There is also more access to industry trade courses , manufacturer ’ s training , certifications , and so on . Most major manufacturers now have full-time employees just to deal with training programs . This is certainly a positive trend , but one that was not the norm five or 10 years ago . Despite these changes , the best advice is still the advice that would have been best 30-plus years ago : work hard . Work ethic remains the number one issue for entry-level jobs – in nearly all industries , not just ours . Across the board , those that work hard will learn , advance , and succeed .

Holdip : Access to information , techniques , and gear is widely available – more so now than even five years ago [ but ] I think that a young engineer or technician entering the business is faced with the same obstacles that have existed for a very long time , like access to gigs and tours . Employment will depend on what area you want to specialize in . Being a music person more than a technical person myself , I would suggest a young person entering the business cast the net wide and learn as much as they can .

Crain : The barrier is way lower to learning live sound and it has never been better . Young people are more used to working with computer interfaces as they grew up with the tech rather than us older folks who came in on the

analog route . Also it ’ s amazing to see so many female techs entering into the audio world . Organizations like Soundgirls . org that host workshops and empower women to join are amazing .

If someone is looking to get into the audio world , I suggest finding a mentor who is willing to take the time to show you around . Join your school ’ s AV club , find a PA company and work as labour , find a young band willing to let you work with them . Just learn as much as you can from as many sources as you can and remember that you will still be learning years down the road . If you ’ re passionate about what you want to do , then go for it !

Godfrey : I think it ’ s probably about the same . You still need to know how to use the tools of the trade and find opportunities to enter the live sound world . I can offer three pieces of advice : work hard , think outside the box , and embrace the challenges you are faced with by treating them like a puzzle rather than an inconvenience .

Coppen : I don ’ t think there is a “ barrier ” to entering the field . There are still a lot of friends and family members coming out with [ bigger ] bands that were there for one of the band ’ s earlier shows in the clubs , or assisted with recording the demo or know someone in the organization . In most cases , these

entry-level people work their asses off because they are the only paid employee and called upon for quite a few things .

Getting started in audio or on the road is not much different than anything else you aspire to . You have to want it and have to go after it . Persistence .

Of course , the more tools you can offer , the more invaluable you become and ideally wages reflect that . Ask questions , go buy the coffee , offer to help , and be prepared to get dirty loading a truck , pulling cables – essentially not having fun when other people are having fun . This is a career that is oriented around evenings . If you ’ re not prepared to miss out on the party on a Saturday night , you won ’ t last very long .

Steeb : Even though everyone has [ access to ] technology and learns to use it [ from a young age ], and running a computer is a big part of live mixing a band , the artistic part of it is still a major and maybe the most important part . Listen to records and songs and understand where things are in the mix and why . This is almost 35 years of mixing for me now and I drove my parents crazy with the non-stop music in my youth . If they have the real love of music , the young engineers will find their way .

Andrew King is the Editor of Professional Sound .

After years on the road with rockers Sam Roberts Band , Phil Hornung has since taken on the role of Senior Systems Engineer with Solotech ’ s Toronto office , doing system design for large projects and still getting out in front of the console when he can .

The longtime engineer for Canadian indie heroes Metric , Trevor Coppen has spent the last three-and-a-half years handling FOH duties for cred-oozing American rockers Cage the Elephant , with whom he ’ ll soon head out for a string of American and South American dates .