By Mark Laurell
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Choosing An Audio Engineering School Based Off A Big Name Instead Of Merit
We all fall into this trap, thinking that the fanciest name will be the best choice for us, but most of the time, it’s just not true. If you’re really passionate about music, there are a lot of great options out there and you shouldn’t get hung up on Jacobs or Julliard just because they’re famous. Research a diverse set of programs, and create a cost benefit analysis to figure out which school is best for you, based on its merits.
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Choosing An Audio Engineering Program Without Built-In Opportunities To Make Connections
Building connections in the music industry is vital to your success! If you leave school without them, you’ve wasted your time. You can either build pre-professional connections with other students at prestigious big city schools (think Berklee), or you can build professional contacts within mentorship programs or internships.
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Choosing An Audio Engineering Program That Forces You To Waste Time On Subjects You Don’t Care About
If you know that music is what you want to study then study music, not math or science or history. Music schools attached to a traditional four-year degree force you to take core requirements and electives that drive up price and distract from your ultimate goal. If you want to focus on music, choose a conservatory or mentorship program.
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Choosing An Audio Engineering Program With No One-On-One Attention
This is huge! The best way to learn any art form is through guided skillful one-on-one teaching. Out of all the other options, mentorship programs are really best for guaranteeing this level of attention. The highest regarded program out there, in terms of student success, is Recording Connection, which works diligently to match students with their ideal mentor.
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Choosing An Audio Engineering Program With No Real-World Experience
A lot of programs out there offer a great music or music production education, but do so in an academic bubble. Consider a mentorship program or a program like the SAE Institute, that can offer hands-on experience problem solving in an actual studio.
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Going Into Soul Crushing Debt
When entering the job market in a creative field, being saddled with debilitating debt will force you into career-ruining decisions. Set yourself up to make moves based on strategy, not desperation. Apply for scholarships and grants. Be innovative. Be flexible. While all of the programs I have recommended here do have a potentially prohibitive cost, the two cheapest are Recording Connection (between 12K-15K) and the SAE Institute (just over 30K).