Audio Engineering in Music Schools

If you’re aiming for a career in music recording and audio engineering, there are a number of education options available to you. You can attend a specialized school for audio engineering, or a college program, or even learn by interning in a recording studio. Our focus in this article is on one option in particular: learning audio engineering in music schools.

While college-level music programs focus primarily on the artistic attributes of music, there are a growing number of music schools that are broadening their educational base to include studies in music technology, music business, music production and music recording. In other words, they aren’t just teaching music from a creative standpoint, but also from a technical one. These schools are trying to equip their students for a wider range of career options, not just education and performance.

People who might benefit from taking audio engineering or music production in music schools might include music students who want to learn how to self-record; musicians who don’t want to be limited just to performance; or aspiring audio engineers who want to specialize in music recording and might benefit from a better understanding of music. The advantage of taking audio engineering in this context is that it can give the student a broader education that includes artistic as well as technical values.

That said, there are potential disadvantages to learning audio in this setting. For one thing, generally speaking, the more specialized the training, the better the equipment and the education—and conversely, the more generalized the program is, the lesser overall quality of the education. This means that in the environment of music schools, audio engineering has to compete with many other emphases and departments for its budget requirements, which can make it more difficult to keep equipment current. It also means that because audio engineering is just one facet of the music program, it is more likely to be treated with a lower priority than the more artistic/creative aspects of the school. What’s more, a college-level education is usually pricey, no matter what you happen to be studying. The bottom line is that you might learn some things about audio engineering and music production, but it is possible that your education in this area may be below standard, and you will have paid just as much for it as if you had attended a specialized audio school.

If you are considering learning audio engineering at music schools, it is wise to keep these things in mind. If a well-rounded musical education that includes audio engineering is what you’re looking for, this could very well be the choice for you. If your primary focus is on the engineering, however, it might be better for you to look at a specialized school, or perhaps even a mentor-apprentice program for learning the trade in a recording studio.