What does it cost someone interested in a career in the recording arts to get a sound engineering degree? The Full Sail Web site, a school specializing in entertainment education, charges $46,642 for two years.
For those who can’t pay the costs,
The class meets off campus at In Your Ear Studio, which is owned by 52-year-old former VCU student Carlos Chafin. Although faculty and students in VCU’s Department of Music would prefer to build a state-of-the-art recording facility on campus, no plans are in the current budget.
“When it became clear that it would be impossible to do so [building a recording studio] within the currently planned
Chafin has taught the crash course in audio sciences four times, but the school just accredited the class this year.
Even with VCU accrediting his course, Chafin still teaches anyone who wants to take it. He decides if they are qualified by interviewing all prospective students before accepting them.
After they’re accepted, non-VCU students pay $750 for the course while VCU students pay $600.
Chafin says it is difficult to esti9meate the cost of building a facility sophisticated enough to teach the course.
“It’s tough [to estimate] because the nature of the course would not fit in with the music [department]; it’s too technical.” Chafin said. “If they put it in with the engineering department, the engineers would say ‘why?’ It’s weird because it’s so hybrid.”
He said he doubts that the university wants its own facility since he is paid directly by students and VCU can still say it offers the course.
“We’re both getting paid,” he said. “They’ll want to get more involved when I’m filling up three or four sections a semester.”
Out of the 15 people taking the course, 10 are from VCU’s Department of Music. In 12 three-hour classes over six weeks, they will learn about acoustics, electronics, psychoacoustics, audio history, microphones, wiring, computers, digital basics, audio editing programs, and advanced recording.
The backgrounds of the non-VCU students range from working for Capital One, the state Department of Information Technology, medical equipment salesperson, musicians, and persons building his or her own studio.
VCU students usually come in without as much recording knowledge. “Unfortunately, students are not as on the stick as people form the outside,” Chafin said.
IYE studio is also used for a substantial amount of video editing. Chafin says he hopes to teach an advanced course in the future that offers video editing.
The studio also is involved with many major television and movie companies.
“He has worked for such ad campaigns as Miller Lite, Purina, Holiday Inn, Colgate, Sprint, Seiko, Saab, Wrangler, and more,” Garcia said.
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