Production School?

[bstndbsta72*]

Well to start off I just got Logic Pro 9 about 3 weeks ago and I've been doing my best to learn as much as possible about the software before I really try to create anything I'd call my own. I have no experience with production before this so I'm literally trying to take in everything through the internet and just messing around with different aspects of it myself.
I currently live in America, and I've always wanted to take a year or 2 to go live somewhere in the UK and travel around other parts of Europe while I'm there. Well I'm 19, I'm having trouble finding a job, and Im not currently enrolled in school. I was thinking the other day maybe going to a production school in London or possibly Leeds for 2 years may not be a bad idea for my life in general. I've always loved music, much more than most of the people around me and I am almost positive I'd like to devote my life to the production of it.
I wouldn't consider myself a "school type of person" but I fell like going to learn in classes in the UK would be a great way for me to get over there for a few years, as well as get myself a degree in something. Plus the fect that I'd be studying what I love would make it much easier I think.
Anyways as of now it seems production school may be the best way of doing what I really want to do, but the big problem is the money I'd be dishing out on it. I have no money and my family has no money either, so I'm basically just wondering, for those of you who went to a production school, did you feel it was worth your money and time? Or is it something that better to be learned on your own?

Thanks for any input!

[upstateface]

Books + magazines + practice + internet = all you need

[bstndbsta72*]

Books + magazines + practice + internet = all you need

Thanks for the response. Do you have any particular books or magazines in mind? At this point ones that would cater more to a beginner.

[deadly_habit]

Books + magazines + practice + internet = all you need

if you're properly motivated. school is for people who need that kick in the ass to sit down, focus and learn, also you have hands on people you can ask questions to if they are good teachers and not just repeating coursework. that and that certificate or nice piece of paper that has no real bearing on your real world applicable intelligence level.

[upstateface]

Books + magazines + practice + internet = all you need

Thanks for the response. Do you have any particular books or magazines in mind? At this point ones that would cater more to a beginner.

Computer music caters more to beginner type stuff, Guerilla home recording by karl coryat, and sound on sound is a great magazine.

[3za]

Books + magazines + practice + internet = all you need

if you're properly motivated. school is for people who need that kick in the ass to sit down, focus and learn, also you have hands on people you can ask questions to if they are good teachers and not just repeating coursework. that and that certificate or nice piece of paper that has no real bearing on your real world applicable intelligence level.

TRUTH.

[jackquinox]

Well to start off I just got Logic Pro 9 about 3 weeks ago and I've been doing my best to learn as much as possible about the software before I really try to create anything I'd call my own. I have no experience with production before this so I'm literally trying to take in everything through the internet and just messing around with different aspects of it myself.
I currently live in America, and I've always wanted to take a year or 2 to go live somewhere in the UK and travel around other parts of Europe while I'm there. Well I'm 19, I'm having trouble finding a job, and Im not currently enrolled in school. I was thinking the other day maybe going to a production school in London or possibly Leeds for 2 years may not be a bad idea for my life in general. I've always loved music, much more than most of the people around me and I am almost positive I'd like to devote my life to the production of it.
I wouldn't consider myself a "school type of person" but I fell like going to learn in classes in the UK would be a great way for me to get over there for a few years, as well as get myself a degree in something. Plus the fect that I'd be studying what I love would make it much easier I think.
Anyways as of now it seems production school may be the best way of doing what I really want to do, but the big problem is the money I'd be dishing out on it. I have no money and my family has no money either, so I'm basically just wondering, for those of you who went to a production school, did you feel it was worth your money and time? Or is it something that better to be learned on your own?

Thanks for any input!

I spent 3 years in Leeds doing a Bsc in creative music and sound technology, as an overseas student you are going to be paying alot of money in comparison to those within the UK, according to the Guardian newspaper: "Most overseas students starting an undergraduate degree in the sciences will pay an average of £10,781 in fees for each year of their course", the good thing about this is that you will most likely take preference in enrolment because the universities all want your money at the moment. In order to do a degree course like that you would need to demonstrate that you have either some form of qualification in music or experience of sound recording to some level, I was asked to do a BTEC Natioanl Diploma fast track in Music Technology before i did the Bsc which can be quite good and may be a better option than doing a degree because it will be cheaper and you will have a qualification after a year, you learn the same things i.e. how to use a mixing desk, doing live recording, using Logic/cubase etc, making foley and effects, bit on music theory and composition, bit on acoustics etc and have smaller class sizes which can be quite helpful in getting some one on one tuition.

I hope this information helps i dont want to deter you just giving you the facts, there is a bit more said on the subject on the pros and cons here in this thread compiled by futures_untold which has quite a balanced arguement:

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.p ... y#p1892514

[Blooandwhite]

im majoring in classical music at my school (fairfield university). the music program is awful, the directors office is in the basement of a residential hall!

but there are definitely things that i learned in my classes that i might not have ever learned otherwise. in studying music theory my teacher had us writing short pieces of music multiple times a week following simple rules. if you have the drive to focus like that then classes arent really necessary but its a pretty invaluable asset to have!

keyword to remember is effort, cuz if you put in the countless hours of effort required then you dont need anything else

[Trebek]

The school I went to is in Arizona called The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences...Its more of an audio engineering school, but it still has given me a great background knowledge on how to properly start producing.

Not sure if that really helped but figured I would suggest it. The school totally kicks ass too, much better than Full Sail and SAE. IMO.

[Wagsi]

I'm attending Dubspot, in NYC starting in January if anyone knows what that is.

[komanderkin]

i'm more for the diy approach, there's plenty of stuff you can learn online for free. read free articles on sound on sound, the mixing thread on here, read some books, just do a little search on production tutorials and you'll be busy for weeks.

if you're more into professional tutoring though, here's an online course that seems interesting, it's proper expensive and stuff, but if you're into that, check it out: clickage.

[back2onett]

There's a few thing you can get out of a course like this that you couldn't get from studying at home;

1) Equipment, most (good) sound/production schools will have equipment that you will most likely never get another chance to use unless you are a millionaire, spend as much time as possible using this equipment before it goes.

2) A shiny piece of paper, regardless of what anyone says a qualification is proof of intelligence and will look good on any CV.

3) Sturcture, you will be leaerning things you need to know, if you're studying from a few books or the internet you could end up skipping parts you really need to know just because you didn't know you needed them or you could be learning something only vaguely related to production that realistically you will never use, Uni (or any course in general) will give you a straightforward 'this this and this is relevant, this this and this isn't' approach.

4) Teachers, they will teach you things you simply cannot teach yourself, you can go to them directly for any questions you have and you will get an answer, they will have years of experience that you can leech off of, they will know all the ins and outs that you can't learn from textbooks.

5) Connections, lets take a class of 20 people with 2 tutors doing a degree in production, that's 2 people straight away who will know people (good unis often have guset speakers from the industry or top researchers in that area) and the other 20 students are gearing up to be the sound engineers of tommorow, just from that one class you can get some real worthwhile connections, networking is ultimately what will get you moving in the industry so the more people you know the better, this is the kind of networking you can't get from home study.

Home study is great if you know what you're doing, have the drive to achieve that on your own, have the time to study part time and once all that's done you have places you can start out in the industry (doing some shit tier jobs at a local studio, recording bands for free/minimal costs) if you don't have these things - in particular the last one - home study is not practical.

University is great if you have the money and are prepared to spend a minimum of 3 years in full time study, you will knowledge you can't get anywhere else and lets not forget 3 years doing a production course is seen as 3 years experince (albeit in an academic setting) you will make valuable conncetions and you will get a great deal of help getting a job (especially if that uni has connections with the industry) Also if you go on to do a masters or anything further when you eventually get a job it will be a good one none of this dicking around as studio bitch for a few years, you'll be set to go straigh in to a good career. However uni (and you inevitable debt) won't be worth it if you don't use everything around you to the fullest extent. wake up and 5am and get in the studio before anyone else, do a placement year if they offer it, and for God's sake go to all of your lectures, use what they've given you and uni will be the best thing you've ever done

[juggernaughtbass]

The 'Dance Music Manual' and 'Logic Pro 9 Advanced Music Production' are great for learning by yourself.. I picked up some second hand copies on amazon. Obviously a course would help but these have been a good starting point for me and hopefully youl gain some good info!!


Peace