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Who Has Went To School for Audio (music, engineer, producition etc...)

SamIchi

SamIchi

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 1, 2004
2,716
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Since I don't know what I want to do in my life, I've been considerin' many things. Audio school is one. Has anyone gone to school for audio (of any kind) or considered? I'm lookin' into it now. Any input would be nice :D It's either this or fine arts... I think :confused: .
 
My son took a music program in college and has been egineering and producing for three years in the urban music scene --- and there is NO money in it for 95% of the people who are trying to make it.

There are next to no traditional entry-level engineer assistants jobs because the studios are all paring back or going out of business because everyone is recording themselves in ProTools and Logic on $3000 worth of equipment. A band will spend $50,000 recording advance on their own recording equipment rather than hire a studio.

I am overgeneralizing, but do not count on a career in this field just because you do a 2 year program.
 
SamIchi said:
Since I don't know what I want to do in my life, I've been considerin' many things. Audio school is one. Has anyone gone to school for audio (of any kind) or considered? I'm lookin' into it now. Any input would be nice :D It's either this or fine arts... I think :confused: .
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I confess, I did... Not one specific thing, a custom degree from that place on the east coast, supposed to be great, but I imagine they all say that ;-) I liked the school, but cost a lot... and for the same price Harvard & MIT are blocks away...

I can't tell you what you need to do with your life, but if you have any doubt, maybe this isn't for you... If you have noted all the bad, and still think it's worth it, nothing could be better, and what choice is there?

You're in good company, most 45 year olds still are wondering... haha!! If you get an actual degree, you'll be able to make whoever supports you not have to.... worst case teach at some music college? Produce, compose, play, I forget... What did you want to do? You never said, did you?

LT
 
LaoTzu said:
I confess, I did... Not one specific thing, a custom degree from that place on the east coast, supposed to be great, but I imagine they all say that ;-) I liked the school, but cost a lot... and for the same price Harvard & MIT are blocks away...

I can't tell you what you need to do with your life, but if you have any doubt, maybe this isn't for you... If you have noted all the bad, and still think it's worth it, nothing could be better, and what choice is there?

You're in good company, most 45 year olds still are wondering... haha!! If you get an actual degree, you'll be able to make whoever supports you not have to.... worst case teach at some music college? Produce, compose, play, I forget... What did you want to do? You never said, did you?

LT
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Hmm, I see. Well it was just an idea, I'm pretty sure I'm just going back to school for fine arts.

Thanks for the comments guys. Canada does your son have a site or sumthin' with his work I could look at?
 
I'm currently studying Audio Engineering here in London. One thing the lecturers constantly tell us is how hard it is to get a job afterwards - it is mostly luck, sheer bloody-minded perseverance and who you know rather than qualifications and ability.

One thing that college is good for (the one I attend at least) is that you can get experience in areas which otherwise might have proved difficult. For example, I am interested in music production, but on the course we get involved in post-production/film sound etc.

If you are not sure which area you want to go into, then this could help, but it is often a lot of money just to find this out.
 
SamIchi said:
Since I don't know what I want to do in my life, I've been considerin' many things. Audio school is one. Has anyone gone to school for audio (of any kind) or considered? I'm lookin' into it now. Any input would be nice :D It's either this or fine arts... I think :confused: .
Click to expand...

My cousin did. Went to a school in Tempe, AZ that had good internship contacts. He's doing fairly well but he got paired up as an assistant to a well established engineer. He's now off on his own, and has worked with Christina Aguilera, Pink, the Black Eyed Peas, and many hip-hop groups.

Be forewarned he routinely works for weeks on end with little to no sleep trying to make deadlines. He works very odd hours (for a long time it was like 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. and those were good days when he wasn't working to complete a deadline, those could easily turn into 24-72 hour shifts). He also doesn't travel home much for holidays due to work being available at that time. I haven't seen him in nearly 2 years now. We both have kids and neither of us has met the other's child yet (we are a month apart in age and grew up like brothers).
 
yea...

can't speak about Music Production, but I work in art (not necessarily "fine" art) so I can offer an opinion on that:

if you want to work in a creative field, you had better be well prepared to have your work censored, dumbed down, and disastrously altered by those who are footing the bill. You should also be ready to accept the fact that a paying gig in the art world is sometimes (hell, usually) NOT what you wanted when you envisioned your career. I say this because I see the frustration and dread in some of my colleagues on a daily basis. They're miserable because they're not making "real art," and what they're allowed to do is dictated to them by the bean-counters i.e. the marketplace.

Not trying to bring you down, just telling you. Me, I'm just glad I've got a pretty good job, in an office, doing what I like. Beats flipping burgers.

Cheers
 
beatsme said:
can't speak about Music Production, but I work in art (not necessarily "fine" art) so I can offer an opinion on that:

if you want to work in a creative field, you had better be well prepared to have your work censored, dumbed down, and disastrously altered by those who are footing the bill. You should also be ready to accept the fact that a paying gig in the art world is sometimes (hell, usually) NOT what you wanted when you envisioned your career. I say this because I see the frustration and dread in some of my colleagues on a daily basis. They're miserable because they're not making "real art," and what they're allowed to do is dictated to them by the bean-counters i.e. the marketplace.

Not trying to bring you down, just telling you. Me, I'm just glad I've got a pretty good job, in an office, doing what I like. Beats flipping burgers.

Cheers
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I know what you're saying. This has always been a big dilemma in my life. I do enjoy the creative life, but my whole life I hear (and for the most part is true) art aint gunna get you paid, unless you make it big. So i went to college into a field more techinical and like I figured, that aint the thing for me. So now I'm thinkin' a fine median between the two, will be nice. Industrial design or sumthin'. The "real" fine arts thing, I'm not really into, but I need the prereq's for design, drawing 1+2 etc, which I would enjoy.
 
Never did, I went from being a musician to being an engineer and learnt as I went along.

Strangely I now lecture in Music Tech at a London Uni, I think it's a good idea to get trained, particularly by professionals.

Doesn't make it any more likely you'll be able to get a job, that still requires talent...

Can't teach that sadly.
 
Can't believe it took me this long to respond. Wow, school keeps a man busy!

I got my undergrad in music ed (what a mistake) and i have one more semester left to finish my masters in music composition. I am currently applying for Doctoral programs in music composition with an emphisis on electronic media integration.
 
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