So you are probably asking, what has BBQ got to do with motion picture sound recording?

Not much, to be honest. Unless you are doing sound on a realtiy show about BBQ competitions. (Which I sometimes do. But that is for another blog.)

Sometimes, you just need a fun hobby. I have been a huge fan of Texas smoked BBQ ever since the Univ of North Texas film department flew me down there to teach some seminars. That was many years ago. But I loved the food, and got into backyard smoking. I have smoked for family & friends, and even catered some small events for the Panorama Sportsmans Club and for the film production faculty at CSUN. They tell me that I am a good chef!

This summer (2018) I decided to get even more serious and enter the world of competition BBQ (as a cook team, not just a documentarian). Obviously, I watched a ton of videos, read a shelf-full of books, and immersed myself. I joined the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) which is one of the national sanctioning bodies in the world of competitive BBQ contests. I also became a member of the Nevada BBQ Association, which meets monthly in Las Vegas and is a friendly group and also supports local events.

Even though I am still a long way from competing at the big events (similar to those depicted on the TV series Barbecue Pitmasters), I am meeting and learning from those masters of the pits.

My nationally registered "team name" is Sound Q.

As you have surmised, it is a play on words for good tastin' BBQ and "sound cue" as in motion picture audio. Competing on the circuit has a lot in common with doing Production Sound. It requires a lot of expensive equipment and a ton of support gear, a way to transport this entire portable cooking pavillion & smokers, a good crew, and plenty of time.

I confess that I am nowhere near that stage of readiness yet. Maybe once I am fully retired? In the meantime, though, it is fun to just assist on other teams, or to help out the event staff; and to smoke some great Q whenever the opportunity presents.

A shout out to Rick Enright <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> for creating my team logo.

So I invite any of you who are into BBQ to give me a holler. Let's talk smoke.  

Reach me, as always, at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.