I always really enjoy spending time with Loren for a number of reasons but when you get him talking about anything music-related, your bound to have a good conversation filled with facts you’ve never heard but can take with you for the rest of your life. This is why I enjoy getting to know Loren, his work, and learning so much from him in regards to all things lighting, sound, and music facts. I am not kidding when I tell you I can take this man a handful of records after a day of digging and he can look at it and rattle off everything there is to know about the label and sound engineer that’s on the cover. He’s my kind of guy.
Loren grew up in the Philadelphia area in the 50s and 60s, where the music on the streets was alive and well. R&B and jazz was his favorite to come across. Painting the scene for us he recalls men gathering around a 55-gallon drum filled with fire, as strangers sang doo-wop around it all through the night. When Loren returned from his service in Vietnam, he started working in music in 1971. “Whatever it took to learn the business and be involved,” Press shares was his mentality. From his start in playing with friends in high school to the sounds his mother played throughout his home, to the grunt work all the way to mixing a live show, Loren has seen every nook and cranny there is to see of a venue and the music industry.
So, what does a typical day for ASC Productions look like?
No day looks the same when it comes to working with the guys of ASC. I got the chance to work a couple of shows with these talented men. One thing that never changes when I am with them is the praise they get from the crowd in regards to their sound. They create the experience. And they are perfectionists, so you know when you work with them, you will get the best. As I continue to learn the ropes, I get to see the whole process from start to finish. They are the first ones in, and the last ones out, and they manage to do it all with many laughs and smiles on their faces. At the end of the day, when you spend your time, and your work doing something you love, does it ever really feel like work?
Loren runs a well oiled machine which is made possible with a good crew. 73, but doesn’t look a day over 40, Loren has a tight team of extremely intelligent and hardworking sound engineers.
Cue Chad and Greg. They are the hands, ears, and eyes behind the lighting and sound of ASC Productions. This team is the epitome of leaning on one another. What Chad may not do, Greg does, and what Greg may not always be familiar with, Loren is.
When Chad is not at shows with ASC, you can find him on the field playing on the drum line for the Baltimore Ravens. As for Greg, he has been playing the drums for over 40 years and has no plans of stopping. From blues, to jazz and everywhere in between, multifaceted is an understatement.
What does the future hold for my favorite sound guys?
When they aren’t running sound for clients such as Downtown Sound, you can catch them working on local installs for churches and music venues, live streaming events, and Loren is even helping to build out new venues such as The Music Room in Cape Cod. They are equipped to do a little bit of everything, and I am so thankful to know them, learn from them, and officially have their seal of approval as a stand-in sound chick as needed.
Tune into the full episode below to hear more about their work, events they do, and what’s in store for 2021 and beyond. Thanks, gentlemen!