Well, as I was responsible for putting the people with expertise and the people with capital together to form ex'pression, I think I'll be able to anser that correctly, as well as unbias, as I have no commercial interest in ex'.
Some years ago I did a lot of research into audio education, as everytime I encountered anyone who had gone through an audio engineering program, they knew what can only be described as sweet-bugger-all. I once encountered someone who had been through a 4 year uni degree program, in which time he had learned to operate a soundcraft console.
I went to uni's all over, as well as private schools including full sail. Evaluated if I'd put together a new school, who would be the best person to put it together as far as education was concerned, which was the then director of education of full sail, Gary Platt, without question.
To make a long story short, the focus upon which the education program in question was based upon was decided as follows:
- You have to educate people hands-on, on the type of equipment they will encounter at the highest level of the "real-world". So the gear has to be the best available anywhere, up-to-date all the time.
- The educators should be professionals in the industry first, educators second.
- The curriculum should be developped in cooperation with the industry itself, ensuring graduates are trained to meet real market needs.
- The learning environment should resemble the intensity felt at the high levels of the market, so graduates will be accustomed to working strange times and long hours.
- There should be a big emphasis on job placement and guidance.
The resulting program is intense, to say the least. Much is compressed in a short timespan, and if you want more, work through the night, as most students there do - the same as you'll find in a top studio.
When a student leaves, they can navigate a session on a Neve, an SSL, a Studer, they have the basics mastered, and they are accustomed to the "do it now" working environment. In other words, they make for recruits a damn site more usefull that those who have been through most other programs, and they are (proven!) moving fast up the job ladder.
Yes, its an expensive program. Compare it to a Uni - you'll spend the same or more, only spread over years.
Students get out of it what they want. Some want the expertise in order to set-up their own studios. Some do it to be able to produce / record their own material, most want a long term career in the industry.
Is it a path to a high paying career? Its a good, fast track path to doing what you want to do. Successful or not, high paying or not, that depends on the student, their talent and lots of other factors, same as in any other career.
One thing is for sure, Ex' students have been VERY successful in getting jobs, their job placement department is doing a premier job wich, by the way, continues to be avalable to graduates for years, and the response from the industry to ex' graduates has been very good indeed, to the point where some of the large LA establishments will favor Ex graduates
