Audio Technology I course

[Dave Collins]

I honestly don't see how they will learn all this from the program as explained but that's another story. But in answer to your "real world" question; I would suggest that they will find the actual "real world" far removed from their school/classroom situations.

We used to have this discussion at A&M:

"Is it better to hire a person fresh from Berklee, or a motivated novice and teach him 'our' way?"


DC

[3daudioinc]

Pardon my rant. I just get tired of the negativity and nay-saying. Truth is, the criticism pushes me to address issues more completely and with a broader view.

Here are the facts though.

1) This class is already being taught in five high schools in Tennessee.

2) I've been asked (maybe providentially since I have no idea how they found my name) to assist in making it better.

3) It can be better.

4) I have a passion for making it better, with ideas for curriculum and demonstrations that I think will assist in better educating and preparing the students for the real world.

5) There is a serious realization among the teachers I spoke with that there are NO recording studio jobs available for graduating students (both are EX studio engineers). Recording studios are not hiring. (And I'd rather see these kids learn this stuff for free than spend $20K to go to a recording school that promises them they can find a job when they get out.)

6) The focus of this class is Audio Technology and there are jobs in that field. However, those jobs are NOT sitting in the studio with Taylor Swift or 50 Cent. There is now and will always be a need for knowledgeable people who understand audio, in a plethora of disciplines.

7) I'd like to see students who are truly interested in audio (much like I was at their age) get a great background to prepare them to pursue their dreams. If I can help translate that 1 hour a day into a career that will be satisfying and help them do something they enjoy for the rest of their career, then I'm all over that.


I don't have much sway over the education system in Tennessee but there is one little square in the corner of the room that I can have a positive impact on. Maybe 100 (or fewer) students out of several hundred thousand per year. That's all I'm trying to do.

[3daudioinc]

I should add that I appreciate the input of the posters here but I don't expect approval from this group. My satisfaction will be no different than what it has been for years. Finding people who are intelligent and motivated and passionate about audio and helping them and encouraging them to succeed.

[samc]

I just get tired of the negativity and nay-saying.

Nobody, to my knowledge have stated or even suggested that what you're doing, or your objective(s) are wrong or a bad. So I really don't understand why disagreeing with, or criticizing some aspects of the program is considered negativity and/or nay-saying.

Truth is, the criticism pushes me to address issues more completely and with a broader view.

I seriously thought that this was the reason for making it a thread in the first place.

[Troy Baldwin]

6) The focus of this class is Audio Technology and there are jobs in that field. However, those jobs are NOT sitting in the studio with Taylor Swift or 50 Cent. There is now and will always be a need for knowledgeable people who understand audio, in a plethora of disciplines.

Lynn, this comment, more than anything else said so far, caught my attention. Will some of these job options be addressed? I know early on for me it was all about being in a big studio with big names, recording great music (meeting B.B. King when I was an intern reinforced this idea.)

I couldn't have forseen the directions (and locations) my career choice would take me, but if I had held onto the "big studio" idea, I'd probably be living in a van down by the river right now.

I studied electronics in high school and for a short time afterward. Being young, dumb, and horribly short sighted, all I could forsee was fixing televisions. Little did I realize 15 years later I would be needing that knowledge.

[3daudioinc]

Lynn, this comment, more than anything else said so far, caught my attention. Will some of these job options be addressed? I know early on for me it was all about being in a big studio with big names, recording great music (meeting B.B. King when I was an intern reinforced this idea.)

I couldn't have forseen the directions (and locations) my career choice would take me, but if I had held onto the "big studio" idea, I'd probably be living in a van down by the river right now.

I studied electronics in high school and for a short time afterward. Being young, dumb, and horribly short sighted, all I could forsee was fixing televisions. Little did I realize 15 years later I would be needing that knowledge.

Absolutely. We sat around the table and recounted stories of guys that wanted to be engineers or musicians who ended up as publishers, video directors, guitar makers, studio designers, producers, road case manufacturers, microphone designers, etc.

There's a big section devoted to alternate careers and the needs of those specialties. Here's the list that was compiled with the input from people here.

Music Recording
Live Recording
Sound Reinforcement
ENG (Electronic News Gathering)
Audio for Films
Acoustic Design
Home Theatre Design
Audio for Games
Houses of Worship (multi-discipline)
Audio for the Web
Audio for Sports
Audio sales (home and professional)
Hospitality industry (including theme parks and rides)
Multimedia design
Hi-Fi
Education
Forensic audio/Restoration
Equipment Design
Manufacturing/Repair/Technical Support
A/V design