Vale Kent Learned: ‘The musician’s Sound engineer’

Kent Learned was a passionate and dedicated community-focused sound engineer.

After growing up in New York, he began his professional career in the 1970s in San Diego and Los Angeles, working at Paramount in their sound system subsidiary, and also as a live and production Audio Engineer for local nightclubs and notably ‘The Great Day’ Choir.  

He later worked at Disneyland in their Theme Park R & D department, creating environmental sound and electronic installations at Disneyland LA and Epcot in Florida. After the R&D facility was closed, he worked briefly at RME as an engineer building consoles.

After moving to Australia with his new wife in 1984, Kent worked in a range of live sound contexts, including the Sydney Opera House and Australia’s Wonderland (1989-1999), then the largest theme park in the southern hemisphere. He was involved in everything from the many live performances like The Wiggles to creating new ride experiences and technology for the Space Probe and The Demon roller coaster. Kent was also contracted with 2WS to assist in the installation of the broadcast facilities at the new parliament house, Canberra.

In 2000 Blue Mountain Audio was established, serving the many community events and live sound needs in Kent’s community. He was well known at local festivals, supported more than 65 musicals including 10 productions with Blue Mountains Musical Society and hundreds more performances at local high schools, notably Blue Mountains Grammar. He also worked on the Royal Easter Show and the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics, providing live sound for one of the sporting venues. He trained and mentored many aspiring sound engineers through school and church contexts.

Kent enjoyed the variety, joy and challenge of working with many different talented local and international artists at Blue Mountains Music Festival, The Clarendon Cabaret Room in Katoomba, the Norman Lindsay Jazz Festival and the National Folk Festival in Canberra. He was known for being a kind, calm and experienced PA professional, and musicians enjoyed working with someone who loved music and enjoyed working with them.

Kent was a regular player in local music groups including the Gang Gangs bush band and being a weekly fixture in his church worship band on Bass guitar.

He had travelled to the US to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Deering, Learned and Prim Prim with his band mates, and the 50th anniversary of Deering Banjo with the founders and lifelong friends, Greg and Janet Deering. Kent passed away just hours before beginning his flight back home to Australia to return to his wife, Jeanette and their 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

A memorial service for Kent will be held at Springwood Baptist Church, 313 Macquarie Road Springwood, NSW, on Monday September 1st at 11am. Those from the industry who knew Kent are warmly invited.