Music Recording Colleges
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Posted on Dec 05, 2004 08:57 pm
Alex Arthurs
Member Since: Oct 12, 2004
Hey I live in Ontario, Canada. and i was wondering if Fanshawe College is a good choice for Audio recording? if you have any colleges/UNIs in mind that are as good or better please tell me?
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Dec 06, 2004 04:30 am Hey Alex...welcome to HRC.
I have been looking at audio engineering colleges myself and have come across two in the States.
SAE Institute (School of Audio Engineering) in LA, Nashville, Miami and NY. Head Office in Byron Bay, Australia. Certificate, Diploma and degree courses. Degrees are fastracked...complete the Diploma...complete the Bachelor of Digital Media in Audio Engineering...stay for honours and complete the Bachelor of Arts in Recording Arts from Middlesex University, London.
SAE Institute is international...once you pay your fees you can complete your course at any other SAE in the world.
You can't complete the degree courses in New Zealand...so you have to go to Australia to do
that. I don't know what the story is in the States.
Secondly, The Berklee College of Music in Boston. Also Certificate, Diploma and Degree courses. Further, Berklee has evening and part time classes.
Bachelor of Music in Music Production and Engineering. Prestigious University. Traditional values and traditional routes to complete degree.
Hopefully this has been of some assistance to you.
Cheers,
BM
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Dec 06, 2004 10:17 am If college credit is important then try berklee or fullsail, but if you're looking at time being the biggest factor checkout The Conservatory of Recording Arts at www.audiorecordingschool.com
Dec 06, 2004 10:37 am Hey el musico...how is your course going?
Cheers,
BM :-)
MauzgrrrrrrrMember
Since: Mar 29, 2004
Dec 06, 2004 11:46 am I did not hear great things about SAE. Expensive, lots of theory and not much practical stuff.
Dec 06, 2004 12:12 pm There are a ton of schools with programs in Music Production. A good resource I found is www.ModRec.com They have one of the most comprehensive databases I've found (Although it's been down for a couple months). Also check out the audio engineering society's education resource www.AES.org for another comprehensive list. I'll hopefully be heading off for a degree in Music and Sound Recording at University of New Haven or Audio Engineering at the University of Hartford next year, myself.
Dec 06, 2004 06:16 pm Good luck Muffin...my son is off to SAE next year...wow that's a great resource...thanks.
I'm sorry to hear that Mauz...without moving across the pond we only have three options here...and SAE appears to be the best of them.
For the practical side though...well he was already putting in between 15-30 hours per week in his home studio...writing and recording plus the time for music lessons and practise in guitar, drumming and singing...all while at school. Hopefully, that will make up for any imbalance in the course.
Wish we had all your options though...
Cheers,
BM :-)
Dec 06, 2004 07:42 pm Thanks again Muffin...thats a great site.
Cheers :-)
BM
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Dec 06, 2004 08:06 pm ...fullsail is non-accredited I thought.
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Dec 06, 2004 08:52 pm Full Sail is accredited though a trade school assocation (ACCSCT)...so the degree will not transfer to a university. To transferr the main university "should" be accredited by one of these:
1. MSA--Middle States Association
2. NASC--Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges
3. NCA--North Central Association of Colleges & Schools
4. NEASC--New England Association of Schools & Colleges
5. SACS--Southern Association of Colleges & Schools
6. WASC--Western Association of Schools & Colleges
Then specialties are accredited by various other organizations which will only allow you to trasferr to a school in the same organiation.
Dec 07, 2004 03:16 am Cool...good info zek...you're a mine of information...thanks again.
Cheers,
BM :-)
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Dec 07, 2004 09:22 am Bohld! The Power of Google! :)
MinkusMazBane of All ExistenceMember
Since: Mar 27, 2003
Dec 07, 2004 10:15 am check out "Institutional Listing by Geographic Area":
www.aes.org/education/
lots of info there for everyone interested in going to school for recording.
MauzgrrrrrrrMember
Since: Mar 29, 2004
Dec 07, 2004 02:04 pm At least from what I heard SAE has a lot of slackers who just do sound engineering because they think it sounds like a cool thing to do. And this in general slowed down for the more driven people. But if one is motivated you can get a lot out if it my sure.
Dec 07, 2004 04:28 pm Ugh... That really bothers me. There's no room for those kinds of people in the industry. There's not even enough room for the motivated ones.
Dec 07, 2004 04:29 pm there are people like that in EVERY industry...if you don't know one in your industry, odds are you ARE that person :-p
Dec 07, 2004 04:31 pm Haha... That's true.
Dec 07, 2004 07:41 pm Too true dB...
Mauz...I think you might be on to something there. But we might be able to tell you more about it after my son has completed the course.
As I said we don't have the choices like in the States. Sometimes when you've made your decision you've got to make it the right decision.
Hey thanks Minkus...we're interested in the States and in Europe because my son is so young that if he is successful at this, he will have completed two degrees before he is 19...and currently he is thinking of going on to Berklee College of Music...if no other paths open up. You can never know whats going to happen...
So it is great to see what else is out there...for eg New York University looks good from the view of internships whilst studying...hell...it all looks good over there.
Cheers all and to Alex Arthurs for starting this thread,
BM :-)
Dec 07, 2004 08:05 pm Yeah, I've thought about Berklee. They've got some pretty sweet studio facilities. There are a lot of good schools around here. I'll probably stay in CT, though.
Dec 07, 2004 08:20 pm Yah...must be good to have choices?
Where'd you get your name muffin? Its cool...you could write a song about that.
Cheers,
BM :-)
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Dec 07, 2004 09:14 pm hey BoysMum
I'm done with the program and think it was great. I've closed down my home studio and now building a 3 studio facility.
Thanks for asking!
By the way, to those of you looking for a school... Is it really important that you get college credit? I mean, I'm all for school but if you graduate from the Conservatory, Fullsail, or a college you will still have an internship to complete at a facility, especially if it's a sought-after studio. So my point is, if you will be an "entry-level" assistant engineer regardless than what was gained? My intention isn't to offend but rather gain insight to those people who consider a degree a requirement.
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Dec 07, 2004 10:01 pm Whats gained is what you can do after the entry level position. Full Sail grads can't instuct at highschools/colleges. Also, I bet if you ask the average full sail grad they'll tell you that the internship provided was awful and the good positions were attained by the students own initiative...the school will still take credit for that student having an internship though. My friends brother who amaizingly is a fullsail grad/crackhead was given the internship of running lights at a small bar.
Dec 08, 2004 02:52 am Hey el musico...that is fantastic...whoa...
3 studio facility...yup! :-)
Has your baby got any particular musical preferences yet? hehehe.
I think I agree with zek that its about keeping options open...I think...especially if you're young yet...
But I also think el musico has a point re internships and also the fact that really...regardless of your qualification you're still going to be an entry level engineers assistant.
So I don't know whats best...its such an individual thing...and people have to call it the best way they can.
But doing one year then going straight in to business...well I don't know if you can do it better than that.
As for my son...he is very young...a degree course is also about confidence...and being young...and doing all the things young poeple do and think and...whatever.
At the end of the day he may well end up servng coffee on the overnight shift at a studio...but hopefully it will have been the difference between as zek says...running lights at a small bar...or actually working in a reputable studio...or one that will become part of the chain towards that or selfemployment...whatever.
Cheers,
BM :-)
Dec 08, 2004 02:56 am PS I think its one of those topics where there is no right or wrong answer...like I say...I think its such an individual thing.
Cheers and best wishes whichever way you go,
BM :-)
Dec 09, 2004 12:44 pm BoysMum- Actually, I just think the two words are funny. No logic behind it :)
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Dec 09, 2004 07:53 pm BoysMum
Actually, my son Blaise's first experience with listening (and watching) was a live Korn DVD mixed in 5.1 surround. I put it in and he just lit up, eyes glued to the screen, and attempted his first dance. It was actually pretty funny.
And he digs anything I sing... of course his smiles and cooing could just be his way of being polite.
"But doing one year then going straight in to business...well I don't know if you can do it better than that." - if that was about me, I had been recording for about 2 years prior to opening my project studio then i had it for a year before i decided to start school, so I didn't just jump into things but things have been moving fast.
Dec 09, 2004 08:08 pm Lol muffin...you're so right...and it just rolls off the toungue...porpoisemuffins...wish I was that clever!
el musico...Korn?...hehehe...babies love human faces and beat...such a great time...Blaise is a lovley name...and probably naturally polite...hehehe!
Yeah...thats cool el musico...I was more looking at return on investment...y'know?...but thats even better 3 years getting experience, 1 year at school...then into self employment...to me it all makes sense.
'I do all my own stunts'...always makes me laugh.
Cheers porpoise muffins and el musico,
BM :-)
Jan 09, 2006 05:05 pm Happy New Year from New Zealand.
Sorry to drag this thread up after lying dormant for over a year...but now that my son has finished the Diploma in Audio Engineering from SAE, I thought you might be interested in what we've learned about the pros and cons of completing an accreditted course.
Firstly, for a young person I think its about continuity from school in terms of the formal aspects of education and also the social aspects.
Possibly first equal, I think it is about gaining confidence that you are on the right path both in terms of recording, mixing and mastering and in terms of helping to define career path options, possible future opportunities and the pathways in that direction.
Thirdly, doing a course, gives you a purpose for getting up in the morning and structure to your day and year. It forces you to manage and organise your competing interests and also to some degree any desire not to complete the course requirements (hehehe).
Overall its about learning what your strengths and weaknesses are and beginning the task of making your strengths even stronger and overcoming your weaknesses.
With anything you stick at, there is the comraderie and networking.
Cheers,
BM:-)
Jan 09, 2006 05:09 pm Wow, happy new year to you as well BoysMum, good to see you back.
Quote:
Thirdly, doing a course, gives you a purpose for getting up in the morning and structure to your day and year. It forces you to manage and organise your competing interests and also to some degree any desire not to complete the course requirements (hehehe).
Which is a great thing to have regardless of path, career choice or lifestyle.
Jan 09, 2006 05:31 pm Didn't want for the original post to be overly long :-/ so here is Part 2:
Practical experience was a pro and a con. It meant my son was well ahead of the course outline and gave him confidence, but at times it also made him question his reason for being there.
Theoretical experience was also a pro and a con. Also in this respect he was ahead of the course.
However, there were many things he had no or little experience with eg mastering, analog recording. There was also experience to be gained about the set up of studios, perhaps how to build a better one. He began to hone his interests in acoustics and where music and science meet.
During the course of the year he met people like dragonorchid and now is flatting with her and her partner etc. He has also been able to help out at other studios, keep recording at his home studio and help out at concerts, live gigs etc.
What I have learned is that there is a lot of competition in this field, I think the Diploma helps you stand out a little.
But I think what makes you stand out a little more, is your attitude, people in the industry plugging for you, your practical experience together with the Diploma as testimony to your theoretical experience and to your ability to stick at something.
Cheers,
BM:-)
Jan 09, 2006 05:39 pm Sorry...part 3:
What made the difference for my son was HRC, but in particular dB and Coco in the early days. I don't mean to make this into a love fest...lol!
The school of hard knocks...in a way college is that...just a softer version. And I think good prep for the real hard knocks to come.
My son was too young to go straight in to self employment. He was also too young for people to take him on as an intern. Overall, at 15 yrs of age college was the right path for him.
Cheers,
BM:-)
Jan 09, 2006 05:42 pm Hello dB.
Just popped in to provide a little update on the ever controversial topic 'hard knocks vs school.' And to also say happy new year.
Although I haven't posted before, I usually keep abreast of affairs at HRC through my son.
Cheers,
Mary-Anne
Jan 09, 2006 05:43 pm Quote:
What made the difference for my son was HRC, but in particular dB and Coco in the early days. I don't mean to make this into a love fest...lol!
ah shucks, I'm flattered, but he has probably long ago learned that I don't really know anything and quit listening to me...
Jan 09, 2006 05:48 pm Lol. You know what kids are like.
But that's the role of parents, to encourage them to give credit where credit is due.
MA
Jan 09, 2006 06:02 pm Yeah, he's a good kid, he'll go far, I'm proud to say he is part of the HRC phenomenon :-)
Jan 09, 2006 06:33 pm Its always hard when you start mentioning peoples names because you don't want to make the mistake of missing people out.
But...you captivated my son's interest from the first time he saw that robot ad, Noize. It's about the magic when you realise that the world is full of possibilities. And from a parents perspective, that's a special moment.
Cheers,
MA
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 09, 2006 10:53 pm Well nice to see you here again, and happy new years to you as well.
Hope all is well, I know it seems to be going well for Arie. I must say I was very impressed with his recording of the Auckland Symphony Orchestra. A wonderfull capture and mix unlike most I have heard before. As well his mixes with Michelle K. were spledind as well. He has come a long way and is now a contributing member of the community here at HRC. Not affriad to speak his mind either, but with respect I must add.
I am flattered to have had a tiny bit of the influance him. I hope to see him doing more and going far with his music and production skills. And as well am glad to hear that the schooling helped him gain ground in many ways. Hopefully he will be a long time member here, and I I look forward to hearing new mixes coming from him in the future.
Lastly, dont be a stranger, stop in and keep us posted on the goings on.
Wishing you well,
Noize
Jan 10, 2006 02:44 am Thank you Noize. All the best for the new year to you and your family.
MA :-)
Jan 10, 2006 01:03 pm wow cool thread all!
and very good points there mum.....
i went to a music school (Atlanta Institute of Music) and a 'formal' structured environment is definately a good place to get your feet wet...on the flip side, i truely feel i could have learned 95% of all that stuff on my own. so i think it really depends on what kinda person you are...i don't do well with structure so when i arrived at "rock star school" it kinda turned my love for music into 'work'....and being the free spirit that i am, it was a BIG turn off...but i did learn alot. and more accurately, i learned what i needed to learn, things that i woulda never picked up on my own. we had one recording class, and that was MY class that i looked forward too every day. it was all very basic stuff, but it opened my eyes to a different world.....that's what i like about schools, the good teachers will open your eyes and inspire you to think.
i wish there was a way to read my posts from oldest to most recent, so i can track my own progress....ya see, i was just starting to take recording seriously when i got on board here at HRC, and now i do it for a living....in a bit over a year! now i'm not sayin' i learned everything i know here, but, like a good teacher....these boards opened my eyes to topics, issues, problems, and tricks that i will always be greatful for.
there's alot of good auto-mechanic schools out there, but i know a true master of the motor, that has never been formally educated, in fact he dropped outta highschool to work in a garrage.
so my point is, everyone learns differently, and only you know yourself enough to know if Berkley, or any school, is the right path for you.
cheerie-o
wyd
Jan 10, 2006 01:09 pm WYD, if you are in atlanta some weekend, you should check out Earle (from HarBal) and hook up with one of his mastering seminars on saturdays. I wanna get down there sometime www.hdqtrz.com/Storage/workshop.htm
Jan 10, 2006 05:57 pm Good points wyd.
Nothing in life is perfect and something I have learned is that it is up to us to fill in the gaps - whether that be the way we learn, the material to be learned or the people teaching it. There is always vexation.
I'm not too sure whether its so much about whether you attend to education formally or informally. I wonder whether its really about whether you can stay the course regardless of its imperfections and the unknown challenges that lie ahead.
The world changes and sometimes in order to be ready for any future opportunities, and most particularly for someone straight from school, it can be wise to enter into formal education balancing it against what you do in your spare time. And vice versa.
Even in dairy farming today, it is unusual for people to present themselves for management positions without the Diploma. And even these people are competing with those with a degree. It is also becoming rare for new entrants to gain entry into the industry without the diploma or equivalent.
Once teachers and nurses could train without a degree. Not so today. My generation was one of the first to have the option of completing a degree for teaching.
There are always exceptions. But I think success is more about making sacrifices (I could be sleeping in instead of attending lectures. lol!), being determined (once you've made your decision, make it the right decision) and sometimes suffering hardships (not being able to eat).
Unfortunately for my son, I'm not one to support moaning. If you want something you need to sort it. And if it means sitting through course material you find boring or mastering to the bands specifications then so be it, until you are in a position to give circumstance.
But I agree with you Wyd, it all boils down to personality.
Mary-Anne:-)
Jan 10, 2006 06:13 pm PS Wyd...
I trust everything is well with you. And all the best for 2006.
Cheers,
MA:-)
Jan 12, 2006 11:54 pm Hey, I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I haven't been around the boards much, so I was surprised when I saw this thread! Glad to hear that the course was good, Mum.
Jan 13, 2006 01:39 am Thank you PorpoiseMuffins. Happy new year. So, you will have completed your first year of a BA? Are you also a student member of aes? I ask, because my son is.
Cheers,
Mary-Anne:-)
Jan 13, 2006 12:59 pm vexation.....mmmmm nice word!
thanks Mary, yes everything is gooin' just fine these days...well mostly, but i'm real good at rollin' with the punches, so it's all good. it sure is nice to see ya around again.
i hope you and your family have a good '06 aswell.
chris
ยง=o)
wow i didn't realize the good folks at Har-Bal were in the ATL....i'd love to sit in on one of those lectures. i gotta keep that in mind next time i head down to Florida....sheesh Atlanta is only 4 hours away...can someone say day trip!
Jan 13, 2006 01:14 pm Quote:
So, you will have completed your first year of a BA? Are you also a student member of aes? I ask, because my son is.
I finished my first semester, which was really just general education, electronics, and some music theory. I actually changed my major for this upcoming semester, however. The Audio program is in kind of a transition stage at the moment, and I really wasn't all that impressed with the people in charge and the facilities that they had. Because I have a wide range of interests and didn't want to limit myself, I decided to become an "Interactive Information Technology" major, which includes web design, multimedia, art, basic business, and some psychology courses. I spoke with the head of the Hartt school (the other recording program at the University) and he said I could create a "Sound Technology" specialization, so I'll still be getting the recording classes, which is is good :)
Oh, and yes, I did sign up for AES. I almost went to the convention in New York this year, too, but something came up :(
Jan 13, 2006 05:45 pm I agree PorpoiseMuffins, you can't make your own luck by limiting yourself in areas that have potential to open up future possibilities or allow others or courses to limit you.
It looks to my very inexperienced eye, that there are many routes to audio engineering. And I rather wonder if audio engineering itself isn't just a path also.
Formal tuition in web design, multimedia, art, business...backed up by practical - making music and recording also in your spare time, plus HRC...its all good! Being multifaceted and as good as possible at the individual components makes for a strong base.
Web design is a weakness for Arie at the mo. Music video's is something else he wants to get into. Yesterday he put together his first recording package contract. Now the legal side of the business is interesting him. So much to do....lol.
This year's aes conventions are in San Fransisco(?) and Paris. Wow! When I was a kid...going into town was a highlight!
Cheers and good luck with everything PorpoiseMuffins,
Mary-Anne:-)
Jan 13, 2006 06:03 pm Thank you for your kind wishes, Chris. We have never met other than at HRC, but I always feel happy when people here, achieve what they set out to do.
Now...HarBal? This would be a fine eg of something to be learned by doing...when you are already an engineer. No?
A very famous violinist - some say one of the finest that ever lived - Jascha Heifetz - said something like, 'There are no tops. There are always further heights to reach.'
Now that you are an engineer, where to from here for you Chris?
Cheers,
Mary-Anne:-)
