The Audio Engineering Society (AES), an “international organization that unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students” (Aes.org), held their 147th annual Convention in New York City from October 16 to 19 at the Javitz Center. The convention had an exhibit floor of over 200 companies, workshop stages, and a ‘Technical Program’ of additional expert-led sessions. While the ‘Technical Program’ is reserved for those who splurge on an all access ticket, many of the students who attended were able to enter for free by registering ahead of time with codes for students distributed by the Music & Technology (M&T) faculty and the Audio Engineering Club (AEC).
Along with the free student passes, AES provided quite a few opportunities for students throughout the convention. Aside from the expected seminars and workshops tailored for students, there are student competitions in design and recording that are run throughout the week, resume reviews with industry professionals, and an Education and Career Fair held on Friday. The Student Delegate Assembly, the student arm of AES that represents over 95 chapters and 4,000 students, also hosted an after-hours networking session at a nearby restaurant on Wednesday.
Stephen Dranto, an M&T freshman, attended AES for the first time this year with his friend and classmate Zach Berkowitz. Dranto offered some reflections of his experience, saying, “I attended because it was free, and I was curious as to what it had to offer […] A big takeaway from the convention was that there is much more to music than I thought. Of course, there’s the practical things like all the synths, plugins, etc…, but the community is what I was most surprised about. The community is much bigger and more friendly than I originally thought.”
Hunter Kino, a graduating senior, attended the convention on Friday for the third time. Kino explained, “The AES Convention is a great opportunity for students to meet top-tier industry professionals and build their network for their future careers […] I attended to learn more about newly-released products and sit in on workshops to learn more about the industry and individuals involved. I attended two of the ‘Mix With the Masters’ workshops featuring Tchad Blake and David Kahne, both of which, who are highly skilled and respected producers/mixing engineers in the music industry. The workshops included their workflow, production/mixing tips, and their philosophy on making music. I enjoyed listening to their presentations, and I learned a lot from the experience.” Kino said he plans on continuing to attend AES Conventions in the future to continue learning about the music industry.
AES provides students and industry professionals with multiple opportunities to network and develop their skill sets at its annual convention. Individuals attending the convention also have the opportunity to network at the numerous after-hours events that are held by music studios and independent organizations in the city.
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