I wasn’t sure what to post this month and I need to give credit to my wife for prompting me in the direction I took here.

I would suppose since the beginning of time as persons have traveled this sod for quite a while, they tend to develop some level of being “less than thrilled” with at least some of those coming down the trail behind them. This perspective crosses cultures, careers and most any status of life we are in. However, I feel compelled to share some recent experiences that ran counter to those ideas. Several weeks ago I heard from a former client who was part of a Gospel quartet I made multiple recordings for. It was an unexpected contact made on behalf of his son regarding spending some time at the studio so he could acquire the necessary hours for high school graduation in conjunction with a community college associate degree. We all met and decided what was available would likely work and so this senior has been here varying hours for several weeks. I’ve been very impressed by the skill set he brings to the projects we’ve worked on, how quickly he picks up concepts, remembers something after being shown/told only once, and also humbled at how much I’m learning. Sometimes in less than an hour he’s figured out aspects of production software I haven’t found in 3 years! I told him that part of my struggle is that it seems I’m constantly on a learning curve that just keeps moving ahead – seemingly staying just beyond reach most of the time. He’s younger and just naturally finds the new technologies to be much more intuitive and quickly grasped. There’s fresh, skilled input coming down the trail.

Two other events I was encouraged by this past week are not at all related to technologies, but to human relationships. The first concerns a grocery check out. I was in line behind an (even) older couple who were attempting to make payment on their purchase, followed by a young couple waiting patiently and then myself (who was not as patient as I could have been in all honesty). The lady trying to make payment was having difficulty with it being accepted, with multiple attempts being made with various cards and PIN entries all to no avail. After a few minutes of this the young lady ahead of me quietly asked the cashier how much the grocery amount was and handed him the necessary payment in cash. The recipients of this generosity and grace were somewhat confused (partly due I would imagine to some language barrier issues that likely had affected their payment difficulties), but they expressed gratitude best they could and the line resumed. The cashier thanked the young lady after the first couple had left and she was still very gracious about it all. No, the younger generations are not all about themselves.

The second event was more personal in that it directly affected my wife and me. We recently purchased a vehicle and upon arriving home there was an issue that surfaced that everyone was unaware of. When it was brought to the attention of the salesperson he asked me to bring the vehicle back so it could be looked at. I assumed since they had done everything they normally do to insure the vehicle was exactly as presented, that would be all their policies and procedures would be doing – just to look at it and let us know what it would cost if we wanted to remedy it. However, in returning to the dealership and waiting for a time period beyond “just looking at it”, I eventually found out they were getting the repairs done at their expense and I was handed back the key with “no charge”. I was totally humbled in gratitude. The young salesman could have insisted it wasn’t his problem. Instead he honored my wife and me with service far beyond our expectation. So, an additional “thank you” for another young person treating others with much respect and grace.

Be encouraged, there’s hope for our future.

40 years ago on January 1, 1986 Tesco Productions officially opened its doors. It’s been quite a journey. From humble beginnings complete with a folding chair as my perch I launched into my heart’s dream of being able to record and produce audio.

Everything in the studio was analog from the eight track 1/2″ reel machine (interestingly the very one I produced projects on during my college years), to the 1/4″ reel unit the final mixes and products were released from. The console had a whopping count of 10 channels and all the modules had to be patched together with RCA cables. But listening on occasion to early recordings made on all that gear, they sound pretty amazing actually. One thing that became evident very early was this: you made the most of what you had and the real determination of a product’s quality wasn’t the tools you had so much as your ability to use them (maybe a spillover from my farm upbringing).

The subsequent years have seen many technology changes which at times were and still can seem quite daunting, but I’m still learning and hope I never lose my interest and willingness to do so.

But what’s toys, rooms and accumulated stuff (there’s some old things that need to leave) without the plethora of people I’ve met and been privileged to work with. I’ve often said jokingly (but really mean it), “I have a standing habit of turning clients into friends.” What an amazing history of relationships which has resulted in attending many family events (both those of joy and sorrow), attending and supporting many music events, festivals and open mics, helping many non-profit organizations in getting out their message – even making an overseas trip as audio engineer for a video project, traveling through business connections across the country as front of house audio for conventions, working alongside an engineer who migrated from California to Omaha (I’d like to say because of me, but really it was his girlfriend) through which I learned so much (and still rely on for a 2nd set of ears), and who also re-introduced me to fishing (a literal lifesaver). I had other people I worked with here as additional engineers and voice and music talent. We also installed sound and A/V systems and provided technical services and the list could go on. The stacks of finished cassette and CD projects given to me from clients is quite large, and each represents a commitment on their part to entrust their talent and work to me. That is an honor I don’t take lightly. Multiple clients have received various awards from their recordings produced here over the years, and others have been able to step up to greater opportunities. I too have been graciously granted awards of appreciation and contribution along the way. The “walls of fame” and “hall of fame” on which many signatures have been enshrined is a monument to years of connectivity and relationship. There’s names of some who are now signed-off from this life.

I am blessed to have been granted these many years doing what I love (at least most days – there’s always some better than others, right?), and as long as the Lord gives me breath and ears to hear I plan to continue on until He makes it clear it’s time to step away. My hat’s off (yes, there really is a hat) to each of you who’ve been part of this journey and allowed me to invest in you as well. I sincerely thank you – which seems such a feeble response, but it’s what I can at least put into words.

So here we are in the closing hours of 2025. Christmas gatherings and celebrations are behind us (at least mostly) for another year, the decorations will soon be put away and the exchange of “stuff” has been made. Some gifts were pleasant surprises, others had just been hinted at or asked about so far back they weren’t any longer in the memory, and still there were those that were predictable or revealed in advance. All of the presents can be enjoyed and appreciated for what they are, and in their temporal way hopefully bring enjoyment or benefit to someone else’s life (albeit what to do with some of them may remain a mystery).

One of the last projects I worked on this year was assembling years of voice work audio for a friend’s spouse. Unfortunately she has been a widow for several years now since health conditions took her husband away. As gifts to her adult children, she had me put those voice recordings onto a flash drive so they can all hear him again – a gift that means much more than the piece of plastic on which it resides. It was a privilege to be a part of them being able to share their family’s memories.

In our family gift exchange I received a most blessed gift this year. To start with it’s handmade and those are always special. Then it gets even more touching when the contents were created by our daughter and granddaughter. What is it? A very simple small glass jar with a metal lid. The glass is clear so you can see its contents, which is a number of folded heavy paper strips. The outside of each is emboldened with a hand drawn fish (it’s known grandpa loves fishing), and then inside each folded treasure is a written note – each an affirmation or appreciation especially for me. They cover a span of years and multiple topics, but each one is very special and irreplaceable in its meaning – both in what is said and in the relationship it represents. Oh, and the metal lid? It has a sticker on it with two short hand written words “Joy Jar” (the naming being compliments of our granddaughter). We all need a “joy jar”, and it will occupy a place of prominence in the studio and be opened quite often. Thank you! And yet, for all the joys of this life there’s another that far outshines them all, and He needs to not be “put away” for another year.