How can production engineers be trained to excel in the music industry?

By perfecting your craft. Thats the quote, that's it. Learn from those who came before you. Apply what you've learned, and accept your greatness.

I agree that abformal education is a valuable tool, however the best engineers historically did not have that resource nor did they need it. Butch Big is an excellent example of loving learning the process, deciding that this is challenge to concur and making a career not matter what. Financial backing and some luck and timing are certainly contributing factors. And though s 4 track cassette recorder is not the ideal equipment to invoke the highest quallity, it is and had all the basic components for fundamental recording and is mot easy to recreate a groups individual sound, but can be done. Dome people say "No, we can't do that." And others say "IDK, but let's figure it out." Though I have found only moderate success, I am the ladder.

Get trained on all platforms in music technology, become an expert at what you love most, then continue to grow & cultivate your network in the industry. Making friends, being nice & knowing your craft will go a long way.

Paying attention to skilled elders and working at your craft. That's the best way IMO. Practice and determination. It's a more delicate skill than most people realize and it's not fast.

I would advise any aspiring engineer to intern with a bona fide professional like Dennis Moody. Ask questions and always pay close attention. If it is not your passion pursue something that is.

All of this is useful, but better suited, I think, to perfecting and polishing one's skills rather than learning from scratch.

Find a mentor or coach to help you gain confidence in what your ears and eyes are telling you. Without that confidence it is hard to know what direction is best for you and your clients. Try to do as many single or double blind tests as possible of what you hear to support your thoughts. If you have too many preconceptions they will get in the way. Listening is more important than knowing what you already think the outcome will be.

Alan is correct. On a similar note be a mentor to an up and coming young person. You would be amazed how much knowledge you have and can pay it forward

My most important experiences were mentorships after I finished school. I met my first mentor through a high school acquaintance. He was doing what I wanted to be doing for work, so I asked him how he got there. He gave me a run down of what he'd done so far, and at the end he gave me his film scoring professor's contact info and recommended I reach out. I did and she was the exact kind of mentor I needed at that time in my life, got very lucky. Then my second mentor was actually one of her first students, he's about 10 years further down the path than me. I worked as his assistant, and worked my way up to become one of his go-to composers for writing additional music. Since then I've gone on my own path, but we still keep in touch.

I echo Alan Schroeder. Like many disciplines in the creative industries, it's hard to know how well or otherwise one is doing without an active mentor relationship - to have a critical friend who can support, challenge, question and guide one's journey. The music business is built on interpersonal relationships as much as it is on talent or determination. One, solid relationship is worth more than any amount of qualifications.

No experience is wasted experience. Get out and try stuff. Enter competitions, pick apart pieces of music you like and think sound good. Do things like February Album Writing Month (fawm.org). Produce songs for friends, score student films. As you progress, you'll have a better and better idea of where you want to focus your time and energy. Start zoomed out, then zoom in as you get more experience. You'll learn something new every time you work on anything.

In my experience, start at church. Most churches, especially in Atlanta (which is where I'm from), need audio engineers. Similarly, that shortage comes with visual designers as well. Nevertheless, at a church, you'll develop competence through consistent reps, credibility (depending on the size of the church and what system they use), and confidence in your craft being that most of the work you do will be done live and nonidentical. Let's not forget about Zaytoven. He started in an Atlanta church as well.

I'm fully on board with this! The best way to learn is by trying things out and figuring out what sounds right to you. There's no formula for achieving the sound you're aiming for. Explore and find what works best for you.

In this industry, you are always learning. Keeping up with the latest and greatest technology is what keeps your skills sharp. In addition to this, always being open to any sort of opportunity is always a learning experience. Many of us start in music, but expanding your horizons to dialogue replacement, podcasting, live engineering, sound design, etc expands your experience. There are so many avenues in which we are able to fully grow our skills.

Every day is a school day and you have as much to teach as you have to learn. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, but one day they will be our shoulders. Listen, ask, learn!

In my experience... As a drummer… I used to su— mix my drums from stage and later in more controlled environments… Where I was then able to listen to and find out ‘what the frequencies DID’ Like ‘kick drum 101’... (In any backbeat music) 400-500 hz usually need to be dropped or ‘cut’. Better players usually give better sounds to start. Don't just keep boosting everything... Think from subtraction. You generally get a better sound with ‘moderation’ *listen to a lot of music on different systems… not just buds! *Find & hang w/good sound engineers. Ask them what they do - to let a drum, bass, vox sound that good. They'll want to share knowledge— Be Respectful, Be Cool. & Say Thank You!??????