Kennedy Munene: I'm careful not to be too hard on myself when I fail

At a job summit held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2015, the keynote speaker declared that sound engineering was the grumpiest job in the world.

“The grumpiness of sound engineers almost definitely stems from the fact that about 99 per cent of them are failed musicians and DJs,” he said, and added, “They’ve hung onto their dreams by staying close to their desired profession, much like a child will wear a football kit to a football match hoping that by some fluke of nature they’ll be asked to come on as second half substitute, and in the process they’ve built a level of resentment similar to that of fat security guards who didn’t make the police.”

JOVIAL SOUND ENGINEER

Kennedy, though partly agreeing with the declaration, does not consider himself bad-tempered, in fact, he gets lots of fulfilment from what he does. He describes himself as a jovial sound engineer.

And no, he did not want to be musician.

From your perspective, why are sound engineers considered ill-tempered?

This is a demanding job because sound is like an art. If your canvas is not very clear, it will not come out well.

This profession requires a lot of balancing and equalising of sound sources.

For sound engineers dealing with live sounds, my specialty, you realise that people judge us right there on stage, and it is difficult to please everyone because the audience has varied tastes.

In addition, we do not have the benefit of time to make amendments.

It can be overwhelming at times. However, while there are those who got into it as a fall back plan after their music or disc jockeying careers failed, there are those of us, like me, who were driven into it by passion.

Was this your first choice of career?

No, though I loved music, and at some point thought that I would end up becoming a deejay. I had a few music tapes and my father had a record player that I kept toying around with. I, however, was intent on studying graphic design and music production.

When I turned 21, I joined a church which had a pro PA system that got me interested. I wanted to learn how to operate it.
That was my initiation into this profession. That same year, I worked for Tusker Project Fame Season 2, an East African reality singing competition. After the competition, my church sponsored me for a one-month training in Denmark, and in 2013, I left for South Africa to learn system tuning, sponsored by my current employer, Mo Sound Events.

Along your journey, you have had many people holding your hand, sharing opportunities and even sponsoring you for various trainings. What attracted these sponsors to you?

Good question! I believe that in every capacity I serve, I express hunger to learn. I also ask many questions, it does not matter whether I am addressing veterans or beginners, I ask questions. When you are passionate and dedicated towards a particular career, people will see it and most will want to support you.

For a young person constrained by money, is there hope of getting the required skills one needs to succeed in this career?

The local market mainly focuses on studio production, which is not very different from live sound, but there are aspects of sound engineering you will not get working in the studio. One thing though, with all the trainings I have done, none of them was a beginner’s course. I had already formed a base. There is hope, but whether you make it or not depends on how far you want to go.

What stands out as the highlight of your career?

I have quite a number - the International Safaricom Jazz festival being the best, the launch of Alibaba group, a multinational conglomerate and the Rwanda Government partnership in 2018 in Kigali and the unveiling of Sauti Kuu Foundation in Kenya.
At the Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in the country in 2015, I spearheaded the sound management team from Kenya. In addition, in 2016, I was project manager of the Mombasa Rocks concert that brought popular musician Chris Brown in the country as part of his world tour.

Have you failed? Have you been disappointed? How did you deal with it?

Oh yes. I will never forget this time when I was doing live sound during Tusker Project Fame Season 2. The competitors were on stage singing but I had not balanced the vocals with the tracks the right way. Due to that mishap, I was denied the opportunity to participate in the live show for a couple of lessons. At first, I was hard on myself but I eventually dusted myself up, went back to my manuals, and researched to ensure that I would not make the same mistake in future.

What principles do you believe have propelled you here?

I would say self–discipline and being responsible and committed to the craft.

How important is networking?

In almost all careers, the more experienced you are, the more marketable you are. I have remained in touch with people that I can call when faced with a particular challenge and those who can offer new lessons.

For instance, during the GES summit, I asked the US sound engineers (who had travelled with former US President Barrack Obama) to recommend books on the art of mixing that they found valuable. They recommended a book that has been very instrumental in my work.

What would you tell someone in his or her twenties who would like to make this their career?

You are in the age of technology so you have lots of power in your hands, the power of unlimited research.

You can do this wherever you are as long as you have access to the internet. Use it wisely and to your advantage.

How do you rejuvenate?

I take road trips and listen to different genres of music. When it comes to music, I am not overly particular about what I listen to: reggae, gospel and even orchestra are on my playlist. Sometimes, I just enjoy quietude.