I'm still in highschool. Is Audio Engineering a good consideration for a job?

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tyler_mcclel

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Okay, music is basically my only productive hobby. I own a Numark Mixtrack Pro that i got a few months ago that I absolutely love. I am still learning, but i know that basics like beat matching and such. But anyways, my parents have been pushing to search for jobs and what i should do in college in such and one that really caught my attention is audio engineering, i found that texas state university has a great music school so i could do that for college but i have no idea how much i would really make and if i could actually find a job near me in southeast texas. If anyone could tell me about how much i could potentially make and what i would REALLY need to know about this occupation, that would be great, thanks.
 
Just random thoughts ---

The vast majority of really good engineers I know that have "paper" were really good engineers before they had paper.

I know dozens of "engineers" WITH "paper" who can hardly connect a set of headphones to an iPod.

I know zero grads who got jobs in the industry (other than coiling cables after concerts and lugging cases).

Long story short -- In the audio industry, a degree is basically worthless. Especially an audio degree.

How much you'd make? You'd have to actually get a job first. And there are probably hundreds of experienced, qualified engineers for every available job.

Longer story shorter -- This is a pretty bad time to be trying to find a job in this particular industry.

I'm not saying not to get a degree -- But I'd concentrate on getting something more useful.
 
I don't even know what beat matching is....

Oh no, I've missed out on one of the basics! :cursing::confused::eek:

I don't know how your country is faring, apart from what I read in the newspapers, but I can't imagine a single purpose degree like audio engineering is going to be the path to riches, so if employment/wealth is your major criteria, I'd look elsewhere...

But who has only one degree these days anyway... you need at least a couple.:thumbs up:
 
Well, Texas State does have an excellent music program. Several of the music teachers at my son's school went to Texas State and they are counselors there for the summer band camp programs. I think as a music teacher, you can do pretty good. That is with the standard school band stuff, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, etc. Texas seems to be more willing than most other states to spend money on art and music programs. The music program in our school district is by far the best I have seen. So there are jobs as musicians and music teachers.

For audio engineering??? How many studios are closing up each year?? As the trend moves towards home recording (notice what site this is?) and away from pro studios, those jobs are disappearing.

Go to college!! Get a degree in something that pays the bills!! Do the audio engineering as a side gig. If you can make some money at it, then all the better.

good luck.
 
Armistice said:
But who has only one degree these days anyway... you need at least a couple.:thumbs up:
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I don't even have a high school diploma!! :eek: I'm one of the few lucky ones who actually makes a decent living without the education. Which is why I push harder for high school grads to go to college. I know how difficult it can be not to have a degree and earn a living.
 
Chili said:
I don't even have a high school diploma!! :eek: I'm one of the few lucky ones who actually makes a decent living without the education. Which is why I push harder for high school grads to go to college. I know how difficult it can be not to have a degree and earn a living.
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LOL - I'm actually a surveyor by degree, but from the day I graduated I have not looked down a theodolite in anger... and that were a long time ago... so I have one, but never used it... I just have everyone bluffed at work...:laughings:
 
OP - If Greg_L still lives in Katy, you could get a side gig roadying for him....:thumbs up:
 
Although there may be some areas of the country that are still hiring music/arts teachers, most are not - the school prgrams have been cut to the bones, and now that the baby boomer's kid's kid's are all past school age, there are a lot of school buildings that are no longer needed as the number of students are down in most areas that are not experiencing a population influx.
Anyway. 'beat making' is NOT making music. To be a music teacher with a chance of getting a job, you better be able to play multiple instruments AND teach.

To the OP:
There are plenty of articles you can read online telling the 'waves of the future' for job openings. Sure it'd be great to get a degree and a job in something you love to do, but you said it yourself - "hobby". For most/many of us here, music and recording is a hobby, not what we make our living at.
 
My opinion about college in general is that if you are not entering a field that requires a specific academic path (doctor, pilot, paleontologist), then you are shooting yourself in the foot by getting a specialized degree. Having a business degree will not preclude you from entering the audio industry, but having an audio degree may keep you out of the business world.
 
To add to this thread. About a degree, well, I think getting an education in a trade (plumbing, electrical, automotive, etc.) is also an option. I have degrees and don't have a problem with getting a degree, but it is not for everyone. So, think it over.

Now, what you describe that you are doing, beat matching, probably more audio production/live entertaining is a whole different story. I think you should learn, gig and stay involved, but we are talking about making a living. Can you do it, yes, is it likely, yes, at what level, now that is the question. I think those guys out there doing dance music and such look like they really have a good time. Just wouldn't place my next meal as a bet that it will be sufficient enough to live on.

Find a career you love (or tolerate) and you can still pursue your passions. Besides, I think music as a mistress is better than having her as your wife. Keeps it exciting.
 
Lot's to say on this...

You ever hear about the theory that A and B students usually find themselves working for the C and D students who went to work instead of sitting in a class room? The same thing kind of applies here. If you were the employer, would you hire somebody based on a certificate on the wall or would you require them to mix a track, or show some other demonstration of their skills.

While a degree or certificate for audio engineering can be helpful, I think this tends to be one of those fields where hands on experience is more important. Get the degree if you wish, nothing wrong with that. There is knowledge to be had there, but I think most engineers will be more impressed after listening to you handle a mix or recording session than anything that will be haning up on your "me wall".
 
JohnWatkins said:
Having a business degree will not preclude you from entering the audio industry, but having an audio degree may keep you out of the business world.
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Literally what I did. I did take a one year music tech certificate course at a local community college, which was cheap (and I got a half ride on tuition because the Concert Band director begged me to play with them because I'm an excellent music reader), and then got a business degree. That's really the route to go. See if your local schools have a few classes you can take in audio engineering, but get your degree in something a bit more valuable.
 
Raymeous said:
While a degree or certificate for audio engineering can be helpful, I think this tends to be one of those fields where hands on experience is more important. Get the degree if you wish, nothing wrong with that. There is knowledge to be had there, but I think most engineers will be more impressed after listening to you handle a mix or recording session than anything that will be haning up on your "me wall".
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This is really important. I wouldn't have gotten my degree in audio engineering at my school unless it had plenty of hands on (I also got a few scholarships for keeping grades up, so saving money was also nice). We worked on mixing consoles and control surfaces (We had a cool D-Command 24 channel board downstairs), we worked on all analog 16-channel tape machines, and then we worked in a DAW with just plug-ins, and a DAW with some outboard gear... We were taught about all the differences of different microphones, and then we were asked to set up the mics ourselves to hear the difference.

People are also talking about getting business degrees being important. If you go to a school like Belmont in Nashville, you can take a business degree with an emphasis on music production over a four year course. I was originally going to do that, but I got hired on at a studio a couple months before getting my degree (they let me finish getting that before working full-time). The great thing about getting that degree is it's a BUSINESS degree, but you're also studying audio at the same time. Not to mention with Belmont being in Nashville, I know more than a few people that went there and dropped out after their first year because they got hired at a studio.

Bottom line, if you're going to a school for it, make sure you can get financial help either from scholarships or grants, and make SURE the school has a lot of hands on. Otherwise, just buy a ton of books and start studying and doing hands on at your own house. =]
 
To add to this thread. About a degree, well, I think getting an education in a trade (plumbing, electrical, automotive, etc.) is also an option.
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I can tell you one thing -- The next time I bring an intern on, it's going to be one with an electrical degree and a hunger to learn audio. Not another "I just got my audio degree, so I'm an expert and by the way, you're doing it wrong" type.

But an electrical degree...? THAT's useful in ANY recording situation.
 
Massive Master said:
I can tell you one thing -- The next time I bring an intern on, it's going to be one with an electrical degree and a hunger to learn audio. Not another "I just got my audio degree, so I'm an expert and by the way, you're doing it wrong" type.

But an electrical degree...? THAT's useful in ANY recording situation.
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Oh, heck yeah. The first thing I wanted to do after learning about audio was go back for at least two years of Electrical Engineering. I mean, shoot, I didn't learn about how much you should know about electronics until my second year of audio engineering. xD
 
First post here actually ever.

I think a lot depends on the type of person you are. If you eat, drink, and live music by all means suck it up and do what you love, but expect there to be quite possibly some very difficult times ahead of you, such as paying back college loans, etc. with a job that might not pay much at the beginning (if you can even find one!).

My personal advice, however, is the same as the last couple of posters: electrical engineering. By combining what you learn in this field with regard to frequency, analog/digital signals, thresholds, etc. (to name just a few similar aspects), you would have the theoretical base to become Super Engineer. The two fields play off each other nicely, at work you learn stuff that you can use at home or on the side AND get paid doing it. Win Win.

Just my two cents but what I would probably do had I the chance to do over again.
 
The music industry in general and the recording industry specifically are going through significant changes whcih have reduced the number of lables, which in turn limits the amount of work offered to recording studios.

It is almost impossible to get a job as an engineer - unless you pay serious dues as a runner, assistant engineer, etc. etc. - and there are a lot of people looking to fill those positions. Unless you can become a fairly well respected (ie: commerically successful) engineer, any job in a recording studio will be for little or no pay.

I think a recording degree from any school would have little or no value (although as others have suggested a degree in electrical enginnering could make you a much more valuable asset than a recording degree that qualifies you to be a runner). Certainly being involved in some type of advanced education program may allow you to network with other like minded people who could maybe help advance your career down the road - but I wouldn't bet my future on it.

I've worked in the music industry for about 45 years (mostly as a performing musician - but I' done a lot of session work and did some assistant enginnering) - and I don't know a single engineer or producer that reached whatever level of "success" they were at who attributed that to some degree/certification.

If I were in high school (and I'm waaaay to old to even remember what that was like) I would focus on an education that I felt could pay the bills and accept that anything in music is likely to be a hobby. As someone else suggested, getting certification in a trade (electricion, plumber, etc.) would likely provide better future security that even something like a business degree (many business have laid off many levels of "middle managers) and getting to be a senior manager or CEO, CFO, etc - is not easy.
 
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