Careers in music and engineering…

[QuantumDotIsARealThingApparently]

… and what education is required?

DS Y12 would like to combine music and engineering

We know of
Audio engineering
Sound engineering

What else is there?

Currently doing
RSL L3 Music Technology
Physics
Maths
EPQ which is based on music performance
DipLCM Piano (outside of 6th form)

GCSEs all grades 6-9
The usual plus History, Music, DT and RSL L2 Music Technology.

Has
Piano Grade 8
Guitar Grade 5
Trumpet Grade 1 (but he’s given up on this)

Has mentioned potentially piano manufacturing but we don’t seem to make pianos in the UK any more - anyone know if we make/develop/engineer/maintain digital pianos?

Personally wouldn't bother unless it's for fun

All the people I know who did audio and sound engineering (around ten at diff institutions) are now junior IT analysts / some kind of IT role

Just do IT if you're good at it and want a guaranteed well paid job

Jobs in this sector aren't there I'm afraid. It's a fantasy degree like media studies

While I would agree that it's really hard to get a job doing this, it's not impossible but you need to be 100% commitment. Wouldn't bother going to Uni as it won't teach you the real skills you need. Be a runner, do internships, produce own material, doing sound within the tv industry is a whole lot easier to get into than music or film so I suggest working in Soho to get experience and meet the right people. Do this as soon as possible so if it doesn't work out they can look at other options.

How about instrument making? I had a student who studied violin making.

One of my DDs friends did a degree in sound/ lighting and now has a great job working in the west end. Another did music tech and works for a big film company on sound tracks.

Sounds like he should be a tonmeister. There are Tonmeister degree courses; not sure on job prospects though post degree but worth looking into?

Organ builder? Both traditional and digital.
I know one in Lancashire that build their own speakers.
There's still British hi-fi.

Perhaps electronic engineering? I’d definitely advise against an audio engineering degree, as a pp said, the work simply isn’t there, and I say that a a ex studio owner with 25 years engineering under my belt. The industry has changed massively last decade, work was hard enough to find before then.

Tonmeister I assume are still very hard courses to get onto. They were last time I looked. Only a couple places do them I think.

The exception is live sound, but this has a very specific lifestyle that goes with it. Always travelling, always unsocial hours.

Electronic engineering would give the means into an audio related role, good ones will always be able to find work, and gives the option to branch out into other types of industry.

Check out Rhodes pianos, manufactured in Leeds.

There is a huge lack of trained live events engineers for things like lighting, production arts etc. Best to get trained on the job or at a small specialist with industry links rather than a generic university, there are a lot of non traditional training providers in these areas (futureworks, waterbear etc.)

Not quite audio engineering but might be interesting to look at other options

Great suggestions so far, will look into those, thank you.

DS isn’t so convinced about a straight Audio Engineering degree either, hence the question about what else is out there.

@Lonelycrab Liking the suggestion about electronics engineering. I can see that will keep lots of options open and potentially gear it towards music later.

@theseventhwife we are a million miles from Soho, but that’s something he could possibly do as a gap year.

@KnottyKnitting instrument making, particularly pianos, is something that he has mentioned as a possibility. Although he would be open to other instruments. And either traditional or digitally versions. It’s just finding the opportunities. If you know where, and what, they are that would be great to know.

@newtb interesting about the organ building. Definitely going to explore that. Do you know any more about it? What company that is?

Will look into Tonmaster as that’s had a few mentions.

Not 100% sure but think my student went to Newark but there is info here on various violin/ instrument making courses here:

www.bvma.org.uk/full-time-courses

The Tonmeister course is at Surrey university and is Maths and engineering - I think they also do other Combined music and sound recording courses

BBC sound engineer! The Proms! State funerals!

Harrison and Harrison organ builders in Durham

My relative did acoustical engineering at uni, with similar subjects at AL. She didn't stay in that field (but the fact that she had a science based degree enabled her to go into the new field at post grad level) so don't know much about the jobs but worth researching.

Newark college are always advertising their instrument making courses musicalinstrumentcrafts.co.uk/
Maybe worth checking out. Definitely worth looking into piano tuning and maintenance too, my local tuner/repairer can't keep up with the work he's so in demand.

Piano tuner-repairer here.

Take it from me. There is work out there and there is demand. Depends on what part of the country though. Some parts have very little work, others too much and some areas have no tuner-repairer so other tuner-repairers do a lot of travelling. If your DS can get qualified and experience he will never be out of work. Well worth getting into, especially with that background and those interests. It’s a craft on the endangered/red list so there is demand - heritagecrafts.org.uk/piano-making/ - and a lot of people are doing a lot of hard work to make sure it doesn’t die out.

Get talking to your piano tuner-repairer about what is available in your area, how they qualified and god experience and any other questions you may have.

Few links to degree courses for you, although degrees aren’t needed, the ability to play the piano, understand the piano, and the willingness to learn the ins and outs of all of the piano are more important. These courses will give all of that though.

musicalinstrumentcrafts.co.uk/courses/piano/piano-tuning-and-restoration-ba-hons

www.lincolncollege.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-musical-instrument-craft-piano-tuning-and-restoration-full-time

musicalinstrumentcrafts.co.uk/courses/piano/piano-tuning-and-restoration-foundation

If your DS wants to go to USA then Steinway has an apprenticeship programme, but you need a degree, and I don’t know a lot about it, or how you get work visas, other than it exists
www.steinway.com/misc/apprenticeship-program

Also have a look at
www.yorkshirepianos.com
www.cavendishpianos.com
Who make pianos. Might be worth getting in touch with them.

A lot of piano tuner-repairers are self employed, or work off the back of one of the retailers.

The fall back for when there is no work is teaching, either privately or in schools. But if your DS is already at DipLCM level then he has the experience.

I would say for this industry, you have to be committed to get into it. It can be hard work.

I also know very little about digital pianos. I would say a pure electronics degree then trying to get work with one of the manufacturing companies would be better for those.

Happy to chat if you want to PM me.

Following a chat with the OP I thought I would post these links here so everyone can access them.

General careers in music brochure
www.ukmusic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/UK_Music_Careers_Information_Pack_2020.pdf

Piano technician course - 18 week course in piano tuning and repair
www.thepianotechnologyschool.com/piano-tuning-training-course#applicationform

Piano Tuner Academy - 5 week intensive course in piano tuning and repair
www.pianotuneracademy.co.uk/piano-tuner-academy-courses

Institute of musical instrument technology
www.imit.org.uk/index.php

Pianoforte tuners association
pianotuner.org.uk

Piano technicians guild
www.ptg.org/home

How to become a piano tuner from PTA
pianotuner.org.uk/how-do-i-become-a-piano-tuner/

Some distinctions

Piano tuner
Tunes a piano (and many do some repairs like a piano technician)

Piano technician (usually incorrectly, but increasingly commonly, referred to as a piano tuner)
Tunes a piano
Carries out maintenance and repair of strings, hammers, pedals, voicing etc.

Piano craftsperson
Tunes, maintains, repairs and also has all the skills to do a full piano refurbishment or build a piano from scratch.

Would he consider studying and working abroad? It's so much harder now because of Brexit, but e.g. Germany has a flourishing piano manufacturing industry and Klavierbauer is a 3 year apprenticeship there.

The BDK is the Bund Deutscher Klavierbauer and includes firms like Steinway&co which offer degree apprenticeships in piano manufacturing.

The Steinway& Sons factory in Hamburg gives guided visitor tours. Might be interesting for him to see to decide whether that's something he is actually interested in.

I think its too specific and going to limit his job opportunities. Go for something like Electrical and Electronic engineering or computer science which will give a good base and then maybe look for something more specific as a masters. When he is at university get involved with the student group that do all the stage production, sound and lighting for events.

I've got a sound engineer relative who says the up and coming areas are in sound design for games, podcasts audio books and film.

Bournemouth Uni have some fantastic courses and lead into tv/radio as well as alternative careers. They're bizarrely really well respected for media in a way perhaps they wouldn't be first choice for some other subjects.

DNephew did a sound and music tech degree and works for BBC Wales on the studios that did Torchwpod etc. he's roady-ed a lot too.

A friend of mine is BBC sound engineer. I know nothing about his job but I do know that he pays exorbitantly high car insurance premiums because he is considered to work in the entertainments industry.

OP - Makin organ builders near Rochdale. Their MD has a PhD in the chemistry of organ pipes.
I spent a happy morning in their démo room with 7 different organ consoles.

The people there are lovely, and I'm sure if your ds contacted them hé could go along for a visit and a chat.