert. Somehow one of the synthesizers had been bumped and detuned. The first notes of the song rang out — it was so out of tune, there was a moment of sheer terror. Our keyboard player quickly realized what had happened, but the damage was done. It was not very funny. The band’s manager was standing next to me, and I heard about it. I am sure it was only a few seconds, but to me it was the possible end of my career! Ultimately, I was to blame. I just had to suck it up, and luckily I made it past that day.”
Biggest news on campus now is… “Currently our biggest news is ‘Project Launch Box.’ Show Production & Touring students will now have the benefit of an Apple MacBook Pro loaded with software, including VectorWorks 12 for lighting layout and design and Smaart V6 for audio measurement and control.”
Coolest recent “toy”: “ESP Vision has impressed us.”
The biggest misconception about Full Sail is… “Our company name related to sailing!”
If I could go back in time and tell my younger self one thing, it would be… “Stop taking photos of gear and start shooting the artists!”
Words to live by: “What makes a successful career in live production is to bring desire and attitude to each day, and how you get along with people.”
