| Economic trends means there may be a number | | | | experience in a New York music recording |
| of students out there who are weighing | | | | school or one in Los Angeles. |
| options after graduation. Is college an | | | | |
| option? Or are there other ways to get into | | | | In fact there are a number of students who |
| the music recording business? | | | | actually went to college, then did a mentor |
| | | | perogram afterwards to REALLY learn the |
| Working in the music recording industry means | | | | business. At one Los Angeles music recording |
| a chance to work with top recording artists | | | | school, a student from Atlanta said, "During |
| and musicians. There are many different | | | | my apprenticeship I got to meet P. Ditty, |
| careers in the industry. Music producers | | | | Master P. and Jermaine Dupri. I was honored |
| guide the shape of sound, while a sound | | | | to work with David Banner in Atlanta. I can't |
| engineer captures sound. | | | | even explain to you how much this program did |
| | | | for me. I thank you and bless you." |
| The music business is trending towards moving | | | | |
| online, so it is really important to learn as | | | | There is just tons of stuff that the mentor |
| much about the music recording side of the | | | | programs teach that you just don't, or can't |
| business as you can. Digital music | | | | get in traditional schools. The curriculum |
| distribution over the Internet has really | | | | qualifies graduates for positions as a music |
| changed the landscape of the music business. | | | | producer or a recording studio engineer. |
| Music technology has also grown quite a bit. | | | | |
| Today's musicians must have knowledge about | | | | Students are taught in one-on-one private |
| technology -- some of which is software. The | | | | sessions in a recording studio. It's an |
| virtual world means having to be famaliar | | | | apprentice type program - under the direct |
| with software, plus there is still some | | | | supervision of a music industry professional |
| hardware based technologies. | | | | working on real-world projects. Plus there's |
| | | | no experience necessary, and students can |
| Donny Baker is a music producer and studio | | | | take classes part time during night or |
| engineer at Elephant Symphony in Glendale, | | | | weekend sessions. |
| California says he likes teaching via the | | | | |
| mentor approach because once his students | | | | Teachers who are mentors in the music |
| graduate, they are engineers. Technology is | | | | recording business know how to succeed in the |
| constantly changing but in this industry it | | | | very competitive engineering field - so they |
| is changing backwards. | | | | end up passing their knowledge and experience |
| | | | on to their students. It is a win-win |
| Baker's mentor approach works, and the best | | | | situation. |
| part is that you'll get a real world learning | | | | |