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[Ali]

Hello all,
I'm new to this forum, so please forgive me if this question has been asked many times before.

I'm currently an audio production student at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. I'm graduating soon, but need to find an internship, and seriously think about the future path. I'm wanting to enter the field of architectural acoustics, but am having a difficult time finding the best places to go, concerning both city and company.

If anyone could help out, and maybe answer some more questions, the efforts would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[jimmyjazz]

I'd consider graduate school.  Penn State would be good for starters, as might be Carnegie-Mellon, Case Western, etc.  I went to University of Texas, which put more emphasis on underwater acoustics than I cared for, but Penn State is surely the biggest program in the country and isn't nearly so specialized.

[Ali]

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely look into that. I was trying to avoid the "even more school" route...but that may be exactly what I need to do.

[jimmyjazz]

The reason I suggest "more school" is because the majority of the acoustics curricula, particularly that related to architectural acoustics, is learned at the graduate level.  I'm pretty familiar with your undergraduate program -- my sister teaches piano at Webster from time to time, and I did my undergrad engineering degree just down the road -- and while it's a terrific school, it's nothing so spectacular as to represent a substitute for good old graduate book learning in acoustics.  It's just the way things are.

[franman]

No dis to JJ or anybody else, but in my opinion and after interviewing numerous acoustics grads (both under and graduate levels), I find that there is very little useful background in architectural "small room" acoustics taught in these programs. This is not to say that schooling, including grad school is anything but a good thing.... but remember if you are interested in recording studio and media space design, there isn't a lot in the books about this.

I suggest you spend as much time as possible getting very good with AutoCAD. Study all the useful acoustics texts relating to what we do, and then work on the internship idea. Although FM Design is not looking for anybody this season, there are other firms where you can get some good experience.... then, once you have a handle on what this business is all about, and some decent AutoCAD experience, give me a call and we can talk about a job!!  

Seriously, what I'm getting at is this particular very small niche in the acoustics business isn't really taught in any school that I'm aware of. Small room, and critical listening room architectural acoustic design is just too small of a field and it really is learned through experience and on-the-job training. I wish you the best and invite you to send me a resume once you feel you are serious about looking for a gig...

fm

[jimmyjazz]

I agree that there is little focus on small-room acoustics in the typical college program.  However, the fundamentals one learns are invaluable, and in my opinion, knowledge of those fundaments is sorely lacking in the "studio acoustics" crowd.  A solid understanding of the physics involved is the only thing (save luck) that will let one engineer their way out of a tricky new problem.

[franman]

touche... JJ... as I said.. no dis intended.

[martindale]

yo guys---couple things....SOME recording schools and university acoustics programs DO teach small room acoustics and even studio design as well....you gotta seek this out. I taught for several years at Texas State University which has a great Sound Recording Technology program, and my course was....Facility Design and Acoustics....we crammed a LOT into a semester, but the feedback I got was they loved the course (!)......also, the graduate acoustics program at University of Texas has some emphasis on small room acoustics....
Fran, I think possibly many readers won't understand why thorough knowledge of AutoCAD is so necessary in studio design.....this is THE drafting program that 90% of architects use to create building plans, and if you're gonna build studios you need to be able to develop excellent plans....some fringe elements will argue that other CAD programs (specifically for Mac) can suffice, but ultimately you'll need to present your work in AutoCAD (which I included in my studio design class)....so if you want to "get a job" at any acoustics design firm, you HAVE to be fluent in AutoCAD....good luck, campers.....

[jimmyjazz]

Oh, no offense taken.  The proof is in the pudding, right?  The good designers all know their room acoustics, whether they learned it in school or on their own.

[franman]

Good to know Smiley.. thanks for the info. I'm glad that somebody who actually knows what they are talking about was teaching that class... And BTW, thanks for posting (and not just lurking)..LOL