Getting a degree in Audio Production.

[mustache79]

Well, it's what I've always wanted to do. I live about an hour and a half from downtown Chicago. There are a few schools that offer bachelors in audio science. I just got my GED recently, and qualified for Fafsa loans. But to my understanding, these only cover associates degrees. I'd love a future in the world out Audio Production. I just don't know how to go about getting my foot in the door. Also, I'm not sure how much demend there is in the audio field right now...
Thoughts or advice would be cool. Thanks

[Ian Martin]

greetings,

I only know a little bit about the subject, but I will impart what I can...

As for Fafsa...as long as you are approved and remain approved the nature of degree has no impact. You can go to a community college and receive an associates or a university and receive a bachelors degree on Fafsa.

Audio Science, Sound Engineering, Recording Technology, production...we can call it what we want but IN THE INDUSTRY it's important to remember that (as is the case with ANY field and education) work experience is still very important and with the influx of over-educated candidates in the job market, possibly more important.

I know two "audio engineers" (if that's what we prefer to call them). The first went to school in Canada and received a degree in Foley Arts. Aside for that, he was a musician with some recording experience. After school he took a residency in the States at a small animation studio (which he says he learned more about sound and recording in that year than his three years in Foley school) and he began running sound at a small venue downtown. Over a good number of years he eventually got an entry level job at a recording studio and he's been their since.

The second was a Theater major in college and concentrated a lot of focus on Theatrical sound - designed sound and ran it for school productions, etc. After graduating she kept going with her acting but also continued to do stage design and sound design for small production houses in the city. This eventually crossed over for her and she became the primary Sound-person at a large music venue.

I think the key here is, besides the education, both people pursued working any way they could to grow in the industry. Something to consider.

Hope that helps any.

[muscmp]

you may want to contact bob womack who is a member of this forum. he could probably give you some good info. just send him a pm, but, i think he'll probably see this and help you out as much as he can.

play music!

[rwrrwr]

I have an associates degree in Audio Recording Technology from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska. It was a pretty good program then, back in the last days of razor blades and tape. It still is as far as I know. I worked in technical theatre for 15 years, 7 years as technical director for a university.
Out of 35 people in my class, 6 of us actually worked in the industry. Most of them were out within 5 years. One person is still in the industry.

It's hard work but can be rewarding. It's also bad hours and bad pay. One has to be dedicated. You have to put up with egos and ignorance and Murphy is always waiting for you but occasionally perfection occurs.
I now drive a truck for a living and I don't miss the work, umm, much
Take whatever lessons you wish from this.
Good luck.

[Bob Womack]

Hi!

My job title is "Audio Post Production Design Engineer." I've been in audio production and post production for thirty-two years. That spans sound design, music recording, sound editing, mixing for formats from mono to 5.1, audio for video and film from location to sound stage, foley, dialog replacement, and live television mixing. I've gone from razor editing magnetic tape to non-linear editing and working in a virtual world where the files I'm working on don't even reside on my computer or in my building - I'm mixing off servers in another building. Here's what I can tell you:

There are two extremes on the scale of pro audio production/post for video and film: freelance and working for a house. Freelance offers the greatest rewards and the greatest opportunity for failure and failure to launch at the start. Working for a "house" such as a TV network or a large production or post-production house offers benefits and more stability but pays less. So, the more that is risked, the more benefit is possible but the greater the chance for failure. Whatever the case, expect to need to move where the work is. That might be LA for video and film or New York for TV or Chicago for advertising or Knoxville, TN, for the Home and Garden Network and its affiliates. No kidding, that's how it works.

What do we look for in a candidate when we are hiring? We look for experience and/or training in the particular fields in which we work. We look for the ability for the candidate to slide into a work slot with as little on-the-job training as possible. Our last two hires had just graduated from Full Sail University in Florida and Middle Tennessee State University just south of Nashville. Both are good schools. We looked for bright, motivated people who had experience in non-linear editing and live mixing.

What can you expect? Expect to spend your first years working long and varied hours and being on-call practically all the time. Expect to work your way up through dedication, professionalism, and attention to detail. Expect to never say "no" to a client. Expect to arrive before and leave after the client. Expect to take in a huge body of technical information when you are in school and keep it on tap for use at a moment's notice for the rest of your career. Expect to slowly hone a craft and art that takes a lifetime to master. Expect to slowly develop the preference of your clients through dependability and a strong work ethic.

And music? Music has become something of a non-industry. Most strictly music engineers are freelancers. If they try to move to a music center and worm their way into the scene, they can expect approximately the same odds as those desiring to become a star. They can expect internships and jobs as second engineers to pay little to nothing. If they become successful and make some albums, they can expect the same shelf life as a typical music star - maybe four to six years if they are lucky, because style plays into their desirability to clients and style changes. There some chameleons in the engineering world but they are as few, proportionately, as the few stars that are able to hang on to a career past the initial shelf life.

My career? I studied audio recording engineering, music composition, and electronic music at the University of Tennessee. I was hired away from that school by a TV network in 1981. I took the job thinking that it would be a temporary step into music. UT had recently purchased the latest in audio equipment and I learned on that gear and put that gear on my resume'. It just so happened that the TV network had just purchased the same gear. I was able to demonstrate proficiency with it and fell backwards into a job as a "night shift engineer," an A-1, or main mixing engineer for the night shift. I did a lot of multitrack recording and mixing. At that point, "Night Shift" also meant covering for anyone on the day shift who was sick or on vacation. For fifteen years I did the night shift and rotating shifts, learning the various disciplines of the field and substituting for every job function in the house. I worked so many hours I never developed a social life. But over time I've developed enough respect that I've become a first-call for several types of work including music. I am now am the senior engineer in my production/post production house.

I hope some of that helps. I'd be glad to help with any questions if I can.

Bob

[fdwill]

Thanks to those who replied with their personal experiences. Very valuable information and opinions.

[mustache79]

Thanks for the valuable information Bob. I'm currently looking at what the schools in the Chicagoland area have to offer. The Illinois Institute of Art has a Bachelors in Audio Science Program that seems to be the kind of program that I'm looking for. My ex fiancee actually went to the same school and got a Bachelors in fine arts and multimedia. She did some audio production in her course and that was when my interest in audio really become more of an obsession than an interest.

http://www.artinstitutes.edu/chicago...bs-229212.aspx