MORE SUCCESS STORIES 2 (CONT)
Use Your Mentor to Plan Towards the Future
“I just wanted to say thank you to the Recording Connection for setting me up with my mentor. He is an awesome mentor and explains everything in great detail, which helps a lot. I feel as though he is going to be a big help while I try to get my career started. Thank you again.”
— Bethany Murphy, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Learn the Reasoning Behind the Text
“My mentor is very good at explaining the concepts behind each lesson that is assigned to me by the Recording Connection, and because of this, I have yet to leave unsure about whichever subject we have reviewed. I have also begun to introduce myself to the other engineers and Recording Connection students that roam the studio, as I am getting to know my mentors’ studio. My mentor has also invited to see him perform so my mentor and I are getting to know each other more and more each week.”
— Wil Szent-Miklosy, New York, New York
Learn how to use Pro Tools from your mentor
“I got a lot out of my lesson with my mentor today. Today was an introduction to plug-ins that goes in Pro Tools. My mentor showed me what plug-ins come with my pro tools, and wow, there is a lot. There are so many that you could play with them all day. It’s such a cool feature of the program. Every week I go to see my mentor I learn more and more, which excites me to see what’s in store to come.”
— Maxx Limbourne, Redlands, California
David Hatfield, Avon, Indiana
“For the last hour and a half or so, [my mentor] showed me some things on Pro Tools like short cuts and all the nifty little things you can do with it to enhance a recording experience. [My mentor] offered to save sessions he is mixing and let me come in and play around with the program on these sessions until I receive my own copy.”
Jordan Wells, Pacifica, California
“[My mentor and I] reviewed the components of the input strip on the console and what the different configurations are on it. That was really helpful to see it for real.”
Jordan Wells, Pacifica, California
“There was a vocal session happening which I got to sit in on. It was totally awesome. The thing I like the most was to watch how the vocal parts went from nothing to something awesome. The coolest thing though was that in almost every take, I heard something that could have been better, and even though I never said anything… the main studio producer corrected everything that I heard. It really gave me confidence that I really can develop an ear to be a producer.”
Shane Stape, Denver, Colorado
“I’ve just completed lesson 4 on Thursday. This was exciting for me because it was the first hands-on job I’ve been asked to complete. I soldered an xlr cable and even a couple points on the patch bay. I found it very fun, yet difficult.”
Rob Fisher, Sacramento, California
“Today was my second day and was just as positive. I did more of the same as the day previous, like taking notes and cleaning up, as well as running errands. I tried to keep things tidy as the day went on and also had a little time to get to know the people there on a more personal level… All in all, it has been a very positive experience this first week.”
Tyler Gladney, Lewisville, Texas
“We reviewed Lesson 8, discussed signal flow, and practiced using microphones. [My mentor] is a great teacher and really cares whether I am learning or not… I look forward to my future lessons.”
Bryan McDaris, Canton, Georgia
“When [my mentor] arrived and asked to go and start setting up for the client coming in. I was shown how to set up a vocal booth which was cool, and pulled up his file on Pro Tools. We got right to work and I sat next to [my mentor] and watched him do his thing while he worked.”
Trevor Monks, Denver, Colorado
“This lesson went over all the different functions of the console. It was really good being in the studio where I could sit right next to a console and visually see what the book was teaching me… The best part of the lesson was definitely the end where I got to spend a good hour and a half with the console by myself experimenting with everything… This was a great hands on lesson.”
Adam Eastlack, Chester, Virginia
“Today we went over lesson 7, Miking Techniques. To help, I brought in my own drum set so that we could experiment in the studio… So, the lesson turned into a lot of experimentation and fun. I was there all night trying different things, seeing what sounded good, and what doesn’t sound good.”
Peter Barth, Exton, Pennsylvania
“Today we went over lesson three and I learned all about microphones. [My mentor] pulled out all of his microphones and explained to me what each one was capable of and designed for… I am excited to get my hands on some of the microphones and get a better idea of how each one sounds and how each one reacts to sound… which is all very exciting for me.”
Gary Foster, Jericho, Vermont
“The first session was a great follow up to meeting the mentor. I have put myself, as best of my ability, into the shoes of my mentor.”
Aimee Harris, Sharpsburg, Georgia
“I found (my mentor’s) clarification of the different types of engineers (recording, IT/maintenance, mastering, editing), and the roles they perform, incredibly enlightening, as it helps me hone in on the type of engineer I’d most like to be, as well as the type of studio where I’d most like to work (at).”
Ryan Kelly, Wes Des Moines, Iowa
“We went over patching on the main board. When reading through the chapter it wasn’t really clicking with me all that well. When I got into the studio (my mentor) physically showed me their patch board, and everything came together… I’m thinking every week will get more and more exciting.”
Adam Davis, Edison, New Jersey
“There was so much to learn in this lesson but after a few days of reading it over and over I began to fully understand it… Sax is a great mentor. After going over the lesson with him I started to understand everything a lot clearer. Also after the lesson he let me stay for a while and watch how a session is setup and begun. I can’t wait for my next lesson. If I had it my way I’d be there everyday willing to learn. Thanks for hooking me up with a good studio and a really cool mentor.”
Shane Stape, Denver, Colorado
“I’ve been very excited about the progress I’ve made. (My mentor) has been very informal and friendly… the studio is very nice and comfortable, with great gear equipment.”
Adam Eastlack, Chester, Virginia
“(My mentor) came in and I sat in on his session. He was really easy to work with and I was able to sit in front of the keyboard and do some of the recording… Some time next week I will be helping update the studio. I am really excited.”
Allen Russell, Stockton, California
“After the lesson (my mentor) and I mixed a symphony. This gave me some great hands on training in relation to everything we have talked about.”
Trevor Monks, Denver, Colorado
“Lesson 4 was on signal flow basics and patch bays. Before the lesson I understood primarily what everything did but not in any order. (My mentor) supplied me with a sort of map print out of signal flow from start to finish. It helped to clear a lot of things up and I know it will also come in handy in the future.”
Michael Musgrove, Pleasanton, California
“I had my second lesson (with my mentor) and also two internship experiences. Everything is going great and I am learning more than required. We have gone over the chapters I studied and he even has taught me a little on synthesizers. I couldn’t ask for a better learning experience.”
Dorie Casper, New York, New York
“We recorded a metal band. Even though I did not know that much about the equipment, the other students and mentors were very helpful in explaining what we were doing and how everything worked… Overall, I feel that I learned a lot and feel more confident about getting into the material.”
Rob Fisher, Sacramento, California
“I continued to learn more applications in Pro Tools and some of the keyboard shortcuts on the Mac… I also got familiar with some of the hardware the studio uses in the control room. All in all, it was another great week in the program.”
Goodluck Osuagwu, Wylie, Texas
“We studied signal flow, routing to busses, and connecting to external devices for additional effects via patch bays. The session went great and (my mentor) was very patient and helpful.”
Michael Musgrove, Pleasanton, California
“My first lesson (with my mentor) went very well. It was very informative and I already feel like I have learned a lot. First, we sat down and reviewed the material in the book and my quiz. (My mentor) helped me out with things I did not understand and/or needed further explanation… Overall (it was) a great start to the program… I’m excited for the next meeting.”
Nathaniel Patterson, Cleveland, Ohio
“My first visit (with my mentor) was a great new experience. (My mentor) gave me a tour of the studio, showed me the isolation booths where vocal tracks are created, and gave me a tour of the control rooms and many of the different recording consoles… Overall, my first day was great. I felt comfortable and welcome and I felt that this will be a great place for me to train and pursue my future recording career.”
Luis Lopez, Panorama City, California
“We reviewed lesson 2 in order to make sure I understood the concepts that were presented… It felt really good learning this knowledge because I can apply this to my life immediately. Also, it will be very useful when I start recording and using Pro Tools in the very near future. Learning about microphones this week served as a good catalyst for more advanced and better quality recording knowledge for me now and in the future.”
Pete Barth, Exton, Pennsylvania
“(My mentor) always makes me feel at home and he has a great way of explaining things. I love being in the studio, it’s exciting and I know I made the right decision in starting this program. I can’t wait to go back and learn some more!!!”
Dana Kilcrease, Fishkill, New York
“I had an opportunity to sit down (with my mentor) and talk about what to expect once the classes had ended and I entered the real world side of the industry. He gave me a good idea of what to expect, how to advance, as well as what I can be doing now while I am still taking this course. I left the conversation with a great understanding of what lies ahead, as well as a pretty good feeling that I was on the right track.”
Tyler Gladney, Lewisville, Texas
“Today was Lesson 11. We spent most of the class going over the different equalizers, using them, and setting them up… We have been recording a band in between our lessons, which has helped greatly with my knowledge and confidence in the studio.”
Recording Career Fast Track!
Entertainment Connection graduate Preston Boebel went from a student with no experience to chief engineer at a prestigious studio in less than a year!
Home Studio Owner Goes Pro
Being in a pro studio, “I was exposed to all the stuff you never see at home: high-level gear, working with clients, handling the business, and more.”
Owner/Engineer Mike Foss has hired Stephen Avril as a Second Engineer at Stepping Stone Studios in Seattle. And Stephen hasn’t even finished the program yet! Stepping Stone was responsible for recording Nirvana, Sound Garden and Pearl Jam. They are scheduled to record the Foo Fighters this year.
J.D. of 35th Street Studios in Chicago has hired Justin Birchard on to do Digital Music Editing for the studio. Justin is the third Entertainment Connection student that J.D. has hired in less than a year.
Entertainment Connection graduate Terrence Terrell has his hands full these days: he has recently joined the staff of The Cutting Room in New York City, as well as securing a position with Interscope Records.
Brian Levi, owner/chief engineer of Clear Lake Audio in Los Angeles says: “Preston Boebel has been ‘firsting’ sessions for me since his completion of the Music Connection course last month. Now we have officially hired him on as a First Engineer. Being a Los Angeles-based major studio, we have a steady flow of national acts in our room. The great people skills Preston demonstrated during his externship were well-matched by his engineering talent. Thanks for sending him our way!”
Sasha Pariulus has been hired on to do Audio Post Production for Center City Film Company in Philadelphia, PA. Mentor Damon Alberts and the staff at Center City hired Sasha only five months after she enrolled in the program. Center City is so pleased with the success of the Music Connection program they have now agreed to take on students in the Film program as well.
Ex-Music Connection student Mike Croos has been taking advantage of Music Connection’s job placement assistance and it is paying off. Mike has been hired on to do in-house sound for feature films at Granite House Film Productions in Austin. This is Mike’s second job in the industry after being hired on as an Assistant Engineer with Sugar Hill studios in Houston.
Omar Salazar has officially started as an independent Producer/Engineer with Audiotron Recording Studios in San Diego, and just finished his first CD with a Latin rock group at the studio. He also represented the group and our studio last month at the EAT’M (Emerging Artists and Talent in Music) Convention.
Janice Quihano has been hired on to do Audio Post on Pro Tools for The Dungeon Studios, in Miami. “After training side by side with my mentor [and studio owner] Fred, it didn’t take long for him to have confidence enough in me to give me the job,” said Janice. “Fred is also expanding his second room and there are more opportunites for me here than I ever imagined.”
Congratulations to student Arthur Dillon: after only 3 months in the program Arthur has been hired on at Prime Time Studios in New York as an Assistant Audio Engineer. Prime Time also asked Arthur to become part of their Live Sound Reinforcement crew. And he’s only half way through the course!
“Ken Stelli is assisting Chief Engineer Michael McDonald on sessions and working as an Audio Post Engineer in our film music department,” says Robin Whitney, studio manager for Private Island Trax in Hollywood. “Ken is the fourth Music Connection student to be hired here! He had the motivation and tenacity to succeed from day one of your program. I don’t know what screening process you have your potential applicants go through, but keep it up! I thank you once again for helping us as studio owners find quality audio engineers.”
Casey Moreno has been hired on full-time at Story Road Recording in San Francisco. “After only three assignments in your Music Connection course we were very pleased with Casey’s work, and we saw tremendous potential for him in this industry. Your program was the “in” he needed to embark on his long education as an Audio Engineer,” says owner Anthony Imperial.”
Joey Heir of Crystal Clear Studios in Philadelphia, PA reports: “We did it again, Jimi! I am pleased to announce that only two weeks after graduating your student Erica Cylinder from your extern program, I was able to land her a full time gig with Sound on Sound, the area’s largest pro audio, live sound company. The company has also expressed interest in more of Entertainment Connection students, so keep them coming . . . ”
“Even though we are a small studio, we couldn’t afford to let your student Paul O’Connor move on,” says Doug Roysden of Baca Music in Abilene, TX. “I have hired Paul to assist and engineer sessions. I know he learned in a few short months what took me 20 years and tens of thousands of dollars in experience to learn. Paul’s musical background has also helped his producing skills for many of the bands that we have been recording. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your program.”
Bill Taylor of WLAN Radio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania was so pleased with student Jerry Moore that this week he hired Jerry on to do Audio Production full time for the station. Jerry is also doing all the station’s digital editing on their ProTools Digital Workstation. “Jerry not only has good technical skills, but is an artist as well–which makes him a great asset to our production team,” says Bill.
Six months ago, Music Connection student Vinnie Mascola had never even seen the inside of a real recording studio. He has just been offered a position with the legendary Jimi Hendrix studio Electric Lady in New York City, announced Richard Oliver, Chief Engineer.
Music Connection graduate Walter Dombroskie scored at a gig at Peppermint Productions, assisting mixing two Grammy-nominated recordings by Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones. He recently recently landed a job mixing the debut CD of a New York-based
With the Recording Connection, it’s never too late to learn the ins and outs of the recording industry.
“Today my mentor and I went over Signal flow and Patch Bays. I really learned a lot of new things that have always perplexed me in the past. But, my mentor helped walk me through it and now I think I can understand the way signals flow through a recording environment. I am having a great time, and I look forward to each new session with my mentor. The materials that have been provided to me by the Recording Connection have helped quite a bit, and they read in a way that is easy for me to understand. I am looking forward to the future and what it can bring to me with the help of my mentor! Wish I would have found this 10 years ago!”
— Brandyn Hale, Midvale, Utah
Learn how to use Pro Tools from your mentor
“This lesson was a very important one! I liked it, and I felt like I understood it. My mentor showed me how the patch bay works, as well as signal flow on my Pro Tools equipment. I can’t wait to move forward!”
— Perry Fietkau, Salt Lake City, Utah
Learn Audio Engineering With Your Mentor
“This Lesson was fun, I actually learned a lot. We talked about the quiz, along with stuff like waveforms, frequency, wavelength, pitch, velocity, and the decibel the basics. It was a lot of fun and I feel that I understand much more about what I have read so far. I am looking forward to further studio time with my mentor.”
— Perry Fietkau, Salt Lake City, Utah
Work With Your Mentor on Course Curriculum
“This Lesson was fun, I learned a lot. We talked about the quiz, with stuff like waveforms, frequency, wavelength, pitch, and velocity… It was a lot of fun and I feel that I understand much more about what I have read so far. I am looking forward to further studio time with my mentor.”
— Perry Fietkau, Salt Lake City, Utah
Learn from the ground on up how to recording professional artists.
“This week with my mentor was my first recording session, so for the most part, I sat back and observed. They were doing a vocal session for 2 songs, so we were using a vocal mic with tubes that had to warm up. Once ready, they did one take of the full song, going to any and all the levels the way the artist wanted it to go. I followed the whole process fairly well, but my lack of knowledge in Pro Tools left me stumped a few times, as this was my first official recording session ever. After the whole song was done, they went back and did re-takes and harmonics. When all of the vocals were recorded, we then spent time looking at different plug-ins and effects that complemented the song. The band showed examples of what they wanted it to sound like. I really enjoyed how relaxed and free it was, while still professional.”
— Austin Criddle, Salt Lake City, Utah
Further Your Music Abilities
“This lesson with my mentor was very fun. We went over really important things, like sampling rates and quantization. I also got to sit in on two sessions now! It was really fun. The first thing I got to do was help mic a drum kit, which I thought was really cool because I play the drums as well.”
— Perry Fietkau, Salt Lake City, Utah
Look forward to your successful future in the recording industry with the help of the program.
“This was my second session with my mentor and we talked about compression, sampling rates, dithering, and how to set up a session in Pro Tools. We also discussed microphones, and the difference between dynamic and condenser. All in all, this experience in the Recording Connection and my mentor is wonderful. My mentor is excellent and I feel excited to go and learn for the first time in a long time. I am excited to see where this will take me in the future!”
Brandyn Hale, Midvale, Utah
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