I have a friend who wants to get into the recording industry... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

ironpham · 03-28-2011, 10:03 PM

I have decided to join him (I'm sure my friend wouldn't care if I gave out his name, but we'll call him Alan just in case) in the learning process of this how-to and have started to do some research for him. If you guys have any input, that would be great.

I've been able to find some information about some schools or programs which give out degrees in "Recording Technology" or "Audio Engineering". However, I have also learned that these degrees are fake and don't mean anything. The two school that I've read about are the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) and Full Sail University. There was also a thing called Recording Connections which isn't so much a school, but a means to place you into the mentoring hands of a professional.

All of them admit to handing out the fake degree. However, they claim that it is completely unimportant. What is important is that they can not only get you hands-on experience, but also at the very least a non-paying internship where you can learn the trade while make at least one networking connection for the trade. Essentially, they open the door for you.

CRAS claims that their $18.6k 8 month curriculum has earned most of their students internships and jobs. They have stories and "testimonials" of many of their students moving on to work for gaming companies or big labels (I put testimonials in quotes because I am unsure of their validity). I even called the school in order to get more information about them (the conversation I had with the lady who answered was very weird). She pretty much told me what I had already researched, but then she directed me toward Recording Connections which she said may be more suitable because it is more local to Alan and me.

Recording Connections is a $4k program where they place you in a 20-session internship with a mentor. The mentor is usually an engineer of a studio. After 20-sessions, you may or may not get a job with them. If you do, it is usually a free paid internship at the start. I've read that this place is a scam in many places, but that's usually from people who have not tried it. Therefore, I cannot be assured of their claim's validity.

However, I was lucky enough to have read a testimonial from someone who was asked to be one of the mentors. He said that it's not necessarily a scam, but it's also not necessarily valuable. He said the students that he was given were either lazy and unmotivated or not smart enough to understand the concepts. He said that there is merit to this program in theory, but he is unsure if it is practiced very well. In the end, if you want any shot in getting into the "industry", you need to have tons of hands-on experience and some connections to back you.

My question to you guys is this:
After reading all of this, would you say that any of these programs are scams? If not, would they be worth it? Would Alan be better suited to try and find a mentor on his own? This would save money but run the risk of not being able to find the help he needs. Do any of you have your own stories or any information regarding this?

Thanks for reading!

Also, I was unsure of whether or not this topic belonged here or Tilted Music. Sorry if it's in the wrong place.

flat5 · 03-29-2011, 03:51 PM

I suggest you ask here:
Artists - organissimo jazz forums - The best jazz discussion forum on the web!

03-28-2011, 10:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
ironpham DOOMTRAIN Location: NC	I have a friend who wants to get into the recording industry... I have decided to join him (I'm sure my friend wouldn't care if I gave out his name, but we'll call him Alan just in case) in the learning process of this how-to and have started to do some research for him. If you guys have any input, that would be great. I've been able to find some information about some schools or programs which give out degrees in "Recording Technology" or "Audio Engineering". However, I have also learned that these degrees are fake and don't mean anything. The two school that I've read about are the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) and Full Sail University. There was also a thing called Recording Connections which isn't so much a school, but a means to place you into the mentoring hands of a professional. All of them admit to handing out the fake degree. However, they claim that it is completely unimportant. What is important is that they can not only get you hands-on experience, but also at the very least a non-paying internship where you can learn the trade while make at least one networking connection for the trade. Essentially, they open the door for you. CRAS claims that their $18.6k 8 month curriculum has earned most of their students internships and jobs. They have stories and "testimonials" of many of their students moving on to work for gaming companies or big labels (I put testimonials in quotes because I am unsure of their validity). I even called the school in order to get more information about them (the conversation I had with the lady who answered was very weird). She pretty much told me what I had already researched, but then she directed me toward Recording Connections which she said may be more suitable because it is more local to Alan and me. Recording Connections is a $4k program where they place you in a 20-session internship with a mentor. The mentor is usually an engineer of a studio. After 20-sessions, you may or may not get a job with them. If you do, it is usually a free paid internship at the start. I've read that this place is a scam in many places, but that's usually from people who have not tried it. Therefore, I cannot be assured of their claim's validity. However, I was lucky enough to have read a testimonial from someone who was asked to be one of the mentors. He said that it's not necessarily a scam, but it's also not necessarily valuable. He said the students that he was given were either lazy and unmotivated or not smart enough to understand the concepts. He said that there is merit to this program in theory, but he is unsure if it is practiced very well. In the end, if you want any shot in getting into the "industry", you need to have tons of hands-on experience and some connections to back you. My question to you guys is this: After reading all of this, would you say that any of these programs are scams? If not, would they be worth it? Would Alan be better suited to try and find a mentor on his own? This would save money but run the risk of not being able to find the help he needs. Do any of you have your own stories or any information regarding this? Thanks for reading! Also, I was unsure of whether or not this topic belonged here or Tilted Music. Sorry if it's in the wrong place. __________________ SIGNATURE.

03-29-2011, 03:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
flat5 Very Insignificant Pawn Location: Amsterdam, NL	I suggest you ask here: Artists - organissimo jazz forums - The best jazz discussion forum on the web!