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What are good entry level jobs or opportunities for sound engineers and producers?
I'm a high school senior interested in studying music technology in college. I reside in California right now and am aiming to study in LA, NYC, or Nashville. I'm also open to study abroad opportunities.
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3 answers
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Glen’s Answer
There are lots of great resources online and locally.
Local to you would be Pyramind - https://pyramind.com/ - reach out to them - do a tour - attend some meetups. There are also some local SF meetups that are music-focused. Reach out to Steve at RobotSpeak too - they might know of some good local scenes which are happening.
Do you know what sort of work you want to do? Studio/Live/Gaming/Theater/Independent
I personally like what I'm seeing out of new-york and England as well. It's been a while since I was up on the local scene but Point Blank out of the UK looks promising -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31T4NAjs3pw
NYC has https://www.youtube.com/c/dubspot
I've been tracking what Dave Rat is doing as well - Live sound is a whole other beast to consider - good community behind his feed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nJM07b0k7C9CvcM-9OH6w
Apart from formal education and good mentors - nothing beats working - reach out to local studios in SF (Hyde street) - https://www.hydestreet.com/ - or Oakland (25th street) - https://www.25thstreetrecording.com/ - to see about internships.
Local to you would be Pyramind - https://pyramind.com/ - reach out to them - do a tour - attend some meetups. There are also some local SF meetups that are music-focused. Reach out to Steve at RobotSpeak too - they might know of some good local scenes which are happening.
Do you know what sort of work you want to do? Studio/Live/Gaming/Theater/Independent
I personally like what I'm seeing out of new-york and England as well. It's been a while since I was up on the local scene but Point Blank out of the UK looks promising -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31T4NAjs3pw
NYC has https://www.youtube.com/c/dubspot
I've been tracking what Dave Rat is doing as well - Live sound is a whole other beast to consider - good community behind his feed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nJM07b0k7C9CvcM-9OH6w
Apart from formal education and good mentors - nothing beats working - reach out to local studios in SF (Hyde street) - https://www.hydestreet.com/ - or Oakland (25th street) - https://www.25thstreetrecording.com/ - to see about internships.
I found the local meetup I was thinking about - it's still active - https://www.meetup.com/barcmut/
Glen Cuthbertson
Yes! I want to work at live concerts or a studio setting. Thank you for the resources, I appreciate it :)
Madison
Updated
Seth’s Answer
Hi Madison, in my experience, I would tell you to become a DJ at a local radio station. This is what I did and I learned a lot! Just because I say DJ, it doesn’t mean you have to speak on Air. You can learn how to run a mixing board, enter songs into the computer and learn about the different kinds of microphones, get a good idea of ways to mix the board, and all the different e-cues and sound effects. It is a lot of fun! I was On-Air, putting music in the computer, and doing the weather report for three different radio stations at once because all three were under one roof! I really suggest you do this- even if it is as an intern. You will learn a lot! I live in a small town so I got lucky finding this job but you are in a lot bigger city where there is all kinds of stations! I know when I have looked in bigger cities- Iheart radio seems to be hiring a lot but I don’t know about out there- never looked it up. Another thing you can do is live mixing for bands- even if it is for small local bands. They will show you the ropes and you can mix for them- I’ve done that quite a bit and that is also a lot of fun! Hope this helps and good luck!!!!
Oh BTW… I would go to Nashville! A lot cheaper than LA or NYC! It is one heck of a music city! I’ve been there- every where you go there is music around every corner! And a lot of talent is found there, plus musicians are always looking for the newest and hottest record producers! Granted, most of the music there is country and if that is not your thing- that’s ok, this is where you get your experience and your foot in the door! So give it some thought! Once again, GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING!!!!
Oh BTW… I would go to Nashville! A lot cheaper than LA or NYC! It is one heck of a music city! I’ve been there- every where you go there is music around every corner! And a lot of talent is found there, plus musicians are always looking for the newest and hottest record producers! Granted, most of the music there is country and if that is not your thing- that’s ok, this is where you get your experience and your foot in the door! So give it some thought! Once again, GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING!!!!
Wow, this was a lot! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I'll definitely consider your advice for my future plans.
Madison
Updated
Jerome’s Answer
Don't forget volunteer opportunities (think local public radio stations?) and things like community theatre; anywhere you can get some hands-on mixing and recording experience looks great on your resume.
I completely agree. Thank you for the tips :). Do you know opportunities open to youth in San Francisco that would support this?
Madison
I don't (I'm on the East Coast), but I'd suggest you scout out any organization in your area that might do public presentations -- public radio, community groups, community theatre, etc. If you're willing to volunteer -- and especially if you can be available on off-hours -- you'll probably find someone who wants the help.
Jerome Levy