As Commercial Integrator continues its #AVLivingLegends series, we induct George Tucker, a respected industry veteran. Tucker boasts a career that included stints with Crestron, WorldStage, Sound Associates and a slew of freelance roles. Currently, he serves as event staging technical specialist with Corporate Audio Visual Services, serving the live events market.
In this exclusive Q&A, Tucker reflects on how he leveraged interest in music and journalism to pave a path to an AV career. Moreover, he discusses how he’s sought to glean insights from each role in which he’s served and then apply them to new and different tasks. Later in the conversation, Tucker offers a shout out to two individuals who had a tremendous influence on him not only professionally but also as a person.
Finally, Tucker reflects on one of the most memorable stories of his career in the AV industry, and he closes with pearls of wisdom that he’s picked up over the years. Don’t miss them!
Read on to learn more about our George Tucker, Commercial Integrator’s latest inductee in the #AVLivingLegends series! You can also check out our hub page to see all our past honorees.
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
George Tucker: As impassioned as I am about the industry, it was not my childhood dream to become an AV integrator. While my teenage years were marked by weekly visits to Radio Shack (mostly hacking the local phone company to gain toll-free access to BBS boards), music and journalism were my primary interests.
Around the same time, a client of my father gifted me a used open-deck reel-to-reel player, blank tapes, an EQ and an amplifier. My curiosity was piqued by how it all came together, and I learned, through trial and error (and a few books from “the Shack”), how to optimize the sound in my small bedroom. (That, and I learned how to “decode” backward masking tracks.)
In my early 20s, I played drums in an East Village hardcore band, and we often hated the sound (and board recordings). My bandmates liked how I mixed the monitors, so I took on the role of “engineer.” If I remember correctly, the exact words were, “Anyone can play at your level, but making it all sound right is what we want.”
I learned two things very quickly: The sound person always gets paid (unlike the bands), and my beers were free! Shortly after, I attended trade school (IAR). Introductions by my teachers (based on my grades and charming personality) resulted in opportunities with renowned companies.
Commercial Integrator: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
George Tucker: My mom used to repeat the mantra that motivation is what you make of it; the saying keeps me focused and helps me find inspiration in any task I undertake. My career has involved stints as an AV installer, recording engineer, Broadway tour support, live event engineer, automation programmer, equipment repair and tech support manager. I apply the insights and skills from each, continually finding new solutions and gaining deeper understanding.
Finding passion at every level is what led me to join AVNation.tv at its inception, becoming a founding member of the network. Under Tim Albright’s vision, we were driven to bring the discussions, insights, perspectives and excitement of everyday installers that we felt were missing from existing trade coverage.
Commercial Integrator: 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?
George Tucker: I feel honored to have had many people help me grow, not only professionally but also as a person; two individuals guided me in profound ways.
Mary Campbell, the infamous manager of Electric Lady Studios, took me in as a general assistant, an opportunity I am continually grateful for. Mary could be harsh — often frightening — and would frequently intimidate even famous clients with her stern oversight. Despite her outward aggressions, she hid a heart of gold. On more than one occasion, Mary went out of her way to provide me with a good reference or connect me with opportunities, both internal and external to the studio. Her passing two years ago still leaves a hole in my soul.
Josh Weisberg of Scharff Weisberg (later WorldStage) had the most significant impact on my career, serving as both a mentor and a friend. Josh always had time to answer questions or provide guidance with calm, even-keeled delivery. (I never saw him get angry, even amid a disaster.) Beyond the technical skills, Josh taught us how to manage teams responsibly, to take ownership of projects and to have fun doing it.
With every job, I have consistently found ways to organize in-house classes that share information, help develop skills and provide people with opportunities to advance their careers. I eagerly promote internships and love being a mentor. Some of my interns have gone on to become top educators for audio manufacturers; one has become a top RF engineer for a sports league; and another has become a guitar technician/monitor mixer for world-famous musicians.
Part of what attracted me to my current job is that we hold an annual “Pirate University” every August. The three-day program brings together trade schools, high schoolers, theatrical programs and industry veterans for hands-on education in live event technologies. From basic stage setup to lighting and IT networking, we provide a place to start or advance in a great career.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
George Tucker: Oh, there are so many anecdotes, many of which are regrettably not fit for print! One that comes to mind taught me a lesson in patience and in verifying all the facts before accepting any answer.
As a tech support manager for Crestron in New Jersey, I was in the belly of the beast when we encountered an issue with our iPod docks, which were fairly new.
One morning, my support people kept coming to me with reports that the docks had suddenly failed on multiple installations. Reports continued to pile in via phone, our portal and across social media. Our dealers had lobbied hard for the product. And now, with this simple and popular component failing everywhere, end clients were up in arms.
Reluctantly, engineering agreed to look into the issue after much cajoling, still convinced the trouble was with programming and not a design problem.
On the second or third day, one of my crew came up to me with a possible cause. The tech was a big fan of Hummer vehicles. While browsing a forum for the trucks, he started to see multiple reports of iPod docks no longer working. We determined rather quickly that nearly all the luxury cars forums were seeing the same thing, from Cadillac to Porsche to Honda.
So, we were not alone, but what could have caused such a kerfuffle? Our engineers pored over developer firmware release notes but could not find any leads. Finally, one of my technicians discovered a post buried on Apple’s partner site, noting a pinout change with the release of the newly introduced nano colors.
A seemingly unremarkable product tweak (or so we thought) caused days of mistrust and angst. The majority of issues like this have a simple cause; the solution (in our case, a software mod that identified the new units) may take time, but being open and working collaboratively makes all the difference.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
George Tucker: I have trouble pinpointing a single accomplishment, but I am very proud of changing the culture, however temporarily, of the divisions I have run. I am a firm believer in ensuring that every staff member has the tools to understand and effectively communicate technology to clients.
I fought many battles with managers and CEOs to ensure that staff, dealers and clients had access to honest information and effective educational resources on the technologies we use. I (along with Johnny Mota) helped establish social media forums, such as the #avtweeps community, for industry folks to share ideas, vent and find solutions. The number of times I was in danger of losing my job advocating is too numerous to count.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
George Tucker: Leadership does not always come only from the top; leading from the middle can often be far more effective. Too frequently, I chased the next title or upper-management position because I thought that was expected of me. Although I excelled in these jobs, I gravitate to being in the trenches; I love my blue-collar brothers and sisters.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
George Tucker: Perspective is everything. Understanding a client’s needs requires stepping outside of yourself and trying to live their day-to-day experience. You may be eager to install cutting-edge technology, but, if it inhibits the client’s workflow, it’s worse than doing nothing.
In addition, a career is not linear. Where you wind up is not always the path you dreamed of when you started. It is vital to be open to new opportunities, even when the position is not exactly what you were aiming for. Remarkable things can come of it.
