Officially unemployed...

Robert said:
And, at long last, I might actually learn some programming!
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Hey congrats! I've always wondered what it would be like going back to school. I'd take more arts courses this time around (way more chicks there than in comp sci!!!). Let me know if you have any C++ questions. Do they still even teach that?
 
redrumloa said:
I hope the economy over there is better than over here.
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Currently yes, but the new government dropped the "lets save the economy from going down the toilet" policy so not for much longer. It's already starting to show in the figures.

Luckily I work in a firm that does pretty much all it's business outside of the UK. That said we're in the semiconductor business and it's looking a bit shaky.
 
Glaucus said:
Sound engineer.
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I did a week's work experience at BBC Belfast as a sound engineer once, great fun.

When I were a lad I wanted to be a record producer. Never got to do it, I always had the impression you had to be some form of virtuoso player first.

I had the luck to meet a producer recently when I went to collect a synth I bought off ebay (a maxed out Kurzweil). He had loads of stuff in his studio but he was selling all because he can do it all with samples and virtual synths now.

I get the impression there's less and less need for "real" studios now so it'll just be harder and harder to get into that area.

That said I know people who've got in and become quite successful in Northern Ireland so it's not impossible.
 
minator said:
I get the impression there's less and less need for "real" studios now so it'll just be harder and harder to get into that area.
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Or it's easier and easier. Now you can produce music for next to nothing in your room. Your most expensive bit of kit will be your mic, (and maybe the software if your the kind of person who prefers their software paid for with money). It may be tough to make money doing it but it's easier to get into doing it - but one of the reasons that the economy has slowed down is that all of the money is now in the hands of a few people who don't actually work for it but are loath to see it "redistributed" so that people can use it for trade - so perhaps money isn't the only form of currency.

If you like doing sound work there are always venues to play like theatre. I did some small productions, very simple stuff, but fun. I remember one tiny little production that played a couple of nights in a restaurant and this was back quite a few years. Most places would have a cassette deck and then you'd have all your tapes cued up and press play at the right time (real pain) but this place didn't have anything so I stuck all the cues on a floppy and brought my Amiga 1200. I think I wrote some AREXX or something to fire off play16 or some program like it so all I had to do was hit "return" for each cue - and the folks there were all "why'd you bring a computer?" and "where's all the music and effects?" and afterwards it was all "cool!" and "Howd'you do that?" - so that tells you how long ago it was, because how else would you do it these days but digitally? You could do a show like that one off an iPod Nano these days.

The other area I see the technology bringing everyone into the production arena is video. Twenty years ago or so I was making videos with friends. All costs are about twice what they were if you go by inflation but back then the camera we had was $3000, we spent about $1000 on props, transportation, set decoration etc and $5000 in editing for what ended up being about 15 minutes. You could shoot the same quality on a $400 digital camera these days and edit the whole thing yourself using a $500 laptop. The main resource it sucks is time but much less. It took quite a few hours work to pay for our time in the editing suite. And the laptop you can crack open on lunch breaks or on the train and get a few minutes work in during otherwise fallow time.

Of course, cheap good gear isn't the end of the story. I have a couple of decent guitars sitting around the house but their presence hasn't made me a guitarist yet.
 
redrumloa said:
@Robert

Congrats and good luck!
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Thanks, Jim, I think I'll need it. My capacity for retaining information has dropped off quite a bit since I got my degree, 15 years ago.

:pint:
 
FluffyMcDeath said:
minator said:
I get the impression there's less and less need for "real" studios now so it'll just be harder and harder to get into that area.
Click to expand...

Or it's easier and easier. Now you can produce music for next to nothing in your room. Your most expensive bit of kit will be your mic, (and maybe the software if your the kind of person who prefers their software paid for with money). It may be tough to make money doing it but it's easier to get into doing it - but one of the reasons that the economy has slowed down is that all of the money is now in the hands of a few people who don't actually work for it but are loath to see it "redistributed" so that people can use it for trade - so perhaps money isn't the only form of currency.
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This is true and I record regularly at home. It's not something I've ever seen as a way of earning. I do it because I enjoy it and long may it continue.

Of course, cheap good gear isn't the end of the story. I have a couple of decent guitars sitting around the house but their presence hasn't made me a guitarist yet.
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Indeed. I'll always be learning. Never seems to be enough hours in the day.
 
WASHINGTON—In what is being touted by the Labor Department as extremely positive news, the nation's available labor rate has reached double digits for the first time in 26 years, bringing the total number of potentially employable Americans to an impressive 15.7 million. ..."While our current available labor rate of 10.2 percent isn't quite as robust as it was in 1982 or 1933, we're happy to say that reaching that benchmark is no longer out of the realm of possibility" ..."We are very lucky to be living in a time when so many people can just go out whenever they feel like it and get a job application" ... he is also encouraged by the vast number of citizens in every state who are willing to take jobs beneath their personal dignity and education level.

These former "The Onion" writers now work at the AP

In other related news:
Foreclosures good for homeownership! The recent increase in foreclosed homes has resulted in lower housing prices and much higher quality available inventory for prospective buyers.
 
I'm amazed there's not more foreclosures. There's an estimated 12Million Americas underwater in their home. These people aren't walking away from the responsibility they signed up for even though for most they won't see their value return for a couple of decades.
 
Ha - another slight change of direction:

Robert said:
I applied for a place on a HND (one notch below a degree) Audio Engineering course.
They gave me an unconditional offer and I was looking forward to it but then found out I'd have to pay my own fees which, along with the mortgage payments, etc, made it unfeasible. In order to get some of my fees paid, I have to do a course which is to a higher level than my highest existing qualification (BSc).

With this is mind I applied to do an MSc in IT at Glasgow Uni and signed up for reasonably cheap, distance-learning, Audio Engineering course.
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Turns out I'm too late in the year to secure funding for the MSc so Audio Engineering is now back on the cards.

It'll cost me £1500 p.a. in fees but the MSc is £4250. That would swallow up most of the cash I have left from my redundancy payment, which I was hoping to use to supplement whatever income I bring in from the part-time job that I've yet to find. :-D

I'll probably apply for the MSc again next year but earlier.

Either way, still going back to school tomorrow.

:pint:
 
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