In Phoenix, Ariz., John Wallace, a 2013 CRAS Graduate and Current Front of House Engineer for Daughtry, Invited Ten CRAS Students to the Disturbed / Daughtry / Nothing More Concert at PHX Arena
Gilbert, Ariz., May 28, 2025 – The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), a leading institution for audio engineering education, continues its tradition of educating its students outside of the classroom in real world environments by industry pros.
On May 15 in Phoenix, Ariz., John Wallace, a 2013 CRAS graduate and current Front of House Engineer for Daughtry, invited ten CRAS students to the Disturbed / Daughtry / Nothing More concert at PHX Arena. Students had the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes to see how much work goes into the setup and production of a show of this scale, learning the tips and tricks from Wallace on mixing in a live environment.
“Witnessing this production in person brought a reality to students on how fast and efficient each person must be in a live sound crew to ensure the show flows smoothly without any errors,” said Jason Losett, CRAS IT Director. “John and the crews from all three bands were more than generous with their time, showing students their setups and equipment and discussing their workflows and best practices of being a Live Sound engineer. Truly an experience these CRAS students will not forget.”
Added Wallace, “Getting to share this experience with CRAS students was genuinely inspiring. Their excitement reminded me why I fell in love with live sound in the first place. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, but moments like this bring the passion right back to the surface. I truly hope, and fully expect, to cross paths with some of them down the road, mixing big shows and doing incredible things. Staying positive and sharing our love for this craft with the next generation…those moments really matter.”
Attending CRAS students were provided access to everything from setup to execution of each performance.
“It was an awesome opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at all of the technical audio action going on in order to run the show and see some of the things CRAS teaches actually being put into practice,” said CRAS student Isis Delph. “I’m really happy that we were able to stay at the FOH position during the show and see how the FOH engineers were mixing live. It was epic.”
Added CRAS student Lyssa Lynn, “I had a great time as it was such an incredible opportunity and experience learning more about the FOH work flow.”
Concluded CRAS student Emily Felix, “It was my first time ever attending a concert, and thanks to John, I got to experience more than just the show. He walked us through all the behind-the-scenes audio prep, which helped everything from our live sound classes finally click. An awesome experience all around.”
The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz. A CRAS education includes broadcast audio, live sound, film and TV audio, music, and video game audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have all excelled in their individual fields, including sound reinforcement, audio recording and production, digital recording, troubleshooting/maintenance, and music business.
CRAS structured programs and highly qualified teaching staff provide a professional and supportive atmosphere, which is complemented by its small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings. CRAS has been providing quality vocational training in audio recording for more than three decades. The curriculum and equipment are constantly being updated to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the music and sound recording industries. CRAS’ course offerings and subject matter have always centered around the skills and knowledge necessary for students’ success in the audio recording industries.
The 11-month program is designed to allow every student access to learn and train in all of the Conservatory’s studios which are comprised with state-of-the-art audio recording and mixing gear, the same equipment used in today’s finest studios and remote broadcast facilities, including Pro Tools 12, API Legacy consoles, SSL AWS consoles, Studer Vista consoles, and much more. All students must complete a 280-hour industry internship to graduate from the Master Recording Program II that may ultimately lead to industry employment.
For more information on the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, please visit www.cras.edu, contact Kirt Hamm, administrator, at 1-800-562-6383, or email to info@cras.edu.
About The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences
Based in the heart of The Valley of the Sun with two campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz., The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) is one of the country’s premier institutions for audio education. The Conservatory has developed a unique and highly effective way to help the future audio professional launch their careers in the recording industry and other related professional audio categories.
