As the Commercial Integrator #AVLivingLegends series continues, we welcome Troy Jensen, associate director, global accounts, with Shure, as our latest inductee!
Jensen’s journey into the commercial AV industry began with his love of music, which led him from touring and recording studios to an acoustical consulting role in New York. Over the decades, his passion for the technical aspects of AV and the ever-evolving technology landscape has kept him engaged and inspired.
In this interview, Jensen reflects on his career highlights, including his work on the World Financial Center post-9/11, the mentors who have guided his steps and the lessons he’s passed on to others. He also shares invaluable advice about embracing every experience — including and especially the challenging ones — as a learning opportunity.
Read on to learn more about Troy Jensen of Shure, our newest inductee in the #AVLivingLegends series! You can also check out our hub page for past honorees.
Interview with Troy Jensen of Shure
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry? What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Troy Jensen: Like many others, it was my love of music. I knew it was time to look for a “real job” after touring and working in nightclubs and recording studios. When I completed my university degree, I turned to the LinkedIn/Indeed of the day, New York Times Sunday paper.
It was there I saw an ad for an acoustical consulting position with a firm in New York. The fact that I had some real experience with live performance, along with a degree, was a major plus and landed me an entry-level position.
I love the technical aspect of the work I have been involved with to date, and the changing landscape of AV technology keeps me engaged. In this age of the “content creator,” it seems that audio and video are more important forms of communicating than ever.
CI: Reflect on your role as both a mentee early in your career and as a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Jensen: I have benefited from the knowledge that I’ve acquired from those I have worked with over my career. Also, I always attempt to garner some education from people I collaborate with, and I try to assist those who request it. I always appreciated the old SynAudCon slogan: “I met a man with a dollar; we exchanged dollars; and we still had a dollar. I met a man with an idea; we exchanged ideas; and now we both have two ideas.”
Shout out to Dr. Peter D’Antonio, Todd Berling and Danny Barnycz, among others.
I met Peter when I was in college, and we ended up in his recording studio one day with some odd-shaped balsa wood objects on the wall. I asked an innocent question: “What is that?” And it was like a fire hydrant opened with a wealth of information.
Todd nominated me for lecturing at Yale, which required me to really hone up on topics I had been using as part of my professional career, which I would now attempt to transfer to others.
Meanwhile, Danny dragged me to different parts of the globe to work on some challenging projects that had some significant impact on the region.
CI: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Jensen: Certainly, one of the proudest moments was working on the systems installed at the World Financial Center pre- and post-September 11. We had just completed system design and installation months prior to the attacks on that fateful date. After that tragedy, I was enlisted to essentially replace what had been destroyed. It was an emotional process — in particular, going down to Ground Zero just weeks after the event and witnessing the destruction firsthand. Within a year, we had resurrected not only the building itself but also all of the systems.
On September 17, 2002, a little more than a year after the attacks, President George W. Bush opened the Winter Garden at WFC and, a few months later, Sir Elton John would perform as part of the Tribeca Film Festival held at the site.
CI: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Jensen: Well, I have been fortunate to work with some firms that provided me with the opportunity to work on some notable projects. It’s difficult to pick a single thing as the accomplishment that stands apart. Staying gainfully employed for extended periods with single entities is an accomplishment in this day and age. I was lucky to land in this industry with little knowledge that it existed when I started my professional journey.
My track record with the companies and people I have worked with is my greatest professional accomplishment.
CI: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Jensen: Not completing the testing of some professional certifications that I took course work for. Once the in-class training was completed, I jumped right back into projects/work and did not take the exam. There are at least two certifications and accreditations that I should have completed, which, now, are more difficult to accomplish and require periodic renewal. I would have been grandfathered in and kept the designations without renewal had I completed them.
Take the extra time to finish things; other work will still be there when you finish.
CI: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Jensen: Soak it all in! Even the most miserable experiences are learning opportunities. They may be extremely uncomfortable while going through them, but, often, the pain of these experiences will help you avoid “what went wrong” in the future. Typically, nothing in audiovisual is life threatening (except maybe rigging), so lighten up a bit and enjoy the ride no matter how bumpy it might be.
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself — to be part of this #AVLivingLegends series? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi!
