Morgan
Why don’t we have more schools that offer audio production
I’ve looked up many schools that I have wanted to attend but changed my mind due to not having my major which is audio production #audioproduction
2 answers
Charlie Post
Charlie’s Answer
Hi Morgan,
This is a good question. You actually have a school right there in Murfreesboro that offers a major in Audio Production - MTSU! Generally though, you'll find audio production tied into universities with schools of music. If you're recording music, you need musicians around, right? Even if you were interested in audio production for film or TV, music recording is an excellent place to start.
Check out Mix Magazine's listings of audio education programs. Mix culls a listing of all the available programs out there, ranging from 4 or 6 month certificate programs up to 4- year bachelor's degree and 5- year master's degree programs. Mix only takes in what's submitted by each program (or institution), so it may not be fully complete. I recommend supplementing their listings with resources from the Audio Engineering Society (AES). One of the main goals of the AES is the education of students and professionals!
I wish you luck and hope you find what you're looking for.
Cheers,
-Charlie
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Paul Bordenkircher
Paul’s Answer
Charlie is right - MTSU is definitely a good school. And since it's in your neighborhood, I would suggest scheduling a tour of the facilities, speak with some of the faculty, and get an outline of all the different courses, majors and minors offered.
That being said... the rest of this comes from someone with an audio production degree, and working in the industry for close to 30 years.
There's more to "audio production" than just working in the studio recording songs. Audio production skills cover a wide gamut of opportunities you may want to consider. To be perfectly frank, developing a career as a studio recording engineer has never been harder. Why? Because everyone has a recording studio at home. All Macs come with Garageband, a free audio recording program. Most creative people now do their own recording at home, only moving to a professional studio when absolutely necessary.
Other options for audio production include live events - and not just concerts. I live and work in Las Vegas, which is one of the biggest cities in the world for shows AND conventions. Here, most audio engineers make their money from these two areas. Have you ever been to a big convention, like the Consumer Electronics Show? Over 180,000 people come to Las Vegas every year, and there are literally thousands of events all over the city - think of an Apple reveal event - and in every one of those, somebody has to run the sound. Then there's the Cirque du Soleil shows, magicians, acrobats, and more. And of course, it's not just Vegas. Every decent-sized hotel has a banquet area - even the Holiday Inn down the street. Those room house events like sales conferences and weddings. All those events need audio engineers.
Still further, those meeting rooms often have a sophisticated control system to handle room lighting, sound, video and more. There is a whole other segment for audio engineers designing, installing, and operating those rooms. (I recently interviewed for a position installing massive multichannel multimedia systems in hospital operating rooms!) These positions are highly technical, involve planning and execution, and can involve jobs well into six figure salaries!
So depending on your interests, there are multiple opportunities to earn a good living as an audio engineer. Best part is, you don't have to pick just one (though it IS a good idea to specialize). For live sound, it's as easy as volunteering at church, working in the Student Union as an AV tech, or maybe even interning at a local advertising agency. These experiences can let you get a taste of what those jobs are like, and maybe find one that suits you best.
Good luck!