At every hybrid retreat, there’s a dedicated team working behind the scenes to ensure a seamless experience for both in-person and online participants. One key player in this effort is the Audio/Visual Pilot—the person responsible for managing cameras, sound, and livestreaming so that retreatants across the world can fully engage with the teachings.

In this interview, Andrea, NDF’s Residential Retreat Coordinator, shares what it’s like to be an AV Pilot, from the excitement of going live to troubleshooting unexpected tech challenges (including an unforgettable night of solar flares!). She also reflects on the deep sense of purpose that comes from helping share the Dharma beyond the walls of Wonderwell.

If you’re detail-oriented, enjoy working with technology, and want a unique way to serve the Sangha, consider joining the AV team! No prior experience is necessary—training is provided, and you’ll be guided by a supportive team. Read on to learn more about Andrea’s experience, and please reach out if you’re interested in volunteering!

How did you come to the NDF Sangha?

I found Natural Dharma Fellowship via the Kearsarge Shopper, a local advertising magazine. When Wonderwell came to town, they began offering once-a-week local Sangha meditation sessions. I started to attend those just to put a toe in the water, to learn how to meditate, and to begin to study the Dharma.

At the time, Lama Samten (Lama Bryn) was guiding meditation, and then Lama Liz arrived shortly after that. So, Lama Samten and Lama Liz were my first two meditation teachers. From there, I deepened my commitment by attending retreats and developing my own practice.

I started working for NDF about three and a half years ago as the Onsite Retreat Coordinator. 

Can you describe the role of Onsite Retreat Coordinator at Natural Dharma Fellowship?

I like to describe the retreat coordinator job as the hub of a wheel, with many spokes extending outward. The retreat coordinator is the person keeping everyone informed, ensuring the many stakeholders—teachers, directors, kitchen staff, Retreat Managers, retreatants, visiting organizations, facilities, grounds and the Registrar—have the materials and information they need to carry out retreats and events smoothly.

I also collaborate closely with my online counterpart, Laura Sicari, to support the AV tech team, including Zoom hosts and AV pilots, in facilitating hybrid retreats.

Ultimately, my job amounts to a lot of reaching out to make sure people have what they need.

Can you explain what AV Pilots do, how they support the hybrid retreat experience, and what kind of technology is used to make those retreats run smoothly?

AV pilots (formerly called studio pilots) support hybrid retreats by connecting the meditation hall at Wonderwell to Zoom, using a multi-layered hardware and software system. The goal is to ensure a seamless livestreamed retreat experience for both in-person and at-home participants. 

The system at Wonderwell includes two PTZ cameras (Point, Tilt, Zoom), meaning we can maneuver them to capture almost everyone and everything happening in the Meditation Hall. There is also an array of wired and wireless microphones to amplify teachers’ and retreatants’ voices—whether they are sitting on the teacher’s seat or in the audience. A soundboard controls all audio, managing both in-room amplification and the livestream. And finally, we have a projector with a large screen at the back of the Hall. 

The projector is the other side of the two-way street. It allows in-person teachers and attendees to see and engage with online participants. If you’ve attended a hybrid retreat in person, you’ve seen it; if you’ve participated online, you’ve been live on screen at Wonderwell. 

To connect and use all that hardware to Zoom, the AV pilot launches a software interface called a Zoom Room Controller and a remote camera operating program. Once Wonderwell is connected, the AV pilot manages Zoom controls for Wonderwell—muting and unmuting, switching between cameras, adjusting camera angles, and ensuring sound quality. They also support the Zoom host, bridging the gap between the onsite retreat and its online presence. To be effective, the AV Pilot has to have a wide view of what is or should be going on both at Wonderwell and on Zoom during a retreat. For this reason, we really love to train AV pilots who have already gone through Zoom Host training!

What are some of the biggest challenges of supporting both in-person and online retreat experiences? And how do you personally stay grounded and balanced while managing so many moving parts?

The biggest challenge of in-person retreats is the opening day. Everyone is arriving, everyone has needs, and many people are unsure of where to go or what to do. My role is to support the retreat manager, be present, and ensure everyone feels welcome and knows where to find help. Every opening day is different—you never know what will come up, what questions people will have as they walk through the door. 

Usually, the first day is when most logistical issues arise, from simple things like an extra pillow to more involved requests, like a late pickup at the bus stop. And behind the scenes, there’s also a lot of preparation happening, especially for a hybrid retreat, so I do a lot of bouncing around, checking in, and asking, “What do you need? How can I help?” That’s the biggest challenge of an in-person retreat.

For hybrid retreats in particular, the biggest challenge is handling technical glitches. Technology can be unpredictable, but we’ve developed strong troubleshooting strategies over time. Managing tech is just a part of the process.

Personally, I stay grounded and balanced by practicing yoga and movement. I need to get exercise every day, or I go a little off the rails. My personal practice involves a lot of movement, along with my meditation practice and my study of the Dharma with my teacher, Brendan Kennedy.

I often say I don’t know what I would do without my practice–how do people get through life without the path?! I’m just so grateful for it.

How do you ensure that both in-person and remote participants feel connected and engaged? And how does the hybrid model support accessibility and inclusivity for retreat participants?

A major focus for connection, engagement, accessibility, and inclusiveness has been the Q&A portion of retreats. We’ve worked really hard to create a system that ensures retreatants—whether at home or in the room at Wonderwell—can be equally heard and seen.

The projector screen at the back of the room is central for inclusivity. It faces into the hall and is large enough to be seen from the teacher’s seat. When an online retreatant asks a question, the AV pilot places them in Speaker View, so they become a large presence in the room. It’s as if the Zoom participants are simply sitting in the last row of seats at Wonderwell; they are fully present when they ask a question or share a comment.

And our teachers have really embraced this hybrid model. If there was any reluctance to allowing all that tech into the Hall at first, I think the benefits of inclusion and full engagement with the online community quickly surmounted it. Our teachers are now adept at integrating both audiences. The guiding principle for Q&A is, ‘One from Zoom, one from the room,’ ensuring balanced representation.

That said, online and in-person experiences will never be identical. No matter how much we strive for inclusivity and engagement, the experience of being a retreatant at home versus being at Wonderwell will never be exactly the same. There are places where we’ve intentionally chosen not to try duplicating the in-person retreat experience online but rather to provide an equivalent experience. For example, some teachers offer online-only Q&A sessions during retreats, which is particularly helpful when the online presence is too large for all questions to be addressed in the context of the hybrid retreat experience.

I believe our efforts have paid off. There’s always a give and take with any change. And we do take all constructive criticism to heart. But for every comment expressing frustration with the hybrid system, we receive 20 from people amazed at how connected they felt. Many in-person attendees have expressed delight at the presence of their sangha mates online.  

Have there been any memorable moments or unexpected tech challenges during a retreat?

Tech challenges are inevitable in hybrid retreats, but they make the role of an AV pilot exciting. It isn’t for everyone, but I find piloting exhilarating. There is that moment when you go live—you’re managing cameras, ensuring sound quality, and facilitating the teacher’s connection with participants. The job comes with pressure, but that can be part of the appeal.

And no matter the tech challenge, we have nearly always found a solution. In three and a half years, I can think of only once where we were truly stymied. The system went down for about ten minutes. It wasn’t long, but in the middle of a retreat, ten minutes feels like an eternity. We couldn’t figure out why.

The next day, my Retreat Manager pulled me aside and showed me an article on her newsfeed about a record-breaking solar flare that had occurred at precisely the time our system crashed. Organizations across the country, many far more sophisticated than we are, had experienced similar tech issues.

Sometimes, despite our best preparations, things happen that are beyond our control. Sounds like a Dharma lesson, right?

What inspires you about working in this role?

I’m inspired by the Dharma. Sharing these teachings is deeply meaningful to me. Whatever small part I can play in making the words of Lama Liz, Lama Willa, William Edelglass, Brendan Kennedy accessible, I am grateful for that. It feels like more of a calling than a job.

 What advice would you give to someone who wants to volunteer or work as an AV pilot?

Please do! It’s exciting and fun, and it’s a great way to really plug into what’s happening here. You get a front-row seat for the retreats you work on, and you play a key role in ensuring the smooth transmission of the Dharma. It’s an important job.

The role is technical and requires training, but it’s not brain surgery—it can absolutely be learned! We provide plenty of support materials, and we have excellent teachers. Kim Albert, who leads the AV pilots, is a wonderful instructor—if you’ve met her, you know she’s a constant source of energy and enthusiasm. She’s fantastic to work with, and we’re lucky to have her.

So, fear not! You can train at your own pace, and if you’ve been a Zoom host, you’re already halfway there. If you’re interested, please reach out. You can find our contact information on the website—just send us an email, and we’d be happy to connect.