When Jamie and Justin Cheshire were young, their father Steve Cheshire, the Founder of Cheshire AV, encouraged both of them to work in the AV industry.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t really know much about AV,” explained Justin.
“I didn’t know you get to work with all sorts of cool equipment and travel all over. I didn’t have an idea of the sense of satisfaction you’d feel when you finish a show that’s been super successful and the team, including clients, goes out to dinner to celebrate afterwards.
“If Dad hadn’t gotten me out of bed one morning, given me a Cheshire shirt, and said, ‘you’re going to work with me today.’ I don’t know where I’d be now.”
That encouragement made all the difference in guiding the direction of Jamie’s and Justin’s careers, making it possible for the two brothers to become partners, taking over the company when Steve was ready to retire.
Now, with the goal of strengthening the industry and helping bring the next generation of professionals into the field, Cheshire is partnering with Finger Lakes Community College. The Cheshire brothers’ vision is to provide an educational foundation, through mentorship and training opportunities, for students who are interested in getting into AV. They also hope to raise awareness of the opportunities within the field of AV.
On Wednesday, April 17, fourteen students from Bob Potter’s Sound Reinforcement/Live Recording Class visited the Cheshire AV offices and warehouse. Over the course of the evening, they had an opportunity to get a perspective on what it means to have a career in AV, through the eyes of Cheshire’s staff. The team also gave them a tour of the facilities, demonstrating sound equipment and the Stream Deck and companion software used to manage a complex show with many moving parts. All of the students who came to the open house will be graduating later this year, and seeking employment, so this was an optimal time for them to be introduced to the internal workings of an AV company.
Bob Potter, who has had a long and illustrious audio engineering career working with some of the biggest names in the music business, including Ray Charles, B.B. King, Norah Jones, Sir George Martin, Miles Davis, Cyndi Lauper, John Mayer, Ringo Starr, Emmy Lou Harris, Zac Brown, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock stated, “This is one of the best classes I’ve ever taught.”
He has high hopes that the students in his class will thrive and flourish professionally.
Young people who graduate having a course in sound and recording under their belts have a good AV foundation that should offer a variety of possibilities. Justin and Jamie hope that by introducing them to the field of AV, some may choose to pursue a career in the field of AV.
To hear Justin talk about his first experience on the road with his Father, watch Cheshire’s Cubicle Chronicles, Episode 2.
