Teaching Pro Tools

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Just was contacted by a local community college about teaching a Pro Tools/Pro Recording class. Might jump on board for a semester and see what happens with it. I give alot of Pro Tools support in my local area and usually charge an hourly to do that. The college is offering 5 times what I'm charging per hour to teach it.

Having done the Pro thing for a while, anybody think my involvement would help or hinder the students learning the craft as a working professional?

[keelah]

Are you nutz, dude? You've got the skillz, get paid to share them with others! Your experience as a pro (whether it's completely tainted you or not) can only stand to make you an even better teacher.

Have fun with it!

[drewbass]

I do the same thing. you should do it for the money, the students and, importantly, the fact that you're going to learn a lot yourself. this in turn enables you to teach more to the students.

[Professor]

Of course you should teach the ProTools class. Just be sure to find out from them what kind of background the kids coming in are going to have. That is, will they already have gone through a basic intro to recording, intro to recording, music synthesis, or music theory course, or are you going to have beginners or kids from up and down the spectrum. Once you know that, you'll know what you need to cover before starting like explaining the basics about waveforms, getting sounds recorded, getting sounds back out, etc. You'll probably find it to be much more basic than anything that you are explaing to people now for 1/3 the price. If it goes well, then you can consider going through the Digidesign certification course and setting the school up to be a training spot for Digidesign 'level 1' ProTools operators. That would make you look really impressive to the school, especially when people start enrolling just to take your class. None of the questions I receive from students or faculty are usually any worse than the typical questions on this board, in fact their usually much lighter. So this would end up being like hanging on the messageboard but getting paid for it.

-Jeremy

[wayne kerr]

I'll teach the class for $35

CC
PP

[soundguy]

I'lll pay you $35 to get your advice on wether or not I should take the class.

dave

[JGriffin]

The fact that you are a working professional and not a career academic is a plus in my book. I went to a major university as well as a local college that employed working pros from the area, and while I do not want to downplay the value of my liberal arts education in toto (sorry), the knowledge I got from the local pros was something I couldn't get from the career teachers at the University who probably hadn't done a session in the real world for ten years. Your students should benefit and learn from your real-world experience; any clown can teach them how to switch from shuffle mode to slip mode and back. You have lots to teach them that they won't find in the ProTools manual.

[soundguy]

I was thinking, instead of teaching the youth of america pocket calculator it would be a lot cooler if someone would instead offer drum lessons. Or singing lessons.

sorry, fantasy. nevermind.

davve

[Current Resistance]

I go to a college that employs all seasoned professionals, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You aren't squat in the audio business without experience, so who would want to learn from anyone else? Plus they are automatic contacts in the biz...how great is that?

[psychicoctopus]

Just be sure to find out from them what kind of background the kids coming in are going to have. That is, will they already have gone through a basic intro to recording, intro to recording, music synthesis, or music theory course, or are you going to have beginners or kids from up and down the spectrum.

I can see it: Jeff with a bowtie and glasses, tapping on a monitor with a white pointer, saying "THIS is the edit window." ... hands go up ... "Show us how to make phat beats, Teach!"

[wenley]

What would be the best way to start teaching ProTools? I've learned the program by myself, but I'd love to teach it for a living. That would be great. I have a digi001 and am working on my own record. Any thoughts on how to break in? Thanks.

And just to echo everyone else's statement, if somebody wants to pay you to teach what you know, go for it!

Thanks.

[Echos Myron]

Off Topic--keelah, I'd be careful with the signature there...Fan of the President or not--that thought is generally frowned upon. A statement like that, posted in a public forum, can get you in some trouble...

He may make horrible deci$ions for the wrong rea$on$, but remember that he is the leader of the free world...

On Topic--Jeff, I think, most definitely, your experience would help the students. I'm not sure how it could hinder your abilities as a teacher. Good Luck with it!

[Current Resistance]

frankly, i think a public forum is exactly the kind of place for those statements....i mean is he leader of the FREE world or leader of the scared little communist/fascist/dictatorial world....

don't answer that keelah ha!

[soundguy]

Its a facist world with the best PR firm in the universe representing it.

love it or leave it though.

dave

[JGriffin]

frankly, i think a public forum is exactly the kind of place for those statements....i mean is he leader of the FREE world or leader of the scared little communist/fascist/dictatorial world....

don't answer that keelah ha!

Freedom of expression nonwithstanding, it is the sort of thing that gets automatically investigated, joke or not. Kinda like you can't joke about weapons or bombs in airports.