Studying for an Undergraduate Degree in Recording Engineering
It is first necessary for international students to learn the basics of recording engineering if they are to pursue a career in this field. The best way to get started is to try and obtain an undergraduate degree in the field of recording engineering. Any student who decides to do this will find there are several programs to choose from.
Types of Recording Engineering Degrees
Should any overseas students want to study recording engineering at undergraduate level, there are quite a few types of degrees they can choose from. For example, these students could consider a bachelor or associate degree. Bachelor’s degrees are usually four years in duration, and they provide the student with a reasonably in-depth education in technical engineering and sound design. It usually takes two years to obtain an associate degree and this will leave the student in a position to apply for entry-level jobs in the field of the performing arts, in a university media center, or at, for instance, a small television station. It is rare to find online courses of this type since specialist equipment, usually of a technical nature, is required and some of the projects are undertaken in teams. Hence, it is extremely difficult to cover the hands-on training that is required through an online course. Yet, there are some online courses available, usually through profit-making or fee-paying schools.
Anyone coming from overseas intending to study recording engineering can opt for a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Music in this field. You may see programs in recording engineering listed under other titles or names e.g. music technology, recording arts, or recording arts technology. Popular undergraduate programs are Bachelors of Arts in the Recording Arts, Bachelors of Science in Audio Recording and Audio Engineering. Some training schools incorporate this subject in business degrees related to the music and recording industry.
The coursework given to undergraduate students on recording engineering programs will vary depending on the individual program. Any international student looking to pursue a major in recording engineering should expect their coursework to cover the theory of music, design of acoustics, and noise control systems. Students taking these programs will learn to work with various types of audio systems and equipment, such as analog taping machines, digital-based audio workstations, outboard effects processing equipment, and mixing boards, among other systems. Additionally, students can expect to learn about producing, recording, and directing music and/or other sound effects for record, film producing, and television broadcast companies. Anyone studying recording engineering should expect to cover budgeting, strategies related to multi-track recordings, mixing mechanisms, and sound recording at remote locations. There are some courses that specialize in the art of digital music, digital recording, composition, and performance. A lot of degree courses require the student to undertake courses in music-related subjects such as history, theory, and musical composition. This training is designed to help students understand the methods used to produce songs and what is required to make musical events and performances successful. These courses also teach students about the different types of music i.e. the different genres.
There are numerous career options open to anyone with a degree in recording engineering. For example, after graduating you could consider applying to a recording studio for a career as a recording engineer or assistant engineer, a mixing engineer, or a mastering engineer. Alternatively, your interests may lie more in working for a radio station, a theatre company, a television producing studio, a government organization, an amusement or theme park, or in some other type of venue. It sometimes happens that graduates even go on tours with theatre shows and bands. It has been predicted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (i.e. the BLS) that employment rates for sound and broadcast engineers/technicians will rise by ten percent by the year 2020. This sounds average. A report by the BLS indicates that sound equipment engineers/technicians earned on average around US $40,500 per year at mid-year 2010, with 50% of workers earning between US $30,300 and $56,100 per annum. In this same period, audio engineers/technicians earned an average of US $47,100. In the mid-range, professionals in this field earned between US $31,800 and $65,600 per annum. If you are an international student with an interest in becoming a recording engineer, you really should consider working towards an undergraduate degree to begin with since this market is a competitive one. Therefore, if you are to find employment, it is important to have the appropriate experience and to be able to prove your technical capability.
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