K1MIX Amateur Radio in the Valley

K1MIX

Michael Farrow's on air persona

Music Performance

In 1964, at the age of 19, I auditioned for and won the position of Associate Principal Trumpet with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. I left Indiana University after my 2nd year. In 1968 I became Principal Trumpet with the Indianapolis Symphony and stayed in that position until 1975 when I transitioned out of music performance into pro audio.

Aviation

In September of 1975 I went to the airport every day and got my private pilot license a month later. Then my instrument rating, multi-engine rating, commercial license, flight instructor ratings and finally Multi-Engine Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. Along the way, I was the director of training for a charter company flying out of Teterboro, NJ. That is where I met my (now) wife, Nila.

Pro Audio

I got into pro audio in 1972, doing cheap jingles in the mid-west. After a few years my good friend Alan Faust got me a job at a studio in New York City - Celebration Recording. More jingles! But now for products like Coke, G.E. and Burger King. It was very rewarding in every way. I was able to use all of my musical training and get paid for it. The middle 80's had some major changes for pro audio in the form of drum machines and digital recorders. About that time Disney was sending some low rent movies to NY for scoring - so low rent that they didn't even send an engineer (we are now called "Mixers") and I was tapped to record and mix the scores to many little known films. Not in that category was a 1989 project "Beauty And The Beast" which I recorded and mixed at RCA studios on 44th Street. The music in that film won 2 Academy Awards! Then came "Aladdin" with the same results. I was hooked. Here is a recent project at Abbey Road - 100 players and 50 singers live in Studio 1!

Amateur Radio

After moving to the San Fernando Valley in 1993 (just in time for the Northridge earthquake) I pursued work in the movie industry and worked at the best scoring stages in the world. These include Todd A-O, Sony (nee MGM), Fox, Warner Brothers (Eastwood Scoring Stage), Capitol Records and last but NOT least: Abbey Road. As Y2K loomed in late 1999, I took the opportunity (excuse) to get into amateur radio - something that had fascinated me since middle school, which in 1950's Montgomery was called Jr. High. I took my Technician exam with a local club, San Fernando Valley and started buying radios. That is a habit I have yet to shake, but I'm working on it. After upgrading to general, I had a great time on HF during a hot solar cycle, which I sorely miss right now. Around 2015 I upgraded to extra which was a real learning experience for me. As I started studying, not only did I not know the answers, I didn't even understand the questions. I spend time on VHF repeaters here in the valley and am involved with a 2m upper sideband round table twice a week. A fun hobby. My page on QRZ.