recording school or how to get started

[junplugged]

All of the scenarios of trying to force your way into a studio at random and maybe they need or want a lackey and maybe they'll have some time for you and maybe they'll like your recordings. These all involve luck. School helps take some of the luck out of the equation. I am doing all of the things you describe AND I am going to go to school. Sorry if your still bitter about the tech bomb man, but that does not make me some "lazy loser" I'm not expecting a miracle or an easy time of it. I expect to have to bust some ass but when I do MY only tool won't be a hammer or haphazard guess work and luck.

I never said 'force' your way in, that is impossible, and there was nothing 'random' about eating and breathing the work you love to do to get it going. I'm sure if someone was trying hard doing what they really wanted to do, but not yet there, no one would call them a name like 'lackey' because everyone starts at the beginning. Luck is one of those subjective words that I don't know what to say about. I'm not bitter about much, not even the tech bomb. But I do know that all the guys I worked with who got started w/out a lot of schooling for it, maybe some, but not the long certification programs, called all the people who got their certifications, "paper" certifications. Meaning they had no experience and were worthless as the paper they were written on. If you are getting experience and schooling then that's probably a good start. Those who only get the certification and had 'expectations' of a big start after that were the loosers, and I knew a lot of them in those 'programs.' but they knew who they were and they didn't have a clue.

The other thing about experience first is to see if you can really stand the atmosphere on the job and the types of people and the actual work, before you shell out the bucks for schooling. I'm pretty sure I didn't say that everyone in those programs is lazy, becuase that's obviously not accurate. If it doesn't apply to you, then that's good, if you're here and reading all the info of the people on this site, you have a good start already and that's what I meant by finding info on the net and the FAQ's and stuff. Plenty of people on this BBS could teach those classes.

One thing about some kinds of shcooling though, they can indoctrinate people into thinking that there is only one way. Then when they leave with that 'hammer' that's all they use and they apply it to everything, and that sucks. Like Doctors who only have antibiotics or drugs with bad side effects and who were lead to believe that this is the only way. Or governments who only have the hammer of war and that's the only answer they can come up with for every foreign policy problem involving a poor, militarily under-equipped country in the 3rd world, who has oil resources, etc.

 

[kim lee]

paid intenships

i have seen getamentor and music connection.com cost about $7,000 you pay them to hook you up with a local studio .can any one give me a heads up on this route?

 

[northern cali]

i made a thread about this very question in the newbie section a few days ago

im gonna take some audio production classes in tha spring, i rap n i want to learn how to get the best sound out of everything,n what exactly everything does, n also i want to help my peers, n get their music to sound as good as possible as well, n i think these classes will help out alot n plus ill be in there with like-minded people which is always good...

so i say if you can afford it then why not,

 

[Renascent]

I tried to self teach myself, and i thought i knew everything. I started going to SAE in NYC to learn the analog world (2" tape machines, big consoles, etc)
It turns out I didn't know everything about protools and digital audio. It turns out theres a ton more to learn, even after going to school.
School is good if you're looking to "take the next step" and you're not one to work for free. I'll probably still end up working for free when I'm done with school, but for significantly less than someone who were to just walk in the door of a studio and ask to intern. I'd hope I can at least be un-paid, but gaining experience on projects as an assistant or tech then mopping floors and changing garbage bags alone.
If you have the money, it can't hurt to check out a school. I can't speak for other schools but SAE (specifically NYC, since i go there now) is an excellent school. All in all it cost me about 18g's, plus commuting. However, they hook you up with a mac (ibook, nothing super fancy) the most current version of protools (or damn close) and a slew of other programs. I'm protools certified, I know how to work a tape machine, I know how to route signal through an analog console, among other things. Frankly, the 18grand is worth the 150+ hours of studio time recording bands and solo artists.
As with anything else, you get as much out of going to a school for audio as you put into it. Heck, I can't even take my final without a complete resume!

If you have any questions about SAE NYC specifically, get at me. Its been a good experience and I don't mind talking about it.
Scott

 

[ez_willis]

The one certainty is that those that are either in AE school or have attended one in the recent past will swear by them, those that are in the field feel quite the opposite.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

i made a thread about this very question in the newbie section a few days ago

Considering this thread is almost three years old already, I think you're treading on a well-beaten path

G.

 

[northern cali]

Considering this thread is almost three years old already, I think you're treading on a well-beaten path

G.

i didnt even trip off tha date, somone musta bumped this then cause it came outta no where...

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

i didnt even trip off tha date, somone musta bumped this then cause it came outta no where...

Every once in a while somebody discovers this forum by searching a topic on a big search engine and it returns an old thread. The newbs aren't hip to the date thing and reply. I've seen 6- and 7-year-old threads come back that way .

G.

 

[Renascent]

Oops. I never look at thread dates. o well

 

[brendandwyer]

Why not go to SCHOOL school fr something like electrical engineering, or acoustical engineering. Fields where it's easy to work in music, but not be at the mercy of the creative.

With acoustical engineering, you can design rooms, deisng acoustical treatments. Design new audio circuits, blah blah blah.

a formal education in the peripheral disciplines creates a safety net, but still get's you where you want to be.


Or drop out, learn guitar, shoot smack and marry a model.

 

[northern cali]

resplace tha guitar with a mic n im there...

 

[gema]

I'm going to SAE next year to learn more stuff. I think it might be useful for me to know and experience such education.

But now I learn most of the stuff from forums and self-experience.

Or is it even possible to have a secure job on studio recording ?


Future thinking make me scared a little bit.

 

[Blue Groove]

...

I went to Berklee College of Music and learned alot, but more importantly, the contacts I made were awesome.

When I graduated, I had many offers from well known studios, but I went into business for myself and opened a small studio and will have an 8000' studio open in about a year. The money came from investors that liked my business plan and my music/business background.

You don't need school, but it can be a great help.