|
 | | | | Apr30 Written by:Tatiana Nu
Sunday, April 30, 2000 6:00 PM In our efforts to be all that we can be career wise, we invariably run into several bumps, obstacles and forks in the road. At some point, we may face the question of whether or not we need either degrees, course work or perhaps a shot in the arm in the form of hands on training to accomplish our goals.
We all desire roughly the same things- competence in the form of know how and connections leading to work. But how to get there? When you are early to mid- career, these questions do not have obvious answers. There is no one way to get to where you want to go. All you know is: you want to be there and you want to get there as painlessly as possible.
While this desire is understandable it is one that over time requires the addition of much flexibility and patience. No doubt there will be periods where the path is dismayingly unclear. Sometimes it doesn't even appear obvious what technical know how you really need to have. To confuse matters, there are varying opinions as to what constitutes the "right stuff" and even more opinions on how to get there by pros in the business.
Then there are businesses who have made it their business to sell you a particular brand or package of knowledge designed to get you to where you want to go. These are the Universities and trade schools who create curricula designed, from their perspective, to give you the competitive edge in this labyrinth known as the world of music.
What these programs really have to offer any individual is almost entirely circumstantial. No program, no matter how comprehensive could give someone ALL the knowledge they need to go out and make a career for themselves. On the other hand, even a general overview of technical know how can give the right person at the right time that little extra push they need to make a major step forward in their potential.
Uncomfortably Dumb
My own interest in this subject of education in general stems from my experience of having left the hallowed halls of academia to pursue experience in the so called "real world". I bought a synch, sequencer (Performer), and began writing music for a theatrical magic show.
Eventually tiring of having to record to cassettes, I began to investigate my options for a new recording setup. A friend helped me settle on a digital recording package: a new G3 mac, an AMIII soundcard, and Digital Performer. I had joined the ranks of the project studio geek wannabe's. I was hooked, but found myself with absolutely no idea how to troubleshoot, and no set of colleagues who were doing what I was doing. After all, I had essentially switched careers and knowledge bases by leaving school, and this left me with no infrastructure of support.
My salvation came in the form of an internet list for mac users with MOTU software (Motu-Mac), and finally I had a whole array of very knowledgeable people who were willing to help. I now had the beginnings of colleagues and connections- it was a start, to be sure.
However, in hearing about their backgrounds, I began to notice that the majority were self taught in many aspects of what the were doing. Although this was impressive to me, it would also depress me greatly to think this was my destiny as well. These guys were light years ahead of me, it seemed,and how long would it now take me to learn what I needed to do what I wanted to do, which included expanding into music for documentaries, industrials and such. How long before I could afford all the equipment I would ultimately need and master using it? Was there really no place I could go to take some crash courses in any of the subjects that I faced, like SMPTE? It all seemed completely overwhelming.
Well, I toughed it out for a few years, and though I still feel like a newbie, I know much more than I did a year and a half ago. Though I have resolved that I will likely continue on the path of self instruction, I still find myself thinking, every once in a while that maybe, just maybe, there is someplace I can go to get that shot in the arm.
Kicking Around on a Piece of the Ground in my Home Town
I decided to check out a local Studio and school called Omega Studios, right around the corner from me in Rockville MD. I had perused their website and found they had a course series that matched, to some degree ,what I was looking to learn. It is a four part course series known as the Audio Production Techniques Program, which has as its third course ProTools. My ideal would be to understand fully the post production process. Perhaps I could find some courses to take.
Being naturally skeptical, I decided I would take a multi-step approach to my inquiry, guided only by instinct and common sense. I asked several professionals to review Omega's website to give me their impression. Not surprisingly, I got mixed reviews. One said it looked a fantastic program and that I couldn't miss. An opposing response was "If they are such a great studio why do they need a school?" I suspected that the"truth" I would uncover would likely fall somewhere in the middle.
This initial feedback, however, gave me the freedom to gather my own impression at the interview and tour of the facility. In the meantime, I received a packet of information about Omega including the tuition information. My initial concern was the price tag of $4,948 for 185 hours, or four courses. It sounded high to me, especially with no way of knowing the quality I might expect during those hours. Then again, I thought, if they do in fact cover all this territory in this short amount of time, perhaps its worth it. Besides, I had just dropped the same amount into a new engine for our car! Certainly I needed to find out more.
The School
I was met for the tour/interview by admissions Director Bill Terry ,obviously a very good choice for this position because if his congeniality and likability alone. I was given more information on the tuition, including a finance plan, refund policy, and such. In the meantime, we were chatting about my background which was quickly gathered by all to not match their usual student profile.
Joining our discussion was Director of job placement Dave Cannon, who conceded I might be frustrated at certain parts of the course series because I was already doing those things. But naturally there would be things covered that I didn't know, and the whole idea of the series is to progressively build on the previous course.I asked about SMPTE, and found out that though it was addressed briefly in all three courses, it was not covered extensively.
The tour was of the studios four main recording studios and classrooms. (For studio and equipment specs, refer to Omega's website at http://www.omegamusic.com.) Omega prides itself in using as its own working equipment as the instructional equipment. Everyone receives hands on instruction in those studios, regardless of the series. Emphasis is placed on understanding signal flow, and analog recording basics. The Protools course is the entry into hard disk recording, using G3 Macintoshes, and AMIII soundcard.
The curriculum combines classroom and small group instruction. Included is individual time at workstations and projects such as creating an ad from scripting to recording, and recording and mixing a live band. I was able to peek into a few classes as they were going on. Everyone looked really young to me, a sign that for sure I am getting older, but also tangible evidence, once again, that I would not be the typical person taking classes there.
As it turns out, being a vocational school, Omega's main goal is to provide the student who does not want to attend a four year program the basic essentials he or she will need to get en entry level position in a recording studio in the least amount of time. Part of the curriculum is career development, and though Omega cannot guarantee job placement, they do offer a 20 hour course devoted to just this aspect, including resume preparation as such as well as job placement assistance for successful graduates.
So the average student is very young, often a recent high school graduate. The school is not really intended to be a place to gain additional experience or take a class here and there. However, to their credit, Omega is flexible in that they offer the option of going directly into a higher level course if you test out of the lower level ones. Also, in my case, they offered dropping the mandatory career development requirement, as I was obviously versed in this aspect by virtue of working.
To go or not to go?
My basic conclusion about Omega was that they could be a good experience for just the right kind of person. The ideal person for this program, it seems, would be someone who knows next to nothing and who does not have the means to buy equipment on which to self instruct. Arguably, for close to $5000, one could get a basic start with a home studio and at very least learn MIDI. On the other hand, one would certainly not have access to a fully functioning professional studio at that price.
There is the question of connections, that holy grail of music biz, no matter where you find yourself in the spectrum. Its important to realize that one cannot expect to simply buy connections for the price of tuition. That being said, there are of course advantages to being in any competent place, as long as you are reasonably good at what you are doing and people like you.
In this regard, Omega did mention a life long support for graduates. People who have completed the program can return at any time and take a course for audit at no expense to expand and update their knowledge. If one could take advantage of this, it certainly isn't something any university I know of would offer.
In the interview/tour process overall, I got a fairly firm but friendly plug, and no hard sell. Owner and founder Bob Yesbeck, who happened by, took quite a bit of time to chat with me about a variety of topics, including how Omega saw itself in relation to four year programs. I did get the impression that Omega cares about its students and feels they have found the formula that will give them the greatest likelihood of a good start given for the time and the price tag.
Of course Omega is a business. Although not many like to think of it this way, so are universities. It is their business to develop a program that plugs into some construct for finding work. In the case of Universities, that would be in the form of a degree which has national and international recognition. However, all college graduates face the gloomy realization that the world is not, in fact, their oyster because of the letters they now have after their name. Their work has really just begun, as they now face integrating their book knowledge into a working career. This is especially true in the creative arts, though it is true to varying degrees across the board.
Regardless of whether one chooses a four year program, or a vocational/tech program, one has to be on the lookout for meaningless degrees and certifications, or, degrees that are in essence not marketable. Certainly it would be unwise to take any schools word for it that they have what you need. If in fact they do, this truth should emerge. To this end, one must have a strategy for investigation to get at that truth for a particular individual.
Is there anything (else) out there?
What anyone contemplating attending any trade school or other program should do is: research, and ask many, many questions of as many different people as possible. An informed decision is one you will always feel better about. It might be a tedious process, but it is a healthy one, and one in which you will invariably learn a great deal about how information is packaged and distributed, and how to read between the lines.
When thinking about a particular program, an obvious resource for information would be graduates of the program. Omega apparently has "thousands" of graduates working all around the country in various positions. Unfortunately at the time of my interview they did not have a referral system in place. Then again, I would expect that if they did, it would be those students who had the greatest success. In the interest of completing the picture, one would need to talk to people who were not so satisfied with their experience, if any, and find out why.
Another angle would be to call around to studios, and ask them about their entry level and other positions, and whether the people in those positions have in fact attended such programs and which ones. Get on line and ask professionals for their opinion- I have found even quite busy people to be very willing to give their feedback when asked, given that you are only seeking information in a research gathering capacity.
Omega distributes as part of its packet of information the first page of an article in August 1999 Mix Magazine article called "Audio Education Programs" a 15 point guide about how to research recording programs around the country. Omega measures up quite well to these basic guidelines, which appear to be very well constructed, and an obvious resource to turn to in helping develop a strategy.
Then there is the gut instinct. Cultivating the ability to talk to people and to observe impressions you gather during these conversations is an invaluable skill to be cultivated over a lifetime. A high pressure vibe, or a subtle edge, or perhaps a discomfort conveyed at questions are all things to be on the lookout for. After all, the people at the school are the ones you will see for the duration of your experience. If they seem "wrong" in any way, it certainly does not bode well.
When you are in the position of seeking knowledge from an institution, you are in a very prone position. It may seem they have what you want, and that you can only get it there. When this feeling comes over you, it is important to step back and take a closer look so as to not be won over by those who stand to profit from your confusion and desire to be better. Not everyone is going to be as above board and pleasant as the people at Omega. If the program really has what you need, this will be at least partially borne out in intensive scrutiny.
Is there any one at home? Stepping back and considering options
The most important things to ask oneself when contemplating a program that you feel ill equipped to afford or are at all skeptical about is: what are your options? What are your resources? We tend to overlook the full spectrum of what is available within our immediate reach. The internet, especially lists devoted to topics of equipment and software are one of the best ways to get alot of information that is as current as it gets and is relevant to professionals. It is also a great way to make meaningful connections, all of which can lead to more information and opportunities. Trade magazines are also key for keeping up with the times.
If you are a person like myself who already has some fairly significant experience with some aspects of sound recording or composition, another option is to hire a professional to tutor you in areas you feel you need to more about. The advantage of this method is you can get directly to the piece of knowledge you seek. Also, you can be instructed at your own pace, as opposed to having the instructor slow things down or speed things up with respect to the overall skill level of the others in the class.
Yet another way is to use the "study buddy" system: No matter how little you know, you are not alone in that position, and on the internet, or through the local music scene, you can find other people in your area who are interested in getting together to learn about some aspect of hardware or software. Also, hang out with people that know more than you; visit their home studios and see what they are doing. I have never met anyone who didn't want to show off their gear.
Books are another great resource for information and self instruction. Mix Books is one resource of good quality books in a range of levels. The advantage of a book is that you can see clearly what it contains before you buy it. The disadvantage, of course, is that you have to sit down and read it! Also, you must be able to find a way to apply what you read to what you are actually doing in your studio to make that information "stick" and become a part of your thinking.
Overall, an effective strategy to self instruction is to vary it and supplement it with some help here and there, perhaps of the hired variety. The benefit of pursuing self instruction is that it is, ultimately, the way you will need to learn anyway. Also, by talking to others in the field and the biz you are networking in a way that is more "real" than the forced self marketing we all end up having to do. The connections you make through easy going friendships and colleague relationships with people who are roughly in your same position are the ones that most often get you opportunities.
Welcome to the Machine
The bottom line is that you must put yourself 100% in charge of your future. As nice as it would be, no one is going to lead us by the hand through the jungle of the music biz. No one is exempt from having to wade through the morass of career unclarity. One must keep an open mind and open ears, be watchful of trends and gather information at every turn.
The good news is, with this approach, you waste no time. Everything is data. The more you have, the more you know, and by putting one foot in front of the other, you are, at the very least, moving forward.
The fact is that everyone who is successful came to their position through a fairly unique constellation of events and decisions. The music biz has so much overlap that there simply is no linear path to get to any one career choice.
Though realizing this can be irritating, it also is the gateway to cultivating some degree of faith that you too will end up with your own successful constellation. You must strive for extreme competence,maintain perseverance, and have a little luck here and there. For better or worse, though, you are at the helm of your ship.
The ProRec Special Issue continues here >>>
Tags: | | | | | | | |
|
|