Jon Schwarz, the front-of-house (FOH) engineer for the popular Christian band MercyMe, has had an eventful career path that led him to work with one of the genre's most beloved bands. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jon to discuss his journey, challenges, advice for others in the industry, and his history with MercyMe.
Jon's journey into the audio world began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his fascination with sound and technology took root around the age of 12. Getting his start at Victory Christian Center, Jon’s passion and curiosity for audio engineering continued to grow. At age 14, he was entrusted with more responsibilities at church and started working with a local sound company, gaining valuable experience.
“I remember engineers walking on stage and ringing out a microphone, calling out frequencies. I thought that was the coolest thing,” Jon recollects. He would spend hours training his ear to recognize frequencies using a graphic EQ and a speaker setup.
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To preserve his hearing, Jon often leaves the arena after MercyMe’s line check and doesn’t return until 20 minutes before showtime.
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“I think it was a TAPCO graphic EQ and an SM58. I would stick the 58 in the wedge and turn it up until it would feedback. Then, I would grab the sliders on the graphic. When something fed back, I wanted to know the range and frequency. I thought that was the coolest superpower that anybody could have.”
By age 18, Jon was ready to hit the road, joining the Acquire the Fire tour and immersing himself in the touring life. His first experience with touring involved living out of his car, a testament to his dedication and passion for the craft. Over the years, he worked with a myriad of artists before landing a role at CTS Audio in Nashville, TN, where he spent 16 years.
Jon’s association with MercyMe began on a temporary basis. The band's previous long-term engineer, Rick Mays, tragically passed away, leaving an opening that Jon’s friend Daniel Ellis temporarily filled. Daniel called Jon when he had to step away for another commitment, and the rest is history.
“I did the show last fall, and Daniel suggested that I might be a good fit for the MercyMe camp,” says Jon. This led to an opportunity to work on the MercyMe cruise in January, which solidified his connection with the band. Despite the rough seas (that left much of the ship’s passengers seasick,) Jon describes the experience as a blast.
By the spring tour, Jon was officially the FOH engineer for MercyMe, bringing his years of expertise back into the live audio scene after a hiatus during COVID-19, where he served as the audio director at Zion City Church in Tucson.
Touring with MercyMe involves playing a range of venues, from smaller hockey arenas to full-size arenas, each presenting its own set of challenges.
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"A church service is not a concert, and a concert is not a church service. Know your audience, know your pastor's heart, and the church's heart." - Jon Schwarz, FOH Engineer, MercyMe
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“The biggest issue is having enough PA to cover the swing in the size of venues,” Jon explained. They carried d&b audiotechnik XSL on the mains, and for larger venues, Spectrum Sound [in Nashville, TN, who has been working with MercyMe going on 20 years] would supplement the mains with larger KSL boxes, and moving the XSL ones to for side and front fills. This ensured consistent sound quality despite varying room sizes.
FOH comprises a Yamaha Rivage PM10 console, but Jon brings a bit of his analog gear to sweeten the mix: a Sonic Farm Creamliner, XTA SIDD, and a STAM Mark III with a Rupert Neve transformer mod for PA mastering. Lead Singer Bart Millard’s vocal was run through a Neve 5045 Source Enhancer and an Avalon VT-737SP Tube Preamp/Compressor/EQ. Monitor world was a Digico Quantum 338 with an analog split snake to interconnect the two consoles.
For MercyMe tour dates and music release you can visit https://mercyme.org/
Balancing the tour’s technical demands while keeping his ears fresh was another challenge. To preserve his hearing, Jon often leaves the arena after MercyMe’s line check and doesn’t return until 20 minutes before showtime. I can attest that Jon has one of the best ears in the business, having heard him mix many shows myself.
A typical tour day for Jon is meticulously planned. Starting at 8 AM, the crew begins unloading and setting up. By lunchtime, most of the major equipment is up and floating in the arena. Jon’s responsibility is to ensure his console is set and to begin running virtual sound checks while the system is fine-tuned.
“By the time I come back from lunch, they would usually be tuning or have tuned the rig. We would do a line check after lunch,” Jon notes. Doors open at 6 PM, with the show starting at 7 PM and wrapping up around 10:20 PM. The crew then packs up and moves to the next city.
Jon’s extensive experience makes him a treasure trove of advice for anyone in the church tech or audio industry. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the distinct contexts of church services versus concert productions.
"A church service is not a concert, and a concert is not a church service. Know your audience, know your pastor's heart, and the church's heart," Jon advises. He cautions against the temptation to recreate concert experiences in a church setting. Instead, focus on delivering excellence within the given resources and understanding the congregation's unique needs.
Jon Schwarz’s career trajectory and his role with MercyMe highlight the blend of passion, expertise, and adaptability required in the audio engineering field. His journey inspires many and showcases that with dedication and a willingness to adapt, success is possible even in the ever-changing landscape of live audio production.
