Convention Paper
The Education of the Next Generation of Pro-Audio Professionals
AES Convention 143 · Paper 9816 · October 2017
Abstract
Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, the changing nature of the music industry has led to the demise of recording studios, which have decreased dramatically in number. This decline has led to a corresponding disappearance of the “teaboy” route, the traditional route whereby engineers, producers, and mixers (EPM) learned their craft. In the training vacuum that the demise of recording studios creates, how do EPM professionals now learn the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the music industry? Through primary research and indepth interviews with leading EPM professionals and online education providers, this paper assesses the skills needed to become a successful EPM and explores whether the internet can ever replace the traditional teaboy route in educating the next generation of professionals. It concludes that there are currently significant limitations to internet learning of EPM skills, some of which might be overcome by new technological developments such as virtual reality.
