Make Music in the Recording Arts

Whether you’re interested in studio recording, concert sound, movie sound, radio and TV broadcasting, artist management, or working with a record label, you’ll get the career preparation you need at recording arts schools.Just be sure to put your tech hat on — the advent of digital recording, editing, and broadcasting has changed the landscape of the recording arts. Computer software now performs many of the recording and editing functions once reserved for specialized electronic equipment. And instead of video and audiotapes, most radio and TV stations utilize hard drives and other computer data storage systems. Because of this, you’ll need a solid background in computer networking and software to lay the foundation for recording arts careers.Recording arts schools offer intensive audio education that covers every facet of music and audio production, from tracking and overdubs to mixing and mastering. The professional recording studios at recording arts schools allow you to record bands using the same microphones, mixing boards, and digital audio workstations used in studios all over the world. In recording arts schools, you’ll also explore the techniques involved in working with audio for video games as well as audio post-production for movies and TV shows.Recording arts curriculum typically covers audio recording and production, digital recording, music business, and sound reinforcement. With the proper training from recording arts schools, you could become a broadcast engineer, dialogue editor, foley editor, foley recordist, location sound engineer, mastering engineer, mix engineer, music editor, recording engineer, sound designer, sound effects editor, sound recordist, or a number of other vocations in the recording arts.Once you’ve launched one of these recording arts careers, you may choose to pursue professional certification. The Society of Broadcast Engineers offers the Certified Audio Engineer designation for experienced recording arts technicians who pass a proficiency exam. The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on operating practices, problems, theory, and safety.And there’s never been a better time to pursue recording arts careers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of sound engineering technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. Median annual earnings of professionals with these recording arts careers were $38,110 in May 2004; the highest 10 percent earned more than $80,450.