18yrs old- My life determined by you guys. (Question)

[BlackSox]

Ok I have searched a little and found a little but not everything I need to know.

Backround info:
I am 17, 18 in June and I'm finishing up my junior year right now. Me and a friend produce neptunish+southernish beats here in Oklahoma City. I got a 21 on my ACT 1st time w/o studing just to see what I would get. I can probably bump up to a 26 eventually. Friend got a 31-able to go pretty much were he wants. I was wanting a school for recording and production and it'd be best if they had courses on music industy business and all the legal stuff. All of the equiptment is his; I was wanting to learn everything, then share the stuff I learn with him.

My question, where do I go after high school?:

-Video Symphon $13,000 (Hollywood)
-Full Sail $39,000 (Orlando)
-a different school
-a 4 yr. university that has something to do w/ recording/production
-the air force and a 4 yr
-learn everything myself online and from others

It is going to be hard to do anything from around here, the hip hop producing industry hasn't come around Oklahoma City too much so studio internship and stuff would not be as readily avaliable as, say, Video Symphoy in Hollywood. Also if I cant make it off well producing rap/hip hop beats, I was wanting to produce the music that you hear in movies, so that makes Hollywood sound a lot more attractive.

Let me know what you think

Sam
TheBlackSox

BTW most of the money used for schools would be from loans

 

[Ash Holmz]

thats a very serious question that really cant and shouldnt be answered by someone in thread ..you have to do the research for urself and come up with the solution that best fits you..

ps: it doesnt matter where u go to school u r never guaranteed work .. except for the millitary..

 

[BlackSox]

well, you guys are not actually deciding my life for me, I just hoped some people who have been through some of these places could add their input, then I would research like crazy over the summer and decide before next christmas.

more of an informational thread for older, more experienced peoples' opinions on my options

 

[classic]

check it out,
Im hearing alot about all these recording schools but persnally i dont think its necessary. Most people who make it dont have formal training in beat making/engineering etc. They pick up what they can along the way and have lots of talent.

I would say if anything go to a 4 year school and major in busniess or something that u can use to back your dream as well as fall back on and learn production on your own time

Basically dont put all your faith in a name casue most of that shit u can learn with a book and some hard work

My personal experince
i just started producing recently but since i have my undergraduate and grad degreee in computer science(currenlty pursing grad) it was real easy for me to pick up on production tecqniues(midi,compression etc) as well as the production terms since i come from a technicl background. im not trying to toot my own horn casue i still have alot to learn. BUt i meet people all the time in the studio who went to full sail or some other recording school and i find i know more than they do casue i have a techical knowlege computers and how they work. NOT just specific skill sets in certain musical applications


Make sure u do whats best for you not what everyone else is doing

hope this helps

class...

 

[J Rilla]

My cousin that went to Full Sail can do pretty much anything in the music and entertainment industry from engineering to stage design and he got a lot of musical knowlege from being around cats that listen to differnt genres of music,but all his beat makin abilities he would pretty much have even if he hadnt gone to full sail....My cousin knew tha gettin in to the production game is not easy so he went ther to kinda give himself a back up plan but one that would let him still be in the music industry...soo if that is ur goal i say goto full sail especially since its only a year out of ur life...but i also agree with class.... just do whats best for u

 

[monumental]

me aswell as everyone has heard mixed things about recording schools. I live up in vancouver and i had some buds who went ot different schools. To me up here atleast in the recording schools they teach you more about sound engineering not making music. And that why i didn't want to go. You have to ask yourself do you like making music or do you like recording/ mixing your own or other people's music. Then you will find you answer. myself i saved the ten g's plus and spend money on more gear, a better mic ect.

 

[BlackSox]

I think i'd just like to be able to do everything myself. produce/mix/record

 

[erkl]

save up as much money as ucan and buy alot of cocaine, then make crack, then sell it,

then rap about the experiance and have somone else make beats for u

 

[Boltz]

save up as much money as ucan and buy alot of cocaine, then make crack, then sell it,

then rap about the experiance and have somone else make beats for u

hahaha I know this formula has worked for at least 5 famous people.

 

[h2flow]

-Video Symphon $13,000 (Hollywood)
-Full Sail $39,000 (Orlando)
-a different school
-a 4 yr. university that has something to do w/ recording/production
-the air force and a 4 yr
-learn everything myself online and from others

All these options are good.
But me myself would say that you should go to school. You can go to community college they have music courses there. And you will meet alot of people with similar interests and you can build with these cats. Learn from everyone you can. Try to find a mentor, somebody that can show you the ropes, learn from him all you can about hip hop. Online is cool But my advice would be go to a 4 year university, get a B.A. in music/recording/production/buisnesss or whatever. The school scene is cool cause you will meet alott of different people. And you can still go to one of these other dedicated engineering schools. Try to become an intern to a music label. And of course learn all you can in your spare time. But whatever you do, Don't stop hustling. (I mean busting your butt and work hard for it)...

 

[def1nition]

It all depends on what you want to do if you wanna have a job as an engineer Full sail will make sure you come out with a job I know a couple of cats who went that route they got some good knowlege got hooked up with work after they came out. 4 year Universities are good but realize if you're majoring in something other than music you'll have little time to do music. Some 4 year schools have music technology degrees I'm getting a music degree and it's workin for me all I do is write songs practice and make tracks, I get graded for it. I'm learnin a lot, but to be a producer or engineer you don't need to go to school, some colleges can get you connections, but most famous producers didn't go to school you could move to a big city and try to get put on but judging from what you said you don't know how it is bein out there tryin to make it it's no joke this is a tuff bussiness. If you haven't been doin this for such a long time make sure it's what you really wanna do, maybe you wanna do music on the side and major in somethin else. Not to sound discouraging but music is a tough way to make a living it's what I do play at clubs events whatever, and produce I've seen talented cats who went to school everything for music quit and get a day job. So just make sure it's what you really wanna do. None of us know how much love and passion you have for this so we can't make a decision for you, you have to decide yourself.

 

[classic]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
couldent have said it better

Make sure u have a back up plan!!!

classs....

 

[x-squizet]

i know what i want to do is go to full sail and take there engineering and music business corse and get a B.A so i can produce on the side and be and engineer, so if producing isn't poping off as i like it would be, i am an engineer to back it up.
so maby it would help u.

excuse the spelling i just to a benadrill and i am to tired to correct them.
peace

 

[FTdub]

Career path choices

To offer a alternative story to full sail, a friend of mine went there and got a job staight out of school with Mariah Carey's national tour. But after the tour ended, he had real trouble getting another job. Full sail guarantees employment after graduation, but then their subsequent alumni support is weak. In another story, another of my best friends', whom I consider the greatest recording engineer or producer, got a radio/TV/Film degree from a four year university in a major metropolitan area. He gets free lance production work for syndicated radio shows, but he still can't ever get a position with an established studio or artists. The point is no matter which direction you choose there will be trials and tribulations, that is why to be successful in the audio business, you have to be a pro-active work-aholic. My suggestion to you is to look into the well known, four-year universities offering musical engineering or production courses, in metropolitan areas. Examples are Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Indiana. Food for thought. Peace.

 

[g@Vin c@$h]

save up as much money as ucan and buy alot of cocaine, then make crack, then sell it,

then rap about the experiance and have somone else make beats for u

Screw sellin it...SMOKE THAT SHEIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack yippe skippy whoooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaa......
oh yea i can't do that stuff anymore.... damnit....... this sux

 

[changalang]

im a junior in high school too, i got 960 on the SAT (not good lol) and i'll be taking it again i guess. I'm not sure what college to go either

 

[Formant024]

you can go to university and still become an engineer and more.

 

[x-squizet]

formant what is the name of the university's that will make u become an engineer cause i need to know to

 

[ACEBEATZ]

i think college is good but you can learn enough by yourself. Instead of payin 20000 for some studies, use it to buy stuff and buy books,read over the net and practice to learn it.<
After one year,you,ll know same of with the course,but you will have all the equipment to go with it too!!

look just to say with 20000 you can get:

Genelec Monitors with sub
A good neumann mic or a akg 414 do a great job
Avalon comp/pre-amp
A Tascam dm-24 or yamaha 01v96 console
A 21 inch screen with a g5mac or a fully toasted p4
A hammer weigthted midi controller
A protool system or a very good audio interface
Pro kit of acoustic panels
Finally a 500$ leather chair where your back will relax
A Raxxess or other made for music furnitures
All your licensed softwares and plug-ins
and a lot more if you call every shops sayin evey others are getting better prices.
They'll fight to give you the best deal if you come up with the cash in their faces.

Any good engineer will do miracles with a kit like this (I wish i would have this one!).

Holla Ace

 

[djswivel]

I've mentioned Full Sail several times on this board.

I'm from Toronto but am moving to Orlando to attend Full Sail in August. My start date is August 26th. I went down for the tour and I was very impressed with the facilities and the amount of studio time they give you. I am not goin to Full Sail to become a producer, although that is my dream. Producing is almost entirely creative. No school can teach creativity. They can teach you how to properly EQ, compress, or add other effects, but the rest is up to you.

My reason for attending Full Sail this year is to have a solid future and gain the contacts who can possibly get me into the production game. I'm still makin beats all the time at home, and shop them to artists whenever I can, but if I never make it as a producer, I still would love to be in music. The recording arts degree at Full Sail almost ensures that I will have a well paying job in the music industry. With a Full Sail education, I will have a great deal of opportunities to meet artists and other industry people who can possibly further my career as a producer. That's all you can really ask for.


I'll keep everyone on the board posted as to how my education at Full Sail is goin, once it starts lol....As for now I need to look for an apartment in Orlando, so GOTTA GO!!!

if you have any questions in regard to full sail, feel free to PM me, I'll do my best to answer them from my personal knowledge of the school....