Episode 35 LeRoy Bennett: World Renown Live Concert Production & Lighting Designer

With decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in music, LeRoy Bennett definitely knows his way around live concert production and lighting design. Andy digs deep in this conversation to find what makes LeRoy tick, where his inspiration comes from, and what it’s like working with a huge variety of superstar artists. For LeRoy, music has always been a visual process. He hears music and sees a kaleidoscope of colors and feels a strong emotion. He has made it his life’s work to bring that same visual experience to the shows of major artists around the world. He has worked with everyone from Prince to Beyonce to Paul McCartney to Rammstein and for him the work is all about making sure the audience is taken on a journey of experience. His stories and reflections of working with some of the greats in the industry are truly mind boggling in their importance and their impact. LeRoy shares what it was like being highly regarded by Prince, designing for Paul McCartney, and nailing the exacting requirements of Beyonce. This is certainly one interview you don’t want to miss out on if you’ve been interested in the behind-the-scenes of producing live shows. Andy and LeRoy even dig into the changes in technology and how they’ve impacted the industry overall and why AI will never fully take the place of humans. It can’t. No machine understands the individual nature of the human experience and as such will never be able to fully produce music, sound, emotion, or belief. Listen in to learn more. Show Highlights: [00:00:10] Learn more about LeRoy Bennett and his years of accomplishment. [00:01:41] LeRoy shares his experiences working with FOH Engineer, Scottie Baldwin, who was also interviewed by Andy and who introduced Andy and LeRoy. [00:03:07] Why he has spotlighted one particular quote on his website. [00:05:26] His thoughts and feelings on music, overall, and how it affects him.  [00:07:12] Learn more about architectural emotion and music. [00:09:52] Set design and Production design are essentially the same. Learn more. [00:12:19] LeRoy chats about how he describes his work to those outside of the industry. [00:16:45] What it takes to take an abstract vision and turn it into reality. [00:21:40] LeRoy highlights the difference between the music theatrical elements of  shows. [00:24:16] More about producing shows for TV. [00:26:45] Has he had any bad moments designing shows in his career?  [00:28:27] LeRoy shares his experience working with Beyonce and Trent Reznor.  [00:34:41] He loves working with Rammstein because of the depth of their shows. [00:36:10] Was working with Paul McCartney everything he thought it would be?  [00:40:24] LeRoy recounts the first show that he worked with Paul on. [00:43:04] How do you design a show that reaches people on an emotional level?  [00:45:42] His thoughts on the evolution of technology and where he sees it going. [00:51:12] Does AI have a place in the industry?  [00:56:10] Technology and AI aren’t able to adapt to individual experiences like a person can. [01:00:09] What makes a great interview according to LeRoy.   LINKS & RESOURCES LeRoy Bennett: www.leroybennett.com www.sevendesignworks.com  LeRoy on Instagram Mentioned in this Episode:  Episode 19 Scottie Baldwin: Award-Winning FOH Sound Engineer for Prince And Other Superstars   Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection. Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz