Schools/Colleges for music production

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pinky
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Pinky

Pinky

and The Brain...
I've poked around a bit online. Found a few trade schools (expensive), and a few 2 year schools that offer some form of music production curriculum. I was wondering if anyone has any first hand experience with a particular school, or has any other info/lists available to them?

I currently live in upstate New York but would be willing to relocate to the 'right' place (I rock and ice climb, so anyplace out West would be great, midwest not so much). Tuition is of course a factor, but location would actually be more important as I don't plan on sitting around for 2-4 years not doing anything outdoors. I would also have state university credits from my prior time in college (never finished) which motivates me to find a school that will accept them.

Background info: been self producing music for over 10 years, I'm a 37 years of age mid-career information technology professional. No kids, GF who can find work anywhere (nurse). I have no savings, etc. Would be all out of pocket/loans. I'm looking into this change as music is the only thing I've been consistently doing for the better part of 20 years now that brings me any joy/satisfaction, other than outdoors stuff which doesn't have many opportunities professionally for a thirty something. Computing industry is getting more and more annoying to work in, and at some point I just won't be considered viable because of ageism that's practiced in many technology and other blue collar industries. I have to face the facts that I'll be forced to make a career move sooner or later. Recent layoff has put me at that doorway, now I'm starting the process to see if I should walk on through.
 
Good luck - my company lays off on a regular basis too....
 
Not looking for stability (luck as much as skill determines that), primarily looking for enjoyment in my profession and the ability to find work when/if I do happen to get laid off. IT support is a shrinking market in most areas. If I enjoyed doing computing related work I'd simply retool. Add to that age and it's the sound of inevitibility knocking. I'm a bit more serious than that about moving into something else entirely. I'm also confident I can excel in the music field with better training/guidance.
 
This is way too serious a topic for the Cave.

I also am former IT (AS/400, HP-UX, AIX) and I sympathize. But from what I've read music production (sans personal contacts) is an EXTREMELY iffy field for gainful employment. A number of members have gone down that road. Personally I think you're nuts if you pursue it.

Good luck.
 
wheelema said:
This is way too serious a topic for the Cave.

I also am former IT (AS/400, HP-UX, AIX) and I sympathize. But from what I've read music production (sans personal contacts) is an EXTREMELY iffy field for gainful employment. A number of members have gone down that road. Personally I think you're nuts if you pursue it.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I have an "in". Just need the means to get there... ;)

Yes, I'm a little nuts but knowing there's a very good chance of having something of a career waiting for me on the other side helps alot.

If there's a better spot on the forum for this thread mods feel free to move it there. I looked and couldn't figure out if it belonged in music promotion or the mixing/mastering section(s).
 
Get a two-year associates in electrical engineering (Can you get a 2 year EE associates?) Anyway if you can chase wiring issues and solder and fix shit quick and right you can get a job in what's left of the "industry". That's what I've read anyway. Forget about Full Sail and that bullshit.
 
Pinky said:
Yeah, that was the first thing that came up on google earlier. Was hoping for slightly more intimate knowledge or recommendations. The EE degree path isn't a bad idea, since it covers more than just music production.
Click to expand...

It's easier to say where NOT to go with (as Lou pointed out) Full Sail arguably being at the top of the list. I attended Long Beach City College (albeit for programming). It's a nice campus, there are two major hospitals (Memorial and Saint Mary's) close by, it's in the center of the South Bay so quite close to Los Angeles/Culver City/Hollywood (you can take the Blue Line into downtown Los Angeles and the Red Line from there all the way to Universal City), and it's relatively affordable to live there. I can't speak to the quality of the program. I'd locate as close to Cerritos/Los Alamitos as I could afford.

There was also a JC around Culver City that was supposed to be good but I'll be damned if I can remember the name.
 
Thanks for that. My best friend lives in Valley Village and works in the movie business, so that might actually work. Could probably get an intership going sooner than later as well. The traffic though... haha
 
Pinky said:
If there's a better spot on the forum for this thread mods feel free to move it there. I looked and couldn't figure out if it belonged in music promotion or the mixing/mastering section(s).
Click to expand...
Now that you've brought this to attention, I see there isn't really a forum for these types of threads/dicussions.

Recently LeeRoserio posted a thread in the Mixing forum, asking how everyone got to the place they are in mixing/production. I made it a temporary sticky...but thought it seemed out of place, since the whole of the subject does cover so much more than mixing.

I'll check with an ADM to see if there is a possibility to add a place for these questions/discussions...in the meantime, if you are okay with your thread here, I will leave it. If for any reason you decide you would like it moved, we can figure out the best forum to place it in.


True
 
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