Student Looking to Go into Recording Engineering Program
- Thread starter masterofpuppets222
- Start date
Thank you to you as well. I don't want to sound discouraging because it can be done, but here is what to expect:
-Get out of AE school w/debt
-Find an internship working for free (minimum wage if you're lucky) for 12+ hours/day as an intern
-Job duties are opening/closing the studio, cleaning, coffee, and go-fer runs
-Once all of that is done you can be a fly on the wall and ask questions after the session
If the studio wants to train you to fill in as an assistant engineer some day they will. If they don't need an extra set of hands you will remain the intern until you quit and another guy fresh out of school will fill your position. I really don't want to sound negative or discouraging because like I said....it can be done. You'll need to have your own money for a while when you are going through the initial intern phase because you probably won't be paid, and you won't have the time to work a 2nd job.
The one thing you MUST do if you want to work in a studio and get beyond the intern phase is to make yourself an asset. You have to remember that in the eyes of the studio owner there are thousands of guys just like you that will work for free and work what ever hours they ask. Having an electrical engineering degree would make you the intern who can fix stuff when there are mid session meltdowns. If you save the day a few times, and get along with the studio staff then they won't want to get rid of you.
FWIW....a few of the BIG studio owners that I know have said that when they get interns from the AE schools they spend more time trying to un-teach a lot of things that the students were taught than they do actually teaching.
-Get out of AE school w/debt
-Find an internship working for free (minimum wage if you're lucky) for 12+ hours/day as an intern
-Job duties are opening/closing the studio, cleaning, coffee, and go-fer runs
-Once all of that is done you can be a fly on the wall and ask questions after the session
If the studio wants to train you to fill in as an assistant engineer some day they will. If they don't need an extra set of hands you will remain the intern until you quit and another guy fresh out of school will fill your position. I really don't want to sound negative or discouraging because like I said....it can be done. You'll need to have your own money for a while when you are going through the initial intern phase because you probably won't be paid, and you won't have the time to work a 2nd job.
The one thing you MUST do if you want to work in a studio and get beyond the intern phase is to make yourself an asset. You have to remember that in the eyes of the studio owner there are thousands of guys just like you that will work for free and work what ever hours they ask. Having an electrical engineering degree would make you the intern who can fix stuff when there are mid session meltdowns. If you save the day a few times, and get along with the studio staff then they won't want to get rid of you.
FWIW....a few of the BIG studio owners that I know have said that when they get interns from the AE schools they spend more time trying to un-teach a lot of things that the students were taught than they do actually teaching.
this is GREAT advice... i got a degree at a really big music school (not for AE though, but a knew plenty of people that did) and while i don't entirely regret it, i think spending the 4 years working my way up would have been more beneficial (and MUCH cheaper) than getting the degree. That said, music schools are some of the best places to network and meet cool people...
If you wanted to go to school to help your career in AE i would reccomend doing electrical engineering or something of the sort
- Aug 10, 2008
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Thanks for all the input guys! I really appreciate it. Yeah, I think I may reconsider doing this course now, based on these tips. It would be $36,900 in tuition and looking at what you guys said, I'm not sure I wanna spend all that money. I may have to rethink my education path.
AudioGeekZine
arsehole know-it-all
HOLY SHIT!!!!
How many hours of class and studio time does that get you?
$19,800 came out to $20/hr
From MWI website
so that works out to $10/hr.
Another option would be to just book studio time and get them to teach you everything they can. Then go to the next studio.
The thing is, banks will give you money to go to college, they won't give you money to build a home studio, unless you've got a good business plan. But then having experience or a diploma would still help with that.
$36,000 will build you a great room with great gear. Move to Mississauga and I'll work for you and teach you.
I'll teach you everything they half-assed taught me and more.
Glenn Fricker
Very Metal &Very Bad News
For $37 grand they'd better be guaranteeing commercial studio jobs in writing ...not just "maybes"
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Speaking of that school funny story
: Me: <bouncing tracks in pro tools>
Other engineer at internship named Jeremy: "Hey Derek there is a kid from full sail that wants to intern!"
Other engineer Derek: "Bring him in, interview him, and then at the end tell him no fucking way"
All: <laughter>
Me: "So why do you guys hate Full sail students so much?"
Jeremy: "They show up, thinking they know everything, recite the drivel their teachers taught them, argue with us when in fact they don't know shit"
Me: "Really? You have never had a pleasant experience with a full sail student?"
Derek: "No man, they show up argue with our techniques when they have nothing to show for it. Your demo you brought with you (when I applied for the internship) is light years ahead of anything we have heard out of full sail."
Me: "Holy fuck
"Derek: "Hey Jeremy, bring him in and make him clean the bathrooms for the entire 3 months."
Me:
I honestly can't believe that school has such a shit rep but apparently it does. I did get a pretty good review of the stuff I brought with me on the internship interview. "Best stuff we have heard from an intern." Just goes to show to many students are leaning on the stuff they are doing in school and not taking the initiative to learn it on their own. The stuff I did at school sucks, I would never put that up as work I am proud of.
Pretty surprising since I don't hold my stuff in that high of regards.
I'm not trying to knock Full Sail, but there is some truth to this. Honestly, this holds true with any profession. When someone invests tens of thousands of dollars into education they expect that at the end they'll be able to walk right into a job and make big bucks. The reality is that you still have to start at the bottom regardless of how much you think you know. The best education in the world won't teach you how to be good at what you do, and doesn't teach you how to do the job properly.
I know guitar players that can recite music theory until they pass out and they play like shit. I also know guitar players that don't know a single name of a chord or scale, but they can play like you wouldn't believe.
I know it's cliche, but a piece of paper is just a piece of paper. You still have to learn how to use the knowledge you've been taught. Unfortunately, when a lot of people (not all) pay for an education with it comes a sense of entitlement.
For the record, I do know a few guys that have come from Full Sail that work full time in the industry and they kick ass. They went into it knowing that it after they get their education they won't have any advantage over someone who didn't get that education.
- Aug 10, 2008
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Move to Mississauga and I'll work for you and teach you.
Haha, would you seriously do that? I live in Acton, which is about 45 minutes away. That would actually be so bomb to have a mentor like that haha.
But hey, thanks a lot for all of your responses guys, they have been really great, I appreciate all of them!!
AudioGeekZine
arsehole know-it-all
That's a generous offer, and I'd recommend taking him up on it in any way you can... but for the 'and more' part more than the shit you'd get at school.
Jeff
Jeff
at my school I have heard similar things about Full Said as well. For the amount of money they charge, they should have to find you a job permanently.
I tend to agree with JBroll, but then again it up to u....my best advice to u is to think this out with time don´t rush into it
all the best
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
The school I WAS going to was something like 90k for a four year degree.
I'm glad I bailed when I did, seeing as how I now know I don't wanna go into the audio world, and an added debt would have made life suck that much more. Ha ha.
I'm glad I bailed when I did, seeing as how I now know I don't wanna go into the audio world, and an added debt would have made life suck that much more. Ha ha.
jesterroot4
Member
i just did two years of music tech in college. i learn fuck all, taught my teachers more than they taught me.
i learnt from all these wonderful people on this forum. save that money and buy yourself a good supportive chair for your back, some glasses if needed and shit loads of nice gear!
i learnt from all these wonderful people on this forum. save that money and buy yourself a good supportive chair for your back, some glasses if needed and shit loads of nice gear!
AudioGeekZine
arsehole know-it-all
I forgot to mention that Metalworks has a 50% drop out rate.
The school is damn tough (or was) and most of the kids fresh out of high school don't make it.
For a lot of them, not only is it a shitload of information to absorb in a short time,
it may be their first time living away from home
They've never had responsibilities like these before
the schedule is crazy at best, finding a job that will work around it is not easy.
Oh yeah and if you don't find a job in the industry right away and you let the money issue get to you, look out for the inevitable depression.
it will fucking destroy you.
The school is damn tough (or was) and most of the kids fresh out of high school don't make it.
For a lot of them, not only is it a shitload of information to absorb in a short time,
it may be their first time living away from home
They've never had responsibilities like these before
the schedule is crazy at best, finding a job that will work around it is not easy.
Oh yeah and if you don't find a job in the industry right away and you let the money issue get to you, look out for the inevitable depression.
it will fucking destroy you.
AudioGeekZine
arsehole know-it-all
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