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Meet Nate Brown:

Nate came to us in April of 2015 and was hired because of his extensive background and knowledge of the industry. Nate has proved to be a great addition to our sales staff, brining wit and sarcasm wherever he goes. It should also be noted that he listed his job title as "Resident Rain Cloud," which may or may not be true, but made us laugh nonetheless.

His resume is filled with certifications and training that anyone would be proud of, and we are happy to have his skill set available to our customers. Nate studied Master Recording at The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences. He is certified as a Tier 5 Pro Tools Operator/Troubleshooter. Nate is also certified in the following; Smaart 6 software, Apple Logic Pro, and is proficient on the Otari MTR and Studer 2" tape machines. He is also proficient with a variety of consoles.

Nate has worked at The Pass Studios, along with the legendary East West Studios in Los Angeles, CA. After coming back to Utah, he built his own studio in Salt Lake City. He currently owns and operates his local studio when he isn't busy here in the shop.

One of Nate's favorite memories working in the industry was when he had the opportunity to work with the TV Show "How I Met Your Mother." He recorded Neil Patrick Harris singing a musical number for the show. Neil stood in the booth for over three hours until he and the producer were satisfied. Although the show is long over, it was a great memory for Nate.

In his spare time, Nate enjoys hiking, snowboarding and traveling. With so much experience it is no surprise that he also enjoys playing the drums, guitar and singing. Nate loves animals, but especially dogs. He has a fat, black dog named Curly.

Next time you are looking for someone to help you with your recording questions or have a witty conversation with, stop by and say hi to Nate.

Meet Dan Buehner:

When Dan came to work for us in April of 2013, he immediately fit into our Performance Audio family. Dan left his job at his family run business and took our shipping clerk position. This was a great way for him to get his foot in the door and he proved what a hard worker he is very quickly. With years as a musician and experience in recording, it wasn't long before Dan was answering questions and making sales at the front counter. He moved to a desk up front soon after and although he did a great job in our warehouse, we like the presence he brings to our storefront.

Dan is part of a band called The Hollering Pines. They play locally, but have traveled to festivals all over to perform and even recorded an album in Nashville. Dan released a solo album in 2015 under the name Daniel Young. Dan has played with his band and been featured as solo act at the Red Butte Summer Concert Series. Dan is a talented musician and vocalist and we are always excited to see what he will do next.

In his spare time you will usually find him at local record stores looking for vinyl to add to his collection. We are so happy Dan puts up with our shenanigans because he truly is a great employee and friend. Say hi to Dan next time you are in.

Meet Byron Beagley:

Byron has been here longer than any other salesman at the front counter. If you have been into our store, you have probably seen him or been lucky enough to talk to him. He began working here in 1991 and has over 26 years of experience in the field. Byron specializes in microphones and live sound along with studio applications for musicians.

Byron graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors of Music in Classical Flute Performance. He spent years working with local rock bands playing shows all over the Salt Lake Valley. In addition to the flute, Byron plays the electric guitar and those who have been lucky enough to hear him know he is a very talented singer.

In his spare time Byron enjoys playing and listening to music. He also has a great love for classic cinema. Byron really likes ranchin' and bushcraft, which is basically turning wilderness survival skills into a hobby. If you have ever spoken to Byron, you know he is a treasure trove of information. He knows a little bit about everything, and would be happy to share his knowledge with listening ears.

Byron is married to a lovely lady named Cathay, whom he proudly jokes is his only wife (we do live in Utah). Byron loves working on his farm and taking care of his 28 sheep and four cats. We have truly enjoyed all of the years spent with Byron and the wonderful memories he has given us. Thanks for being you Byron!

Meet Ivan Carrasco:

Ivan Carrasco is the man behind many (if not all) of our Facebook & Instagram posts. So for those of you following us on a regular basis, you are seeing his hard work come to life on screen(s). Ivan is also responsible for taking most of the photos posted on our blog and featured on our social media platforms. We like to think of him as our resident photographer, but that isn't his only special skill. Ivan was hired in 2011 because of his ability to speak Spanish and English fluently to help our varied customer base. At the time he knew almost nothing about audio, but he has come a long way.

Ivan is one of our salesmen that work along the front counter. He is a friendly guy who is always willing to help a customer or take on a project for the company. We have all grown to love him over the years, and it just wouldn't seem like Performance Audio without him. One of Ivan's favorite things about working here is that he gets to spend time in every department, sometimes off-site, to photograph the things we do. He enjoys getting to spend time interacting with coworkers outside of his own department and his photography skills enables him to do this.

He has pursued photography as a creative outlet for over 3 years and has become very talented. He enjoys shooting landscapes and cityscapes outside of work and merchandise within our store, but he truly shines at taking photos of people. We are grateful that he uses his gift to showcase what goes on around our shop and even employees lives.

Ivan's parents immigrated to the United States before Ivan was born, they did everything they could for their children to make sure they had the best opportunities to succeed in life. Ivan is very grateful for their sacrifices and where those sacrifices have brought him in life. Ivan especially understands those sacrifices now that he has two children of his own. Ivan is very family oriented and in his spare time he is always with his family and extended family. He and his wife work very hard to provide everything they can for their children, including a HUGE Great Pyrenees dog. The family adopted the puppy after moving into a bigger home for their young and growing family. This was their first family pet and although she has turned their lives upside down, Ivan loves having a dog for his kids.

Make sure you say hi to Ivan next time you are in the shop, or like one of his photos on Facebook or Instagram.

Meet Todd Winn:

Todd came to us with the acquisition of BackBeats in 2014. Since then we have loved getting to know Todd and couldn't be happier that he is part of our family.

Todd works as a backline technician in our warehouse. He can also be found at concerts and shows throughout the valley where our backline is being used. With over 10 years of experience, Todd has also played guitar in local bands. He is a humble guy and will tell you that he has only "touched a guitar" but the truth is Todd is a talented musician with a broad knowledge of music and instruments.

When asked, Todd claims that his hobbies include chewing gum and staring at walls, but we know he does more than that. Todd loves listening to vinyl and watching horror movies.

Todd enjoys his job and said, "The thing I love most about this job is exploring all of the gear that we purchase. It allows me to plug in, learn and get a feel for the gear we rent. I also love the staff here. Everyone is so nice." The truth is, Todd is the nicest guy around and we are glad that he feels the same way about his coworkers.

Meet Tiffany Chynoweth:

When Tiffany started here in 2007, she had no idea that she would one day be the sales manager. She was brought on as our receptionist but quickly became one of the hardest working employees we have. No job is too big or too small for Tiffany and when she sees something that needs to be done, you may as well consider it done. She has cleaned, organized, scrubbed, painted, and even climbed trees to trim branches. You can see why she earned the nickname "tool-time."

Tiffany has been not just a great employee, but a friend to many of her coworkers. If she isn't spending her spare time with her family, you can bet she is with her friends from work. One of Tiffany's favorite memories of working at Performance Audio is when we used to play "human bowling" in the parking lot. This involves wheel boards, 2-liter bottles with water, gaff tape and it was a whole bunch of fun (or a liability, as HR has called it). Everyone wanted to participate in the fun and games, from the owners to the warehouse employees. When asked what the best part of working at Performance Audio is she said, "I love that we are a family, all the way down to the crazy uncle. I love that we fight like siblings, but we also care about each other and their families."

Tiffany enjoys spending her spare time with her family and loves going on adventures with them. They like to go camping and hiking, but you can also find them at Starbucks or Target on weekends. Her husband Colton makes everyone smile when he comes to visit her at work. They have a daughter named Sophie. She is a firecracker just like her mom, and adds so much to our office when she visits (sass included). Tiffany is very close with her extended family and we have all grown to know and love them, her brother Tyler even works here!

Tiffany has a soft spot for animals and has been known to bring home the saddest of pets to nurture back to health. She has taken in feral kittens and an old dog named Grandpa Joe that needed somewhere to spend his last days. She currently has a cat named Stickers Meow and a dog named Aries. She is great at baking and makes the best chocolate cupcakes on earth. She loves summer concerts, especially when Brandi Carlile comes to town. We love all of her quirks and enjoy having her around, thanks for all you do Tiffany.

Meet Jamie Backman:

Jamie Backman has been a familiar face around Performance Audio for years. She started working here in 2005 in our rental department. After a few years, she moved to Nashville and then spent some time in France. When she came back, she began working for our shipping department and eventually started working with our BackBeats team. She currently runs our shipping and receiving department and helps BackBeats when needed. Jamie is so helpful to fill in where we need her skills!

Jamie started working in the entertainment industry at 16 as a production assistant. She moved on to being an audio stagehand and all together has spent 23 years in the industry. She specializes in small audio gigs, stage and backline tech jobs and drums. She even does small lighting gigs in her spare time.

Jamie has worked with so many talented musicians and actors. Some of her film experiences have included Sandlot, Touched by an Angel, Promise Land, Fire Starter 2, Halloween 6, several CBS specials and Ace Hardware Commercials. She has worked with Metallica, BB King, Steven Tyler, Brandi Carlile, Celine Dion, Gwen Stefani and Damian Marley, just to name a few.

Some of her favorite memories have been made here at work. She had the opportunity to sit with BB Kings and talk about 'the good old days.' She loved working here when we used to play Human Bowling and have "Jessie's Girl Fridays." She will never forget when Darrin broke his hip and drove his motorized wheelchair everywhere, including a long stretch of bubble wrap.

In her spare time, Jamie loves being outside. She enjoys kayaking, camping and working in her garden. Jamie plays the drums and dabbles in painting and photography. Jamie and her beautiful wife Margie have two adorable dogs, Frankie and Rowdy. Frankie is a rescue dog employed by Snowbird and goes to work with his mom Margie. We love having a visit at the office from her darling fur babies and wife.

Working with Jamie has always been a pleasure. She has a positive attitude and a kind soul. She brings joy to those she works with. I hope you enjoyed getting to know her a little better, I know I did!

Meet Randy Barker:

In elementary school Randy was asked to participate in the Christmas Pageant by his teacher. Although he was nervous, he was more scared that if he turned down the part he might not be allowed to go on to 7th grade. He remembers being so nervous as he sang his part, but somehow pulled it off. His teacher wanted him to join the choir, but a funny thing happened in the summer before junior high. Randy's voice changed and he was unable to carry a tune. They transferred him to a speech class where he met the school's drama teacher. It didn't take long for him to realize that he loved being behind the scenes, not on the stage. In high school he agreed to take the part of a Munchkin of Oz in the school play as long as he could work on technical theatre during class time.

Randy graduated from Weber High School and continued his education at Weber State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Theatre. While attending WSU, Randy received the very prestigious M. Thatcher Allred Award. He went on to get his Masters of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Theatre and Film from BYU. As a young family, they moved to North Carolina where Randy taught at Pembroke State University.

In 1993, Randy became the National Sales Manager for GTS. By 1999 Randy was the Vice President of GTS and in 2004 he became part owner. In February of 2014, Performance Audio purchased the company and moved them into our building. Randy and his two oldest sons came to work at Performance Audio bringing their knowledge and skills with them. It took a lot of twists and turns to get where he is today, but we truly enjoy having Randy on our team.

Randy loves working at Performance Audio. Here he has been able to design a variety of systems used in technical theater and he has had the opportunity to work with people in all aspects of entertainment. He passed his love of technical theatre on to two of his sons; Aaron and Jonathan both work here too!

Randy has been married to the love of his life, Christy, for 30 years. Randy has nothing but respect and admiration for his wife. He said it is her hard work and sacrifices that allow him to do what he loves every day. Together they have four children. Elizabeth, Aaron, Jonathan and Christopher are Randy's pride and joy. He also has four grandchildren and truly enjoys being a grandpa.

Meet Jake Peery:

Jake is one of the nicest people around, but you may have already known that if you have ever met him. He is incredibly smart, talented and has a work ethic unlike most people.

Jake became interested in the audio industry after participating in a church production as a young boy. He started working as a sound technician in junior high and spent high school behind the scenes of many musicals and plays. He continues to mix live and studio sound for FOG (Fat Old Guys).

Jake has worked very hard to get where he is today. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater with an emphasis in Sound from BYU. He also has a music-recording certificate from BYU. Jake is QSC Q-Sys Level 2 certified, BSS Level 2 certified, Dante certified and has Extron Control Professional certification.

He began working for Performance Audio in 2002 and after taking a break to continue his education he returned to us in 2012 as the head of the Install Department. Jake is now our System Design and Integration Manager. He has worked very hard to turn the installation department into what it is today.

Jake enjoys spending what little spare time he has with his family. He is married with two boys and a girl on the way. He is very tech savvy and is always trying out the newest software and apps. Jake loves cooking and enjoys trying new recipes on his smoker. He comes from a large family and they will tell you that Jake knows how to feed a crowd!

We are lucky to have a guy like Jake on our team!

Meet Ryan Schilder:

What started as a job to get through college became a career for Ryan Schilder. He began working here in April of 1998 and stuck around after graduating. We like to think that he enjoys his time here and that's what has kept him around for so long. (We are pretty fond of him too.)

Ryan works in our repair department. He specializes in fixing microphones, mixers and powered speakers, but has been known to take on anything he thinks he can fix. He is JBL Mechanical and Electrical Warranty certified. Ryan is very intelligent and it takes very little time to figure that out when talking to him. He has a Bachelors of Science in Economics from the University of Utah.

In his spare time, Ryan loves to be out on the lake. He sails on the Great Salt Lake as often as he can. He is a member of the GSL Emergency Response Team and is also EMT & WEMT certified. Ryan also enjoys SCUBA diving and long distance shooting.

Meet Brayden Nicholes:

Brayden began working for us in January of 2011 in our repair department. His dad, Rich, had been with us for a while so most of our staff had met Brayden over the years. It seemed like a natural fit for a new hire.

Brayden went on to become JBL Certified and he can recone and fix most speakers. He is a valuable asset in our repair department. He works upstairs and with his soft, calm personality you may not even realize he is even in the office.

In his spare time Brayden seeks thrills from long boarding and biking to camping and hiking. He and his dad have gone on many adventures to get their adrenaline pumping.

Brayden has been a fun addition to our company and we are glad he has stuck around for the last six years.

Meet Aaron Barker:

Don't let his shy personality fool you, this guy is loads of fun and very knowledgeable. Aaron Barker was kind of born into a world of lighting and theater people. When he officially started working for his dad at GTS in 2006, he already knew a great deal from growing up in the industry. When Performance Audio purchased GTS in 2014, Aaron came with and since then has become a crucial part of our team as our Lighting Manager. He oversees the lighting rentals for all shows big and small. If you haven't met Aaron before, he is located in our back warehouse with our rental departments.

Aaron has over 11 years of experience and has learned most of his skills from on-site education and training. He has worked alongside many talented lighting engineers and designers that have taught him the tricks of the trade.

One of his craziest memories was working for a rock band and the guitarist climbed the stack of subs and jumped onto the stage. He landed funny and unfortunately broke his leg; but you know what they say, the show must go on. Stage crew brought him a chair and he finished the set before leaving for the ER.

When he isn't working in our warehouse or on a show Aaron enjoys spending time with his family. They go camping, shooting, fishing and off-roading. Aaron is also an avid pillow fort builder and loves watching old cartoons from within his forts with his daughter, Bella. He and his wife Sherina got married shortly after he began working for PA, and it has been so fun to watch their family grow.

Make sure to say hi to Aaron next time you see him.

Meet Chris Perez:

At the age of 4, Chris strapped a tennis racket around his neck like a guitar and was hooked.

Trading in the tennis racket for a real guitar was soon to come. Chris plays many instruments such as the guitar, bass, drums and trumpet. In the last 20 years he has been in dozens of local bands including Salt Lake's own version of "KISS."

Chris has played in bands since the age of thirteen. He toured the US and Canada with a Youth Symphony for three years as a teen. Chris has worked as a guitar and drum tech for bands including The Black Eyed Peas, The Romantics, Ratt, Richard Marx and many more.

In 1998 Chris was working at Progressive Music. In 2003 they closed their doors and sold almost all of their Backline Equipment to Backbeats Drum & Backline, where Chris went over to manage their warehouse. Subsequently that equipment and Chris ended up here at Performance Audio in 2014.

Chris is familiar with our backline inventory, to say the least. He jokingly refers to the gear as his children, which makes him the perfect backline manager.

His top five favorite bands are:
1-The Beatles
2-The Smiths
3-Echo & The Bunnymen
4-The Cure
5-U2

"Yes, besides the Fab Four, my musical heart is in the 80's" -CP

Chris is a Sagitarius, favorite food is Italian and he likes long walks on the beach.

Meet Brett Morgan:

Brett began working for us as an Engineer in 2001. He would work hours in our shop along with shows that we would contract him to do. He became a full time employee in 2007 but we feel like he has been here forever. Brett has been a staple in our Rental Department and does great work as an Audio Engineer. With over 18 years of experience, he definitely knows what he is doing behind a audio console.

While working for us, Brett was the Front of House Engineer on tour from 2000-2004 for Royal Bliss, and then Air Supply from 2004-2007. He was the Monitor Engineer for Lindsay Stirling from 2014-2015. It was following his tour with Lindsay that he began working mostly from the office in our Rental Department.

Brett has enjoyed his work over the years and has had some amazing opportunities and experiences because of the nature of his work. He has done audio in 48 States, more than 56 Countries and 6 Continents.

"I have done shows in bull rings in Mexico and performing arts centers in South Africa, stood on the Great Wall of China and sat at Red Square in Moscow. I have had lunch overlooking the Panama Canal and held a Koloa in Brisbane, visited the Kamakura Daibutsu in Tokyo and Christ the Redeemer in Rio. I drank a Guinness at the Factory in Dublin and spent afternoons in pubs older than this Country in Germany and England. I had hors d'oeuvres atop the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and once took a prop plane into Thunder Bay. I stood in the Colosseum in Rome and spent a night at an ancient fort in Norway. I have done gigs in Central Park, Golden Gate Park and Liberty Park. None of this would have been possible without Performance Audio."

In his spare time, Brett enjoys spending time with his wife Ashley (she works here too). They like to play video games, travel, try fun restaurants and also spend a great deal of time caring for a large aquarium in their house. Thanks for all you bring to our work family Brett!

Meet John Andersen:

With over 21 years of experience, John is a talented sound engineer. John specializes in large format audio systems and console rentals. He began working for Performance Audio in 1999 and is currently the Showbiz/Rental Manager.

John comes from a family of ten kids; five boys and five girls. His parents felt that every child should be involved in music and be able to play the piano. John grew up taking piano and violin lessons. Later on he became a bass player in a band. He says that his skills have "rusted," but if you've heard him play the piano, you know that he is being modest. As a rebellious teen John secretly purchased a Walkman and the tapes Chicago- 17, and Survivor- Vital Signs. When he was eventually busted, his music and Walkman were confiscated by his parents. That didn't stop his love of music. In college he was at a party and fell over a stage monitor. He became friends with the band as they built their PA and he eventually began providing equipment and services to other bands. He continues to enjoy live sound at his job today.

John was raised to work hard starting at a young age. He remembers working on the family pistachio farm as soon as he was big enough to hold a shovel. His first official job was as a bagger at Safeway as a teenager. He eventually began working at local bars and clubs such as The Zephyr, Club DV8, Cisero's, The Westerner and many others. John has also toured with Air Supply, BB King and thousands of one-off performances with a variety of national acts. One of the best shows John has ever worked was the Utah Symphony featuring Art Garfunkel at Deer Valley.

He is always quick to think in an emergency, probably from his years of experience. He seems to know exactly what to do when a sound system isn't operating at a show. Once a monitor caught fire during one of his gigs at The Bar and Grill. He pushed through the crowd to get to it and rushed out of the venue with the speaker as it filled the house with smoke!

In his spare time John enjoys spending his time with his three kids and his wife. His two little ones keep him on his toes, but he loves the time he spends playing with and chasing them. John loves to read when he gets a chance. His favorite authors include Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Ian Fleming and John Grisham. Some of his favorite bands include U2, Sting and Journey.

So if you see John in the office or on a gig feel free to say hello.