Welcome to my blog! This is an introduction to me and my career aspirations as part of my Extended Diploma in Music Technology. I’m 56 years old and have given up a perfectly acceptable, but deathly dull career in law to pursue what has been a lifelong interest in music.
As if that’s not bad enough, I’m entering the music industry at a time when some would say my preferred career options are possibly closer to extinction than ever before! According to UK Music: THIS IS MUSIC 2022 by Andy Edwards, Director of Research & Analysis at UK Music
“Music industry employment stood at 145,000, 14% up on 2020, but still 26% down on 2019 when employment peaked at 197,000. “(p30)
Madness or genius? You decide!
In terms of career, I’m interested in engineering, production, sound design, soundtracks for film and games and foley. If I had to pick just one role, I would go for Sound Engineer, (with maybe a side-helping of producer). I have experience of live sound and working on TV productions, but have discovered that at my age, the anti-social hours are more than I can deal with.
So, to progress towards this goal, I need firstly to think about the skills I have and the skills I need. I look at these as being divided into Musical/Technical skills, including proficiency with a range of Digital Audio Workstations and other software, familiarity with hardware, great mixing techniques and equalizing skills, expert mastering, a knowledge of acoustics and a decent grasp of music theory and Professional skills many of which I can carry over from my former life, (so not the whole 30 years wasted then…). These include communication, adaptability, time management/organization, flexibility and openness to change, active listening, problem solving and of course continuous learning
My whole career has involved dealing with people, often in very fraught circumstances, and that has helped me develop the skills necessary to get the best from people I am working with. I have, however, also had a lifetime’s interest in and experience of making music, so I can understand the perspective of musicians and creators.
I know I have a lot of skills already but recognise I need to get better at some things, so I’m going to look at a range of opportunities for progression available and try and weigh up the pros and cons of each route before deciding on my route.
My first thought is to create a Portfolio, preferably by recording a variety of bands in different styles/genres in order to hone (and demonstrate) a wide range of technical and ‘soft’ skills. A benefit is that I would learn a lot, and gain confidence and competency particularly in the areas where I am weakest. Additionally, a portfolio would be essential should I want to pursue freelancing work, or for obtaining opportunities in studios and elsewhere. As a downside you are at the mercy of whoever is available. It may not be possible to choose artists that provide an opportunity to learn and show the skills that you have. Will I be able to learn enough of the right skills? How will I learn them? Will it just be by trial and error? Who knows?
A second option would be to create an Album of my own material. This could allow me to learn and showcase exactly the skills I want to practice and in particular a range of technical skills. I could concentrate on learning the skills in the areas I am weakest. It would also have some of the advantages of a portfolio in that it represents examples of my work and skills for prospective clients and/or employers. This would not, however, be representative of how things work in the real world, in that it does not show me responding to the requirements of a particular client, nor would it give me a chance to show my soft skills, such as communication, teamwork etc. It also begs the question, would I learn more by working with others?
As a third possibility and perhaps as a more focused version of the first option, I could produce a compilation album. This could involve recording a variety of bands in different styles/genres and could provide all the benefits discussed above, but with the addition of having a tangible product at the end of it. Would this just be a bridge too far though? In terms of career progression, it also has the advantage of making contacts with artists and dealing with the intricacies of releasing and promoting a piece of work.
On balance perhaps as a short term goal I could arrange some sessions to record with other artists and, depending on the outcome, put together something of a portfolio. As a longer term goal perhaps, I could look at releasing a compilation album to showcase both my skills and the talents of up and coming creatives… I want to be working with other artists on a regular basis, using my skills to enhance their vision. This could be an opportunity to make some of the connections necessary to make this a reality, whilst also improving my skills.
Phil Wakely Audio 