CHICAGO MUSIC RECORDING SCHOOL ALTERNATIVE

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS is the country’s 3rd largest DMA, ranking behind only New York and Los Angeles.  It is also the 3rd largest market for recorded music sales.   The city is rich is sports history playing host to the Chicago Cubs and White Sox in baseball, the Bulls in basketball, the Bears in the NFL and the Blackhawks in NHL.  From a media perspective, all four networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX) own and operate Chicago TV stations.  Both The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Jerry Springer Show call Chicago their home.  

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Walt Disney, Harrison Ford, John Cusack, John Mahoney, Dorothy Hamill, Quincy Jones, Pat Sajak, Robin Williams and Benny Goodman all were born in Chicago.  Jazz was first used to describe the type of music playing in Chicago in 1914.  Playboy, the zipper, softball, Daytime Soap Operas, the Ferris wheel and Twinkies all got their start in Chicago.

Chicago has long been associated with music: Buddy Guy, Chicago, Nat King Cole, Michael and Janet Jackson and Sam Cooke are just a few of the legends in music to have started in Chicago.  Hard-house DJ Bad Boy Bill took top honors in the Midwest division of DMC's Battle DJ competition in 1998, and serves as host to "Street Mix," a top-rated weekly radio mix show on Chicago's WBBM as well as producing the popular Bangin the Box series and The House Connection series.  Chicago is also a great town for live music be it locally brewed or an act on tour.  Here's some places to take in the sounds: Hunt Club, Quartino, Hot House, Nacional 27, Jedynka Club, Berlin, Club Foot, Neo, Fizz, Hot House, Cafe Lura, The Wild Hare, Niedersachsen Club, The Hideout, Lakeshore Theater, and Blues R&B.

With strong professional connections and relationships forged over the years, RECORDING CONNECTION is in an unique position to help fulfill the student’s dreams of a career in the music industry--either as a recording engineer or music producer.  Using RECORDING CONNECTION’s original,  hands-on, one-on-one, on-the-job method of teaching, using the mentor/apprentice approach, over 70% of Chicago RECORDING CONNECTION graduates go on to have a career in music and recording—often times being hired before they finish their RECORDING CONNECTION course.

Hear what two recent Chicago Recording Connection Graduates have to say about their alma mater

At age 17, Brian Amermeister felt "Guitar Hero" really wasn't a viable career choice.  He enrolled in the Recording Connection and now, three years later, he works at a major Chicago Recording Studio.	After five years of fooling around trying to record music, Gregg Brooks enrolled in the Recording Connection.  Now, he's opened up his own recording studio and already has paying clients.

Progress Reports:  Checking in on our Illinois Recording Students who are learning where they live in places like Chicago and Springfield.

Andrew Fortener
CHICAGO, IL
Last week, Brian and I went over Signal flow in track mode, signal flow schematics, auxiliaries, and the patch bay. We also did some studio work demonstrating the signal flow by setting up a radio in a drum iso booth and recording some FM channels. In addition, I also did a patch bay drill by having to correctly route reverb through an audio track we had, using an auxiliary.

Adam Cockrell
CHICAGO, IL   MUSIC PRODUCER STUDENT
I reviewed assignment 1 and observed a recording session with an artist. I also assisted my mentor as needed with the session. My mentor is great. Cool people. The studio is top notch.

Joshua Shaw
SPRINGFIELD, IL
I'm going in almost every day now, I get 20-30 hours a week in the studio.

Melvin Williams
CHICAGO RECORDING
I'm working full time in the studio. I go when I want. This program works. Thank You for saving me 15,000 in student loans.