Should I go to recording school?

[Jeff White]

I don't want to be a bummer (and i am happy and not bitter!!!), and I am definitely going to sound like the folks who I thought were way too conservative when I was prepairing to go to Music school, but here goes....

Recording is an amazing time and my #1 passion in life. I spend a good chunk of my salary each year on gear and I am constantly experimenting and learning. I went to a 4 yr University for a BS degree in music with emphasis in the recording arts. Graduated top in my recordng class, had a blast at school, was in the studio all of the time, etc. If I had it to do all over again I would have either majored in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering and minored in Music.

I have spent the last 8 yrs working perimeter jobs to a recording career. MI retail (online, not GC or SA, thank goodness), live sound/video, recording engineer for a telephone message company, etc. I even interned at one of the larger Philly studios for a bit. Ya know what? I still have $15K in student loans to pay off and struggled making around $30-$35K a year and working insane hrs and overtime for the past 5+ yrs. 80hr weeks doing corporate live sound anyone???

I finally had the opportunity come up this past year to switch career paths and I couldn't be happier. I've taught myself graphic design and I am making better money (and working way less hrs) and working for a better company than ever before. I'm 33 now, so, ya know, I'd like to buy a house and shit. Trying to make a living as a recording guy, full-time, just wasn't going to afford me a house, a family, etc. I have little savings and no retirement savings.

Ok, so my advice to you. Go to school for something that interests you that will allow you to make good money. Seriously. And then, in your spare time, practice your art. Be obsessive about music & recording. Treat it like a full-time job.

I have so many friends who play music, record, etc who have great career jobs. Sure, they can't tour regularly (unless they plan their vacations accordingly) but they all are very serious about playing music, have great studios in their homes with Pro Tools and Neumans and APIs and vintage Gibson and Fender guitars, etc. As lame as this sounds, one of my friend's bands had a song on the OC 18 months ago. And he (they) all have day jobs outside of music and are very successful. And guess what? they would be on the street if they had to rely on checks from Fox or Polyvinyl to pay their mortgage.

Also, just as an example of success, the indie rock recording guru in Philly, who will go unmentioned because he's well known around here, is poor as shit and works constantly. I would love to spend as much time in the the studio as he and his girlfriend do. He's a genius and I love to pick his brain when I see him around town. He's done some amazing records for some great bands, work for various cable netowrks, commercials, etc., but at the end of the year his accountant thinks he's crazy. And that's from his mouth, not mine.

Just my $.02.

Jeff

[Randy]

Ok, so my advice to you. Go to school for something that interests you that will allow you to make good money. Seriously. And then, in your spare time, practice your art. Be obsessive about music & recording. Treat it like a full-time job.

I have a degree from a school with an excellent recording program, but I was there as a jazz performance major. I hung out with a lot of very talented guys in the recording program and I don't regret it one bit. The things that I learned in those situations were priceless and instrumental in my ending up with a couple of jobs in this field. Of course, I made that stuff happen for myself, but any school is what you make it.

I agree with both those statements, and I have this to add, it might sound trite, but follow your bliss. What do you really want to do? If you want to be an engineer, go to engineering school and hang out with the musicians. Or be a musician who is in engineering school. If you want to produce, write some amazing songs and record them with no money and gain the trust of the suits at the labels. If you want to just be around musicians and do things for them, put on some spandex pants and a spangly shirt and learn how to look pretty.

Anything you can learn from one of those recording schools can be picked up from just hanging out and building your social skills. It's not hard to find out what buttons to push, you need to know what happens when you push those buttons. 99 percent of sound work is not at all glamorous. I heard that from some dude in a suburb who recorded rich brats for a living and from Steve Albini who has also recorded rich brats for a living.

[NoClass]

80hr weeks doing corporate live sound anyone???

Hahahahaha! This is exactly why I'm going to university in a completely different field now. I made the decision after having a client walk in at 3 AM, after an all-night setup, and decide that the room was backwards. Or was it routinely working 21 hour days that did it?

That being said, my advice is that no matter what you decide to do as far as school goes- never go into corporate live sound. Avoid it like the devil. The devil on a bad day.

[radiationroom]

You ask...

Should I go to recording school?

My opinion is no, for reasons that others have stated above. There are far more aspiring sound engineers than there are actual jobs to be had. And when the laws of supply and demand come into play, when there is an excess in the supply of something, it's price goes down. And that can be applied to labor as well, hence many sound technician jobs don't pay a living wage these days.

73's - Peter Carli

[???????]

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[lightandmind]

I turned down a scholarship to educate myself on my own. I don't regret it at all, I can learn much more,- faster, AND it doesn't really cost anything to read forums and books. If you want a cushy 9-5 with a company, go to school. I choose not to for the Love of doing it and besides, why go to school for a craft where the only rule is - "If it sounds good, It worked"!!!

[jmblack]

If I would have put the money I spent on tuition on gear, I'd have quite a nice setup and I wish I would have spent my time using the gear that I did have rather than going to class and reading about recording. About the best thing about going to school was access to higher end gear.

You can probably go just as far in this field by reading stuff online, going out and doing it, being an intern, etc. than just going to school.

Nevertheless, school is a very good thing. Maybe get a degree in something complementary to recording, such as electrical engineering or acoustic physics?

[audiogeek1]

I must be the only one who has recommended the school path. I think many people are against it here. In my earlier post I said you get out of it what you put into it. But I think the biggest thing that people are leaving out is the networking school can give you. I have picked up many gigs from former classmates. They have not been able to do a gig and I could so I am the first one they think of etc...

If you are playing in bands there is a networking thing going on, but imagine doing both. The potential is huge. Also if you are looking at getting a permanant gig at a studio, maybe a fellow student has a gig there you have a built in ally.

Just a few positives. If I put the money I spent on recording classes in college on gear I could have purchased an AKG 414. What I got out of school was worth more than that to me.

some extra thoughts.

Mike

[numberrr]

cant tell you yes or no, but heres my rec school exp:

started out excited, learning, actually learned a lot of technical stuff i may not have figured out on my own. at least, not that quickly. when it comes to the artistic side, most of the teachers are total goons. there are a few who's opinions i trust, so i listen to them. learning a lot recording at home, and become frustrated in class. seems like most of the students are either too bored, or too stupid, and the teachers adjust their classes to fit that majority. finally, the time requirements of school actually start getting in the way of opportunities outside of school, while the couple teachers i trust are hinting that i would be better off saving my money for gear then more bullshit classes.

so i took their advice, and im glad i did.

you dont need a major in audio engineering to get a job in the field.

[joel hamilton]

I record for a living.

I went to college for Maritime law.... specifically "coastal zone management" type stuff. Coastal development and oceanfront parcel disputes.

I actually left school and did not get my degree. Maybe i will one day. I left to go on tour in one of the many noisy bands i have played in. All I ever really wanted to do was record stuff. Now I do it almost every single day and I have never looked back.

If you spend the equivalent amount of time/energy (and money) recording things and making sounds as going to recording school, you will be good at recording. Maybe even better* than your peers that DO actually go to recording school.


*better in this case would mean "more in demand" or "a unique approach that actually brings your name up when bands are thinking of recording their record with someone specific." Maybe it would even mean "cooler."

[JohnDavisNYC]

I have never taken a single 'classroom' course on recording music... I have taken a bunch of real life courses in music by working hard, seeking out people who's work I respect, reading, and just doing, doing, doing...

Almost all of the best engineers I've known or worked with have either music degrees on an instrument, or no degree at all... very few of the people that I have met who went to recording school are good, in demand, or successful... although they probably know how to use the automation computer on an SSL9000J.

I dropped out of music school (whilst persuing a degree in jazz performance, upright bass) to tour and play lots of rock and electronic music and collect wierd recording gear and learn how to use it. Simply knowing a million bands in ny and playing a ton of shows and doing tons of session work gave me the network that has enabled me to finally own a studio and record music all the time... I think that had I stayed longer than the 3 semesters I did, I would never have had the time and energy to get where I am now. having a very small ammout in college loans to pay off made it alot easier to buy a tape machine... I can't imagine the debt incurred by 4 full years in school.

Schools are not inherently bad, but I think that the best schools are in the real world. My three professors in recording are three of the best in the world, I think: Roli Mossimann, Joel Hamilton, and Allan Tucker... that combined with the peer review system of having a business partner who is also a great engineer and lots of friends who are recording enthusiasts has helped me to learn a great deal and be a working engineer... I definately have a great deal of time to put in behind the console, and alot of things to try out and learn and perfect, but I would never trade my real life education for a classroom.

cheers,
john

[AudioJunky]

It is interesting to read about how many people here are actually former or current Jazz musicians- along with others who have had a ton of experience with other styles.

I don't know whether school is the answer or not- I think that pretty much is something each person decides for him/herself.

What I do think is really, really important- is your ear. If you have a good ear, then you can make smashed beans sound good. I think a lot of great audio engineers just have really great ears for all the basic elements of music: balance, pitch, tone, style, etc.

For example- I had a former high school student of mine record my big band. He walked in with a Neumann, AKGs, $1000s of dollars of preamps, etc. This kid's dad is an engineer. I've been to their house, and it is LOADED with gear gear gear. He SHOULD be flawless by this point. Sonic-sounding... his recording was great. but...

Despite all the gear, his first mix for me was unbalanced. The melody was lost. He wasn't understanding that a vocalist needed to sound out front on the songs. The sonic quality of the recording was great- but basic elements were missing.

Regardless of your gear or time in school- if you don't have a good understanding of basic elements, then you are never going to make a good recording/mix.

I think that we live in a time where we have exciting things going on with technology and recording. The abundance of crap that you can hear, thanks to myspace, is overwhelming. This is what happens when you get a bunch of people with recording gear, protools logic whatever- and you wonder how they could bare to let those unbalanced tracks with out of tune vocals and poor songwriting go online.

Some people have a very good understanding of the technical things- some the musical things. For me, I feel that I could probably benefit from interning with someone who will teach me how to use my musical skills with the gear... that and maybe some electrical engineering classes so I can build all those cheap unassembled pres! ; ) Some people need it the other way around.

If I had my way, I would work a part-time job that allowed me to pay rent and read tape-op, intern at a studio, and record as much as possible.

[ub5studio]

All of these are really good post and I think it goes really without being said but . . . .

Nothing will teach you like the real thing. . . .

Life Experience Beats All

Thanks
Justin

[Brian]

If you like taking classes, go to school. The WHOLE PURPOSE of going to school in audio is to take advantage of the PLACEMENT SERVICE. You'd better bust ass as an intern and show real promise to get a job recording music. Let's face it, ESPN and film audio jobs are mostly logistics and gear, quality sound has little to do with it and you really don't need to know the physics of it to do a passable job which is all that's required. To record music well, you really need to know your stuff and there's a LOT to know. Like the standards of how stuff used in music works so that you'll know how to break all the rules without breaking the gear (you'll get fired).
Will your course teach you that?
Will you intern and bust ass for long hours, learn everything, and do what it takes without arguing?
Do they have an EXCELLENT placement person?
Big questions you need to know the answer to.
Allt hose grads that previous posters said sucked probably didn't even ask themselves these questions and probably thought htey were buying into a lazy pothead's job to coast through life. They probably can't find a job unless they're working for a drug dealer with a lot of gear who did the same thing. Won't last, that's not a career. Not that you need to take yourself too seriously, but, you need to know how you're going to be about it.

[ub5studio]

If you like taking classes, go to school. The WHOLE PURPOSE of going to school in audio is to take advantage of the PLACEMENT SERVICE. You'd better bust ass as an intern and show real promise to get a job recording music. Let's face it, ESPN and film audio jobs are mostly logistics and gear, quality sound has little to do with it and you really don't need to know the physics of it to do a passable job which is all that's required. To record music well, you really need to know your stuff and there's a LOT to know. Like the standards of how stuff used in music works so that you'll know how to break all the rules without breaking the gear (you'll get fired).
Will your course teach you that?
Will you intern and bust ass for long hours, learn everything, and do what it takes without arguing?
Do they have an EXCELLENT placement person?
Big questions you need to know the answer to.
Allt hose grads that previous posters said sucked probably didn't even ask themselves these questions and probably thought htey were buying into a lazy pothead's job to coast through life. They probably can't find a job unless they're working for a drug dealer with a lot of gear who did the same thing. Won't last, that's not a career. Not that you need to take yourself too seriously, but, you need to know how you're going to be about it.

Incredibly Put . . . . ** and the crowd goes silent. . ..

Thanks
Justin