You can never really thank all of the people in your life who deserve thanks. However, sometimes it is important to just pick a few and do it. These three individuals have been instrumental to my audio career.
Thirty minutes is not a long time, but when you are a young person desperately trying to get a start in the audio industry and that thirty minutes is from such an icon as Nelson Pass, then it is an eternity. Mr. Pass was kind enough to spend half an hour with me on the telephone five years ago when it would have been just as easy to put me off and work on something productive and profitable. He had many words of good advice that have helped to steer me in the right direction since. Thank you Mr. Pass.
Recent graduate? No experience in the audio industry? You live 2,500 miles away and need to be relocated? No problem, you’re hired! This is what it seemed like when Stephen Siegel hired me as the new amplifier design engineer for Ashly Audio. Mr. Siegel was wise enough to see that I was passionate about audio and had the potential to design great things, even though I didn’t really fit the mold. I like to think that I have not disappointed. Thank you Mr. Siegel.
Everybody needs a mentor – somebody you can bounce your hare-brained schemes off of and get a bit of real-world feedback. For me, that individual was the President of Ashly Audio, Bill Thompson. Despite many more pressing responsibilities as President, Mr. Thompson always made himself available and was tremendously patient as I learned the ropes of amplifier design (i.e. screwed up a lot). Thank you Mr. Thompson.
Thanks are never complete, however, without thanking family, friends, teachers and employers – thank you all.