HELP ME PLEASE

[soundop]

ok so i know ive posted many times for help on my college situation, and i really want to go into audio engineering, but my familys financial situation we cant afford any of the schools for it, so im stuck going to western illinois, in which im going to major in broadcst and minor in lighting design, then from there go to the 9 month sae program for audio, will i get any where in the live audio industry like this, or not (also western does not have audio enginerin, though i will join there westech orginazation, which is payed sound/lighting for the campus and town)

[gafftaper]

While there are many around here who are strong advocates of going to the more exclusive schools. The truth is education isn't as important as it is in other fields. Yes, you need to know what you are doing and a college degree is the easiest way to do that. I work at a college, and I fully believe education is always important. However, all that said, there is a HUGE "dumb luck and who you know" factor in this field. There are MANY pros out there working who don't have a masters degree, they don't have a B.A., they don't have a vocational certificate... heck they may not have even been in a high school tech class.

The hardest thing about getting a career in tech is getting your foot in the door. Having a degree from a good school can be a great help in that. But here's the trick. The community is small and everyone knows each other. When considering applications a phone call to your buddy across town has a POWERFUL effect on who gets hired. Once you have a track record, where you went to school becomes less and less important. Future employers want to know what kind of technician you are in the real world, not who taught you how to run the equipment.

One of the most important things you will get out of a school is an opportunity to get an internship because that helps build your real world track record. In my recent tour at Cirque Du Soleil I was talking with the TD and he said they later hire about half the people who do internships for them. Why do they hire them? Because in a stack of resumes of people with limited experience, the person you know is far more appealing than the person who went to the better school.

So to summarize do get a degree, but don't stress about where it's from. Who you meet and impress along the way, internships, summer stock, and other work you do while in college, is equally as important if not more important than where you go to school.

As for me I'm a community college T.D. with a Masters in Education from a state university. I got my job because a friend of mine in the industry got a phone call looking for help and he referred the caller to contact me. Dumb luck and who you know is a powerful force in the theater world.

[icewolf08]

In far fewer words than gaff, let me say that there are many respected people in this industry who either didn't go to school at all or dropped out. By the same token there are those who dropped out and didn't make it. However, it mostly has to do with how you apply yourself and how much practical experience you can get.

The broadcast world isn't terribly different from a lot of what we do. In the audio world, most if not all of the basics are the same. In broadcast you are making the talent heard on the viewer's TV as opposed to on a big line array in a stadium. Most of the skills that you will learn will transfer to what you want to do.

Then, as you plan on doing, get involved with outside groups. Make friends at local venues and work for them whenever you can. You may spend a while cable wrangling for them, but you will be able to work your up and learn while you are doing it. All you need is one group to come through someplace you are working and pass your name along and you could wind up with a job.

Now, to end with a cliche, college is what you make of it. You will only get out of it what you want to take away. So, just because it isn't your top choice of school or program make sure that you go in with a god attitude. You may find that it isn't the place for you, which is OK, but you also may really enjoy it. If nothing else, you should enjoy your time at college.

[gafftaper]

One other note. There are people out there who purposely choose to hire a person without a degree, but a good work record, so that they can train the new person to their system without fighting years of theory.

Again education is a really helpful, but don't let your guidance counselor confuse you. It's not like becoming a doctor or lawyer where you must have a degree to get a job. Your hard work along the way is just as important if not more. So while you are going to school do as much extra tech work outside of school as you can. Who you know and who you impress outside of school can be a far more powerful influence on your career than where you go to school.

[soundop]

ok, so basicly what im hearing is, yes i should go to westeren for broadast for four years, then find a way to get my foot in the door with an internship at any theater i can find?

[gafftaper]

Get yourself the best education you can afford. Don't make the mistake of charging up so much debt you can never get out of it.

WHILE in school, as much as possible, volunteer or work... whatever you can do to stay in and connected with other technicians. Get a job coiling cable at a rental shop in the evenings. Volunteer at a community theater. Whatever you can do to meet and impress people with your skills and attitude along the way will be a huge help to you.

[cprted]

Gafftaper's words are wise and true. While theatre/live ent is my true love, I've spent some time working in broadcast as well. Inquire whether your local stations and network affiliates have internship opportunities, most will. For me, an internship on a morning show turned into a paid gig on the evening news for a major network affiliate and that turned into sweet gig working a PGA Tour event for one of the major sports networks.

[mixmaster]

College (or some other higher education) is important for a number of reasons. Something that I've noticed over the years though, there are a lot of guys and gals in this industry who's degree is in something other than sound engineering. Electrical engineering/design is a very relevant field as is computer or networking skills. Any of these or other degrees give a possibility to fall back on should you not meet the success that you dream about in the audio world. As Gafftaper pointed out, the community is small. That has a lot to do with the fact that only the most dedicated people survive in this industry. I'm not saying that you won't but it never hurts to have a backup plan. Or a day job.
Point number two: I worked for a regional company once that hired me about the same time they hired someone with some degree in the field (the specifics escape me) Guess what? We both started out rolling cables and pushing boxes in the shop for 9 bucks an hour. Most people start that way regardless of weather they have a fancy education. All the education does is give you another tool to help you advance your career, It's not going to guarantee you a career. By all means get some sort of an education. But get experience and get a good work ethic too.

[MNicolai]

Actually, one of the worst things you could do is get a BA or BFA, then go on to immediately get an MFA. My friend/co-worker has his MFA in Theatre Design/Tech, and he taught at Northwestern, UW-Milwaukee, and a few other places. He watched a lot of people go straight from the bachelor's to the master's, only to find out they really didn't enjoy the field. He also saw people who were awesome when it came to academics, but had zero practical abilities. I'd say the education you get working is just as important as the education you get from sitting in a class room. Any light plot can look attractive on paper, but could completely bomb when the plot is actually hung. My advice would not be to find the "best" or "most expensive" school, but rather that you find one where you'll get on-the-job experience. I'm currently in the market for a school, and I've made it a requirement that the school I end up attending must have a roadhouse that employs students to work incoming shows. I looked at the $35k/yr schools, and I have to say, I didn't see a huge difference from those in the $13k/yr schools. To be honest, the competition has been pathetic from what I expected of schools nearly 3x as expensive as a nearby state school.

In summary, don't predict what you're education will be based on by how much it costs, and make sure you find a school that will provide you hands-on experience.

[soundop]

like i said, the school im currently looking at, hires and pays you to run lights and sound, for the events on campus, and in the surrounding area