It started simply: a 10-year-old girl with her ear pressed to the radio. As a child, I was transfixed by radio transmission (some might even say obsessed). I was amazed by the elegance of the process, the transfer of information through the air and directly into my brain. How could something invisible be so powerful? A spell was cast. If you aren’t enthralled by audio—the intimacy of it, the emotional power and instant recall, electromagnetic energy waves flowing through space, waves that we have the power to control and amplify with creative speaker designs—I’m sorry but we probably have very little in common.
It was this early curiosity about audio’s magic that fueled my lifetime devotion to technology and, specifically, audiovisual innovation. I wanted (and still want) to understand it, not as an engineer but as a storyteller with subject matter expertise. Before I had even graduated from college, I began reviewing high-end speakers for fun and rent money. I also reviewed the wild new inventions called digital audio players (admit that the Rio PMP300 changed your life, too). It’s been two decades since I started researching and writing about technology, and with tremendous gratitude I can share that this will be my last edition as content director of AV Technology magazine. I want everyone reading to know that I have thought of you with every folio I have outlined (and endlessly revised), every commissioning letter, and every draft. I have endeavored to bring integrity, creativity, and a strong sense of community to AV Technology’s pages. I am so grateful to help share your story and put you on the cover.
Speaking of the cover, whatever your political leanings, I hope your take away from this month’s cover story “Projecting Artful Activism” is not about politics per se. Look to this story of Bill Moyer, his derring-do, and his unique take on light technology as proof that your work is powerful. Let this story tell itself; the influence of AV is breathtaking and it is hard to contain. Because of the daily work you do—installing projectors, calibrating, DSP integrations, exhibit design, video wall specifications—we all see and hear the world differently. I can’t close my tenure without thanking Megan Dutta, SCN’s content director, who energizes, supports, and inspires me on a daily basis, and to my collaborator, Cindy Davis, AVT’s contributing editor and the author of our cover story. It is her imaginative approach to technology reportage that keeps me reaching for the stories that matter. I hope to continue the AV conversation with you in exciting new forms, as a speaker, analyst, and storyteller. Thanks for taking this journey with me.
