While intended as a putdown, Scheirman took the comment for what it was worth, got his commercial driver’s license and hit the road, landing a job at Carlo Sound, then one the country’s largest concert sound firms.
Originally hired as a semi driver, he recalls showing up with a load of gear for a Leon Russell concert only to find that the production crew had missed a plane flight.
“It was just me, a truckload of sound and lights with the stagehands standing around; the promoter said, ‘doesn’t anybody know how to set this stuff up’?”
Rising to the challenge, Scheirman give it a shot. “With the help of some very tolerant and amused older stagehands,” he says, “we were just testing the PA when the crew arrived at 6:30 for an 8 o’clock show.”
“They were astonished to find nearly everything hooked up and wired.”
In 1977 he left Carlo Sound to work with Baltimore-based Maryland Sound as a senior tour engineer, but five years on found himself looking for fresh educational challenges.
He retired from the road, taking part-time technician work in San Diego with Raytronics Inc., while going back to school to pursue other interests: physics, mathematics, global economics, and political science.
In 1984 Scheirman founded Concert Sound Consultants Inc., specializing in product development and field-testing for pro audio manufacturers while also taking on special-event sound design projects including large-scale symphonic, orchestral and choral events.
These ranged in scope from the 1987 Miss Universe Pageant in Singapore, to the New York Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic summer concert series, to Pope John Paul II’s 1993-94 North American visits.
An interest in next-generation digital control and software interface systems led Scheirman to join MediaLink Technologies (based in Seattle) to help the company expand its networking technology offerings into the realm of pro audio, before signing on as western regional manager for Innovative Electronic Designs Inc.
In 1997 he was recruited to join JBL Professional and since then has managed the company’s growth in the tour sound market segment.
While his earlier interest in concert sound led to tours with numerous jazz, R&B, gospel pop and rock artists, throughout his career Scheirman has continued to work on high-profile cultural and sporting events including the Korean 50th Anniversary of Independence Celebration in Seoul, the Atlanta Summer Olympics, and the 2002 World Cup Opening Ceremonies.
In addition, he has served as sound reinforcement editor for various audio trade publications and as an editorial consultant for Live Sound International.