The views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and may not reflect the whole of Recording Connection’s business model.
I first heard about The Recording Connection a few years back. For those not familiar with them, they offer an alternative to recording schools and colleges. After doing some research on them, my excitement wore off.
On paper TRC is a great idea. And when it works, it works well I’m sure. But unfortunately in the real world things can be different. And that’s because not every studio or engineer is the same. If TRC pairs you with an excellent studio then you will learn a lot and make good connections assuming you do the hard work. But if you are matched with a not so great studio who is only in it to collect some money from TRC then your experience probably won’t go so well.
Read some accounts from former TRC students on Reddit and Gearslutz. Also, this old thread on Gearslutz was deleted but you can still view it on Archive.org. And here’s one more discussion thread if you care.
I’ve heard that TRC will place you in a different studio if they are made aware of the situation, so there is that. And if that is the case then they are to be commended.
In my opinion though, TRC is yet another unnecessary middle man in the pursuit of the dream career. Although they are much more affordable than most schools, if you made direct contacts with studio owners they would probably let you be a fly on the wall and learn for less money. Maybe even for free. Or, instead of spending $10,000 at TRC you could be better off spending that to start a studio, watch YouTube videos and purchase books/DVDs on the subject of audio engineering.
TRC even says themselves that they do not guarantee that you’ll get a job in the industry. This is very true. So why not create your own job by starting your own studio? The choice is yours.
All of that stated, I do think that The Recording Connection is a better alternative to going to college. Working or just observing how a real world studio functions in-person can teach you a lot of things that colleges cannot. But…you can make your own recording studio connections with a little bit of money, a Google search and a lot of phone calls/emails.
