Pursuing a career in the music industry can start by pursuing an education in music and recording.
Full Sail University offers hands-on programs in areas like audio production, recording, music business, and more. Alumni who have music-related careers in various industries share tips and tricks with current students by frequently returning to the university, especially during Full Sail’s annual Hall of Fame Week.
The Full Sail University Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of exceptional Full Sail graduates, and every year, six of those grads are inducted during a ceremony at the end of Hall of Fame Week. Before the ceremony, though, is a week of events featuring current and former inductees, as well as other accomplished grads, connecting with students through industry-focused presentations, Q&A panels, and workshops. These sessions cover a range of possible careers and give students practical advice about the professional world.
From Grammy and Emmy winners to entrepreneurs, live event professionals, and more, the graduates who return to campus for Full Sail’s Hall of Fame Week have unique insights into music-related careers. Some of the music and recording professionals who participated in 2024’s Hall of Fame Week include:
- Benjamin Rice (Grammy-winning Producer, Songwriter, Vocal Producer, Mixer, Engineer)
- Nadine Santos (Vice President of Programming & Artist Relations, Music Choice)
- Tremaine Williams (Multi-Platinum Producer/Engineer, Stage Manager/Production Manager)
- Leslie Brathwaite (Grammy-winning Mix Engineer)
- Brandon Blackwell (CEO & Founder of Blackwell Productions; Live Sound Engineer/Sound Producer)
- Justin Rathbun (A1 & Production Sound Engineer, Broadway’s **Hamilton**)
- Tom Todia (Principal Audio Designer, Ghost Punch Games)
- Mark Kilborn (Sound Designer & Mixer, Certain Affinity)
- Fela Davis (Co-Owner/Audio Engineer, One of One Productions & 23dB Productions)
- Ashish Manchanda (CEO, Boon Castle Media & Entertainment)
- Carlton Lynn (Grammy-winning Recording & Mix Engineer)
- Brad Blackwood (Owner/Mastering Engineer, Euphonic Masters)
- Frank Scheuring (Senior Audio Artist, EA Sports)
- Marc Fishman (Emmy-winning Re-Recording Mixer)
- Jeff Villanueva (Recording Engineer/Sound Designer, TYFY Studios)
This year’s recording arts-focused Hall of Fame sessions discussed careers across a variety of industries, like music, film and television, live event production, and video games.
Tremaine Williams opened up the multitrack sessions for several popular songs and gave students a look at what went into making them.
Grads Brandon Blackwell, Justin Rathbun, Andy Bongardt, and Brad Blackwood discussed the opportunities, challenges, differences, and similarities in live engineer roles versus studio engineer roles.
Students studying recording arts got a glimpse at the range of careers that their education could prepare them for from alumni including Benjamin Rice, Nadine Santos, and Tom Todia.
Mark Kilborn gave advice about the first steps to getting started with a career in video game sound, including technical tools, networking, building a portfolio, and job applications.
Carlton Lynn, Jeff Villanueva, and Leslie Brathwaite talked about how home studio setups and traditional console-based studios fit into the current music industry.
Leslie Brathwaite and Tremaine Williams listened to students’ music and gave honest feedback on the mixes, production, performance, and more.
Fela Davis shared podcasting tips for selecting equipment, setting up a recording space, and improving acoustics.
Ashish Manchanda and Carlton Lynn discussed the pros and cons of simultaneous mixing and mastering.
Jeff Villanueva shared how audio, projection mapping, and visuals come together for immersive experiences.
In this session, Benjamin Rice worked with students on tracking and mixing workflows and templates.
Frank Scheuring, Leslie Brathwaite, Marc Fishman, Tom Todia, and Brad Blackwood talked about how they creatively use immersive audio for in a variety of formats.
