The Show B side / Capture #12 - It's All in the Talkback

We usually speak of the things we love weighted towards its positive aspect, the ones that attract us. The recording studio business has a lot of positive aspects. Recording Studios are usually dimly lit, vibe filled, creative environments open to social practices you’d never see in any business catering to the general public.

In analog you have positive and negative energy pulses. In digital you have ones and zeros. Basically, you cannot have one without the other. Think about it …can you have an up without a down, a right without a left, a good without a bad a happy without a sad. The answer is obviously no. To restate …you can’t have one without the other.

Here is “the other”:

Artistic people are generally “a little different” from polite society. They will most likely present as being sensitive, introverted and reserved. Some of them come across as pretentious all-knowing people who are gifts to mankind. They feel you are there only to serve them.

Sensitive people use passive aggression as a control tool.  Dr. Scott Wetzler, a clinical psychologist and author of Living with the Passive-Aggressive man, writes: 

“A joke can be the most skillful passive-aggressive act there is. Passive-aggressive behavior isn't considered a distinct mental illness. However, passive-aggressive behavior can interfere with relationships and cause difficulties on the job."

When you introduce that type of behavior into a "vibe" sensitive environment the aggressiveness component becomes amplified, it can easily become destructive. 

Maybe we as recording studio professionals tolerate this behavior because we know that in our business we are only allowed to say “NO” once. We live or die through the Talkback switch. Use it respectfully.

So, at the end of my career as well as the end of this series let me say what I've always wanted to say to passive aggressive, unpleasant people but did not dare to do so during my time on the other side of the glass ...

...see, no Talkback switch needed.

"Babes, it's a Bullshit (conversional) business Babes!"

Hank Castro

I leave on this. Thanks! It's been fun, amazing, challenging and most of all ...magical.

It's all in the Talkback ...now where's my cookie

s2