How many of you guys went to school for Audio Engineering?

[AdamWathan]

Just trying to get an idea of how many of you guys actually have an educational background in this stuff... I'm in a position right now where I'd be able to afford going to school for it in about 2 years, planning on going here:

http://www.oiart.org

However, I'm not sure if it's really a smart decision... I know for sure I can't just finish school and get a good job with any financial stability, the industry is way too crowded and becoming easier and easier for people to do themselves. This is what I love though and this is what I want to do, so it's hard to try and make the decision between going to school for it and being completely immersed in it and learning everything first hand from people with experience, or going to school for something more secure and doing audio on the side while learning from books, the internet and personal experimentation...

What's your take on this? Is it worth the risk to get an education in something I'm actually passionate about to be able to actually enjoy school, or should I suffer through 2-3 years of something that I find only mildly interesting just so I can secure a job in a different field while spending 8 years by myself to get the experience and knowledge in sound engineering that I would get at school in 1 year?

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I applied to an audio production school (it covers live and studio sound) this fall and got accepted. It would start in January but I can't go because I'm leaving for (at least) six months in the compulsory military service :/ Hope they will have the same program in 2009.

I was wrestling with the same choice as you are, and finally decided I would just go ahead and spend three years studying something I feel passionate about rather than continue getting pissed off at a lousy paid construction job I hate or go for a form of education that would guarantee decent income in the future. I graduated high school with good grades and had lots of options, but then I thought 'fuck it, I'm not spending another year of my life doing something I hate when I could be doing the thing I love.' In my book it's better to starve than look back and think of all the things you could have done

 

[Torniojaws]

Information Technology, Bachelor of Engineering

 

[vespiz]

Hehe, us Finns strike!

I went to AE school for 3 years that included everything from recording, mixing, live sound, music theory, arranging, etc.. everything you need to be the "musicians best friend" (as they were fond of saying...)

(Orimattila-Instituutti for you Finns, if you know it)

 

[Remy_5150]

I'm going to school for it right now in New York

 

[LSD-Studio]

graduated McNallySmith College Of Music

 

[grywolf627]

Houston Community College. At the time, it was the only school in Texas teaching this. But this was also back before DAW's.

 

[Metaltastic]

I'm going to school for it right now in New York

Where exactly, dude? I'm at SUNY Oneonta

 

[-J-]

not me, and it shows! although I was enrolled at Ohio U's audio production program for a bit, until it looked like I'd end up starving, then I switched majors.

my friend completed it though, and he also went to some audio school in the middle of nowhere in ohio and now he's a manager at fedex, and doesn't ever record, whereas I record sorta often but don't know what the hell I'm doing.

I'd say go for it, but mainly to make contacts. I wouldn't do it if you're more interested in your own music rather than the process of doing it for others for work. that's one reason I quit - I could care less about recording other bands, I just like writing and recording my own stuff. probably not unlike a lot of peeps here. that probably doesn't translate to a career in audio production.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Currently at Berklee College of Music for it.

 

[benversluis]

currently at Expression College in the Bay Area. i've only got 5 or 6 terms left (each term is 5 weeks long).

right now im doing a class called Live Sound 1 and Audio Post Production. i personally think it's worth it as i wouldnt have been able to learn all this stuff where im from.

id like to do a masters program sometime soon in Europe...any europeans done anything similar?

 

[JBroll]

Nope, going to school for math and physics and laughing at the people who will get that degree and still be utterly clueless.

Jeff

 

[ashgallows]

Full Sail Alumni Associates of science recording arts

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Cayuga Community College.

It's an okay program but the college seems alot more geared towards video and radio.

 

[Unavailable]

San Francisco State's Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts program at the moment.

 

[Melleva]

Hehe, us Finns strike!

I went to AE school for 3 years that included everything from recording, mixing, live sound, music theory, arranging, etc.. everything you need to be the "musicians best friend" (as they were fond of saying...)

(Orimattila-Instituutti for you Finns, if you know it)

I know it. I'm on a 3rd year in that school.

 

[KeithRT99]

currently at Expression College in the Bay Area. i've only got 5 or 6 terms left (each term is 5 weeks long).

same here.

Currently at Berklee College of Music for it.

how is it? what are you terms/classes like?

 

[Remy_5150]

Where exactly, dude? I'm at SUNY Oneonta

I'm majoring in Music Technology at NYU (great program but I'm going to be FUCKED with student loans)

 

[maxxkagato]

I graduated from the institute for production and recording (www.iprschool.com).

You get out of these programs what you put in to them. IPR was open 24 hours a day, so for the duration of my study there, I didn't sleep. I figured out ways to get the maximum amount of studio time and made friends with the studio staff to get extra hours as well. School was also great since just about every important person in the Minneapolis music industry taught part time there. Now, not all the classes were worth while... a lot of the structured learning wasn't challenging at all, but I found that being in that community and talking with teachers outside of class is where I learned the most.

If you have the money and the space to learn on your own, I'd recommend that. Recording schools are expensive and you don't have any equipment once you're done. But, if you don't have the space to do it and can get a loan to pay your tuition, you may be stuck with only that option.

Just don't expect to get a job because of your degree. The only way to get a job recording music is to find a band that is willing to pay you to record them. I pay my bills through programming computers part time and then spend the rest of my day rocking. I think that if you have to do it, getting a nice paying job that supports your music habit is the best way to go, that way you're not stressed and eating ramen all the time.

 

[maxxkagato]

One thing I forgot to mention, don't expect to learn in one year at a school that would take you 8 years on your own. Most school programs just get your feet wet.

Audio engineering is a life pursuit and some people get it fast, some people get it slow and some people never will. The only way you learn is by trying and failing and trying again.