Audio Degrees...

[soundgeek]

Hi thank you for all your very interesting comments. I went and visited Surrey Uni and loved it - thought it was perfect for me. I have tried to get as much experience as possible around where I live but if anyone knows good places to get more - this would be great. (I am very near Haywards Heath, Mid Sussex).

 

I'd love to hear from any engineers working in in live/broadcast/recording studios and know what route they took to get there. What the job is like would also be very useful - i.e. basically if you enjoy it. I know there are many ways to get into the industry, but I'm desperately trying to find the best one!! Sorry for all the questions, but B-R is a great way to find answers!

[mervaka]

don't set your heart on that alone. I've already mentioned it in this thread - get a more generic engineering qualification (such as electronic/electrical engineering), then get some experience in the real world afterwards. you never know, your aspirations might change while you're on the course.

[Pete McCrea]

Another vote for the related Degree route. If you do electronic Engineering. Then in 5 years time when your fed up with the long hours and want a change some more generic will help. Having a very specific degree may limit your abilities. Add a good dose of experience on the side and hey presto an ideal Uni graduate in my book.

[Gareth Connor]

Your hands-on experience to date and running of your own company are an excellent foundation on which to build. Your desire to go to Uni and gain a degree-level qualification is also an excellent choice. I can't give much in the way of suggestions in the training/learning area as the other posters have already done this. There is one exception: the School of Sound Recording in Manchester. They cover a wide range of pro-audio, including live sound.

 

My own experiences may help in your choice and decisions. Without going deeply into backgrounds which will cloud the issue, I had two choices - a grant to study electronics at Uni, and also a very interesting job offer in electronics with the promise of further education. The job was with a console manufacturer and the career path was to end up in R&D in about 2 years. My past experience was passionate audio electronics and by age 21, I had already designed, built and sold several mixers (12 into 4 being the biggest). I chose the job over Uni as it was the quickest path to the R&D lab; the move to which took place in 4 months, not the planned 2 years. Promotion followed rapidly and the further education promise was cancelled as, according the Company's Technical Director, I "did not need it as the work produced was already at the design engineer level". Quite a compliment for someone who was by-and-large self-taught.

 

Up to around age 30, the lack of formal qualifications was a serious issue and real, hard, proof of achievements was most essential. The "degree" of QBE (qualified by experience) from the "University of Life" did not serve me brilliantly!

Above age 30, experience seemed to be more readily accepted. After all, anyone in the industry for nearly a decade must be able to perform their job of work. The lack of a degree was not much of a hindrance on face value, but the career doors that opened were perhaps not fully open. The lack of "networking" that Uni affords in later life was a huge vacuum that can never be overcome.

Looking at friends and associates who have formal Uni qualifications and who are of a similar age to me (mid 40's) I note that in later life (35+) they ALL have been more successful financially than I have, although in our 20's, I was in the leading pack, with job passion, satisfaction and disposable income.

With the volatile nature of pensions, consistent financial success throughout life is important.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gareth.

[paulears]

When I 'thought' I'd finished my education, I went for an interview at the BBC in the sound department. All went well until the interviewer said "Can you explain the purpose of bias current to a recording head in a reel to reel tape recorder" - I couldn't. So he explained it to me, and I didn't get the job. Your degree may well get you onto the list of possibles, but it guarantees nothing whatsoever, and the people with the jobs want to know what you can do and what you know....... on top of it.