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Whenever I meet people who wants to build career in Sound, their first question is – I want to be a Sound Engineer / Music Producer, where do I start and what is the feasibility of a career in this field?
The answer to this is not a simple one. First it’s important to understand what the difference between a sound engineer, a music producer and a musician is. Most enthusiasts come to me with the idea that they want to build a career in the field of sound, but are unaware about what these fields are to begin with.
First it’s important to understand what the difference between a sound engineer, a music producer and a musician is.
Step no. 1
Understand the Job Roles
First Understand what the job roles of an audio engineer, music producer, composer or musicians are. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of students rush into the decisions of enrolling for an audio engineering course just to realize that they would rather be playing or composing music instead of getting into the technical details
Step no. 2
Acquire some hands on experience
Pick up the phone and make a few calls to all the engineers that you can find. Engineers are always looking for assistants, so put yourself out there and find someone who you can observe and get a real feel of the job for. Even better if you can contact your local recording studio and ask them if you can go and watch them work so that you can see what the audio engineering/music producers have to deal with practically.
Step no. 3
Find a good course
There are a number of courses that are offered in India. Find the right course that suits and aligns with what you want to achieve. Find a course that has a detailed course structure that will give you a glimpse into the various fields in the Sound Engineering. This way it will make it easier to find out which field of sound you want to specialize in.
Step no. 4
Build a Portfolio
I can’t stress this point enough. No matter where you get your degree from, without a strong portfolio it won’t make a difference. At the end of day you have to realize that you are working in an industry that is saturated with new engineers coming out every year. The only way for you to be seen amongst the crowd is to have a strong profile and let your body of work speak for you. The only way for somebody to judge the quality of your service is to judge it by the quality that they can see in your work. I’ve seen a number of students loose out on great opportunities because they lack a good portfolio, don’t make this mistake. Find a course that will help you build this portfolio while you’re learning.
Step no. 5
Find a Job or Freelance
Once you’ve learned the concepts and have the tools to be a good engineer, apply them to as many projects that you can find. The community that you will be working with is small and the more work you do the more you’re bound to be in front of the right kind of people. Don’t look at it just from a monetary point of view, you’re not going to get to work with the best musicians or producers in town from the get go. Starting small and being consistent is the only way to grow.
Step no. 6
Find a mentor
Get in touch with the Sound engineers or producer whose work you really admire and write to them. Finding a good mentor who can help you navigate this ever changing field and can really set you on a path to success.