In order to give students an advance real-world glimpse of what goes on in the professional audio world, the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences recently played host to four Los Angeles studio managers as part of the school’s ongoing guest lecture program.

On March 22, 2002 Jane Scobie from Royaltone Studios, Candace Stewart from Cello Studios, Diana Nitz of Front Page Recorders and Michele Moore from Studio Atlantis visited the school and participated in a panel discussion and seminar on audio internships. Each manager gave a short talk on their views of the business and then fielded questions from students. Topics ranged from what a student could look forward to during their internships, to the importance of attitude and people skills.

The staff at the Conservatory knows how important it is that students understand what it truly takes to succeed once they leave the school. With the guest lecture from the managerial mavens, students got a strong dose of reality from representatives of facilities that they couldn’t help but respect. "The feedback from the students was very positive; the consensus was that they got an honest reality-based view of what they could expect after graduation," says Conservatory Administrator Kirt Hamm. "It is important to reinforce what we tell the students on a daily basis by having industry professionals share their views. This seminar not only established and reinforced our relationships with the industry but it gave students an idea that the preparation we stress here it the school is founded in reality."