2018 VOYAGE CHICAGO ONLINE STORY ABOUT TOM KROLTOM KROL'S BIO:
An educated electrician with engineering and creative backgrounds and attention to detail. A small business owner since 1994.
A native of Chicago's suburban west side, Tom grew up assisting his father with home repairs and handy work in several fixer-upper houses over the years.
He graduated DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bacheor of Music degrees with a major in Sound Recording Technology. The curriculum required classes in both analog and digital electronics.
In 1990, Tom relocated to Los Angeles, CA and worked as a technician at Devonshire Recording in North Hollywood, CA where he maintained large recording mixing consoles and studios, and wired complex audio cable snakes. He later returned to Chicago to work as a freelance sound engineer with computer-based production, and as an AV technician for corporate work and a session musician at Chicago-area music production houses.
In 1994, he started his own business of sound production that required design and wiring for 6 different audio studio installations over the years.
In 2008, he passed the IL state written exam and the physical skills test as well for a residential electrician's license. The test administrator/electrical inspector noted how well Tom performed as a first-time attendee of the test who was also the first to complete the written portion of the exam that day.
Tom continues to work as an independent electrician as well as a freelance sound engineer and on-site technical director where he designs technical setups of tech booths, performs sound engineering, and produces live corporate events. His knowledge of the National Electric Code ensures that his AV tech setups are always safe and efficient.
As a devoted craftsman, Tom feels happy to provide electrical wiring and carpentry services as well as repair. He never uses subcontractors or employees for the best quality control and customer service, owning 100% of his craft without having to make compromises under corporate management or cut corners for a General Contractor.
He also provides award-winning sound mixing, recordings and studio production for Fortune 500 companies, production companies and independent producers. His soundtrack mixes are heard in indie films available at Blockbuster and on CD audio books distributed worldwide by Sony. His soundtrack mixes are also heard on documentaries airing in over 58 countries around the world. His live audio mixing work is heard on nationwide satellite broadcasts for radio and TV. He's been a top-call sound engineer for a Chicago production house and has been hired to wire and cable at new studio installations for some of downtown Chicago's largest video production houses.
