Post-Secondary

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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Malcolm Boyce » Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:30 pm

macrae11 wrote:Depends on what employment you're seeking. If you're looking for a corporate audio gig like say CBC(don't bother) it would have some relevance. For average mid-sized recording studio, not really. Typically having a sheepskin will generally give you 30 seconds to prove yourself worthy of a job instead of the typical 15 seconds not having one gets you.

As a person in a position to hire and/or have people hired for work, I'll take that a step further and say for me, it depends on the school attended as to how much weight it would carry. In my line of work, it's not like hiring people where I'd know if they have the degree, they'll be able to do the job. IME, it really depends on where they're coming from.

There are some schools that, in spite of their price tag, you'd have the same chance getting a gig having worked on your high school tech crew as having a "diploma" from there.

Choose wisely.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby macrae11 » Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:57 pm

Malcolm Boyce wrote:
macrae11 wrote:Depends on what employment you're seeking. If you're looking for a corporate audio gig like say CBC(don't bother) it would have some relevance. For average mid-sized recording studio, not really. Typically having a sheepskin will generally give you 30 seconds to prove yourself worthy of a job instead of the typical 15 seconds not having one gets you.

As a person in a position to hire and/or have people hired for work, I'll take that a step further and say for me, it depends on the school attended as to how much weight it would carry. In my line of work, it's not like hiring people where I'd know if they have the degree, they'll be able to do the job. IME, it really depends on where they're coming from.

There are some schools that, in spite of their price tag, you'd have the same chance getting a gig having worked on your high school tech crew as having a "diploma" from there.

Choose wisely.


Absolutely correct. I thought that was implied.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:26 am

I can't justify going to post-secondary school at this point. With a good job, a girlfriend (plus 3 kids), saving for a house and the ability to work in the field hands on, I couldn't justify it unless the lottery were involved.

That being said... My lack of desire for post-secondary is completely circumstancial and not based in a feeling that going to school would not benefit me. I would however not go to school anywhere around here. It's not offense to some of the fine institutions in these parts, I'd just feel like going to a bigger center would challenge me more. I'm a take-no-prisoners kind of over-achiever when it comes to school and I feel that if I went to a place like OIART I would really be challenged if I wanted to stay on top. Plus I'd get to meet a lot of different people from all over the place. if I went to the school in fredericton I'd just get to hang out with Andrew more... but then I'd have to start paying for it. :mrgreen:
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby macrae11 » Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:58 pm

Mathieu Benoit wrote: I'm a take-no-prisoners kind of over-achiever when it comes to school and I feel that if I went to a place like OIART I would really be challenged if I wanted to stay on top. Plus I'd get to meet a lot of different people from all over the place. if I went to the school in fredericton I'd just get to hang out with Andrew more... but then I'd have to start paying for it. :mrgreen:


Uh I guess I forgot to mention that your free trial has expired and I'm going to have to start charging you.


I think the McGill program might be more up your alley than OIART. Possibly Nick too. More of a focus on jazz and classical with a lot of composing and stuff.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:08 pm

macrae11 wrote:Uh I guess I forgot to mention that your free trial has expired and I'm going to have to start charging you.


No worries, I found a torrent of you. :twisted:
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:11 pm

macrae11 wrote:I think the McGill program might be more up your alley than OIART. Possibly Nick too. More of a focus on jazz and classical with a lot of composing and stuff.


Don't tease me... I'd love to have gone to McGill. The entrance exams for their music programs are absolutely frightening though.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Burnsy » Fri Jun 15, 2012 5:33 pm

All done my exams and projects for this semester. Wow, what a haul. Hopefully I got through it all. Celebrating this evening with an acoustic set at the Ale House in Saint John. Been a long time since I played in SJ. Should be fun/interesting.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby Mathieu Benoit » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:21 pm

Burnsy wrote:All done my exams and projects for this semester. Wow, what a haul. Hopefully I got through it all. Celebrating this evening with an acoustic set at the Ale House in Saint John. Been a long time since I played in SJ. Should be fun/interesting.


Facebook was telling me... If I get a chance I'll try to come out.
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Re: Post-Secondary

Postby gamblor » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:18 am

Hi all! I'm back again. Miss me?

This thread comes at an excellent time. I've hit the point in my musical and professional life where I feel like, for my own benefit, I need to grow a set decide what direction I'm going in.

For those who don't know me, I'm a born and raised Saint John'er who currently lives and works as a mechanical engineer on beautiful Vancouver Island. About a couple of years ago I really started getting into audio production. It had always been a passing interest, but there was a point when I just fell in love with it. I'm a very creative individual, but I also am a very linear thinker when I need to be. Needless to say, when I'm immersed in this craft it resonates with me in a way that nothing else does.

My mentality was that I never expected it to pay the bills; at least not any time soon. I have an engineering degree and that pays bills just fine, right? At least this was my mentality in the past, but it's starting to change. As a professional in the field of engineering, a lot is expected of me. I dedicate so much time and energy to it, and although it floats me quite comfortably financially, it rarely fulfills me.

I look back at the progress I've made over the past couple of years in music production, and I get mixed feelings. When I first started buying my own gear and taking on projects in 2010, I pictured myself further ahead today. A lot of this is because I switched cities, and therefore had to build new contacts and relationships with people in the business from scratch (never underestimate the value of knowing the right people!). The biggest contributor though, in my mind, is the fact that my day job demands too much of me to be as effective as I'd like in my creative pursuits.

Right now, I owe it to myself to tell status-quo Alex to fuck off for a while, and do nothing but nurture producer Alex. All signs are pointing me to enrolling in a school that can offer this. Like Matt, I agree that a reputable school in a large urban center is the best choice because of the opportunity to network with high level folks in the business. Heck, that's 90% of my reason for why I'd go. I can learn the raw skills at any school (sort of), but why not learn the skills while proving your worth in front of experienced industry pros? You only need to go down the post-secondary road once to learn that networking and building relationships is what launches a career; not a diploma or a GPA.

In fact, I really don't give 2 shits about the degree at all. If after 2 years the right person happens to hear "Alex Gamble? Yeah! He kicked ass at the school and basically lived in the studio. You should give him a call!", then I've accomplished what I set out to do.

So it's looking like some time next year I'll be logistically and financially ready to do it. I've fallen on some terrific fortune lately and was given the opportunity to produce for a hard working band in an unreal studio. I'm being guided by an experienced engineer who enjoys taking an inexperienced, but crafty guy like me under his wing. I plan to see this project through, but after that I'm just about certain I'll be moving on as described above. This project could turn into something bigger, but I'm at a point where words like "could" and "if" pretty much have to leave my vocabulary. It's time to turn the key and make shit happen for myself.

Just thought I would chime in! Hope all is well back east. Come visit some time, OK? That goes for anybody!
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