The Recording Conservatory of Austin occupies an enviable slice of Austin real estate. Perched high up on a hill located off City Park Road, the Conservatory offers scenic views for students needing to take a breather from recording, mixing and mastering music.



The Conservatory is a trade school at which students can learn skills essential to the music business. Graduates of the 18-month program generally go on to become audio engineers, music producers, songwriters or studio owners.



Originally known as The Recording School of Austin, the Conservatory opened in 2002 as a natural outgrowth of Stinson Studios. Owner and founder John Stinson had taken on his share of interns only to see them wind up "sweeping the floors and getting the coffee" because of the time required to train them to do anything else, he said.



Stinson said he realized there was a sizable pool of people eager to learn about the recording business. And, with more than 10 years of recording experience under his belt, he said he felt he had plenty of knowledge to impart.



"I knew I could really teach these guys well," Stinson said.



Now in its 13th year, the Conservatory employs eight teachers and teaches about 50 students at a time. Classes are clustered into four subject areas: engineering, production, music theory and songwriting, and music business.



Stinson said the curriculum is designed to be applicable to the real-world and practical. In the business class, for example, students are taught to create a studio name and logo, how to build a website, how to maximize search engines and how to manage accounts.



While many courses are offered online and some are held at downtown studios, Stinson Studios serves as the laboratory for the majority of the Conservatory program. It is in the studio's control room, drum room, live room and isolation booth where students really cut their teeth, Stinson said.



Through a series of mandatory student projects, Conservatory students are challenged to find their own musicians; book them; and bring them into the studio for recording, editing, mixing and mastering.



The goal is for Conservatory students to graduate not only with a certificate of completion, but also with actual clients, Stinson said.



Stinson said he was taking on his own clients when he was 23. A guitar player since third grade and a graduate of The University of Texas School of Music, Stinson said he launched his first recording studio—out of a house in Hyde Park—simply as a way to make a living.



It was not until later, a few years into the recording business, in fact, when Stinson said he realized how perfectly the requirements of running a studio matched his skill set.



"I'm a highly technical guy and super Type-A. And I like to hang out around music all day long," Stinson said.



Stinson said he gave up performing when he turned 30 to focus exclusively on the recording business. Now in its 21st year, Stinson Studios produces albums for a variety of clients—from country stars to hard rock bands and local choral groups such as Conspirare.



Glossary



Students at The Recording Conservatory of Austin must familiarize themselves with a variety of new terms. The new vocabulary includes words such as "overdubbing," "mixing" and "mastering," all of which are commonplace in the music business.



Overdubbing



A technique in which a performer listens to an existing recorded performance—usually through headphones—and simultaneously plays of sings a new performance along with it. The final mix will contain a combination of these "dubs."



Mixing



The process of putting multiple layers of audio together. For example, drum, piano and vocal tracks are put together to make one final track. Volumes can be adjusted to downplay or accentuate certain instruments. Unwanted noises are removed in this stage as well.



Mastering



The process of enhancing the final track through compression, equalization or reverb. If one is creating an album, the process includes making sure volumes and sound quality create a cohesive sound.



The Recording Conservatory of Austin, 512-231-0344, www.trcoa.com