Middle Tennessee State University AES Student Section Blog

On Thursday, January 23, come visit the AES table at the College of Mass Communication Student Organization Fair between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  RIM faculty members Michael Fleming and Bill Crabtree will be present to talk with you and describe the available activities and leadership opportunities

Regular meetings are being planned for the Spring semester.  Announcements will be forthcoming on this blog and via internal Recording Industry emails. 

In anticipation, here are some thoughts for all MTSU audio students, including those who have just received candidacy (congratulations!) and those completing their final semesters with us (good luck!).  I'm not writing to give you all the answers.  You've got an array of faculty advisors, mentors, the MTSU career center, friends and family to help you along the way.  But if you're an audio production student or MFA candidate, then I'm appealing to you to make a small but powerful investment in both your education and your career development by joining the Audio Engineering Society as a student member.

You've heard it from everyone: the media and entertainment business runs on personal connections and networks.  International professional organizations like the AES provide one of the best ways to get plugged in and begin networking with people who have similar interests, goals and experiences.  Speaking personally, I can attest that the AES has played a central role in every step of my audio education and professional development.  An AES scholarship helped me pay for grad school.  When I was a fresh face in a new city (Boston), I met a wide range of engineers, researchers and designers by joining the local AES section.  I've found freelance gigs through AES connections, searched for full-time jobs on the AES website, and even today I can still pick up the phone and call people around the world whom I've met through AES committee service, conventions and other events. 

MTSU's current status and reputation was built by the efforts and accomplishments of both its faculty and past students just like you.  Similarly, the AES became the premier educational and professional audio organization that it is thanks to several generations of dedicated members, leaders, students and volunteers.  A long list of recent events here on campus were brought to you by the MTSU AES Student Section.  These include lectures by Lady Antebellum's engineer Clarke Schleicher; multiple guest talks by author Alex Case; Nashville studio tours; an evening with Adrian Belew; equipment demos from Daking Audio, Miktek Microphones, Prism, PMC, Sadie, Audio Technica, Alien Ears; and of course our regular mix critiques and social events.  These were all organized by your fellow AES student members! 

Meanwhile, classmates of yours who are AES members have been representing MTSU at AES international conventions in Europe and the USA.  These same MTSU student AES members have been winning recording competitions, participating in mix contests and receiving scholarship money and prizes.  Moreover, they're out there making connections, meeting people and laying the groundwork for their future careers.  What about you? 

If you're focused and serious about your education—and you want prospective employers and internship providers to take you seriously—then it just makes sense to become a student AES member.  (Frankly, in a program of our size and reputation, this should be a no-brainer.)  Our student AES committee needs new members and committed leaders to maintain this level of service, accomplishment and prestige.  It doesn't matter whether you are a pre- or post-candidacy student.  As the Nike advertising slogan says, "just do it!" and get involved. 

You can register online at www.aes.org.  Come attend meetings, volunteer to be a student officer, and do your part to keep the AES strong and active at MTSU! 
 

Sincerely,
Michael Fleming

MTSU RIM Assoc. Prof.
AES VP, Central Region (USA and Canada)
MTSU Co-faculty advisor with Prof. Crabtree
AES member since 1993