I knew that I wanted to go to OIART two years before finishing my music degree at Queen’s University. Over this time, I looked at most of the audio programs across the country. I decided that OIART would give me the best quality of education in audio engineering, while offering the program in an accelerated time frame, which suited my desires perfectly. I had just completed two years in Electrical Engineering, then switched and ended up with a BA in Music!
The Experience
OIART is comprised of three semesters, which totals 11 consecutive months of (prime!) audio education. You will learn just as much (if not more) at OIART than you would at a similar 2-3 year college program. The only difference is other college programs require that you take a variety of courses to support your overall education. This is great, except that when you’ve already completed four years at university, you just want to learn audio.
Every course at OIART has a direct impact on your audio education.
Every course at OIART has a direct impact on your audio education. From Recording Technology, Pro Tools, Sound Design, Computers, Audio for Pictures, Acoustics etc, you will learn everything you need to know to start a career in audio. Not only that, you have the opportunity for more practical hands on time in the studios than you’ll know what to do with.
There were roughly 60 students in my class, and this comprised the entire school for a full year. It’s hard to come by an educational community as tight knit as that.
Also, once you are finished the program, you have access to the OIART Alumni job posting site where there are tons of jobs posted every month. There are always openings for all different types of jobs in the industry… practically anything you can think of. My current job was posted there! Also, the teachers at OIART will help you fully develop and polish your resume and cover letter skills to prepare you for getting that job. Their focus is for this purpose… to get you a job that will begin your audio career.
You are also required to perform in a professional recording session with an external band.
With access to this kind of help with getting work, it’s always good to show your potential employer what you have done. Although all the knowledge is great, having a portfolio of work is key to showing a company you are passionate about what you do. You will have plenty of opportunity to build as large of a portfolio as you can. In the first two semesters there is a more strict schedule, but the third semester allows you to experiment, explore and work at whatever type of projects you like. You are also required to perform in a professional recording session with an external band. This is a great opportunity for experience, and another great portfolio piece!
One key thing to remember however, is that networking is everything in this business. If you simply get yourself out there, and make yourself available, you will make contacts and friends in the industry. Who knows when that will come in handy, but it will. Make friends with the audio professionals you admire!
Another nice thing about OIART, is that there are a whole bunch of real pros that come through the school and talk to you throughout the year. The CEO of Voices.com, who studied at OIART, the lead location recording artist from Survivor, etc. It was really neat to hear what they all had to say. To sum it up, there are a variety of professionals who are interested in your career. They want to help you succeed, so take advantage of it.
A Flood of Gear and Knowledge!
OIART definitely met my expectations for what I wanted to learn. I only recommend that you maximize the time you dig into the gear at the school. I didn’t realize how amazing it is to have your hands on the best gear in the industry, and when you leave, you don’t always get that experience right away. So don’t waste any precious time!
Also, the teachers are a flood of knowledge. Ask every question you’ve ever had. They are full time teachers who have had years of experience in both the industry and classroom. They truly were a wonderful team to be taught by.
Only good things to say…
There were tons of highlights to the program. Since I love acoustics, this was probably one of the biggest highlights for me. We learned tons of practical theory about the acoustics of a space. After that we took that knowledge and our analysis tools into the studio and physically took the measurements ourselves and studied how to optimize the acoustic response of that space.
I don’t think there were really any negatives to the program. The only thing I can think of that I didn’t like was its location in the southern part of London Ontario! Fortunately however, downtown isn’t too far away.
It’s exactly what you need to get your start in a wonderfully fulfilling career.
The Verdict
I would recommend this program for those who are passionate about audio in all its forms. There are many people who take the program then decide they won’t make money and go to find a different career path. If you’re going to do this, go in it with all you have and never stop after you leave. You will go far and become an audio success if you are passionate and motivated to constantly improve yourself and never give up on your dreams. It’s not a cheap education, but if you’re serious about audio, it’s exactly what you need to get your start in a wonderfully fulfilling career.
I have been in the professional audio industry for well over a year now. Starting in the largest post production studio in the west, to one of the largest churches in the country, I have worked and currently work with the most high end professional gear there is. Sometimes you don’t end up in the field you think you will go into at first, but soon after you’ll discover every discipline of audio is sweet!
To sum it up, I think OIART will be a great choice for those who are purely interested in learning audio, who also might not want to be in school for more than a year. It is an accelerated program, not intended for people who are sitting on the fence wondering what they want to do. You will meet great people, great teachers, get loads of hands on experience with top of the line gear, and a ton of information to get your start in an audio career. Just remember that if you work hard at it, you will get where you want to go.
Now that I have completed audio and currently work in the industry, I am finishing my Electrical Engineering degree in order to pursue digital and analogue hardware design. All I can say is that I love the art and science of audio. I’m going to continue striving to capture that perfect sound, and never look back.
Please visit my website at http://www.johnherder.com and feel free to drop me a line. I’m always up for audio talk, and pretty much anything else. Good luck choosing your path into the world of audio!
(5 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5)
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Anna
Hi, your review is awesome. I was accepted in OIART for next september 2011. I am living in USA and the thing is that I really want to study Audio Engineering but I know that in OIART you don’t graduate with a bachelor or associate degree, I wan to know how important is to have a bachelor degree in Audio Engineering or associate degree in the industry. I have a second option: New England Institute of art which has a bachelor degree in Audio Engineering BC, of course is a 4 year college. Although OIART’s program is short and at the end of the program you graduate just with a diploma, does this school still being the #1 for audio recording in North America? I will appreciate your answers. Than you.