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When I was in high school, my mom asked me, “Tim, what do you want to do with your life?” I believe I said something like “play drums and surf.” My mom was pretty cool about the whole thing, but I knew my ambitions did little to impress her. Soon after graduating high school, I enrolled at a local college. There I discovered I could obtain a degree in a field related to my interests, Radio–TV Production. I loved music, but the idea of recording and working with musicians for a living seemed to be an unattainable dream! I moved to Austin, Texas, in the late 80s to play drums and complete my Radio–TV–Film (RTF) degree at the University of Texas. I soon found myself at Cedar Creek Recording studio playing drums on a new wave demo. It was my first experience in a commercial recording studio and I was blown away. The two-inch tape machine, the array of mics, the recording console, and the reverb! Oh, the Lexicon 224 reverb on my snare. I was hooked. That first night in the studio I was so wound up and boisterous that the engineer actually asked me to be quiet. The engineer’s comments taught me the first lesson in studio etiquette: Don’t talk, listen! Even with this reprimand, I was given the opportunity to become an intern at CCR and spent the next ten years engineering records.
Looking back, while I had only a basic foundation in recording, I remember feeling technically inept. I had to rely on a variety of strengths to compensate for my lack of technical expertise. Some of these strengths included showing up on time and having a good attitude and willingness to listen. I was also very self-motivated and driven, had decent people skills, and was willing to struggle and work hard for little money while learning the craft. I also knew a few bands and musicians, and could bring in potential business. It took years before my technical skill level matched these intangible strengths. My point is, if you are a beginner, do not be discouraged. We all have to start somewhere.
Audio Engineering 101 YouTube channel, available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOhGtYc78yzRdNrwpbj_YFQ