Jeff - Teacher Sound Coach - Sound Amazing LLC

Call Directions Website

Jeff - Teacher Sound Coach - Sound Amazing LLC I help elementary music and theater teachers gain total sound-system confidence so students are heard and parents rave about the sound.

10/20/2026

If you want your ear mics to last longer, take strain relief VERY seriously.

One of the weakest spots on many ear mics is right where the cable enters the connector.

A tug on the cable can separate it internally.

And once that happens, the mic may be done.

So don’t let the connector take the strain.

Create a small loop in the cable near the bodypack and secure it with tape.

That way, if the cable gets pulled, the loop absorbs some of that movement instead of transferring all of the force directly into the plug.

Then do the same idea up near the actor’s head.

Have them turn their head so you know they have enough slack, then secure the cable:

🎭 Clip it to a shirt collar
🎤 Tape it to the neck with appropriate surgical tape
✅ Leave enough freedom for normal movement
🚫 Don’t let every head turn tug directly on the microphone cable

The goal is simple:

Protect the places where the cable connects.

That extra little step during mic mounting can add YEARS to the life of an ear mic.

And when you’re managing a whole set of wireless microphones for school theatre, that can save a LOT of replacement money.

A huge thank-you to Blumenthal Arts for hosting this professional development and for investing in the teachers and students who make school theatre happen. ❤️

10/18/2026

Silent microphone. Thirty kids waiting. Where do you start?

Check the simple things first. Then follow the sound from the microphone toward the speakers, using the audio meters as clues.

Change one thing at a time so you know what actually helped.

Music and theater teachers: what sound problem keeps interrupting YOUR rehearsals?

Grab my free Ultimate Feedback Elimination Checklist from the link in my bio to help tackle feedback before your next performance.

10/18/2026

“Cables are neat and not under feet.” A simple rule I teach student sound crews—and one that helps every school show!

Route cables along walls and stage edges, away from walking paths. Fewer trip hazards, less chance of damaged gear, and less tape. Small setup habits make a big difference.

Follow for practical sound tips, and grab my free sound checklist from the link in my bio.

HearTheKids

10/17/2026

The audience should remember the STORY, not the feedback.

Clear lines. Clear lyrics. Cues on time.

Sound that supports the moment instead of stealing it.

That is the standard, and it is achievable in your school.

Start asking one question: “Does this help tell the story?”

What is the biggest sound distraction you have dealt with during a school show?

10/16/2026

The response from professional audio engineers has honestly been one of my favorite surprises on this journey.

Thank you.

I know many of you have decades of experience and could solve problems with measurement mics, analyzers, RF coordination, and years of hard-earned knowledge.

If I may… The teachers I’m trying to help don’t have any of that yet.

Most never took a single audio class. Yet they’re expected to run concerts, musicals, assemblies, awards ceremonies, talent shows, and countless other events.

My goal is to meet them where they are.

Simple wins.
Free improvements.
Confidence first.
Then a roadmap toward better systems.

If you’re a professional engineer, I’d be honored if you’d help me create the most encouraging corner of the internet for elementary teachers learning sound.

A little encouragement at the right moment can change a teacher’s entire career—and ultimately help thousands of kids be heard.

10/14/2026

The least expensive ear mic may end up being the most expensive one you own.

A lot of the lower-cost ear mics schools buy use this style of small connector.

They’re sold under lots of different brand names, and they can look like a great deal.

The problem?

That connector can be incredibly fragile.

One little tug where the cable enters the connector can separate it — and the microphone is done.

I’ve used one particular short-boom version that costs around $179.

It sounds fine.

It fits students better than many of the extra-long versions.

But in my experience, the average lifespan has been only about two years.

So think about the math.

If you keep replacing a $179 microphone every couple of years, over a decade you could spend close to $900 — or more once prices and replacements are factored in — on that ONE microphone position.

That’s why I encourage schools to think beyond:

“How much does this mic cost today?”

Ask instead:

“What is this microphone going to cost me over the next 10 years?”

Durability matters.

Especially when the microphones are being mounted on kids, transferred between actors, handled backstage, and used show after show.

Sometimes spending more upfront is actually the cheaper decision.

A huge thank-you to Blumenthal Arts for hosting this professional development and for investing in the teachers and students who make school theatre happen. ❤️

SchoolTheatre SchoolMusical EarMic HeadsetMic WirelessMics StudentTech LiveSound SoundEngineering TheatreEducation ArtsEducation SoundAmazing

10/13/2026

It’s okay to bend an ear mic a little.

Especially with the longer booms that are common on lower-cost school ear mics.

What you DON’T want to do is:

bend the fire out of it. 😄

If you’re putting a big U-shape into that boom every time you mount it, you’re repeatedly stressing a very delicate piece of gear.

And eventually?

It breaks.

Then you buy another one.

And another one.

And another one.

So when you’re teaching students how to mount ear mics, teach them this:

🎤 A small adjustment is fine
🚫 Don’t sharply bend the boom
🚫 Don’t wrap it around the face
✅ Keep the shape gentle and consistent

You want the microphone positioned correctly, but you also want it to survive more than one musical.

…and save your budget.

A huge thank-you to Blumenthal Arts for hosting this professional development and for investing in the teachers and students who make school theatre happen. ❤️

SchoolTheatre SchoolMusical EarMic HeadsetMic WirelessMics StudentTech LiveSound SoundEngineering TheatreEducation ArtsEducation SoundAmazing

10/12/2026

The natural place to put an ear mic is often the WRONG place.

It’s a microphone, so putting it right in front of the mouth seems logical.

But especially with the lower-cost ear mics commonly used in schools, that can create a whole lot of:

POP. POP. POP.

Many inexpensive ear mics have an extra-long boom, so they often get bent around until the microphone element sits right in front of the mouth.

Instead, try this:

Mount the mic HIGHER — with the element roughly even with the actor’s nostril.

Why?

When we exhale through our nose, that air tends to travel downward.

Put the mic below the nose and that burst of air can hit the mic element.

Put it up beside the cheekbone, even with the nostril, and the air passes underneath it.

There’s another advantage:

If you start the microphone too low, it can gradually work its way down under the actor’s chin.

And once the mic gets under the chin, the sound can become dramatically duller because you’ve lost that direct path from the mouth.

So remember:

🎤 On the cheekbone
👃 About even with the nostril
🚫 Not directly in front of the mouth
🚫 Not underneath the chin

And because most of these school ear mics are omnidirectional, don’t worry if that long boom sticks straight out a little.

You don’t have to bend it around toward the mouth.

Sometimes better sound comes from putting the microphone somewhere that initially looks a little less obvious.

A huge thank-you to Blumenthal Arts for hosting this professional development and for investing in the teachers and students who make school theatre happen. ❤️

10/11/2026

What a lovely evening behind the mixer for Eulalie—Donna Stewart and Ron Andrico—at the Charlotte Folk Society’s Front Porch Series.

Their music brings old songs to life through beautiful harmonies, traditional ballads, hymns, and country blues. I especially loved their a ca****la singing. There’s something so moving about two voices blending with no instruments underneath.

Grateful I got to help that music reach the room. Nights like this are a lovely reminder of why I enjoy doing sound.

10/10/2026

Teachers: do your backing tracks lose all their excitement by the time they reach the audience?

Your music can have punch AND leave room for the kids to be heard.

At a high school musical I attended last spring, the tracks had energy, the cast had confidence, and we could still hear every word.

One part of their setup: a single center subwoofer, with the deepest lows removed from the main speakers and stage monitors. That helps reduce bass cancellation from competing sources across the audience.

The next time your school talks sound upgrades, put “one center sub” on the wish list. With the system set up and balanced well, it can help bring your tracks—and your show—to life.

Want my free checklist to help improve your sound? Link in bio.

Address

Charlotte, NC
28134

Telephone

+17046073039

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Jeff - Teacher Sound Coach - Sound Amazing LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share