Recording - August 2011 - 14

I’ve seen the school situation from both sides. For two years I was a student at the Grove School, then I was hired to teach. So, as a former student-turned-educator I know the value of a structured lesson plan that combines classroom theory with hands-on lab instruction. In the best of all worlds this can doing audio post using the audio portion of Final Cut and Logic accelerate a student’s progress way beyond what an internship or Avid and ProTools.” or self-study “in the school of hard knocks” could achieve. John Machado (ftc.edu) sees it this way: “Artists still need a If you’re thinking about attending a school for your place to record. Many of them may try to achieve this on their own music/audio career, see if the following helps you in assessing by purchasing the proper software and equipment. What they do where you would fit in. As I observed the process from up not have is the knowledge to do it properly. So it gives engineers close, I came to realize that students in the recording and the ability to help out musicians who music production classes fell in one Michael Laskow (taxi.com): “I think the best thing of four categories (purely by my can’t capture the sound they are looking for. From the absence of larger stu- a person starting out should do is to learn the basics own classification), and while it was dios come opportunities for smaller from a school, then get tons of practice and become possible to migrate from one catestudios or even project (home) studios. highly proficient on either Final Cut and Logic or Avid gory to another as the courses proNewer engineers will seek out one- and ProTools, then create their own path by reaching gressed, I rarely saw it happen, not room studios to work professionally. out to end-users who are the new places to work, not the among my fellow students nor later Instead of starting at the bottom of the studios. The same is largely true for record production. when I stood in front of the class. Beyond the technical expertise, the most important totem pole of a large studio, they may Category One: A student who start at the bottom of the totem pole of thing to learn is how to act in a professional manner and came to the school in the hope of the talent, building up a clientele and how to meet deadlines. I think clients care more about getting motivated to pursue what charging more as they move up the that these days than the quality of the work they get. was being taught, not sure if this Schools are a great place to start, but graduating was the right path to take, but talent ladder.” and getting an internship at a top facility is an option somehow “giving this a try”. Don’t forget the music! that is going away. Get the foundation, practice, Category Two: A student who Our tag line “The Magazine For practice, practice, show up on time, have a great atti- was pretty sure that what s/he had The Recording Musician” never tude, an easy-to-work-with personality, and meet signed up for was what s/he wantlets us forget that it’s as much about deadlines and you will have positioned yourself well ed to do, based on some prior music as it is about technology and for the new reality. experience that in itself had not business. There used to be an ageOn top of that, one must also become a self mar- led to any notable achievements. old separation of “engineer” (who keter to develop a client base. Learn Wordpress, Category Three: A student who, would never point out that a note Search Engine Optimization, as well as social and at first glance, didn’t really had been played flat or question a face-to-face networking to get the gigs!” belong, because s/he “appeared musical tempo choice) and “protoo good”, already knew a lot and ducer” (who, by union rules and by etiquette, would never would have had to be reassigned to a higher level, had there touch a knob or fader), and now, in the individual’s project stu- been a more advanced class in the curriculum. dio, it’s the opposite: All the specs and tech savvy mean nothCategory Four: A student who studied hard and gave it a ing if you can’t play, or hear what’s good or bad about someone full effort, but who towards the end of the year decided else’s playing, and make musically valid suggestions. that this was not the most suitable career option to purSebastian Arocha Morton (rocasound.com): “In many ways sue, considerable aptitude and talent notwithstanding. everything is smaller (studios, teams and budgets), and it affects the Khaliq Glover (khaliq-o-vision.com): traditional role of the “producer”. Simply put, with lower budgets “Remember to build relationships and you can hire fewer people. Now most producers are the vocal producer, beat programmer, performing musician and engineer.” always be helpful toward reaching the Rob Chiarelli (finalmix.com) asserts: ”You will also need final goal that everybody has—to make to have a solid understanding of music...” music that makes you smile as soon as you Bob Emmet (bobemmet.com) points out that “the old model of separate producer and engineer is mostly outdated. Therefore, hear it. The secret key that can open you should learn how to produce as well as engineer. Good sound almost any door is the phrase “How can I is just the beginning. These days, nearly everything sounds good out of the box; learn how to make things sound interesting.” be of service?”—be helpful and grateful Toby Gad (tobygad.com): “You have to bring an almost delusionand you won’t have to break down doors, al degree of passion for music in order to survive and to rise in the you will be escorted in.” industry, but the ones that bring that dedication eventually get noticed.”
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RECORDING AUGUST 2011

Sebastian Arocha Morton (rocasound.com): “After graduating, the best way to get your foot in the door is either by developing an artist on your own dime and time or by doing amazing sounding “demos” for a music publisher, which get into the hands of an artist who wants to use your track on the record and just add their voice, because they’re impressed with your vibe, music and sonics.”

Khaliq Glover (khaliq-o-vision.com) puts even more emphasis on the music: “I feel that music has always been a social activity that was hijacked early on by profiteers in its formative stages, and now it is finally reclaiming the original social status that it started with. It’s about building relationships based on the pureness of the love of music. I am definitely not against companies making money, but most people start out doing it strictly for the love of it, yet ultimately get surrounded by people who only want to exploit the short-term profit potential instead of the long-term goodwill that only music provides. Luckily, the public has taken back the power and is forcing everybody to step up their game. Adapt or die.”

Back to school—I remember it well

http://www.khaliq-o-vision.com http://www.rocasound.com http://www.ftc.edu http://www.taxi.com http://www.rocasound.com http://www.khaliq-o-vision.com http://www.finalmix.com http://www.bobemmet.com http://www.tobygad.com

Recording - August 2011

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