Post high school decisions (A career)

[classicrockman7]

Wasnt sure where to put this but here it is.

Alright, i am nearing the end of high school and am very interested and enthusiastic about making a living in the recording industry. I would like to be either a producer or make records either in my studio or another persons studio. I have pretty good grades (honor society and such) as well as a lot of music experience for my age. I have produced 2 albums one of my own bands and one of a friends and am scheduled to produce 3 more over the summer. I do all the recording and funding on my own.

What do you guys think i should do if i want to do this for a living? What road do i take, of which im sure there are dozen. Do I go to college? any ideas of where, (I live in Oregon but am willing to move to achieve this).

Thanks

[mx_mx]

Just be aware that the competition for that career is extreme. You can probably expect to do it unpaid for years first

[jonnyc]

You need to start getting shitty grades, give up your personal life, start smoking weed, and become very cynical, but in a nice way. Then you might be able to think about working in the business. So by producer do you mean mix engineer or do you actually help a band produce an album. Sometimes the word's misused.

[mx_mx]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

Sometimes the word's misused.

Especially if you're doing hip hop/rap

[Agent47]

To be honest, people are fighting over studio jobs. You won't walk into a studio engineering or producer's job straight out of school.

If you REALLY want to work in a decent studio, you will have to start as a runner, basically serving coffee, getting sandwiches and doing all the sh*tty jobs. After maybe a year, once they think you're serious, they might start to train you up after hours, and when they think you're ready, they'll do the age-old trick of having one of the engineers 'go sick', so you have to stand in at the last minute - this is to test you out. If you do good, then you're on your way.

My personal experience of studio life has been working in audio post-production, not music. But in my case, I was running/training for about a month before the boss threw me in at the deep end doing voice recording, and since then I've made my career in audio post.

As for producing, you'd be freelancing, so you have to build up your client base. Only you know how successful you are at this. According to your post you've produced more albums than I have, so good luck to you.

My personal advice is to go to college and get your grades. You'll always need qualifications to fall back on if times get rough.

That's my 2 cents....

[Joepie]

Originally Posted by Agent47

My personal advice is to go to college and get your grades. You'll always need qualifications to fall back on if times get rough.

There's plenty of colleges out there that offer a degree in sound engineering or something of the sort.... good way to get in touch with bands too.

[surfmaster]

go to college and move to nashville, thats most likely what im going to do. the market is huge down there.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Your mother is going to be soooo disappointed.

G.

[gcapel]

I would seriously go to school for something else like medical field or a job you had evening and weekends off. Do the recording thing on the side. I don't know if your studio is professional or not. But you need away to fund your expenses for gear. I've been doing the home recording gig for a few years (by no means a pro). If it wasn't for my job and going to college, I couldn't have funded this home studio gig. Hopefully down the road aways I can do the recording gig on the side for extra money. Hey if your studio is paid for you can start out with low cost studio time for clients and build a reputation. Who know what will happen? Your still yound too. I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. I would test the waters of things you think you would enjoy doing.

Good luck and congrads on graduation

[apl]

Study Electrical Engineering. You'll be able to build a mixer from scratch, and I don't mean with a Digi-Key catalog, I mean with the raw materials, and with that knowledge you'll understand what equipment actually does and not fall for all the poopy hype out there. Get a job with one of the equipment companies designing hardware and software. Minor in business or pull a double major. Practice your music, practice, practice, practice.

The University of Illinois in Urbana has an Electrical Engineering/Music program.

Then you will have all the tools to be a success in the music recording industry.

[Mixxit12]

Yep, what APL said.

[LIMiT]

DOOOOD.....

Get a computer science / programming degree. Audio is an important part of video games/DVD's/webpages, etc., and you can use this degree to get one of those CAREERS.

Do the recording music thing as a hobby, and try to find someone who may let you sit in on a session from time to time.

The CompSci degree will support any hobby you want to persue, and may give you an 'in' to alot of different production studios.

My 2 cents.

-LIMiT

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by apl

Study Electrical Engineering. You'll be able to build a mixer from scratch, and I don't mean with a Digi-Key catalog, I mean with the raw materials, and with that knowledge you'll understand what equipment actually does and not fall for all the poopy hype out there. Get a job with one of the equipment companies designing hardware and software. Minor in business or pull a double major. Practice your music, practice, practice, practice.

The University of Illinois in Urbana has an Electrical Engineering/Music program.

Then you will have all the tools to be a success in the music recording industry.

Bingo! This is a spot-on answer.

Now all you have to do, apl, is change your sig line to "GO SOX" and that will be the absolutely perfect post!

G.

[apl]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

Bingo! This is a spot-on answer.

Now all you have to do, apl, is change your sig line to "GO SOX" and that will be the absolutely perfect post!

G.

I got yer Sox right here!!!

[booyah14]

Haha, before even clicking I knew what was going to come up. Gotta love it.

[jndietz]

go to college and get a degree in something (music maybe?). then use that degree to get a job somewhere. record on the side... the recording industry is tough. unless you have something that will put you above everyone else, then stay in college and do something and record on the side.

you could do full sail's "real world education" program. they are in florida. not a bad school, probably. but the degree you end up with from that place may or may not mean anything to someone looking to hire you.

[peritus]

Read this:

http://www.protoolsmixing.com/2006/0...ck-please.html

[superbeatballer]

Originally Posted by Agent47

. If you REALLY want to work in a decent studio, you will have to start as a runner, basically serving coffee, getting sandwiches and doing all the sh*tty jobs.

Scrubbing toilets perhaps?

[Decay]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

You need to start getting shitty grades, give up your personal life, start smoking weed, and become very cynical, but in a nice way. Then you might be able to think about working in the business.

Words of wisdom, indeed.
That's what I did. Then I bought a guitar.

[Ironklad Audio]

like one guy said, you could go to one of the ridiculously expensive recording schools out there...but i know people who have done so, and regretted it to a degree...you end up spending $15k and a year of your life learning the basics on some awesome gear, then spend 200 hrs. interning(aka picking weeds out of the parking lot....seriously). after that, just like mentioned before, you'll get paid $10/hr. to bring some dickhead his coffee, and get bitched out if it isn't just how he asked for it...then after a couple years of that, they might let you touch a patchbay or reposition a mic.

personally, i took recording arts course at a local community college that has a nicer-than-i-ever-expected studio, along with a great instructor. i was planning on going to one of the big recording schools after that, until the above experience was relayed to me. then i decided that i'd rather spend the money and time doing my own thing...just like in the old days

anyways...if you're serious about this as a career, start off by getting pro tools certified - this will almost guarantee you some type of employment or another

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by classicrockman7

What do you guys think i should do if i want to do this for a living?

Don't.

.

[lucky13]

This is how I went about it:

I went to a recording school. (The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in AZ) At the end of the program they set me up with an internship. I got lucky on my internship and got to do a lot of editing and actual audio work, I never once cleaned a toilet! I'm definitely in the minority on that one though. The certifications I earned at school made it all worth it. I came out certified in Pro Tools, Logic, Auto-Tune, Waves Plug-ins, SIA Smaart, JBL PA systems, and TC Electronics effects processors. These I put on my business cards and they help me get clients.

I'm not going to lie to you, it has been tough! It's slow starting in this business. I live in Phoenix, so there aren't a lot of big studios to get hired on at. Therefore I've been freelancing, and that is starting to pick up now a year after graduating. I still have to work a day job to pay the bills, but I have it planned out to be able to leave this job in 3 years and be able to do recording full time.

This is a tough business to get into, it takes a lot of hard work. You won't be able to support yourself off recording for quite some time. But if you're willing to put in the hard work it will provide you with a job you're excited to wake up for in the morning. I personally would rather struggle for a few years, and achieve that reward, rather than slave at a job I hate for my whole life; even if it pays well. There are a lot more important things than money.

[mustang]

You are 18 and still finding out who you are and what you want out of the life. Between now and 25 you, your interests and goals will change completely. Music may have a different place in your life down the road.

My suggestion to you is go to your guidance counselor and take a Meyers-briggs test and do some vocational inventory. Find out where your interests and skills are. Then visit a few campuses. Get a job and your own place. Pay some bills. Supporting yourself while pursuing your dreams is definitely part of the picture no matter what direction you go in life.

[The Flame]

hey man, i know where you are coming from. luckily i live in nyc where its very possible to getting like a million interships and stuff and i have my own gear at home. alot of people told me not do it in collge because you can learn alot of on your own or with interships. a lot of people told me do music business. also, "keep your hobby as a hobby". i am also an honor student, and i feel like i might end up doing soemthign different for a job, you can always run your own studio on the side. if it gets big, keep up with it man. im in the same boat man, and i just practice and come on this forum alot to get better at it. in school i might major in something else. more skils and being well rounded is important. keep thinking bud, you still have some time.
Josh

[Adam P]

I'm 25. Is it too late for me to go back to school for EE? I'm finding my current degree isn't all that exciting.