recording school, smeshording shul

[spectralgrey]

I go to Madison Media Institute in Madison, WI. So far it has been a great experience. A lot of the lecture classes are below my skill level right now since it's just first semester, but starting from the ground up is probably a good thing for those people who haven't been recording for a long time already. Every week we have a 4 hour class where we apply all of the lecture information in the studio and record. By third and fourth semester the studio classes are basically just like working in a studio. Clients pay for studio time and from 8pm to 1am you make their records. I imagine they don't pay too much since it's kind of like paying for a haircut at a barber school. Anyway, I'd say recording school has been worth it for me just to get into a studio and learn from faculty with a lot of records under their belts. A lot of them have worked at Smart Studios, the big studio in the area run by Butch Vig. Also, recording school has been a good way to get together with a lot of other like-minded people who are into recording.

[Gabe]

I think a lot of the people that jump right into the world of music production are learning and focusing on how to record and how to mix. I think going to school will give you opportunities to learn how to develop those skills but will also teach you why you would use a certain technique or piece of equipment. Why do we use an analog rig over a DAW for this certain situation? Why use a 57 over a condenser? Why has this pieces of equipment been developed, what came before it, what lies ahead in the future?
I am currently in school for music technology and am taking classes in music theory, ear training, an electronics course, a course about the history of music synthesis (we get to use the Theremin, Buchla, and Moog for projects recorded to the Otari 1/4" 4 track), piano classes, percussive private lessons, involvement in music ensembles, and also courses in English composition and Java computer programming... This is my first semester!
There is certainly a decent group of people who have survived without going to school. But if you are driven enough to make it without going to school, why not push a little harder and get the degree? Just cut sleeping out of your schedule, no problem.

[Evergreen]

I studied sound in college and I thought it was great. Ya know, you get out of it what you put in....and some people need structure to learn (like me). BUT whatever you do go to a school where you can get a Bachelors degree...and get a job. English, philosophy, recording or whatever...most employeers don't care what you have a degree in. Just that you have one. And with those big buck you are making as a college grad... BUY GEAR!

Tim
Columbia College - Class of 1999

[Professor]

At least it didn't take long for this debate to return to the board.

Like anything else in life, it comes down to whether you want to learn, or expect to be taught. And recording really needs to be LEARNED.
Fortunately you can choose to LEARN about recording several ways. You could go to a school which will offer equipment and experts and an environment prepared to allow you to learn. Or you could go to the local studio and learn from the guy there.
Yes it's true that lots of kids go off to school and sit around expecting the knowledge to just flow into them while they are waiting for the next round of binge-drinking to start.
But it is equally true that the local studio who brings you in as an unpaid intern will be run by a useless hack who has no interest in teaching you anything except how to clean the studio and make coffee.
Yes it's true that some schools only have one small studio to work in with one console and a handful of old mics. But that's more likely to happen at your local studio now isn't it?
Sure, you might luck out and find a studio that is run by a brilliant engineer who teaches like Mr Miyagi and devotes more of his time to explaining the recording concepts to his employees and letting you run the sessions, than he actually spends running the gear.

On the other hand, it's really important to realize that there is more to the audio industry than just recording local bands in mid-level studios. And if you go to a school with the firm intent of LEARNING about all things audio, then you will learn about recording, producing, mixing, and maybe even mastering rock and roll. And you'll also learn about mixing in surround, you'll learn about live sound, location recording, broadcast for radio and television, sound design for theater and film, and you may even learn about DSP programming, equiment design, acoustics, and a whole host of other areas of the industry.
After schooling like that, you could enter damn near any facet of the AUDIO INDUSTRY, and not just be sitting around hoping to catch some elusive job recording local garage bands. Do you think it would be cool to do sound effects for film? Do you think that Skywalker Ranch would prefer someone who learned to record by watching some guy in his basement recording local bands for four years, or someone who spent four years learning about the whole audio industry at Berklee? Do you think designing and installing studios would be cool? Do you think Pro Audio Design or Russ Berger would prefer the four-year basement intern or somebody from U of Miami with a degree in Electrical Engineering or Acoustics?
True enough that the degree just opens doors, and the strength of the engineer will determine whether or not you get the job. But also remember that there are more jobs out there than just recording local rock and roll bands.

-Jeremy

[kayagum]

Word on the "there's more to recording than basement bands" rant from Professor.

That being said, I know that many fields (theater sound design, commercial VO, non-rock music recording) could use people with a rock background. If you think some of the rock people on this board are cheap with their equipment, you haven't met some of these people who are cheaper and luddite to boot.

Branch out- try your hand at something new. As much as I would like to play or record in a band, my best gigs in the last couple of years (both artistically and financially) have come from projects as diverse as Swedish church hymn music and classical Indian dancing. Believe it or not, I still needed to use things like digital noise reduction and looped sampling.

School or not- apply what you know, and there's a whole world out there that can use your help.

Besides- one of the best things about non-rock gigs is that you can go out after your gig and catch a headline rock act.

[snuffinthepunk]

Word on the "there's more to recording than basement bands" rant from Professor.

That being said, I know that many fields (theater sound design, commercial VO, non-rock music recording) could use people with a rock background. If you think some of the rock people on this board are cheap with their equipment, you haven't met some of these people who are cheaper and luddite to boot.

Branch out- try your hand at something new. As much as I would like to play or record in a band, my best gigs in the last couple of years (both artistically and financially) have come from projects as diverse as Swedish church hymn music and classical Indian dancing. Believe it or not, I still needed to use things like digital noise reduction and looped sampling.

School or not- apply what you know, and there's a whole world out there that can use your help.

Besides- one of the best things about non-rock gigs is that you can go out after your gig and catch a headline rock act.

amen to everything you said, but what hit me was your last line about being able to go out after your gig and catch a rock act. I'm due to move to Nashville in about 6 months and was thinking that it'd be good fr me cuz I wouldn't get played out on rock music so much. If I had to record nothin but rock all day, I probably wouldn't wanna listen to it, no matter if it was my favorite band or not.

that was off topic, just thought i'd chime in with that random thought.

[joelpatterson]

I would hope that someone at the Skywalker Ranch would much much MUCH rather hire someone who was innovative and had a trail-blazing resume of startling work, whatever their resume and degrees did or didn't imply.

[Professor]

I would hope that someone at the Skywalker Ranch would much much MUCH rather hire someone who was innovative and had a trail-blazing resume of startling work, whatever their resume and degrees did or didn't imply.

Maybe when Leslie Ann Jones retires, but not necessarily when they're looking for a new entry level person to be her assistant. I'm not trying to compare a kid fresh out of Full Sail with some Grammy winning engineer with 20 years in the business. But I would compare the Full Sail kid with a guy that spent a few years as an unpaid intern recording local, unsigned bands in a small-town studio.

I mean sure, Bill Gates dropped out of college and is the richest guy in the world... 30 years later. But in 1975 would you have hired the college dropout or the college graduate to work at your company? Hell, if someone hired him, maybe he wouldn't have founded the company and Microsoft would not have been.


-Jeremy

[Family Hoof]

each of you who dog recording schools are probably part of that small fraction of the human population who are extremely motivated and extremely good at learning things on your own. School is a waste for you because you are already pushing yourself outside of the classroom.

Awesome post, bannerj!!! I am so glad to see someone explain this, let a lone a teacher!

[jca83]

i went to one of the bigger recording schools in the country, and i have a lot of opinions about recording schools because of it.

i think a school is a GREAT way to learn fundamentals, learn theory, use gear, get in the studio, etc.

also, as with anything, if you work harder than everyone else, important people take notice and you get put in situations that better your career. i ended up the chair of the audio engineering society chapter at the school, as well as a friend to most of the professors (which was great in calling in favors), not to mention having a lot of the student body knowing who you are/wanting to help you out on sessions, seconding, etc.

and, i actually scored a job out of my recording school. an alumnus from my school is a pro producer/editor and came back to my school to teach some classes. he taught a class i had my last semester and (referencing my previous point) took notice of me and he started giving me projects. now he's paying me for them.

i LUCKED OUT. i full well believe that. but still. the real world is very different; i think it's a different viewpoint than the schools can offer. however, if you can thrive in one place, it's relatively easy to adapt and keep on working.

i for one am grateful i got to go to a recording school, even if i'm in debt because of it!

[digital eagle audio]

i've been busting my butt interning at an amazing studio for over a year now. when i came in, i knew literally nothing about how to record. over the course of the year, through shutting up and watching, asking questions, doing internet research, and grabbing every chance that comes my way, i've learned a ton. i even got a paid gig once, and occasionally the engineers will have me do some small recording projects that they don't have time for. which is awesome. but, all too often, kids come in here from Full Sail, and the next thing i know they are seconding and basically just way past me. every time something like that happens i step up, offering to work more hours, trying even harder, etc. but i still feel like i'm kind of running in place. (a big) part of me wants to go to SAE or something like that, but it just seems like 16 grand or whatever is WAY too much money to owe, just to end up back here as a slightly better intern. amazingly, it seems that in the entire state of VA there are no schools with recording programs, and all i want is some community college courses or something. i'm not quite sure what the best way to get a leg up is, and it's both frustrating AND encouraging to know that a lot of people are in the same boat. anyway, it feels good to vent.

[Bay3Mike]

Personally, I think either going to recording school and self learning are both valid. That being said, some type of 'Training' is absolutely a must. I would think that the quickest way to get on your feet as an engineer is to both take the classroom training and at the same time run a small studio of your own with some type of clientelle.

[KennyD]

As an engineer who has hired many interns over the years, I've found that most of the interns I've had from the trade schools have ended up being worth about 2?. I've had much better success with people with a Bachelor's degree and a displayed passion for music and recording and a sincere willingness to learn.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a trade school, I would look into a college that has a recording program and take it along with other liberal arts courses. I think that for a young person, is a far more enriching life experience.

And also about college, did I mention the chicks? God, man, if for no other reason, it's worth it for that! (assuming you are straight, of course) The music business, especially recording, is pretty much full of dudes, so keep that in mind.

-Kenny D

[Professor]

Wow Narcopolo, I've got to say that I have mixed feelings about your situation. Mostly, I feel bad for you because it sounds like you do want to move ahead, but are running into a sort of glass ceiling. That sucks. But at the same time, I feel a bit of vindication for the argument I always give which is, there are so many recording school grads available to studios today that they would rather hire a graduate from Full Sail or Berklee, or Podunk Comm. Coll. over a high-school grad who is an "interested musician" because they simply don't have to train the graduate in all the basics. Sure, there are plenty of "grads" that can't mic their way out of a bass drum, but those guys are weeded out in the interview. And I've always figured that a busy pro engineer in a serious & busy studio isn't going to want to waste his time teaching a novice what an equalizer is, or how to run the automation on the SSL.

But I don't mean to gloat, 'cause I really do think your situation is unfortunate. You may want to sit down and have a 'heart to heart' with your boss to ask him what he needs from you in order to put you in as a 2nd on a project. Tell him you're looking into schools to do some studying, but want to make sure you cover the things he finds in the FS guys and need to know if you need to be taking music theory classes, basic recording, audio sweetening, advanced mixing & production, or what.
Of course, it would help if you could actually find those courses. You should become familiar with the Audio Engineering Society (www.aes.org) and specifically you should check out this page. I'm not sure where you are in VA, but if you click under the "Eastern Region" heading on the selections for Type 2, 3, 4, & 5 courses, you will see schools listed in VA, MD, and DC and I'm sure one of them is close to you. You might find a comm. college, or a full-on University, but either one will likely let you enroll in one or two classes as a part-time student. Hell, maybe the boss would even pick up the tab on a 3-credit class for ya'.
Either way, keep studying on your own, and keep practicing on your own, but that's a good place to start looking into the formal stuff.
If your studio runs ProTools, you might even look into the ProTools Certification program offered by Digidesign. If you're at all close to Rockville, MD there is a school there that offers the operator certification. Or you could try an online course through Berklee, and details about those are at the Digi website.

-Jeremy

[digital eagle audio]

i actually do have a bachelor's - it's just in a completely unrelated field. i'm formally trained in theory and performance (which has helped me immeasurably in the studio), so i really think the types of classes i need would be more like eq, mic techniques, and signal flow type stuff. i think i probably should sit down with the ol' bossman and figure this whole thing out.
and thanks for the link!