Nick Lambson

Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in music, audiovisual technologies, and Higher Education. Proven strengths in writing, innovative thinking, and effective leadership. Possesses a diverse skill set, adept at addressing various challenges and opportunities across different contexts.

• PCEP - Entry-Level Python Programmer Certification | 2022
• AWS Solutions Architect and SysOps Administrator Certifications | 2022

• Designed and implemented a new state-of-the-art sound system for the department’s major venue. Coordinated with staff to solicit feedback.
• Worked with multiple campus entities including campus facilities and the Dean’s Office to find funding so that the department didn’t have to pay for the whole project.
• Also worked with facilities regarding installation plans and estimates. The new system will scientifically have more than adequate volume and frequency requirements to meet the needs of classes and concerts. It was also self-calibrating, user-friendly, and cost-effective.
• Designed an integrated classroom audiovisual setup that would be independent of a larger PA, allowing for an independent and user-friendly setup for classes.
• Served as main technician for events, including sound reinforcement, lighting, projection, video recording, audio recording, and livestreaming.
• Audio engineer for a TEDx Stanford event with minor lighting duties.
• Audio engineer for a Stanford Jazz Workshop event with minor lighting duties.
• Managed and coordinated any other technicians on call for events.
• Served as main technical planner, installer, and handled troubleshooting.
• Re-opened two old projects for an LED lighting installation upgrade in a venue and a security cage for audio equipment in another. Worked with outside vendors and installers, in addition to campus facilities operations.
• Set up an extensive repair project for 11 broken theatrical lights, most of which were in a closet when I began. This will lead to greater flexibility and lighting coverage for our main events.
• Immediately identified and rectified excessively-warm incandescent theatrical lights by adding blue gels.
• Recorded concerts. I had an assistant to do media work, but I occasionally also did audio and video post-production work
• Delegated tasks to my team to free me up to do administrative tasks. It would begin with a discussion of the project or problem, a proposed solution, resources where possible and then entrusting it to them, giving them a sense of ownership, respect, and support.
• Some delegated tasks included getting a new hire who is also an engineer to help with a cue light system. I proposed an XLR three pin solution to a dual gang wall plate with two lights mounted in it, and he came up with the power supply and method of installation. Another example was a dual-effort video solution in the venue where we recommissioned an old camera, used some adapters and converters, and ran the signal backstage to monitors I installed, allowed people backstage to monitor what is happening on stage more effectively.
• Initiated and facilitated repairs for the broken Genie lift, used for lighting work. A lift was needed sooner than a technician could service it, so I hustled and found one to borrow through a contact elsewhere on campus.
• Worked with a contact elsewhere on campus to borrow video equipment.
• Liaison for an outside event that utilized the department’s state-of-the-art sound system, which has extensive multichannel possibilities. Helped the guest get onto the venue’s network and manipulate each speaker independently.

• Commencement Speaker
• Golden Key, Phi Kappa Phi honors societies; National Merit Scholar in Physics; Awards in Music, Scholarship, Art, and English
• SFCM Guitar Teaching Assistantship
• CSUSB University Honors program
• Started one of the first Music Technology fraternities, Mu Iota Chi, at Stephen F. Austin State University
• Worked with Grammy-winners, nominees, and musicians who have played Carnegie Hall as a guitarist, arranger, and composer
• Published in Soundboard, the leading academic journal for guitar

• Successfully planned and oversaw 200 concerts per year, including financials, scheduling, staffing, on-site management, and technologies including computing, audio, video, lighting, and livestreaming.
• Served as building manager for all music buildings. Liaison for all campus matters including infrastructure, IT, and discipline specific projects as SME.
• Scheduled approximately 400 concerts, rehearsals, lessons, and other events. Sent approximately 1000 emails per month.
• Initiated and implemented several new administrative workflows, including staffing, customer intake, livestreams, location setups, equipment moves, coordination with outside festivals, and more, greatly improving communication and effectiveness with efficient and clear methodology.
• Solely responsible for financial aspects of all events within the department and with outside groups, including Quotes, Invoices, rentals, MOUs, reimbursements, and purchasing.
• Worked with student performing groups and the associated campus administration. This involved translating intake to technological requirements, reserving dates, all financials, coordinating staffing, and all other logistical duties. I also met with campus administration to find the best solution for the reservation process for student groups.
• Researched and determined actual cost of labor hours, which was over $7 more per hour than what was being billed, with an estimated $6000 saved per year.
• Revised the MOU with a large client to reflect new charges going forward.
• Main point of contact for festivals including the famous Stanford Jazz Workshop.
• Planned a TEDx Stanford event and then served as audio engineer. Handled all logistics and financials.
• Planned a Stanford Jazz Workshop event and then served as audio engineer. Handled all logistics and financials.
• Interceded and resolved a ticketing crisis when the department lost all services. Trained staff on an interim solution.
• Responsible for the start of a new ticketing service by setting parameters, prices, and a new MOU.
• Main liaison to the Stanford Memorial Church, coordinating a new workflow, the annual MOU, staffing, technical requirements, ticketing, and all other duties.
• Major part of the resolution to a major schedule conflict where a visiting guest artist was not scheduled prior to my start date. Managed to negotiate moving multiple other events to allow for the event to take place.
• Worked to heal the divide between two different related departments through concerts, meetings, staffing, and coordination of scheduling policies.

• Keycard access management including secure login to a virtual machine hosting the keycard system. Created access groups, managed badges, and assigned access permissions for specific keycard readers. Worked with campus IT to troubleshoot on occasion.
• Served as sole department NetDB Administrator, registering any devices that needed access to the campus network.
• Improved building security through multiple contacts with campus facilities operations. The main venue has ongoing issues with the main doors latching shut, and two rear doors were frequently left open by guests. Through an extensive effort, the campus is paying $20,000 to secure one door, while my department only had to pay $600 for the other and the security issues have been resolved.
• Reopened an equipment cage project for audio equipment.
• Facilitated a major equipment reshuffling. It facilitated much improved access to orchestral percussion instruments that students were unable to practice on elsewhere; secured tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of other instruments and amplifiers; access and longevity of some instruments were tremendously improved; and production audio equipment was secured with improved storage and dedicated secure spaces.
• Worked with Classroom Technology on a major infrastructure improvement involving planning for audio, video, and projection, costing approximately $250,000.
• Recommissioned a PTZ camera and installed it in a venue to provide a live feed of the stage to two backstage monitors that I purchased and installed.
• Replaced and upgraded equipment that was sorely needed including aging and broken equipment, as well as replacing equipment that belonged to the staff.
• Took initiative to find as many sources of revenue possible, including the Dean’s Office, the head of Facilities, multiple offices regarding health and safety, outside groups who used the space, and different pools of money that could be allocated within the department.
• Identified excessive facilities fees prior to my start date. Met with campus officials and eliminated double-charges for facilities fees. Made additional efforts to strategize facilities work orders to reduce costs. Estimate thousands saved in one year.
• Healed the fragmented Archive of Recorded Sound recording inventory for Department of Music events. Meetings regarding metadata practices. Created a workflow and delegated to my media assistant. Checked in quarterly on the project.
• Worked to address a division between the main department and a technology wing, which is treated as very separate from the main department. I sought to heal the divide by facilitating residencies in our venues, holding meetings about scheduling in their buildings (a first in 10 years), and generally serving as ambassador by staying in close touch and fostering collaboration whenever possible. The result is a much tighter integration that benefits both departments. Now that the departments have reconnected, further benefits and growth are made possible.
• On-call emergency contact for the two buildings I was a manager for. Responded to: building alarm, flooding, lock outs, network issues, and emergency electrical needs.
• Zone C campus representative, coordinating with other facilities managers on major projects.
• Initiated and followed up on a repair for an ADA rail.
• Responsible for the repair of multiple doors, a lock, broken seats, a broken sink, broken Genie lift, and more.
• Facilitated an interview, rehearsals, and a performance with the famous saxophonist, Joshua Redman.

Audio Engineer, 01/2001, Present, Provided computer and hardware-based production, studio recording, location recording, and live sound for various clients, including universities, academies, multiple concert series, hotels, and private clients., Managed projects, installations, and technical teams for a wide variety of applications., Regularly coordinated with administration, vendors, technicians, assistants, and students., Developed and implemented technical designs for various applications, including computing, audio, video, lighting, and acoustics.

• Managed a large team of full and part-time employees including scheduling, delegating tasks, and facilitating performance evaluations for HR.
• Advertised job vacancies, interviewed, onboarded, and trained four new hires, each with a diverse skillset that complimented the rest of the team.
• Implemented new policies and procedures, improving the production workflow.
• Created a new database of spreadsheets for each event was implemented along with an expanded staffing sheet with important details all in one place.
• Created a new instrument move spreadsheet was created to coordinate equipment to be moved, truck rentals, delivery windows, and staffing.
• Maximized the staffing schedule, restructuring the full-time staff duties by clearly communicating a new delineation of duties to make the team more efficient, while reducing their previously rigorous workload.
• Reduced staffing costs by 20% for over 100 concerts, as well as time-saving initiatives for other concerts, which also reduced costs.
• Identified an opportunity to restructure recital times in the main venue. There was a major shortage of time slots for students and faculty, and my changes would have provided up to three additional slots per week. Over three ten-week quarters, that would provide up to 90 additional concert dates.
• In conjunction with my cost-cutting efforts with staff these events, there would only have been a net gain of two staff hours per week to accommodate this.
• Identified equipment shortages in many areas and made purchases that will pay dividends over time, while also making jobs easier, more repeatable, and efficient.
• Addressed mental welfare for a member of my staff. Addressed workload issues from before I started, listened several times, offered support, and encouraged them to seek further help through campus resources. The employee reports a huge reduction in stress and a reasonable workload.
• Address physical welfare for all staff. Worked with campus to obtain PPE, provided campus PT resource to employees, coached them on safety, and have initiated a new safety training schedule with the campus for the staff on many topics including CPR, fire safety, proper lifting, ladder safety, and using the campus defibrillators.
• Conflict resolution and mediation including conversations with campus HR.
• Volunteered to take a five-hour manager training on inclusiveness and conflict-resolution, and was a main contributor in each session.
• In addition to structured training sessions, I created a series of guides or “cheat sheets” which included step-by-step instructions and photographs to assist them.
• Created a production guide for Faculty including procedures, policies, links, and more.
• Initiated discussions to replace the $100,000+ stage at no cost to the music department due to safety concerns I raised.
• Recognized and welcomed employees with food on site, taking them out to lunch, and gift cards; usually out of pocket.

Stanford University, Stanford, CA, Production Manager, Department of Music, 08/2023, Present, Successfully planned and oversaw 200 concerts per year, including financials, scheduling, staffing, on-site management, and technologies including computing, audio, video, lighting, and livestreaming., Served as building manager for all music buildings. Liaison for all campus matters including infrastructure, IT, and discipline specific projects as SME., Reduced staffing costs by 20% for over 100 concerts, as well as time-saving initiatives for other concerts, which also reduced costs., Addressed mental and physical well-being of my staff through numerous initiatives. Initiated discussions to replace the $100,000+ stage at no cost to the music department due to safety concerns I raised.

• Music
• Cars
• Movies