Success, significance, and the power of live music

​Nash’s focus on mental health awareness in his art comes from a genuine place. After a near-death experience as a teenager at the height of his own emotional struggles, he dedicated himself to finding an avenue of positive emotional expression through music. His drive led to success as a touring artist. Realizing that there was an opportunity to spread a message of hope in a world increasingly wracked by misunderstanding and shame around mental health struggle, he sought to have a larger impact with his work. “There’s an incredible connection between art and mental illness that drove me to do what I do now,” he explains. “That pain is meant to be channeled through art. I realized this is something that could be shared with others to help them understand their own pain, and it was a moment that shifted my purpose away from simply being a touring rock artist. I knew more could be achieved.”

“If you stop at success and don’t move on to significance, there’s something missing there. What I realized was missing was a connection with the community.”

Since then, Nash has crafted a new stage show focused on mental health awareness and addiction recovery built around a compelling mix of live music and spoken word. As passionate as he is about his work, Nash realizes that delivering an earnest, hopeful message to young people can often be an uphill battle. Remembering the heavy-handed ‘intervention’-type presentations of his school days pushed him to think outside the box and design an engaging event that would speak to his audience on their level, and in a delivery medium that was both engaging and honest. “Live music is an incredible tool to get people involved, but in this setting you do have to win the crowd over because they are not showing up to the show as ‘fans’ like a typical concert,” he says. “We all remember those lame presentations from our school days — as well meaning as they can be, they often aren’t designed with the teenage audience in mind or presenting things to them in a way they can appreciate or understand.”

“We know we have to win the crowd over every performance, so we pull out all the stops and put on a real show with the level of sound and production quality that people expect from their major touring artists.”

Setting the stage for genuine connection

Initially performing at high school auditoriums, gymnasiums, and indigenous community centers across Canada, The Robb Nash Project has now achieved a level of popularity that sees Nash and his fellow musicians filling large concert halls. Given Nash’s emphasis on storytelling and lyrical content, delivering on the audio experience front in these larger venues is top priority. He and Steve Smith, VP of Program and FOH for the Robb Nash Project, take great care when selecting equipment to support the stage show. “Our needs often go beyond typical front of house requirements for live music because intelligibility and impact is so important to what we do,” says Smith. “We want the power and impact of a live band presented in a way that is still accessible to a diverse group of tastes. Precise control of the sound quality is essential for delivering the message and it’s been very important to select the right gear for these purposes.”

“We’re after the quality of a studio recording in a live setting, so we get the gear we need to achieve that.”

The band relies on modeling amplifiers direct to the PA for the stringed instruments, resulting in an extremely controlled and consistent sound with a fairly quiet on-stage volume. When it comes to the sound of Robb Nash Project drummer Jared Falk’s drums, Smith has been using the Mojave Audio MA-301fetVG large diaphragm condenser microphones for overheads. Smith and Nash were introduced to Mojave Audio President Dusty Wakeman by mutual friend and Iron Maiden FOH engineer Ken ‘Pooch’ Van Druten. “Mojave was really invested in supporting what we were doing and helping us achieve the studio quality sounds we were looking for,” says Nash. “He and Pooch recommended we try the 301s and they were immediately exactly what we needed.”

“Bridging the gap between studio quality and live utility is something that we’re constantly exploring as microphone designers,” said Mojave Audio President Dusty Wakeman. “We got dialed into the needs of Robb and his sound engineers very quickly and knew what would serve them best.”

“Using large diaphragm condensers as drum overheads in a live situation can be very tricky,” adds Smith. “You want all that clarity and detail but it’s easy for things to become harsh at higher SPLs. What’s great about the 301s is they are super rich and clear without the need to add high-end to the EQ. The result when you feed that into a big PA is you get this incredible sound that really elevates the experience of the audience.”

Channeling pain into positivity

Although the success of the Robb Nash Project has been palpable in terms of bookings and audience sizes, Nash says that he feels like he’s achieving the aforementioned significance on a more personal level. This includes making time for cathartic one-on-one conversations with attendees after the show, including youth inspired by his music to perform their own on the stage, and sharing his time and knowledge with students in the classroom. “It really is about re-modeling behavior for them and teaching them that they can channel these feelings that feel insurmountable into something positive — art, music, performance, creativity, all of it,” says Nash. “When you show them that possibility and see it spark something, it’s the most incredible thing.”

“That’s the real fulfillment of all of this, and being able to see that transformation happen either at the show itself or in these smaller interactions is what this work is all about. You can really make a difference with your art, and show others that they can do the same”

“The Robb Nash Project is doing incredible, lifesaving work in a very moving and effective way,” added Wakeman. “We at Mojave Audio are thrilled to be involved in a small way of pushing that mission forward.”

For more information about the Robb Nash Project, please visit: www.robbnash.com

For more information about Mojave Audio, please visit: www.mojaveaudio.com

About Mojave Audio

Mojave Audio was founded by Technical Grammy Award winning David Royer, widely known for his ribbon microphone designs with Royer Labs. Mojave Audio makes world-class microphones for Artists and Engineers who are passionate about their sound.

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