The music industry is more diverse, booming and independent than ever before. The Recording Arts Program at Los Medanos College allows students to earn a certificate of achievement or an associate’s degree to help get a foot in the door.

Focusing on the technical and physical aspects behind the recording and preparation of live audio, students get a chance to learn about skills they can apply both on stage and in studio when dealing with sound in a professional setting, as well as how to deal with both common and sudden mishaps that may occur.

Rogelio Lopez is currently a recording arts major, and plans to pursue a career in the audio industry whether that’s through his music on Soundcloud or becoming an audio engineer. He said that the Recording Arts Program has taught him a lot, and not just about audio.

“I’ve learned problem solving and focusing a lot on details to make sense of a bigger picture,” said Lopez.

Chance Lujan who is also majoring in recording arts, is hoping to breakout in the music industry through Soundcloud and his cover videos on Instagram. For him, the program has shown the more professional and experienced side of audio.

“I make music with Garageband on my phone and FL studio on my laptop, and a small MIDI keyboard. I knew there’d be more, but damn, I want to expand on my equipment now,” Lujan said about his experience.

The program places students into a studio environment, where they are taught the fundamentals of recording not only in studio and on stage, but outdoors as well.

“It’s interesting seeing the ins and outs of it all,” said Lujan.

Students also learn about how to prepare, clean and work-ready audio for creating a cohesive product through the use of special microphones and placement techniques.

“Recording arts has made me value the work people put behind the scenes a lot more, especially those that do ‘invisible work,’ or work that one doesn’t notice until something goes wrong,” said Lopez.

Careers in the audio engineering industry can be very rewarding too, so it’s no wonder many students flock to learn the craft.

Wages in the audio technician industry can range from $12.58 to $40.42 an hour for an Audio/Video Equipment position, and anywhere from $13.49 to $55.18 an hour for a general sound engineering technician.

“Sounds like I can finally live alone in peace at those wages,” laughed Lopez.

Students from the Recording Arts Program also find that alongside the audio work techniques they pick up during the courses, they can also gain skills ready for use in their day-to-day lives.

“The idea of ‘big picture, tiny details’ goes a long way, specifically when it comes to planning and organizing your day in and day outs.” said Lopez.

Problem solving is no stranger to audio technicians, which is why so many are keen on finding crafty solutions in even the most undesirable circumstances.

“Learning [recording arts] teaches you discipline in making the right product from the most out-of-the-box solutions,” said Lujan.

Recording arts professor Frank Dorritie was unavailable for comment, however, for more information regarding the Recording Arts Program you can contact him at [email protected].