Education

Sound engineering courses will invariably teach each student about multi-track audio recordings, microphone techniques, and mixing and mastering, among other things. This isnt just a matter of twisting knobs; the key is to engineer sound creatively. These lessons emphasize the importance of maintaining creative control of every step of the process of music production. The best students will invariably know everything there is to know about the hardware and software commonly used in recording.

Classes to Take
The curriculum in sound engineering can vary from acoustics and audio electronics to sound systems and principles of sound. The computer revolution has certainly made its presence felt here, as digital and computer applications have become required courses at most schools. Class subjects have to be constantly updated, incorporating the latest software products. Optional classes can include performing and even songwriting.

Of course, sound engineering courses go well beyond the textbook. On top of developing technical skills, these classes usually devote considerable time to a studio environment, where students can develop the creative use of sound engineering and recording. Classes also recognize the cross-fertilization of engineering with other studio responsibilities, such as production, mixing, and mastering.

To best exploit the knowledge offered in sound engineering courses, students must possess characteristics that suit the nature of this field of recording. The best students are self-motivated, very responsible, and have a strong interest in sound and music. They also must possess the ability to work with others, have an open-minded approach to dealing with and overcoming potential obstacles, and have a perpetual desire to learn more. Engineering is a field where the state of the art is never static. A good engineer must be able to adapt to every new technology that comes along.

Radio schools–institutions that provide specialized instruction in the radio broadcasting field–can be found throughout the United States. Most of these schools offer a concentrated curriculum, in that one can graduate over the course of nine months to a year. On top of considerable time spent in an actual studio environment, these schools also offer requisite aspects on the legal foundation for broadcasting.

Expect to be offered in-depth training in a variety of fields, from radio announcing and the writing and/or production of commercials, to digital production, news and sports reporting, and casting. Since broadcasting has a very technical foundation, youll invariably deal with a lot of computer-based applications in everything from the on-air scheduling of music and commercials to billing. Obviously, one need not be an expert in all of these fields, yet this schooling can ground you in the overall basics of radio broadcasting, then offer the fine points in your chosen specialty.

Time and Cost
The length of time it takes to complete a radio school education is varied, depending on whether you are a full-time or part-time student. On average, the student will spend several hundred hours in a recording studio. The equipment youll be training on should be identical to what is currently being used in most radio stations across the country.

The cost of radio schools also varies, but dont be surprised if tuition for a good school runs into the thousands of dollars. Radio schools arent for hobbyists. Only those who have a burning desire to be in radio, or at least have a very serious interest in making a successful career, should apply.

The radio industry is a multi-billion (thats right, billion) dollar business that consists of few thousand radio stations across the country, as well as large affiliated companies that provide programming, equipment, and even personnel to sustain it. Currently, a significant number of stations are owned and operated by a handful of very large radio groups, such as Clear Channel, Infinity, and Cumulus. These companies have used economies of scale to reduce operating costs and maximize profits.

The efforts of these large radio conglomerates have come at a certain cost. The consolidation of certain parts of the business has impacted personnel and the programming of these stations. By using technology to syndicate or voice-track air talent to several stations at once, less new blood is entering radio, limiting the potential growth of future star air personalities. By sharing research and assigning programmers to oversee more than one station, the stations start to sound more alike from city to city, robbing each station of part of its local color.

Many Formats, but the Same Sound?
Defenders of the status quo in the radio industry often point to the growing number of niche formats, from Talk Radio and Spanish programming to a growing variety of music genres, be it Adult Top 40, Urban Oldies, or Adult Rhythmic. Some of the newer formats have adopted human names such as Alice, Bob, and Jack and Ted to give them more of a human face. Yet critics maintain that these maneuvers are little more than superficial marketing ploys that still play the same artists and records, just in a different way.

The radio industry is, after all, a big business, and its inherent profitability is the ultimate bottom line. Each radio company is basically beholden to its respective shareholders. Yet Wall Street considers radio to be a mature industry, one that has already achieved its greatest growth curve. Those who run radio will eventually have to do something bold and challenging to prove them wrong.

There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of radio careers available to people of all races, creeds, and colors. They range from the high-profile air personality and the ad rep who sells commercials for the station to the engineer who makes sure all the equipment is working properly.

Naturally, the highest paying jobs go to the executives. The station owner and general manager hold the most power and bear the ultimate responsibility for the success of the station. Beneath them youll find an operations manager, who oversees both the head of programming and the head of the advertising department. The program director and sales manager field their own staffs and assistants. The former often has a person or persons who specialize in finding music to play (called the music director).

On-Air Work and Off-Air Duties
Also behind the scenes are the people responsible for selling ads and a separate promotions staff thats responsible for the creation and staging of events, such as concerts and various in-the-field presentations (called remotes). There are also radio careers that deal with the maintenance and repair of broadcasting equipment, not to mention accounting and human resources positions.

Of course, the most glamorous of radio careers are the on-air personalities. Without a doubt, the biggest star of the on-air staff is the person or persons who host the morning show. Why the morning show? Weekday morning drive-time, as its called, is the time of day when the highest number of people listen to the radio. Thanks to the ever-increasing problem of rush hour traffic that forces people to stay in their cars longer, the morning show is more important than ever.

Few institutions of higher learning have gone through a more dramatic transformation in the past 50 years than film schools. Since its inception, the movie industry was the ultimate who you know business, where most people got their breaks by meeting the right people at the right time and then moving up what passed as the corporate ladder. Others moved to film from Broadway. Film departments werent even taken seriously by most colleges and universities.

Film School Grad Icons
But all that changed in the mid-1970s, thanks to three southern California universities whose film schools produced the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. The work of these three directors revolutionized Hollywood and, at the same time, legitimized a film school education. Suddenly, universities realized the potential benefit of turning out alumni who could impact popular culture. Film departments were enhanced and revitalized at colleges across the land.

Of course, films schools havent enjoyed a smooth and totally satisfying growth. For a while, Hollywood expected film school graduates to keep producing blockbuster entertainment, and classes even taught things like how to pitch a script and other show biz schmoozing techniques. When that didnt live up to their expectations, films schools adapted and helped their graduates learn about the art of low-budget filmmaking.

Film schools have adjusted to these always-uncertain times when it comes to the film industry. The best schools have not only kept up with the trends of the film business, but have stayed on the cutting edge of technology, teaching trends like computer animation and the impact of DVDs on filmmaking. Now, even though a film school degree cant guarantee a job in the business, every decent film school in this country has a waiting list of applicants, so be prepared. Oftentimes, specialized technical schools and training programs can do the most for you by partnering you with a mentor in the business.