Our apprentices train for careers in recording engineering, music producing, songwriting, live music recording, home studio ownership, and other music industry related positions.
What is a common thread for those who enroll in our program, is not age, gender, occupation, or circumstance - but a desire to do something that they love. Whether it's to expand on a hobby, turn a pastime from childhood or adolescence into a career, or to just learn all they can about a passion for music and their involvement in it - our apprentices' love for music and their pursuit of their goals have gained them a place in our training program and sometimes a total career change.
GWEN OWEN Age: 25 Location: Washington Education: BA degree in Music Theory (emphasis on composition) Occupation: Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
"When I received a call from “GetAMentor.com” asking if I would be interested in mentoring a young woman named Gwen Owen, I felt immediately in tune with the whole idea. Although I had great courses and learning experiences in school, it was my interaction with a certain few mentors that gave me the successful career as a composer, performer and producer that I enjoy today. But, some other time for my story – this is about what happened with Gwen..." fromChris Dedrick, Gwen's mentor. PATRICK HUNTER Age: 44 Location: Tennessee Education: High school graduate Occupation: Musician, songwriter, entrepreneur Worked in labor, management, and sales
"I am at a point in life where without always being totally aware of where my path was leading me, I am now certain that one step led to another with a purpose, a purpose many would deem ridiculous and far fetched. You see, I realize I haven’t mentioned anything about my actual experience in the music industry yet. That is because it is very limited when you get down to it. I feel that a brief explanation will synopsize that part of this story..." BRETT JOHNSON Age: 18 Location: Oklahoma Education: High School Graduate Occupation: Musician
"I don't disagree with college but I do disagree with settling on something just because it is what's expected of you. I have slowly begun to make music my life in these last three years and while I'll admit that my grades have suffered somewhat, I have known what I wanted out of my life and what was right for me....One thing that this program has already taught me is that there will always be opportunities for those who are willing to seek them out...I have realized that every situation, whether it be good or bad, is much easier to accept when you know that everything is just one big learning process." DAVID PENNINGTON Age: 23 Location: Texas Education: High school, Media Tech Institute @ Arlyn Studios Recording Arts Program
"In the seventh grade, the church my family attended was meeting in a middle-school cafeteria.Every Sunday, someone had to haul in the sound system, set it up, run it for the services, then break it down and haul it all back to the office.At the time, there was one man doing it all, and his son was a very close friend of mine.I wanted to see how it all worked, so I offered my time to see how it all was set up... I enjoyed doing it for several years, even though it meant getting up at 4:30 on Sunday mornings, and not being home for lunch until two in the afternoon....I played with a few jam bands in high school and our youth group worship band, and as much fun as I had, I always felt more at home behind the sound board rather than on stage..." CARLOS GUILLEN Location: Canada Education: University of Manitoba B.C. - 2 years Mechanical Engineering, 2 years Theatre Graduated with a BA in Theatre Occupation: Theatre sound engineer, music recording Currently: Live sound engineer, recording engineer freelance
"I graduated school in 1997 and worked for a year doing sound for a local theatre. I enjoyed my time doing sound, but something was still missing. I found that something in recording a demo for a local band. A good friend of mine and I had managed to scrape together enough for a basic project studio. Nothing more than a mixer and an ADAT, but it was enough to get me hooked for life."
DAVID FITZPATRICK Age: 54 Location: New York Education: English degree, Columbia College - Local audio recording school, 9 months Occupation: High-end renovative construction management
"Some of the best minds in history have devoted their lives wholly to music: I am not one of them.It has been a core interest as other things went on – work, marriage, kids – still other things besides.Still, music has always been the one aspect of life that contains somewhere further to go.Aside from simply playing, there’s theory, harmony, counterpoint, audio-acoustic physics, arrangement, orchestration, and what Stravinski called the poetics to be studied, mastered to some degree, and brought into practice.And, of course, there’s literacy; for it’s a different world when you read and write the language.But as I say, learning all these things has been an avocation for me – a common attitude in my circles." JONATHAN KLEYN Age: 23 Location: Michigan Education: High school graduate, college music courses, (Noisepunk/rock band member, songwriter) Occupation: Hot melt operator Currently: Live sound engineer for jazz band, recording studio Assistant Engineer
"I am a hard worker when it comes to things I have to do and an obsessively focused worker when it comes to things I love to do ... I love playing with sound. Synthesizers and electronics fascinated me as a child and that drive to explore sound has only intensified with age. ...Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Chris Clark, The Locust, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, and the Silver Apples are some of the artists who have really pushed me want to succeed as an artist and mixing engineer. Most of the music I really feel close to is the idea and result of a great sounding mix shaping the song itself...."
MOORE HUFFMAN Age: 21 Location: Washington Education: College graduate Occupation: Home studio owner, musician/band member
"My best friends and I formed our first band in 7th grade. We’d have practice at my house as much as my mother would tolerate it. We loved covering Nirvana songs. When a song was too difficult for us to play, we would just change the rhythm. We played for dances once in awhile at schools. I can say with confidence that we were the worst band I have ever heard. For whatever reason, the student body still loved it every time we played...." RUSS DRAVES Age: 41 Location: Washington Education: Occupation: Telecommunications
"I find myself at a crossroads in my life. The telecom industry is changing such that an entirely new set of disciplines will need to be learned. Not that that is a problem, but, I cannot say I feel passionately about it. Just another to do for work... I feel fortunate that I have been brought to a place where I have an opportunity to explore my passion for music through the mentoring program. I know first hand how far this kind of guidance can take one if they are willing to put forth the effort.
BARRY DAUGHERTY Age: 40 Location: Ohio Education: College Occupation: Database Administrator
"I have been blessed with three different redefinng moments in my life. ... Interestingly enough, each moment involved music.' "...the composer invited me to an upcoming recording session at this same studio. ...This was my first venture to a recording studio and I was hooked! I was amazed by the sound engineers and enjoyed meeting the composer. I never dreamed how complicated a recording process could be. Every instrument was miked and the engineer could isolate specific sections to figure out what wasn't sounding quite right. It was incrediblel! From that moment forward, I wondered what it would be like to be in that kind of role."
Fill out an online application at: http://getamentor.com/apply.html Phone: (323) 512-2321 Email: contactus@getamentor.com Mailing address: 7095 Hollywood Blvd. #325 Hollywood, CA 90028-8903 GetAMentorJournals.com copyright 2008 A division of GetAMentor.org and The Apprentice-Mentor Association
