Everything is very easy. There’s an existing show file on the lighting console. The front truss is already focused, too. You just have to switch on the system and then have fun!” Those were the words of the in-house technician who called me the day before to stand in for him at a show in a Berlin venue with an audience capacity of 1,600.

Oh dear, what had I got myself into? I had a bachelor’s degree in event technology and management, but up until then I had only worked as a stagehand. I didn’t trust myself enough, I wasn’t networked enough in the biz and the jobs were divided up too much among my existing male colleagues. It was 2016 and I finally wanted to get ahead, so I took the plunge into the deep end.

Now I was standing in front of the ChamSys lighting console, whose software I had only ever played around with on my laptop. Backstage, I had activated the main electrical switch, activated all the fuses on the dimmers & distribution boards and plugged in the console. And yes, the lights came on!

After a bit of trial and error in the unfamiliar show file, I came up with a few ideas on how to light the individual songs of the singer. From today’s perspective, it must have looked terrible and, above all, too bright, but back then I was glad that there was any light on the stage at all.

Fortunately, the production wasn’t demanding – nobody came up to me the whole evening and made requests. I would have sunk into the ground, as I had no idea how to program anything sensibly or how to focus the PARs or profilers on the ground support that still existed at the time. Today I would be more proactive, but back then I was happy not to be bothered.

I was just as happy that the other colleagues from the venue were there to help me, even if my briefing on the lighting setup only took place over the phone. Access to the technical room, house lighting handover, fog clearance, activation of waiting / stair / cleaning lights, switching on and off routines – all things I didn’t know.

The show came to an end, I had lit up a few positions in bright colors with the moving heads, the singer was mostly easy to see and at the end I turned on all the blinders to light up the audience. So that was it – my first show! A stone fell from my heart!

Despite all the excitement, I had tasted blood and so this was to be the beginning of many years of work in the same venue that challenged me again and again and at the same time taught me so much – also because I was always there alone as a house lighting technician. And if I didn’t solve the existing problems, they would remain!

I learned about power planning, hotpatching, changing light bulbs, focussing, running motors, truss climbing, repairing hazers, planning DMX, testing moving heads, but also diplomacy, patience and hospitality in dealing with guest productions from all over the world, which were sometimes more and sometimes less demanding and stressed. In addition to new skills on the lighting console and system, the job offered me a lot of contacts and opportunities. By the end of 2017, I went on my first tour as a lighting technician. In 2018, I bought my own ChamSys console.

After the pandemic, I’ve been working less on the console and more on dimmers and data distribution. Over the years, I had to realize that creativity and design are not my strengths (I still like subbing though) – wiring and calculation are.

Even if, looking back, I wish I had been guided more carefully. I often felt alone and didn’t dare to ask my uncertain questions to my male colleagues. As a result, I also made a few avoidable mistakes that affected my self-esteem and reputation. That’s why I’m glad that there are now mentoring programs for young professionals and networks like Women in Live Music, where you can support and empower each other. Let’s do this together!

– Cora Schönherr, Touring Lighting Tech from Berlin, Germany