As yet another request for work experience comes tumbling into the studio mailbox I am once again forced to let another hopeful engineer down. As a studio, we are too small a concern to support regular engineers besides myself and my business partner, Dave. And to be honest there isn’t even enough work around for just one of us to take a wage without lots of hard work.
It would be great to offer people work experience but we are not an extension of your college course – we are a working studio. This doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t want to help aspiring engineers. On the contrary we get a real kick out of meeting enthusiastic youngsters all keen and willing to work hard.
But this is a business and you have to be able to offer something. You have to come to us with some skills, lots of enthusiasm and an eagerness to work. Of the last three students that have worked with us all have offered something. And how did they get a foot in the door? One came in asking to record a session with his friend’s band. We rented him the studio at a low rate and supervised the early sessions until he was confident he knew how everything works. His mates were happy they got a cheap session, he was happy he got some experience, we were happy we got a bit of money and a prospective new engineer.
The other two came in to do any odd job. This involved lots of tedious prep work, taking tape off cables and tidying up. Both worked hard and both were offered a bit more paid work, albeit pretty badly paid! One just had his first credit as an assistant engineer on an album, the second I’m hoping to take out to some festivals this summer.
So when you write to me wanting to be our next assistant, think what you can offer me. Sell yourself. And with your CV, send me a soundcloud link too. You want to be an engineer? Then engineer something and send it to me!
Not all of you though…
