Sean Hunley, Director, The Cultural Center at Eagle Hill

August 13, 2009

To Whom it May Concern:

The word "partnership" is thrown around a lot lately to such an extent that it has lost its potent meaning: parties with shared values, goals, and interests working in concert. This is the word—in its true and powerful sense—I use to describe our relationship with Klondike Sound.

The Cultural Center at Eagle Hill is a new, state-of-the-art performing arts center on the campus of Eagle Hill School. We had laid out an ambitious first season of public programming, scheduled to begin just weeks after the completion of construction—well before we would have developed the in-house expertise necessary to successfully pull off that programming. I am so grateful that a colleague from another organization suggested that I look to Klondike Sound as a "good value" for backline support and sound engineering.

Turns out, "good value" was just the beginning of the story. What we got for each event was rock-solid expertise, not only to run a great-sounding concert, but to handle any situation that might arise. For our first major concert, our in-house sound system wasn't fully operational, so Klondike Sound provided extensive equipment in addition to engineering the show. When setup was nearly complete, our theatrical electrical system suddenly failed due to what we later realized was a design problem. With the event just hours away, we had no electricity in that system and I thought we might be done for. Klondike and his team, after extensive troubleshooting of our system, coolly and efficiently shifted the entire setup to accommodate a traditional Edison power supply. The show was up and running on time and sounded phenomenal. Afterwards, I approached Klon to congratulate and thank him, and I'll never forget his reply. He simply smiled and said, "what appears an emergency to you is just another day in the office for us."

I knew at that moment that Klondike and his company were true professionals—absolutely reliable—and after a year of working with them on many diverse shows, I am only more confident in that knowledge. I can't place a value on the peace of mind I experience when Klondike Sound is running a show.

And I am not alone in that impression: Klondike has earned a stellar reputation among presenters and performing artists. I've heard it several times from nationally-known musicians when going over details about an upcoming gig at the Cultural Center: "Klondike is running sound? Perfect—I know I'll sound great." I've come to realize that Klondike's partnership enhances the reputation of my venue in this industry.

I don't know how Klondike finds and trains people—perhaps it's a trade secret—but I am always amazed not just at the consistent professionalism and competence of his team, but at how lovely they are to work with. As an arts center embedded within a boarding high school, we involve student interns extensively in the setup and running of shows. Klondike's people collaborate with the kids gently and patiently, sharing tips and knowledge, putting the kids at their ease, and modeling what it means to be a professional. Being educators is not in Klondike Sound's job description, of course—it's just that a culture of excellence and professionalism pervades his company.

All this makes Klondike Sound the best in the business as far as I'm concerned.

Sincerely, Sean Hunley Director The Cultural Center at Eagle Hill