Good Major For Audio Engineers

RyanTrapstar

New member
for someone who has a passion for audio engineering/ music production/ video production what path would YOU recommend to them?
 
Well, I've met some people (recently) who taught at specific audio schools like CAE and such... they claim it's a waste. "I basically teach people how to wrap cables", one of them said. He was actually apologizing to another person in the room who had paid for the program. Yikes..

I studied communications in college, with a concentration/minor in audio production. Got to work at their radio station, tv studio, recording studios, etc. I think that's about what you're going to get from most colleges.

The most important thing to take advantage of is external internships in real production facilities. Do one every Summer. I did not, and I regret it bigtime.
 
for someone who has a passion for audio engineering/ music production/ video production what path would YOU recommend to them?
Audio engineering.
Why don't you ask a guidance counselor, or better yet ask yourself "what the exact fucc do I want to do with my life?" The more specific you are, the the closer you will be to your answer.
 
my son is doing a full time audio engineering course in which they touch actual industry standard gear including the following mic list

AKG D112, AKG C414 XLII, AKG C451 EB, Audix D6, Audix i5, Audix SCX-25 PAIR, Beyer M201, Beyer M88, Electro Voice RE20, Sennheiser MD421, Neumann TLM170, Sennheiser E901, RODE NT1, RODE NT2A PAIRS, RODE NT55 PAIRS, Sennheiser MD421, Shure BETA 57, Shure BETA 58, Sennheiser E901, Shure SM57, Shure SM58, Shure BETA 56, Shure BETA 52, Shure SM7B, Yamaha Sub Kick (NS10 woofer as a mic)

So I would say investigate what the school actually offers access to, what credentials (awards, etc) the lecturers actually have, what graduates and employers have to say about the school

but ultimately you need to know what you want to get out of the experience first - without that set of goals there is no way you can make a meaningful investigation into specific schools.

many will remind you that a degree is no guarantee of employment when you graduate - this is true of every degree, no matter whether it is law, medicine, physics, computing or accounting - you get a job based on your grades, your experiences and your attitude

several graduates from the school my son is attending have unrealistic expectations: because they have their degree they want to start working at studios as lead tracking or mixing engineer when the guys who hold those positions have done so based on experience and many hundreds if not thousands of recordings under their belts - potential employers offer them positions appropriate to their experiences and they knock them back saying that it is not where they want to start their careers (despite the fact that it is where many others started theirs)
 
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Good point, BC. Like a young attorney saying they want to start as a full-partner in a law firm, or they won't even consider the gig. Kind of silly in today's job market!

GJ
 
for someone who has a passion for audio engineering/ music production/ video production what path would YOU recommend to them?

after reading a few of these posts, im worried about the actual debt of college. of course, being in the field and getting 'reference work' will eventually pay off the huge debt, but i think the best bet would be to go study for buisness, rather than audio. learn audio thru youtube lol forums like this, theres plent of free information that will train your ear.

after all, the chances of you running a successful studio grows as you get nore 'reference work' - or your 'resume'.

idk lol there is plenty to learn thru schools, and best of all they teach thru what theyve already learned, but trial and error has helped mold hip hop into what it is today. **** schools and such, get in the field mix a really freat album get your name heard. go to school to learn how to run and manage a successful buisness rather than relying on an audio engineer to let you sit in with them 12 hours a day.
 
The problem with any artistic/craft-based vocational school; they can teach you a lot of things, don't get me wrong, and if you want to learn right and fast, then that is better than trial and error. But you cannot expect to necessarily "get a job," and certainly not one that will pay-off all of those bills right away. Add to that the changing face of technology, and if you take a more contemporary tech-oriented program (say a two year versus a four year, more skills-oriented program), you may be facing obsolescence fairly quickly (due to the aforementioned constantly changing face of technology). Most of these programs do not have job placement upon completion, and again, you're not going to be working with Don Henley or Dr. Dre for quite some time.

So the gist of it is you _have to really want the experience and the knowledge_, _because you love it_ (not because you have any expectation of employment). If that's what you really want to do, and it's all you can think about, then I guess it's worth considering. But you'd better develop a taste for Ramen noodles.

If you would rather learn at a slower pace, and understand that you'll likely need to make your income from somewhere else for quite some time, then there are lots of options. A business degree will never hurt an entrepreneur, and you can also get a job with it. Meanwhile, you can practice and perfect your craft at home, by volunteering at someone's studio, by taking a short term audio program (a few weeks or a weekend recording camp), by studying on-line, studying at home with books, CD's, and DVD's, and by hanging-out at places like FP.

It all depends on your needs, desires, and your expectations (and how much time you are willing to spend)...

GJ
 
for someone who has a passion for audio engineering/ music production/ video production what path would YOU recommend to them?

Get in the game ASAP!

Get a 100% commission sales gig in the day time and a PT overnight security guard gig to pay the bills for the first 2-3 month's. Dedicate yourself to becoming an wolfshark assassin grade level salesman who makes 50-75+K NET. All the while, you build your audio/video production business up and self educate through buying the books off Full Sail, Berkley and SAE bookstore websites, watching video's and working/interning for low wage or free. Teach yourself basic business law and bookkeeping in the same manner.

Get a B.S(Bachelor's of Street's) in Applied Hustling

The truth is...non-STEM/accounting/medical related AA/AS/BA/BS degree's are worthless without relevant experience or higher order credentials. You would be better off with IT credential's and AS degree's in Network administration, programming or Network security...but pursing those may be too much of a tangent...you want to stay focused.

If you feel societal pressure coming on you too hard to get a degree, ignore and self-ostracize from the sheep....if that doesn't work, go online to your states "virtual campus" and pick a school/major that you can complete on your own time, 100% online, financed with free pell grants and scholarship money... there are plenty out there.

My main advice...learn sales and apply 12-24 month's to becoming a top earner, that will be all the education you need about business...generate solid leads...give your presentation...control the transaction..close the deal... responsibly manage your finances. No college teaches that.

You can figure out audio/video production/engineering on your own time and dime.
 
Get in the game ASAP!

Get a 100% commission sales gig in the day time and a PT overnight security guard gig to pay the bills for the first 2-3 month's. Dedicate yourself to becoming an wolfshark assassin grade level salesman who makes 50-75+K NET. All the while, you build your audio/video production business up and self educate through buying the books off Full Sail, Berkley and SAE bookstore websites, watching video's and working/interning for low wage or free. Teach yourself basic business law and bookkeeping in the same manner.

Get a B.S(Bachelor's of Street's) in Applied Hustling

The truth is...non-STEM/accounting/medical related AA/AS/BA/BS degree's are worthless without relevant experience or higher order credentials. You would be better off with IT credential's and AS degree's in Network administration, programming or Network security...but pursing those may be too much of a tangent...you want to stay focused.

If you feel societal pressure coming on you too hard to get a degree, ignore and self-ostracize from the sheep....if that doesn't work, go online to your states "virtual campus" and pick a school/major that you can complete on your own time, 100% online, financed with free pell grants and scholarship money... there are plenty out there.

My main advice...learn sales and apply 12-24 month's to becoming a top earner, that will be all the education you need about business...generate solid leads...give your presentation...control the transaction..close the deal... responsibly manage your finances. No college teaches that.

You can figure out audio/video production/engineering on your own time and dime.


100% agree with this, and it's what I recommend to other people. Get into sales! You don't need any credentials to get a sales job, but the skills you'll get out of it are huge! Most producers are scared to talk to people on the phone, have no business acumen, and don't know how to put processes in place for following up, closing the sale, etc.

I have a successful music company today because I know how to sell, run a business, and work with clients. I learned ALL of that working for other businesses (non music related).

But ups to Bloody Glove for his post. Great advice!
 
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