NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 2009: The Nashville Engineer Relief Fund (NERF) has managed to upstage the great Jerry Lewis charity events, at least among audio professionals. NERF’s annual AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament, now in its twelfth year, has become something of a special holiday for those who normally goose faders or splay resistors far from the sweet smell of freshly cut grass under azure skies. This year’s tournament, held at Nashville’s Harpeth Hills Golf Course, drew over two hundred participants for friendship, shenanigans, and, at least, the pretense of golf, all for the financial support of a very worthy and relevant charity. Established thirteen years ago by the Nashville chapter of AES, NERF raises funds for Nashville engineers that experience serious health or financial crises. As a longtime sponsor of the high-spirited event, API was again on hand to dole out good food and liquid mirth. API president Larry Droppa, his son Daniel, director of sales and marketing, Dan Zimbelman, and from sales, Mark Seman, turned hole 16 into a celebration of the wild turkey on both days of the event, with on-the-spot smoked wild turkey served over Chesapeake stuffing and cranberry mustard. Participants chased the flavorful snack with shots of, you guessed it, Wild Turkey Bourbon.
Paul Soroski, a producer and engineer from Austin, was surprised to learn that API cooks up more than just extraordinary audio equipment. “I’m a big fan of everything that API makes. My studio is filled with tons of API gear,” said Soroski, a self-avowed amateur chef. “But I got something even better today! The food was delicious and Larry literally gave me the API apron off his back! I’ll wear it proudly whenever I cook and maybe whenever I mix!”
On top of the nosh and juice, two Arsenal Audio by API modules were raffled off. Neil Robins won an Arsenal Audio R20 dual mic preamp on day one, and Morgan Hobbs won an Arsenal Audio R24 dual four-band EQ on the second day.
“The NERF golf tournament is a lot of fun,” said Droppa. “It’s one thing to raise money for an important charity, and API is proud to support NERF. It’s another thing to spend a few days in the sun with so many industry friends. But at the AudioMasters, it’s like the best of both worlds! We’re already brainstorming about next year’s theme!”
ABOUT API Automated Processes, Inc. remains the leader in analog recording gear, with the Vision, Legacy Series and 1608 Recording Consoles, as well as the classic line of modular signal processing equipment.
PHOTO CAPTIONS FIRST IMAGE Smokin’ those wild turkeys (note the one that got away in the lower right corner) at the recent AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament are Dan Zimbelman, API’s director of sales and marketing (and chef extraordinaire) and Daniel Droppa, son of API’s president, Larry Droppa. SECOND IMAGE At the recent AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament, Nicole Cochran, event coordinator, and Larry Droppa, president of API enjoy the gleeful jump of Morgan Hobbs, as he was named winner of the Arsenal Audio by API R24 EQ at the 16th hole raffle.
