“Holy Moly! Narrowing it all down to five is tough!” That’s what this Nashville designer said when we first approached him about participating in this column. To us, the response typified the wide-open, inquisitive, and intensely dedicated approach that Tony Caporale has taken to perfecting his skills as a lighting designer.
Starting out in van and trailer tours, then becoming a Parnelli Award-winning lighting director before becoming one of the industry’s most respected designers, Caporale has always been passionate about learning lessons in lighting. He has worked with some of the leading designers in his career and absorbed knowledge and wisdom from them all. Conversely, he’s also been a generous mentor to those coming up the ranks.
As the owner of Infinitus Vox, he has been involved in various capacities on tours by the likes of Billie Eilish, Goose, Mt. Joy, and Lainey Wilson. Most recently, he co-designed Chris Stapleton’s All-American Roadshow with Sooner Routhier.
Through it all, Caporale continues to learn. Small wonder that he found it hard to narrow his lessons down to five— but the ones he settled on do have a world of knowledge baked into them.
One — Be around people who want to build you up. I thought for the longest time that I could do everything myself. The truth is yes, you can, up until a certain point. When the stakes are bigger on larger shows, you need people to collaborate with to help you get a bigger production off the ground. But it can’t be just anybody; it needs to be someone you trust and who shares your ideals. Only then can you be successful and happy at the same time.
Two — You’ve got to trust your instincts, but also learn from them. I used to second-guess myself about decisions so much because I was afraid of being wrong. The good news is, you are allowed to be wrong. As Yoda once said, “The greatest teacher, failure is.” This statement is so powerful because of the lesson you learn and how you can redeem and improve yourself through self-evaluation.
Three — Don’t be a dick. This one goes without saying. We all have our thresholds regarding when we can burst. No one is perfect, but remember not to lose yourself. There are ways to be stern without a public execution if there is a conflict among collaborators. Treat others as your equal and be respectful. You can easily solve problems together without stomping your feet around like a child.
Four — Listen! Too often we just talk without accounting for the rest of the people in the room. Everyone deserves a voice. We all find great wisdom in one another’s words if only we choose to listen.
Five — Be Yourself. You DO NOT have to act or look a certain way to be accepted. We all should be able to share our art with the world and feel natural about the presentation.
