Producer/Director
People often ask if I know so and so, another Producer. I don’t, because you only need one Producer in a show and so we don’t really know each other. In my world of TV and Events, the Producer role is a strong one. I often create the ideas, decide who the best people are to fill every role in front of and behind the cameras, then manage the budget to get them the tools they need. As Director, I focus more on story, camera angles and working on performance. Building a platform for an artist or a cause is an incredible challenge and immensely fulfilling when it all clicks. Connecting with an audience is just about the most amazing feeling out there. Recognizing that moment when it happens (actually, planning, rehearsing, then witnessing it) is the whole thing!
I’ve Produced and Directed a wide variety of content and have enjoyed success because of my empathetic approach, caring for the audience, viewer, artist, sponsor—whoever. I first learned this approach during my promotion agency background in Chicago. That view has taken me to the White House, to the beaches of Normandy, to Hollywood, even to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine!
Projects: Is It The Years Or The Moments?
I’ve had a blast as a Producer & Director for television and live events for more than 35 years–from the White House, to Hollywood; DisneyWorld to the Grand Ole Opry. Over all those years, there are hundreds of stellar moments that took my breath away. I love producing huge events and the challenge of forging entertaining order out of chaos, like the recent Michael W. Smith 35th Anniversary of Friends from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford, which featured 56 artists, including Rascal Flatts, Nate Bargatze, Ricky Skaggs, Amy Grant, Bart Millard, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Charlie Daniels, Zach Williams, Scott Hamilton, and so many more.
Award Shows are another one of those beasts that have lots of egos and mixed motives—making producing and directing them a bit like stacking hamsters! Beginning in the early 2000’s, I produced 10 years of The Dove Awards for the Gospel Music Association at Bridgestone Arena and the Grand Ole Opry. Performers and Presenters included Smokey Robinson, the Jonas Bros., Amy Grant, Kirk Franklin, Wynonna, William Baldwin, Deion Sanders, Dave Ramsey, Blind Boys of Alabama, Yolanda Adams, Needtobreathe, The Staple Singers, Alison Krauss, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Glen Campbell, Pelé, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Charlie Daniels and many, many others. Along the way, I also directed the BMI Music Awards and worked on the Fox Sports Awards. Despite the pressure, I love the Award Show genre. But things change and the shifting paradigms of the music business around 2010 (digital downloading/downsizing) made it impossible for me to continue delivering at the high production level to which I was accustomed. I miss it!
Live events have always been my strength and I often find myself surrounded by amazing people with even more amazing stories. Like the Inauguration of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (I produced the Inauguration Ceremony Service at the Grand Ole Opry, featuring Scott Hamilton, Darrell Waltrip, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West, and Nicole C. Mullen.) Or that time I spent three days in the White House, while producing Celebrate America’s Musical Heritage, hosted by President and Mrs. Bush, featuring the Gaither Vocal Band, CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Steven Curtis Chapman and more. That was also the case when I produced the ‘In The Zone’ Tour, featuring ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Lee Corso, CBS College Analyst Spencer Tillman, legendary Sooner Coach Bob Stoops, NASCAR’s J.D. Gibbs, MLB stars John Smoltz, Andy Pettitte, and Paul Byrd. Now, imagine moving from that event to producing a Symposium with renowned figures Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and Ravi Zacarias…this job never gets boring!
My experience in the strategic development and execution of events started right out of college, working on sports programs, concert tours, motorsports, regattas, culinary events, and crazy sponsored activities for RJR/Nabisco, Revlon, Paramount Pictures, Reebok, Tretorn, and Wrangler. Through NASCAR, Pro Rodeo, and PGA/USTA U.S. Opens and finally, for more than a decade, I produced the largest marketing event for college students in the country, annually attracting over 100,000 students during Spring Break. Sponsors included Jeep, Warner Bros. Pictures, Sony, Nintendo, MTV, Ray Ban, Bose, Ford, The Gap and hundreds of others. I crafted media partnerships with Mademoiselle, Glamour, Rolling Stone and Newsweek Magazines.
It’s actually hard to remember the full list of events and television shows I’ve been fortunate to produce and direct. Some were just forgettable, I guess. But some were incredibly moving and launched larger movements: Francis Chan/Fear God Special and two World Orphan Day Specials hosted by Chan and Steven Curtis Chapman helped me see a bigger world. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Live From Angola Prison melted my heart. And some were just fun: Universal Pictures’ Evan Almighty Premiere Special called Rock The Boat from the Gibson Amphitheater in Hollywood (featuring Steve Carell, Switchfoot, Relient K, and Jeremy Camp) was a blast to produce and direct. Being Executive Producer of America’s Dumbest Criminals (syndicated by Paramount) was a hoot, as was producing and directing four series for The Family Channel, including Postcards From the Road, Summer Drive-In Theater, and CCM-TV, my very first show on TV.
The most fun? Well, that has to be creating a series for kids! I have been fortunate to produce and direct several different award-winning children’s and youth series, including Frank Peretti in Mr. Henry’s Wild & Wacky World; The Truth About Guys with speaker Chad Eastham; the BibleMan PowerSource series (talk about fun? Pyro! Stunts! Spandex!); and Start Dancin’ with Jump5. My hands-down favorite kids project ever was to produce/direct the award-winning series, Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music– the very first online Music Curriculum. More than five million kids are using that program this week!
Just as I mentioned being in circles surrounded by amazing people, I can easily land in overwhelming situations in music production. Directing a live symphony production for PBS (two of them, actually) Mendelssohn’s Messiah and Haydn’s Creation featuring the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, has so much going on at once that my head wobbles! And sometimes I end up in the company of legends and just have to catch my breath, like when I produced and directed a special with CeCe Winans, and, oh my goodness, document a project called Soul Mission From Los Angeles starring Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Steve Cropper, and what in the world am I doing here producing An Evening In February with Mary Wilson (Supremes), Bill Medley and Ray Charles. (Yes, I literally thought/think all those things!)
Nashville is an amazing place to call home. Working in the TV side of the music business has been an incredible ride! I love that in the last couple of years, I just had to head around the corner from my house to the Loveless Café to produce music specials with Alison Krauss, Deana Carter, Tricia Walker, Colony House, Sandra McCracken, Hilary Scott (Lady A) and The War & Treaty, (and eat legendary Loveless fried chicken!)
Or turn right and head to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville and produce A Light For The City, starring Franklin Graham, Max Lucado, Wynonna, Jordin Sparks, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Bill Gaither, and The Nashville Choir.
This long list of shows and names comes down to moments for me. I can recall the moments that made a crowd tear up or gasp. I recall when I cried from backstage. I loved the moments when I fed an ad lib to a host, seconds from walking on stage, then watching it slay the crowd—say it here and it comes out there. And I knew which moments were actually boosting an artist’s platform to the next level. Or helping say goodbye after a brilliant career. I’m honored to have played a role in crafting and capturing those moments. I hope to share many of those moments, with my comments of what makes a great camera shot, gripping lighting, masterful hosting and more in the clips below.