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How do I get the job?

How do I actually get the job? Well, recording school these days is pretty much a must. The reason being is the people you're competing with all into recording school, can you get through without going to recording school? Yeah, it happens, but it's getting more rare because there's, so many people going to recording school, there's less and less jobs, and more and more people going for them. And you're competing with people that are in recording school that will have a foundation of knowledge that you won't have. If you didn't go, so I would say it's, probably a must, um, not everyone goes to recording school can make it it's the unfortunate truth. Some schools market that they can guarantee you a job, or I don't know the school that I went to doesn't do that, but there's a lot of value going to recording school but it's it's all about what you put into it the effort that you take when you leave recording school and how hard you're willing to work for it come some of the values that a...

aron recording school the technical skills yes they teach you you know an ssl they teach you the basics of this the basics of that they teach you the language in the culture that will help you fit in that way you can walk into any studio and someone says, hey, this is a male xlr this is a female xlr or this is a tie line or this is that you know what they're talking about it doesn't mean that you could walk in and perform in a studio because it's a little bit different when you get in the real world then it is when you're in a classroom but at least teach you the language in the terminology the real value in recording school is the internship placement programmes because most people are going to start as an intern you're not going to bypass the internship unless you know somebody on the inside which is very, very rare I mean someone might maybe they know you know, somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody, but we're not relying on that we're relying that you're somebody that knows nobody in the music business wants to be in the music business because they're passionate about music. And this is how you're going to get there. Internship is your foot in the door, that's. All it is, is your foot in the door, there's. No guarantee of moving past that, but that's, where you start, it's, the best route recording school, definitely the best route, because it's going to, like I said, it's, going to teach you the terminology, it's going to help you get your placement into the place that you want. However, not all studios take interns through school programs, the studio that you may want to work at may not taken in turn from your school, or may not take interns from any school, or may just not be hiring at the time you're graduating. Or, for some reason, the studio you want to go to, you can't get in through your school. That didn't stop me because this is exactly what happened to me a little bit you know then here we'll go back to my story a little bit the day that I graduated I packed up my car and drove from arizona to los angeles and basically the way the school worked out as you go to your city of destination whether it's los angeles whether it's nashville whether it's new york city whether it's atlanta whether it's miami wherever you chose to go you go there and the intern department will set you up an interview for an internship at a studio that you want well the studios that I wanted weren't accepting in terms at the time so they got me an interview at a studio that I it was great but it wasn't it wasn't part of my game plan my game plan that had already set up in my head I already had a goal okay I'm goingto be a mixed engineer I'm going to go here this is what I want to do well this kind of threw me off track of my game plan so I got the internship at this other studio it was great I learned a lot it wasn't exactly where I want it's b but it was good but I didn't stop trying to get into that studio which was larrabee that I wanted to get in I turned my resume in there didn't hear anything back for about two months so I turned in my resume again I turned in my resume again six months later I got a call from them at this point I had already been hired at this other studio as a paid runner which is basically an intern that gets paid minimum wage super such stoked I'm making six bucks an hour I'm getting food you know but for me it's it's all about the end game I have a plan in my head no this layer be finally called me like would you still be interested in an internship I'm like oh well now I have to leave a paying job to go back and be an intern again at an even more competitive studio I didn't think twice about it I quit the other studio I was like you guys have been great it's not exactly what I what I want it's not part of my game plan so I went back to larrabee as an intern um and to me that was my first break because I now have my foot in the door of the place that I wanted to be now and all because I planned and I knew before I even got to l a where I wanted to be who I wanted to be around because you have to do research you have to you have to everything you need to know about where you want to be. You have to figure everything out and it's it's everything's on the internet now. Um, even when I came out of school, it wasn't the internet. The information age wasn't what it is now. So you got to think of this like you're about to rob a bank, it's the way out, like when, you know, obviously, nobody here is probably robbed a bank. But if you were going to, wouldn't you try to do it so you wouldn't get caught, like, wouldn't you try your best with to make sure you were so prepared that there was no possibility of you ever having the chance of going to jail? You want to steal the money and be up. So the way you look at it is there's. No way. I'm not gonna get this job, there's, no way that I'm not going to become a mix engineer. There's, no way that I'm not going to be working on the top records. So what do I need to do to ensure that? What do I need to do to ensure that I don't get caught and go to jail? Because that's? Not for me. So that's just again. These two things right here, your obsession will allow you to prepare. Because if you're not obsessed, somebody will be may I was obsessed. I still am. Come learn everything you need you need to know about once you've picked the place. Okay? This place looks good for me. They mix movies or they're recording and mix engineers. Okay, this is the studio that I would want to own. This is where I want to model my studio after learn everything there is to know about that. The way you know, pain manning will prepare about for a defense. Learn, learn about the people that work there, the people that used to work there, the records that were made there, the engineers that worked there, learn about the studio manager, you know, how long have they been the studio manager there? What's their past, you know, be inappropriate, like, like you could find information on people on the internet. It doesn't mean that you you have to use it, and you're using it to strategically plot in your mind. You know, just because you learned something doesn't mean you have to open your mouth and let other people know that you know it. But the fact that you know it will allow you to prepare behind the scenes. Tastic so far, and I could see the audience of really engage their nodding away. Seriously, I just want to go to them for a second. What's your first thoughts on the introductions so far. Have you learned nothing, 00:08:03.69 --> 00:08:06. anything new? Any idea? Stop. Sometimes people want 00:08:06.7 --> 00:08:08. to learn more about something. You know, I'm kind 00:08:08.56 --> 00:08:12. of going through in my mind the information there's, 00:08:12.84 --> 00:08:15. anything that you I want to know more about. I mean 00:08:15.71 --> 00:08:17. someone you could literally just hold your hand up, 00:08:17.37 --> 00:08:19. and I'll stop and be like, absolutely 00:08:21.04 --> 00:08:23. when you got your internship at what was glare. Larry, 00:08:23.94 --> 00:08:27. baby, how did you survive at home? Did you live with 00:08:27.5 --> 00:08:29. a roommate? A great, great question. 00:08:31.94 --> 00:08:32. Yes, 00:08:33.94 --> 00:08:36. I did. It's. A pretty drastic stuff. One. 00:08:38.94 --> 00:08:43. I worked I actually got a job I had some experience 00:08:43.75 --> 00:08:47. in the food service industry before I moved 00:08:48.94 --> 00:08:52. specifically being a waiter which in los angeles there's 00:08:52.85 --> 00:08:53. a ton of 00:08:54.74 --> 00:08:58. food service jobs but it's also competitive because 00:08:58.24 --> 00:09:00. you're dealing with all the wannabe actors in the 00:09:00.02 --> 00:09:02. town that are also waiters so 00:09:03.64 --> 00:09:06. I almost had to grind almost as hard as I did with 00:09:06.76 --> 00:09:10. my internship to get a job waiting tables and I literally 00:09:10.68 --> 00:09:13. would work in this at the studio during the day all 00:09:13.97 --> 00:09:16. day until about six or seven at night and I would 00:09:16.68 --> 00:09:19. drive all the way over the hill into west hollywood 00:09:19.87 --> 00:09:20. and wait tables at night 00:09:22.14 --> 00:09:25. that is a job I would recommend highly while you're 00:09:25.51 --> 00:09:27. an intern because it's one of the only gigs out there 00:09:27.75 --> 00:09:29. that you can work part time and still make enough 00:09:29.73 --> 00:09:33. money to pay your rent um you know it's probably between 00:09:33.54 --> 00:09:37. twenty five and thirty hours a week and you can make 00:09:37.06 --> 00:09:38. enough money to pay your rent you're not gonna be 00:09:38.47 --> 00:09:40. living lavish you know you're probably not going to 00:09:40.91 --> 00:09:44. living on that side of the hill again this is about 00:09:44.06 --> 00:09:47. ella because this is my experience so come you're 00:09:47.27 --> 00:09:49. going to be living in the cheap part of town, you're 00:09:49.35 --> 00:09:52. going to be eaten alive carrots and top ramen 00:09:54.24 --> 00:09:57. you'll be living not just paycheck to paycheck but 00:09:57.94 --> 00:09:58. dollar two dollar 00:10:00.14 --> 00:10:03. but I said it was going to be hard right it's going 00:10:03.37 --> 00:10:04. to the hardest thing you have to do 00:10:05.61 --> 00:10:07. is not easy and you have to make sacrifices 00:10:09.11 --> 00:10:12. and studios totally understand that you have to pay 00:10:12.31 --> 00:10:15. your rent I mean is you can't live on the street I 00:10:15.75 --> 00:10:20. mean yes you have to make money but make the final 00:10:20.21 --> 00:10:22. job that's goingto have you doing the least amount 00:10:22.47 --> 00:10:27. of hours for the like just enough to get by because 00:10:27.01 --> 00:10:29. your focus is on the studio even though you're not 00:10:29.06 --> 00:10:32. getting paid that should be your focus because you're 00:10:32.23 --> 00:10:35. not thinking about having a career waiting tables 00:10:35.42 --> 00:10:37. you think about having occurred in the studio so that's 00:10:37.15 --> 00:10:40. where you need to be come and give up your social 00:10:40.69 --> 00:10:44. life I mean if anything is expendable unfortunately 00:10:44.16 --> 00:10:46. it's your friends and family like I got it that's 00:10:47.41 --> 00:10:49. I mean I said this was a sum of this was going to 00:10:49.42 --> 00:10:51. be brutal right? And it absolutely is 00:10:52.51 --> 00:10:55. you work in the studio and then you go to your job 00:10:55.37 --> 00:10:57. and make your pennies that you're going to pay your 00:10:57.45 --> 00:11:00. rent with and then you go back to the studio you know 00:11:00.4 --> 00:11:02. your friends will go out for a beer sorry I'll call 00:11:02.54 --> 00:11:04. you in two years when I when when I'm good and ready 00:11:06.15 --> 00:11:08. and then I'm gonna be too busy working. Yeah sorry 00:11:08.84 --> 00:11:10. mom and dad I'm not making a home for christmas this 00:11:10.97 --> 00:11:13. year. Yes what did you end up doing that the studio 00:11:13.97 --> 00:11:14. initially 00:11:15.71 --> 00:11:16. another good question 00:11:17.88 --> 00:11:22. you will be a glorified floor mop, er, toilet cleaner. 00:11:22.52 --> 00:11:26. Food getter, window washer, vacuum cleaner. 00:11:29.41 --> 00:11:32. Rake the leaves or in the driveway 00:11:33.61 --> 00:11:35. basically you're a janitor 00:11:37.01 --> 00:11:37. but 00:11:38.51 --> 00:11:41. that is how you're able to survey the landscape I 00:11:41.04 --> 00:11:44. mean think of it is being a spy like they sent a spy 00:11:44.18 --> 00:11:47. into enemy territory they don't walk around and act 00:11:47.03 --> 00:11:49. like a spy there in their rake in the bushes or something 00:11:49.95 --> 00:11:51. like and while they're doing that there going like 00:11:51.84 --> 00:11:54. this and their hearing and seeing everything that 00:11:54.36 --> 00:11:56. you and they're invisible because there's all that 00:11:56.77 --> 00:11:59. guy's just washing the windows he's like well I'm 00:11:59.42 --> 00:12:01. I'm hearing everything you're saying is starring in 00:12:01.05 --> 00:12:03. my mind for my battle plan is what I'm doing I'm not 00:12:03.63 --> 00:12:05. just washing the windows um and in doing that you better be the best floor mop er that ever mopped the floor when I got my internship it larrabee this is great us this question because it actually tied directly into what we're talking about next when they handed me that mop in my mind I was like okay, I'm capable of a lot more than this you know I'm in my mind of my own I'm a I know ssl consoles and I know how to align a tape machine blah blah blah blah they don't give a shit can you mop a floor that's what they want to know first so when I put that up I was like you know what this floor will never ever be as clean as it's going to be after I touched this mob um you know I went through I went through such lengths to even there was a a floor and larrabee that no one could ever get perfectly glossy like it was this brown really hideous ugly floor but it always had this like kind of like hazy tinge on it that no one could ever figure out so what did I do? I researched what the material was and I tried to find on the internet what the best way to clean it was and in some forum somewhere in like finland or something they talked about how windex was the best way to clean this type of floor so the studio manager shows up one day and I came in like two hours early like seven in the morning and I'm literally spraying windex on the floor and they're like what the hell are you doing? I'm like uh just just trust me like I read about this and they're like ok and they came back two hours later the like this is the cleaners we've ever seen this floor so that is something that puts you on the radar of the people in the building you're doing the job in this realm to get out of it you're not trying to be the best floor mop er because and they're not going to be like oh man, we need to keep him as an intern because his floor mops are amazing that's not the way this business works when they see, oh, my god, that guy is an amazing cleaner, like they're looking at the fact that you pay attention to details. Another word I'm gonna put up here. And actually, I'll put over here because I'll probably block that where I'm standing. That's. What they notice cause honestly, if they really wanted the floor that clean, they'd hire professional to do it. They want to know how clean you can get it, because they want to know what kind of person you are, how detailed hornet oriented you are. They want to see dedication and passion. There was once an intern. I'll tell you two stories. One of them. That was my story, and one that was an intern, another intern story that was at the same studio. This guy had to drive from santa barbara to los angeles on thanksgiving eve to send an mp three. Sorry, mom and dad. I got to send an email in los angeles. Have a good holiday. But it's, that type of dedication, because somebody is going to be willing to do it, somebody is, is there going to be you, or is going to someone else how bad you want this? That's, that's, that's. A question you're always gonna have to be asking yourself. How bad do you want it? Do you want it enough to bore you? Leave your family to go deliver an mp three in l? A. I would have. My story isn't quite as crazy, is that? But I did have to drive from north hollywood to culver city. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the los angeles area, but in rush hour traffic, that's, a two hour drive. So I drove there, took me about an hour and thirty minutes cause I took the side streets toe open an attachment on somebody's email because they didn't either a they didn't know how or be they didn't care because a lot of these people, when you're dealing with some of the high end people, they just want something done. They don't care about what the process is to do it, they don't care what you had to sacrifice to do it, they just I want it done. So I made the drive toe open somebody's attachment in their computer, and I could have been like what? See this like, this is how you do it, but I didn't. I was like, I got you there you go, anything else you need? Okay, cool. And then when I got my car was like, what a idiot, but these are all things that you keep to yourself. I mean, everyone has opinions, everyone you know, you're going to see the and hear things that you're like, really? But that doesn't mean you have to wear it on your face or say anything to people again. You're living inside your head, you are this is what you are, and this is what you will be for your entire career. That's. What you are. And again, even though it's right there, here's. Actually, this gets the over. Take all this stuff, because now, now that you're an intern and you're in, you got your foot in the door, so to speak. You are this. You are going to take out your competition by going behind them and slitting their throats when they're not looking, and you're going to do it without them knowing about it. Not because you're a shady person, anything like that. I don't mean it like that. I just mean that, like the spy that's, that's doing this and observing everything around them, you know everything about everyone that's around you, because your ear hustling, you're hearing things you set up your wi was quietly and behind the scenes. You don't tell people what you're doing, because that gives them an advantage later on, you will tell people, because using your colleagues is one of the most important things that we do, but you're you don't have colleagues, yet you're still an intern. You're getting your foot in the door at this point, it's every man for himself. I got to where I am by being this exactly by being a ninja. There's. No formula. You're just more prepared than everyone else. You're in the studio, you're not actually in the rooms yet. You're just in the building, but you're listening. Ok, what are these people doing? What are these people doing? And the biggest thing that you're doing is you are observing how the other interns air conducting themselves, because the most important thing that you have to remember is this concept is very, very cut and dry and simple. You assess your competition, and you just work way harder than them. If I see somebody that's at the studio for eight hours a day, I'm gonna be there for fifteen hours a day that there's someone that's there for fifteen hours a day. Again, when you have to work, you find a way like everybody's in the same boat as you there's the other interns have to work to, so they can't spend twenty four hours a day at the studio because they have to work to make ends meet, too. So you use everything you can to find out as much as you can about everybody and that's. What you use in your mind to plot your moves. And this goes through your entire career, every ladder that you step up every area that you move up, you treat it like being a ninja. You assess what's going on around you, and you move up from there.