The internship process is an age-old concept in recording studios since the birth of the industry. Almost every engineer you meet started their career with a broom in hand, scrubbing toilets, making coffee, regardless of previous work or education. Every studio is unique, and it takes time to learn how to navigate it. The team working at Colorado Sound Studios is a family, and it is essential that everyone works together to make it the best it can be.
How I Began My Journey
I grew up in the music scene of Colorado as a music lover, musician, and live sound engineer. Working for my family sound company since I was 14 taught me so much as I grew as a teenager. In high school I played in bands, produced my own music, and was a part of the thriving DIY music scene in Denver. I studied film while working as a live sound engineer and later graduated and began working in the A/V industry.
By January 2020, I was working multiple jobs doing live sound and film work at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, and despite how busy I was with everything going on, my curiosity had me wanting to get into the studio world.
After beginning to learn from online resources, my dad told me about Colorado Sound Studios. I immediately contacted the studio and applied for an internship.
Expectations
I’ve never been through an internship before, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. After Kevin had me in for an interview, he told me more about the internship and what it entails.
Clearly the most exciting parts of the internship consist of sitting in on real studio sessions, ear training, and learning the gear as well as being able to use the gear. While all of these I’ve been able to experience, the internship has a lot more depth, lessons, and experiences attached.
Studio W was a super exciting part of the internship that I didn’t expect, and after Kevin showed me the space and told me what the plan was, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Over the course of my internship we have completely transformed what looked like a warehouse with some instruments in it, to a fully functioning audio/video recording studio. This aspect was very unique to Colorado Sound Studios and there’s no way I’d find that anywhere else.
What I’ve Learned
The process of being an intern is a long road, but you learn things that you didn’t even know you needed to learn to be an engineer of the same caliber as the engineers at Colorado Sound Studios.
I’ve learned so much aside from just audio. I’ve learned what it takes to manage a small business, I’ve learned how to interact with clients, what it takes to maintain a facility, how to construct a facility, and more.
I’ve had opportunities to network with clients, meet other working professionals, and learn something from every person that walks through the studio.
On top of everything else, my technical knowledge surrounding audio has expanded to new heights and I feel myself getting better constantly. I’ve had the opportunity to mix on the Neve 5088, work with state of the art gear and beautiful equipment, mentored by a group of the most talented engineers in the state.
A studio internship may not be exactly what you would expect, but everything that comes from it has a lesson to be learned, and will help you grow to be the best you can be.