So I really want a career in the music industry. It's just my passion. I play guitar and a bit of bass but I wouldn't consider myself a musician. My real passion lies in listening to music and picking it apart finding strengths and weaknesses of bands and the quality of their recordings. So I was thinking of going to school to be a sound/recording engineer and editor. But after looking into it, there doesn't seem to be many jobs in that industry. So I'm posting here looking for a little insight on the matter. Whether it be past experiences from some of you, or other possible career choices in a similar line of work.

Live production has the money. Lighting, monitors, front of house mixer/engineer, repair tech. Even just being able to help set up a stage properly pays about $200 a day pending on the type of bands/venue. Good back line technicians are few and far between. I do this now and charge $300 a day, $200 if it's just for one band. Not too many people argue with that rate. Also, supplying backline! If you have the money to start it up, you can make excellent money as both the renter of the gear and the facilitator at the gigs for the equipment.

Sound Engineering is where the money is at. Gotta have a good ear for music, and a good ear for what the listener is ultimately gonna want to hear. However - I don't know how you will go about getting into a job in it. My old vocal coach said it would be the right career for me, so I should get friendly with a studio - be a coffee bitch for 6 months, get chummy with the sound techy and learn from there. Obviously any previous experience you have in creating/editing music will help - but thats his suggestion.

Here you go... your first investment:

http://www.eeebay.ca/itm/Used-Yamaha-80s-Recording-Custom-Birch-Cherry-Drumset-/330602145269?pt=LHDefaultDomain0&hash=item4cf96c65f5

Offer $2000 and expect to pay $2500. You can probably rent this kit out for $100-$150 a show. You'll need a snare drum to go with it. Get yourself a 59' Bassman, a Deville, a Twin, a JCM 900 with a 4x12 cab and an Ampeg SVT Rig. Rent 2 guit amps, the kit and SVT for about $500-$600. If it's for a festival, you'll rent it for 2-4 days, charge about $1200-1400, you get paid $300 a day to be there. Laughin' to the bank. Of course, you'll want a bigger arsenal in the end but this is where I'd start.

edit: WTF is with eebay links? Adds an extra e to eebay?

This post was edited by Superchum on Aug 23 2011 09:03am

Interesting thoughts guy thanks. I was also thinking about journalism. Do interviews with bands and write reviews and whatnot. I think it'd be good for me since I can handle criticism well. Also, if I can't find a job in music, I can work for a newspaper or tv station until I find one.

What experience you got in journalism or writing?

Very little. Whatever I decide to do, I'll have to go to school for it. But I always did pretty good in writing in high school and the one year of college I took