Hey mate,
Mr Samsara asked me to chip in here, so I'll do the best I can in hopefully shedding some light on the state of the industry, work prospects etc. for you.
Ideally, you would want to have at least dabbled in some recording, of any kind, before committing to any kind of career path in the audio industry. It takes a fairly particular sort of person, and not everybody has the nerve to stick with it. I would suggest, at the very least, reading up on basic recording techniques and giving them a go for yourself. The book 'Modern Recording Techniques' is a great place for a beginner to start. I personally started with a copy of Cool Edit 2 and a desire to cover Opeth songs.
Secondly, it isn't necessary to be an audio engineer in order to be a producer. To draw from a popular example: Rick Rubin, is a producer who isn't either a musician or an engineer. He is simply a person with an ear tuned towards what sounds 'good' to many people. His approach is very hands-off and oriented entirely around the bigger picture of a record. On the other hand, there are many producers who are both accomplished musicians and engineers. The latter likely have an easier time communicating with artists in their own terms, and bringing about their own vision by themselves.
Regarding 'b)', it depends how much you value your music on a personal level and whether you are ready for your music appreciation mechanism to change and evolve in fairly radical ways. It is very easy to get caught up and disillusioned when taking a path down the audio industry. Some people come out with their passion intact, whilst others come out in tatters, realizing that turning their passion into a business has torn all soul from it.
Re: 'c)', yes and no. There will always be a future in it for those who are talented, ambitious, capable and persistent. It is no easy path to take. Many take it simply because they enjoy working with music, not expecting any sort of profitable career out of it. The failure rate, if it were published, would be immense. The problem lies in that the industry essentially started destroying itself and its own need to exist. Manufacturers create products and market them towards musicians, instilling them with the idea that they can record and produce their own CDs with ease. Whilst being a pipe dream for many, it seems to have taken root on a great level and brought life to an era where people are reluctant to purchase professional help in realizing their musical vision on both musical and technical levels.
The recording schools sell a dream, not a reality. The degree you come out with on the other end is nothing more than a glorified piece of toilet paper. Academic achievements aren't big in the industry. Since you tend to deal with people, their hopes, ambitions, money etc. they tend to want to see something more concrete. Experience and repertoire are key. Connections and networking with others in the field are also vital. Interning at a studio, or running with a production company provides much more valuable experience and insight than sitting in a classroom. Think of it as being a trade rather than a job. You're an electrician, a plumber, a builder - not a lawyer or a doctor.
Producing is a fairly broad endeavor. Usually producing implies a deep knowledge of musical things, what sounds good, technical matters etc. but not necessarily any of them at the same time. Sometimes it's just about luck. You have to come from somewhere though. You don't just go to a school and come out a 'producer' on the other end. You need the experience, the track record. The most straight forward way is to experiment with writing and recording your own music. Taking care of both the technical and artistic matters anoints you as 'producer' to some degree. If you get a taste for it and like it, then run with it.
Good luck.
any suggestions would be great
