Anonymous asked: So I was reading the question someone asked about doing sound in college and I'm actually going to do radio production major at a college in LA. Im wanting to do sound and tour with bands as well along with interning, but it raised the question, in your opinion, do you think there are a lot of opportunities to do these things with this major besides radio stations? Thank you.

Let’s preface this with: I have not studied audio or radio production, so my response is based on what limited knowledge I have of what a radio production major studies in college.

Are your classes teaching you solely about radio, or is it more audio based? Is there an audio program in which you can take classes?

It goes back to the last question about radio/college, your major doesn’t necessarily dictate where you go from there. However, if you want to work in sound, and there’s an audio program available, is there a reason you’re choosing radio production over audio? If you’re looking to tour, especially as a sound engineer, audio training will likely never hurt your chances. Unless you’re the kind of person unwilling to learn anything outside of what you learned in the classroom, even from those in audio for twenty, thirty years. Don’t be that person. Local sound guys can get real mean, real fast.

There are a lot of opportunities in LA, period. You just have to be willing to work hard and sacrifice any semblance of a life for awhile to get that base foundation down. Since this is a city of networks, if you have the opportunity, major in the field you want to be in. Especially since you’re at college in LA. Many teachers can help, your fellow students are great people to keep in touch with, and the opportunity for guest speakers in your desired fields which you can network with is key.

One thing, be careful about programs that are set on teaching an industry in the way it is right now. For example, and I’m dating myself here, one film program I was in would only teach undergrads about news broadcast production using film cameras. They wouldn’t even consider discussing the inevitable explosion of digital production, which was on the brink that year, and spent months making sure we knew every facet of a physical piece of film. So now people who finished that program had a wealth of knowledge which was basically useless within a year or two. Had the same experience in a music industry class which taught us about the mainstream record labels, and how it was only a matter of time before indie labels folded. Teacher hadn’t ever actually worked in the music industry.

Just keep in mind: Fundamentals are important to learn. But make sure if your college program isn’t keeping up on the current industry, that you are.