Clear-Coms Sarah Koehler reveals how a passion for theatre lead to her working with Dante, MADI, and SMPTE 2110
By Jenny Priestley
Published: October 2, 2023 Updated: October 3, 2023
Clear-Com's Sarah Koehler reveals how a passion for theatre lead to her working with Dante, MADI, and SMPTE 2110
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Sarah Koehler, applications engineer, Clear-Com
Talk us through an average day in your role: There really is no average day in this role, which I appreciate, but to boil it down I have three main types of days: travel days, on-site days, and work-from-home days.
My travel days start bright and early. I like to catch the first flight out to avoid delays/weather, then check email/call customers back at the airport and during layovers. On the plane I either catch up on emails if the Wi-Fi is working, or relax with a podcast (I like the Blinkist app.) When I land, I rent a car, drive to the hotel, get dinner, and video chat with the family, or if I am flying back home, I pick up the kiddo from daycare early for some extra play time together after having been away for several days.
On-site days are my favourite. I like the new places and people but mostly I like getting hands-on with the gear! My job is usually to either upgrade an older system or commission a new system. Commissioning usually involves helping with networking questions, loading the software, getting all the endpoints connected, and setting up Dante, MADI, or SMPTE 2110 connections to external devices if needed. I complete a thorough test of all the devices and programme the software based on the end users' requirements. Commissioning days are usually 1-3 days of onsite work which normally includes some level of training. (Usually, it's a broad training for anyone who uses the endpoints and then a more in-depth training for the maintenance/programming team on the software and other hardware.)
Work-from-home days are spent prepping for the next onsite trip, beta testing new firmware, writing field reports, helping with training videos, filling out expense reports, booking travel, responding to customer questions, and helping them troubleshoot issues. Internal sales support and marketing support can also fill my day. And I occasionally get assigned a remote commissioning project, which can be tough! It's an exercise in patience and how to be extremely detailed with directions over the phone. If time permits, I'll do some personal growth training or work on conceptual projects in our home labs.
How did you get started in the media industry? Happenstance, I suppose. I started in theatre. I fell in love with theatre by the age of five after seeing Hansel and Gretel at the Minneapolis Children's Theatre. I cried my eyes out as the witch was burned alive. She didn't deserve to die! Then during the curtain call, the Witch, who I thought was dead, came running back on stage, smiling broadly to a roaring crowd to take her bow. It was all pretend. A suspension of disbelief. And in that moment I was hooked. I spent the next 30 years doing whatever I could to be close to the theatre: working as a theatrical carpenter, electrician, audio engineer, sound designer, audio designer, etc. Theatre was life, so I've been around communication systems since forever. When Covid struck and the entertainment industry took a hit I reached out to friends and contacts for work and was so happy when Clear-Com had a job opening! Comms is so important to both theatre and media and I am pleased to be part of both industries now.
What training did you have before entering the industry? I have a B.A. in Technical Theatre and Design, but most of my training occurred post-college, learning from colleagues, taking numerous side jobs mixing musicals, learning the ins and outs of different consoles, creating sound designs that paid mostly in experience, reading manuals, pushing buttons, being curious. It's a lifestyle; the technology keeps developing so the training never stops.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? I like that it doesn't feel stale. There is always something to do, something to learn, new people to meet, new places to visit, and you don't get bored. It's just unconventional enough to mesh with a quirky personality but conventional enough for a healthy work-life balance.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? Be curious. Get experience doing anything and everything you find interesting because it will all play a role in your development. Be kind, studious, and helpful. The people you meet could become your best assets. Every job I've ever gotten has been based on people putting in a good word for me. It wasn't my education or resume that got my foot in the door; although important, having the right work ethic and personality type is valuable. Keep an open mind and keep gaining different experiences doing the things you love. You may end up in a job you never knew existed that was made for you, and all your past experiences will suddenly become relevant.
Europe Stories
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
08/05/2025
As expected, continued weak demand from key sales markets and declining economic...
08/05/2025
A new three-part series is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One
(Image: The Christie Archive Trust)
The BBC has announced Agatha Christie's Endless Night, a...
08/05/2025
08 May 2025
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board at 2025 AGM, Founder Augie Fabela ...
08/05/2025
Comedy and entertainment channel U&Dave bring back their #1 ranked programme of ...
08/05/2025
Expect even more chaos this July with Harriet Webb leading the returning cast, p...
08/05/2025
TenneT relies on Arvato Systems for market communication
Energy industry: Impressive market communication know-how and system integration expertise
G tersloh...
08/05/2025
When Taiki Hamamoto, 22, came across a Hanafuda deck at his local game shop, he was intrigued. He had grown up playing the traditional Japanese card game with f...
08/05/2025
The Liveline is now open , said Joe Duffy earlier today, as he previewed this af...
08/05/2025
RT , in association with the BBC, Screen Ireland and Cineflix Rights has reveale...
07/05/2025
Discovering music should feel effortless and fun. That's why Spotify continu...
07/05/2025
FOX Doubles Down on the Laughs Renewing Comedies Animal Control, Starring Joel M...
07/05/2025
07 May 2025
VEON's QazCode Signs MoU with Seekr to Develop AI-Powered Solut...
07/05/2025
UKTV has ordered a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Britain...
07/05/2025
Wednesday 7 May 2025
Shaun the Sheep fans are in for a baaaarilliant treat in 2...
07/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz to highlight innovative broadcast technologies at CABSAT 2025 Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest energy-efficient transmitters and 5G Br...
07/05/2025
The Importance of Workflow Efficiencies in Post-Production Wednesday, 14 May
14:40
FilmLight sits down with Sam Lempp, head of business development for Nara, ...
07/05/2025
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of RT journalist, Fergal O'Brien, as its new Business Correspondent.
In his new role, Fergal will be repor...
06/05/2025
In Colombia, music isn't just background noise-it's center stage. It'...
06/05/2025
En Colombia, la m sica no suena de fondo: es el centro del escenario. Es el cora...
06/05/2025
At Spotify, we always seek ways to connect users with their next favorite podcas...
06/05/2025
Since Spotify's 2019 launch in India, the growth of the country's local ...
06/05/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
06/05/2025
Comscore Reports First Quarter 2025 ResultsRESTON, Va., May 6, 2025 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating ...
06/05/2025
Live from Studio 1 at 7pm, Tuesday May 6
Iconic trad-fusion group K LA will be ...
06/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz hosts RF Testing Innovations Forum 2025, helping design engineer...
06/05/2025
LONDON, UK, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the company s annual THINK event, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is unveiling new hybrid technologies that break down the long...
06/05/2025
Apple today introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone in Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland, enabling millio...
06/05/2025
Ahead of Pride Month, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band, watch face, and iPhone and iPad wallpaper to celebrate the strength and b...
06/05/2025
First episode airs this Friday at 8pm on RT One and RT Player with Doireann N Ghlac in presenting
Guests include Barry Murphy, Brooke Scullion, Bryan Dobso...
05/05/2025
As Europe gears up for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, Spotify is celebrating the spirit of unity and musical legacy with a new series of Spotify Singles. Fiv...
05/05/2025
As part of the restructuring of its loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit, SGL Carbon has decided to close its production site in Lavradio (Portugal). Lavradi...
05/05/2025
Comscore Launches Certified Deal IDs in Magnite's SSP, Bringing Trusted Cont...
02/05/2025
Updated May 2: In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple...
02/05/2025
Since 2022, Spotify and FC Barcelona have brought the worlds of music and footba...
02/05/2025
With more than 678 million users worldwide tuned in to Spotify, we're at the heart of music and culture. Our unrivaled global community of artists, songwrit...
02/05/2025
Data Communications Company has announced its partnership with IBM to modernise ...
02/05/2025
Comscore at the 20th Annual Needham Technology, Media, & Consumer Conference RESTON, Va., May 2 2025: Comscore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, t...
02/05/2025
02 May 2025
VEON to release 1Q25 trading update on May 15, 2025 Dubai, May 2, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms that t...
02/05/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended March 29, 2025. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $...
02/05/2025
Well-known faces pushed to their limits in Uncharted with Ray Goggins...
01/05/2025
As Tanzania approaches a pivotal election year marked by both promise and concern over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on media, more than 300 journa...
01/05/2025
After four years of lectures, study sessions, exams, and parties, college senior...
01/05/2025
Prochazka knows the power of relationships, so it has always been important to him that ATEC Pro be renowned for more than just supplying great equipment. Becom...
01/05/2025
Munster and Connacht Football Finals onThe Sunday Game Live
Final two days of t...
01/05/2025
Voice actor and producer Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff shares his first impressions of the DPA 2017 Shotgun Microphone, from real-world auditions to side-by-side compa...
01/05/2025
With my previous console, Freeman recalls, I always had to run a Waves server for EQ and compression, but when I switched to DiGiCo, I found it was such an op...
01/05/2025
Stream all episodes ofLook Who's Hangry from April 29
An RT Player Original in partnership with Heinz...
01/05/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
T naiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and T...
Clear-Coms Sarah Koehler reveals how a passion for theatre lead to her working with Dante, MADI, and SMPTE 2110
