3 quick questions from budding engineer

[Home Brand]

Butch,
Thank you for doing this forum, I've found all the posts to be very informative and interesting.
I just have three questions:

1) I think I follow a trend in that I'm a young guy who went to "school" to become an "engineer" thinking it might get me a leg up in getting a job in a recording studio. I knew all along it wasn't an automatic ticket to a job, and that many hours of hard work and training in a professional environment was required, and that school was sort of a starting point, a supplement to real world experience. BUT, I'm having the hardest time finding even an unpaid internship. I've tried letters, face time with engineers, shameless posts on web forums, and have even helped to bring projects to local studios. Do you have any advice to help me get my foot in the door?

2) Continuing from the first question, do you think that traditional jobs in studios are drying up? If so, why?

3) I was driving down E. Wash the other day and noticed there is some awful looking graffiti on the side of Smart Studios. It's not even an artful tag, just some one color crap. Would you be interested in some sort of deal where I could go paint over that eyesore in exchange for some time in Smart, learning and absorbing from the engineers there? (I watched Mike mix a project there last year, he was AWESOME)

Thanks!

[ButchVig]

Originally Posted by Home Brand

Butch,
Thank you for doing this forum, I've found all the posts to be very informative and interesting.
I just have three questions:

1) I think I follow a trend in that I'm a young guy who went to "school" to become an "engineer" thinking it might get me a leg up in getting a job in a recording studio. I knew all along it wasn't an automatic ticket to a job, and that many hours of hard work and training in a professional environment was required, and that school was sort of a starting point, a supplement to real world experience. BUT, I'm having the hardest time finding even an unpaid internship. I've tried letters, face time with engineers, shameless posts on web forums, and have even helped to bring projects to local studios. Do you have any advice to help me get my foot in the door?

2) Continuing from the first question, do you think that traditional jobs in studios are drying up? If so, why?

3) I was driving down E. Wash the other day and noticed there is some awful looking graffiti on the side of Smart Studios. It's not even an artful tag, just some one color crap. Would you be interested in some sort of deal where I could go paint over that eyesore in exchange for some time in Smart, learning and absorbing from the engineers there? (I watched Mike mix a project there last year, he was AWESOME)

Thanks!

I don't know too many studios who are looking to hire at the moment, it's pretty tough out there from a business standpoint. One of the things you can do (and it sounds like you tried it) is to find your own work....find a band or artist you want to work with offer to help them make the record. Figure out in advance if the band will pay you or if the studio will pay you. Most studios welcome any freelance engineers, especially if they are bring in the project, but that doesn't mean the studio has the cash to pay you a salary.

I think the schools that teach engineering and production are a valuable tool, but there's no guarantee of getting a job. So you have to be creative, and hustle.

Or you could be really crazy like I was and open your own studio!

[ButchVig]

Originally Posted by Home Brand

Butch,
Thank you for doing this forum, I've found all the posts to be very informative and interesting.
I just have three questions:

1) I think I follow a trend in that I'm a young guy who went to "school" to become an "engineer" thinking it might get me a leg up in getting a job in a recording studio. I knew all along it wasn't an automatic ticket to a job, and that many hours of hard work and training in a professional environment was required, and that school was sort of a starting point, a supplement to real world experience. BUT, I'm having the hardest time finding even an unpaid internship. I've tried letters, face time with engineers, shameless posts on web forums, and have even helped to bring projects to local studios. Do you have any advice to help me get my foot in the door?

2) Continuing from the first question, do you think that traditional jobs in studios are drying up? If so, why?

3) I was driving down E. Wash the other day and noticed there is some awful looking graffiti on the side of Smart Studios. It's not even an artful tag, just some one color crap. Would you be interested in some sort of deal where I could go paint over that eyesore in exchange for some time in Smart, learning and absorbing from the engineers there? (I watched Mike mix a project there last year, he was AWESOME)

Thanks!

There's no point in painting Smart! It's a really ugly eyesore (looks like a crack house) but every time we clean up the graffiti it just gets tagged again. Dang those punks!!

[Home Brand]

Thanks for the inspiration! I figured it was all about the hustle, I'll keep at it. It's a tough spot, because I'm confident on my own gear at home, the workflow, and pulling decent sounds, yet lack the capacity to record full bands. Most important, I feel like I would REALLY benefit from working under the wing of a seasoned pro. I could gain some experience and then start bringing in bands hardcore. At the moment, I would be hesitant to tell a band, "hey yeah, I can totally make your album", because then their expectations might be too high for my current skill level. Plus it seems a lot of bands don't want to pay what I consider to be decent prices in a pro studio that will ultimately lead to, hopefully, a wicked sounding album.

I wonder if those punks who tag Smart have any clue what that building is, and the history of the music that has come from within etc. Buncha savages in this town!