As the director of audio for Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, BK Beard has a very unique large-church experience. Lakewood leased and renovated the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets and eventually purchased the 16,800-seat facility. As someone who was raised in the church, you could say Beard’s audio talents were raised there as well. We find out more about him in this Five Minutes.
My wife Aimee and I have been married for 20 years. As self-professed foodies and residents of the Houston area, finding great Tex-Mex is one of our all-time favorite hobbies. Being dad to our five amazing boys is the greatest blessing. All of our children are musical, love playing basketball, and enjoy serving in church.
CPM: Where did your interest in audio begin and how did you grow that talent?
Beard: I was raised in a musical family. My dad, my uncle and my grandfather all played in bands and at church. I started playing drums at 10 years old and then became interested in the audio and production side of things. I was fortunate to have a great mentor, Reed Hall and at the age of 12 he took me under his wing and really taught me the foundations of audio. I spent the next 4-5 years learning as much as I could about audio and getting my hands on the console as often as possible.
CPM: How did your passion for audio intersect with the church?
Beard: I was raised in church and I began volunteering in any type of production capacity I could when I was 12. We were one of the larger churches in our area and would host concerts and conventions. We would also put on fairly large theatrical productions. I did it all as a teenager…run spotlights, run camera, mix monitors. If I wasn’t at school, I was typically at the church working in some capacity. To this day I have a strong desire to help churches communicate their message in an excellent and professional manner.
CPM: Tell us about how you came to your current role at Lakewood Church and how does this job compare to previous audio work you’ve done?
Beard: I have been working in the audio department at Lakewood for almost 21 years now. I started pretty much right out of high school and would setup and mix for our Youth and Young Adults services on Wednesday and Friday nights. I would also do post production work editing sermons and music content during the week. Eventually over time I transitioned to mixing FOH full time and took over the department a few years ago.
Being a part of Lakewood the last 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible talent in both a live mixing and studio recording environment. I’ve been able to mix in baseball stadiums and many large arenas around the country. I’ve been in the studio with numerous artists and have been blessed to spend countless hours learning from industry leaders in the audio community. Seeing the church world intersect with the production world has given me a unique perspective on delivering the gospel to the masses.
CPM: Tell us about BK Beard Audio Consulting. How did your business start and how has it grown?
Beard: I’ve always had a passion for helping churches and have done so for many years. I enjoy being able to come into a new environment and help an audio department dial in their live mixes for the room and online audience. Many churches have had their PA optimized by a professional at the time of install but it’s likely the mix itself was never optimized to match the church's specific style and message. I also started an Online Mentorship Program where I help audio engineers develop their talents and abilities. I focus on the artistry of mixing and why we do what we do. I just launched my first class in May and hope to host another 2 or 3 classes throughout the year.
CPM: Do you have any additional AVL tech talents in addition to audio?
Beard: Honestly, I don’t. I’m an audio guy to the core. I love anything and everything related to audio whether it’s mixing live, tracking in the studio or mixing and mastering. Some of the real techy things like needing be an IT guru aren’t my strong suit, so I make sure we have other people on the team who can help out with those things. We have a lot of talented people at Lakewood and it allows us to be more specialized in our specific areas.
CPM: What advice do you have for anyone interested in pursuing church technical arts?
Beard: First of all, I would say to jump in where you can. Get your foot in the door in some capacity and go from there. Find a mentor and develop your skills. At Lakewood we like to say “bloom where you’re planted”. Whatever area you choose to serve in make sure you give it your best and honor God with your talent. I would also say you need to have a bit of thick skin. The production world is a fast-paced environment and sometimes you just have to make things happen. You have to be able to go with the flow and adapt very quickly.
