musicartist

Hello all, my apologizes if someone has already asked this question. I would like to know if anyone here has come across or is enrolled in a great recording/audio engineering college. I've had a hard time trying to decide from the ones I've come across. It seems like they become discredited in some way or another, by students or actual information related to them. Any and all help is appreciated.

Some I've looked at:

Full Sail University (read a lot of negatives about it)

Mcnally Smith College OF Music (want to believe it's a good facility, but I read a students review of the school, that said students were being taught subjects, by teachers without high school diplomas. I really don't see how that's possible, but it really could be true.) I wish to learn from someone experienced and knowledgeable about recording and audio engineering.

One other, but I forgot the name of it. (if i find it I'll edit this post) It's in CA though.

One I'm looking at now:

Conservatory Of Recording Arts & Sciences (as of now it seems promising) class size is small, and it's a hands on approach from day 1.

As I already stated, any and all help is much appreciated, thank you.

RoKr93

I did a rather ridiculous amount of research on this last year, being in a similar position as you are now. First off, I did some looking as far as Full Sail and McNally Smith went, but I was quickly put off by the overwhelming negative feedback from students and the not-so-stellar reputation of these schools. The for-profit sector doesn't seem to be a successful avenue for these endeavors, as from what I've gleaned your degree is essentially worthless outside (and frankly, sometimes even within) the field.

Now, as a blanket statement, I'm going to say this: recording arts programs in colleges across the country are WILDLY diverse. They go by a bunch of different names, feature totally different coursework from school to school, and can range from an emphasis on music performance to engineering. So before I go on a tangent listing all the schools I looked into, here's some questions for you:

1. Do you play an instrument? What is it?
2. Would you be confident auditioning on your instrument?
3. Do you want instrumental study to be a part of your degree?
4. Do you have other musical interests beyond recording?
5. Do you have other audio-related interests beyond recording?

These will likely factor heavily into what type of program will be right for you.

kmcmom13

To add to RoKr93's excellent questions, I'll be even more up front. What is your GPA and SAT/ACT and class rank?

For some of the top drawer programs, that will be germane.

And equally important, what kind of recording have you done to date on your own, if any?

We will get around to giving you a list of schools to look at, promise! But the answers to those questions will help us give you information more efficiently

musicartist

First, let me say thank you, to you two, for replying to my post. In regards to RoKr93's questions, the answers are as follows:

1. Not really, I kind of play around on a keyboard. I would like to be able to play piano.
2. Based on my limited knowledge of the keyboard/piano, no.
3. Sure, it would be a plus.
4. Yes, music composition.
5. Yes, music production.

In regards to kmcmom13's questions, the answers are as follows:

GPA: 2.7
SAT/ACT: I can't remember my ACT score, but I did take it.
Class Rank:182 out of 1200

Multitrack
Digital
Analog

stradmom

Have a look at Columbia College Chicago. Their Audio Arts & Acoustics department is excellent.

kmcmom13

^I agree that would be a good fit. It might be expensive depending on your eligibility for aid.
I don't know what state you are in, or what the entry stats are like, but take a peek at Ball State in Indiana as well.

You didn't mention what kind of experience you presently possess. Many of the school of music type programs require portfolios, and some of the engineering ones have a higher GPA cutoff (eg. min. 3 - 3.5 GPA, depending on program.) But sometimes exceptions are made for students who thrive/have a lot of experience in one particular area.

My suggestion is that you try to intern at an area sound recording studio and see where employees there went to school. You might be surprised to learn that you have access to local programs as well.
Eg. although my son is at UMich, he was surprised to learn while in highschool that his local community college actually had a very good music recording program -- and that some of those credits transferred in as departmental electives (though not as pre-reqs.)

So there might be better options for you than the "strictly-vocational-privates" - which don't always have your best interest at heart, and whose credits typically don't transfer to other institutions, meaning if you go even for a year and realize it is not a good program, that's money and time lost that doesn't transfer.

Another resource might be AES - the Audio Engineer Society. They have a list of accredited schools. Perhaps somewhere in their material they address "commercial" (eg. not college or university) programs such as the types you've mentioned.

Here's a link to their site: Audio Engineering Society (AES)

kmcmom13

MY MISTAKE - NOT ACCREDITED BY AES, JUST LISTED BY AES!

PS - You can see a listing of ALL types of programs reported to AES. Seeing the name of a program there in the directory does NOT mean it's in any way accredited by AES - it's just an informational listing. But you can look up Degree programs in your area that way -- or associate degrees, or certificates, etc.

I will note that McNally gives a BS in recording, and is apparently accredited by NASM, but I'm not sure that means anything about the rumors you heard

SJTH

My son was particularly interested in both UCSD's recording technology program, and the Recording Arts program (within the film school) at Loyola Marymount University. UCSD's program has both a technology and a composition element, while LMU's is specifically technology only. LMU only admits about 15 students into the program every year. KMCMOM is a huge source of info about Michigan's (and others') programs. We visited Indiana last spring, but my son didn't want a program based in a conservatory.

RoKr93

Another program I think might be a good match for you based on your stats/experience is Middle Tennessee State. Their programs in Audio Production and Music Business are very well regarded.

Audio Production Degree -- Department of Recording Industry -- MTSU

stradmom

Maybe University of New HAven?

electricbassmom

I believe that University of Hartford has an audio engineering program as well.

kmcmom13

SJTH, nice to "hear" from you Lmu has a lot of film related audio too, right? Awesome suggestion, but what kind of stat/gpa cutoff is there?
(eg Umich's would be way too high).
These are all great programs mentioned (I think middle Tennessee also has a masters even) but I'm not sure of the academic requirements. The poster will probably want to read up on the programs directly to get a sense of fit. What's great about the AES list is that it's pretty complete -- if overwhelming

patientpoppa

You might want to check out the TIMARA program at Oberlin. A friends D is in this program and loves it.

TRACsd

Our school offers an Occupational Associate Degree in Recording Arts. This is a 10-month program and does not include any general ed. It does include several certifications in industry standard gear and software. In the spirit of full disclosure, an Occupational Associates is a stand-alone kind of degree, meaning it does not serve as the first step toward a 2-year Associate Degree, or a 4-year Bachelor Degree. We conduct all of our classes in a professional commercial studio, so the curriculum is very experiential and real-world based.

In general, I would suggest you decide on whether you want a 4-year degree to obtain all of your general ed credits (and have the full college experience!), or whether you might want to check into a Junior/Community College and do a 2-year program with an emphasis on Recording Arts, or a program like ours. You could also check into companies that offer shorter-term courses and certification programs as a way of getting some initial experience and determining if this is really the right direction for you!

stradmom

Isn't there some rule about no commercial interruptions on the board?