A great amount of credit must be given to John Ostendorf for shaping the way I hear and conceptualize opera. Having worked on a number of CD projects with him, I was offered the rare opportunity of having someone who inherently understands opera but also singers and musicians and has the amazing ability of encouraging them to perform their best. The first piece we recorded together was Fort Worth Opera’s Frau Margo. Then Before Night Falls, Glory Denied and lastly With Blood With Ink.

During the recording process, I would begin work on my own settings up mics, setting levels and making adjustments as necessary. I would stay in contact with John and he would arrive before the final tech rehearsal and then we would sit in an isolated room in the venue and practice capturing a live performance to two channels. At times we would have as many as 24 orchestra and area mics to balance in real time on order to create a master recording mixed in real time to a stereo file.