Interview With Gabe Melchor
• How did you arrive at your current position?
I, along with 5 other carefully selected people, was asked to join the Whomp Truck crew after knowing Ben Travis, the founder of Whomp Truck, for a few years through the local Burning Man community and events. It took a willingness to work hard, belief in the common vision, and above all integrity in honoring my word and commitments to help out - doing what I said I was going to do when I said I would do it, and communicating/taking responsibility for any exceptions to that.
• What are your job responsibilities?
Most of us in the crew are Swiss army knives when it comes to responsibilities. The things I do include:
- Maintain and operate the sound system and all of its components
- Performance/DJing
- Discuss and enact group policies
- Arrange and negotiate contracts for sound system rentals, artist bookings for our own events, etc.
- Promotion
• What challenges have you faced professionally, and how have you handled them?
One of the biggest challenges I've faced is learning when to be a leader (and when not to be) in an organization that is democratic and has no set hierarchy - we're all given equal weight in the decision-making process, and that's not always easy when it comes down to choosing a path and getting things done. It's a delicate balance of having autonomy to do what needs to be done, and also being held to the standards, scrutiny, and opinions of a committee that might have different views than you.
I've taken personal development courses that have helped tremendously in improving my relationships and my understanding of the dynamics of human interaction. I am still learning, but it is giving me a much greater sense of what leadership is - not just delegation, and not giving out orders, but inspiring those around you to join in your vision and goals, because when that happens, everything else falls into place.
• What do you love about your work? What would you change if you could?
I love the multifaceted nature of it. It's dynamic, there are odd hours, there is mental as well as physical challenge and a constant variety of things to do and be a part of. I also believe that music provides access to unity with one's self, as well as community. I believe music gives access to higher states of consciousness and relation.
I honesty don't know that I would change anything. Perhaps a little more money would give us access to more literal tools and resources to get crazy with our creativity, but I'm okay with where we're at.
• Tell me about your biggest professional accomplishment.
I think my biggest professional accomplishment would be any time I've inspired someone to believe that it's possible to have a life given by their passion for art and creation. Everything springs from belief in a possibility. Life is too short to waste time on things that don't move you. Of course don't neglect your responsibilities and physical limits, but life without art is meaningless to me.
• What professional mistakes have you made in your career and what have you learned from them?
I've made countless mistakes. I've learned that communication is important, and you are responsible for how your words land, and you are responsible for the impact of your actions and reactions. I've also learned it's better to be overprepared than to have excuses as to why you're not prepared, or why it's not your job to handle a situation; be the person that people can depend on to get the job done even when it's not technically in your field of responsibility.
• If you could relive the last 5-10 years of your life, what might you do differently professionally?
I would be more willing to take on the tough challenges and accept that there are no shortcuts to being extraordinary in anything you do. My approach would be much more centered around that commitment to putting in the hours of hard work to get what I want.
• Tell me about a time when you knew you were in the right job for you.
When I realized that I've looked out the back of the Whomp Truck while I was DJing and I've seen teens, grandparents, young parents with their children, homeless people, deaf people (attracted by the bass), disabled people, people of all colors, all dancing and smiling together. When I had the opportunity to fulfill the last wish of a dying teenager with terminal cancer and give him the chance to DJ to a packed crowd from our mobile stage. I realized then that music transcends all boundaries and limits.
• What advice would you give to someone interested in your professional field?
Communication, cooperation, and integrity are everything. Ask for help and put together a team that can live by those values, don't try and take everything upon your own shoulders. The idea of having a team is that you can delegate and divide responsibilities, and your team should be composed of people that you absolutely trust to execute plans in your absence, and exercise proper judgment when needed.
• What changes have you seen in your field? Are they positive or negative?
In the field of live sound and sound reinforcement, it is awesome to see technology getting to a point where there is the ability to fully present power in the full spectrum of audible sound. 50 years ago we could never produce the visceral and huge quantities of low frequency bass that we see today in dance music. It's a powerful experience, and it moves and excites people.
On the flip side of that, electronic music is becoming more and more commercialized every year, with musical styles, events, and rave culture becoming co-opted by big money interests. This has obvious negative implications for the ability of independent events and artists to flourish, given that monopolistic methods of control and influence can squash competition. This is a serious threat to the culture of electronic music, but I feel that there will always be a thriving underground scene to help push things forward and create alternate avenues for expression and mobilization of electronic music. I remain optimistic.
• What are your professional goals for the next 5-10 years and how do you hope to accomplish them?
I want to further develop my production skills and scientific knowledge of sound, and sound systems. I plan to keep working with people that inspire and educate me, and continue to delve into my own personal research. I might go back to school for specific courses like math and sound physics since I feel that having a structured framework might be more beneficial and efficient for learning the more difficult and rigorous aspects of sound science.
• What is the most challenging thing about your field?
Being insanely busy and trying to keep up with the responsibilities that come from wearing multiple hats. It's hard trying to have a balanced life where I can explore and accomplish everything I want to accomplish, like getting back in shape and eating well, having a successful romantic relationship, learning about sound science, maintaining Whomp Truck, making time in the studio for honing my DJing and production skills, etc.
• What training, education or life experience has been most valuable to you professionally?
Everything, honestly. It all leads to where I'm at now. I wouldn't be the same with any of it missing. Just pay attention in life. Be present, and really listen to other people. Get where they are at and what they're trying to say, not just how it's landing for you. Read as much as you can get your hands on about DJing, producing, sound physics, etc...... but more importantly, DO it. Put it into practice and have physical, real life projects to learn from executing. Information is only the baseline grounding for experience.
I, along with 5 other carefully selected people, was asked to join the Whomp Truck crew after knowing Ben Travis, the founder of Whomp Truck, for a few years through the local Burning Man community and events. It took a willingness to work hard, belief in the common vision, and above all integrity in honoring my word and commitments to help out - doing what I said I was going to do when I said I would do it, and communicating/taking responsibility for any exceptions to that.
• What are your job responsibilities?
Most of us in the crew are Swiss army knives when it comes to responsibilities. The things I do include:
- Maintain and operate the sound system and all of its components
- Performance/DJing
- Discuss and enact group policies
- Arrange and negotiate contracts for sound system rentals, artist bookings for our own events, etc.
- Promotion
• What challenges have you faced professionally, and how have you handled them?
One of the biggest challenges I've faced is learning when to be a leader (and when not to be) in an organization that is democratic and has no set hierarchy - we're all given equal weight in the decision-making process, and that's not always easy when it comes down to choosing a path and getting things done. It's a delicate balance of having autonomy to do what needs to be done, and also being held to the standards, scrutiny, and opinions of a committee that might have different views than you.
I've taken personal development courses that have helped tremendously in improving my relationships and my understanding of the dynamics of human interaction. I am still learning, but it is giving me a much greater sense of what leadership is - not just delegation, and not giving out orders, but inspiring those around you to join in your vision and goals, because when that happens, everything else falls into place.
• What do you love about your work? What would you change if you could?
I love the multifaceted nature of it. It's dynamic, there are odd hours, there is mental as well as physical challenge and a constant variety of things to do and be a part of. I also believe that music provides access to unity with one's self, as well as community. I believe music gives access to higher states of consciousness and relation.
I honesty don't know that I would change anything. Perhaps a little more money would give us access to more literal tools and resources to get crazy with our creativity, but I'm okay with where we're at.
• Tell me about your biggest professional accomplishment.
I think my biggest professional accomplishment would be any time I've inspired someone to believe that it's possible to have a life given by their passion for art and creation. Everything springs from belief in a possibility. Life is too short to waste time on things that don't move you. Of course don't neglect your responsibilities and physical limits, but life without art is meaningless to me.
• What professional mistakes have you made in your career and what have you learned from them?
I've made countless mistakes. I've learned that communication is important, and you are responsible for how your words land, and you are responsible for the impact of your actions and reactions. I've also learned it's better to be overprepared than to have excuses as to why you're not prepared, or why it's not your job to handle a situation; be the person that people can depend on to get the job done even when it's not technically in your field of responsibility.
• If you could relive the last 5-10 years of your life, what might you do differently professionally?
I would be more willing to take on the tough challenges and accept that there are no shortcuts to being extraordinary in anything you do. My approach would be much more centered around that commitment to putting in the hours of hard work to get what I want.
• Tell me about a time when you knew you were in the right job for you.
When I realized that I've looked out the back of the Whomp Truck while I was DJing and I've seen teens, grandparents, young parents with their children, homeless people, deaf people (attracted by the bass), disabled people, people of all colors, all dancing and smiling together. When I had the opportunity to fulfill the last wish of a dying teenager with terminal cancer and give him the chance to DJ to a packed crowd from our mobile stage. I realized then that music transcends all boundaries and limits.
• What advice would you give to someone interested in your professional field?
Communication, cooperation, and integrity are everything. Ask for help and put together a team that can live by those values, don't try and take everything upon your own shoulders. The idea of having a team is that you can delegate and divide responsibilities, and your team should be composed of people that you absolutely trust to execute plans in your absence, and exercise proper judgment when needed.
• What changes have you seen in your field? Are they positive or negative?
In the field of live sound and sound reinforcement, it is awesome to see technology getting to a point where there is the ability to fully present power in the full spectrum of audible sound. 50 years ago we could never produce the visceral and huge quantities of low frequency bass that we see today in dance music. It's a powerful experience, and it moves and excites people.
On the flip side of that, electronic music is becoming more and more commercialized every year, with musical styles, events, and rave culture becoming co-opted by big money interests. This has obvious negative implications for the ability of independent events and artists to flourish, given that monopolistic methods of control and influence can squash competition. This is a serious threat to the culture of electronic music, but I feel that there will always be a thriving underground scene to help push things forward and create alternate avenues for expression and mobilization of electronic music. I remain optimistic.
• What are your professional goals for the next 5-10 years and how do you hope to accomplish them?
I want to further develop my production skills and scientific knowledge of sound, and sound systems. I plan to keep working with people that inspire and educate me, and continue to delve into my own personal research. I might go back to school for specific courses like math and sound physics since I feel that having a structured framework might be more beneficial and efficient for learning the more difficult and rigorous aspects of sound science.
• What is the most challenging thing about your field?
Being insanely busy and trying to keep up with the responsibilities that come from wearing multiple hats. It's hard trying to have a balanced life where I can explore and accomplish everything I want to accomplish, like getting back in shape and eating well, having a successful romantic relationship, learning about sound science, maintaining Whomp Truck, making time in the studio for honing my DJing and production skills, etc.
• What training, education or life experience has been most valuable to you professionally?
Everything, honestly. It all leads to where I'm at now. I wouldn't be the same with any of it missing. Just pay attention in life. Be present, and really listen to other people. Get where they are at and what they're trying to say, not just how it's landing for you. Read as much as you can get your hands on about DJing, producing, sound physics, etc...... but more importantly, DO it. Put it into practice and have physical, real life projects to learn from executing. Information is only the baseline grounding for experience.