MEISA: If audio is your passion

Audio professor Tom Haines tells students seeking a career in the audio industry, “Follow your passion when it comes to the music industry… think of it as a business, first and foremost.  There are three reasons to take a gig even when you are in training, and when you are a professional.  Get paid, learn something, and have fun.  You’ll soon find out if it’s for you or not.  It’s long hours, some times no pay.  You have to be passionate and you have to love it.  It’s a gut check early on.”

The MEISA program here at CCM makes that advice a reality!  MEISA members don’t get paid, but they learn lots of audio techniques and skills, and have fun doing it.

MEISA (Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association) is comprised of UC students that hold an interest in the audio music and entertainment industry.  This group gives students experience and opportunities to network with others pursuing audio and sound for picture, and also industry professionals through local, regional, and national activities and events.

It was brought to CCM two years ago after the Audio Engineering Society disbanded.  Electronic Media majors were searching for a place to practice.   Professor Haines thought that it would be a better fit, and because he is a member of MEISA.

“MEISA is different because we tailor what we work on to the members wants and needs,” says CCM MEISA vice president Zach Mueller.  “If the members want to do sound for picture work, then we will do some work in that area.”

Zac Schmidt, president of the chapter, explained how MEISA is different from an Electronic Media class. “In MEISA we spend most of our time discussing specific problems that members are having.  We have a chance to extended experiments and demos.”

A typical meeting for MEISA right now usually consists of listening to a guest speaker, working on equipment and technique, and having a discussion afterward.

“Typically the focus is creating content.  One of the things we did last year was The Forbidden Chest, a live stage radio session,” says Professor Haines.

MEISA helps students in E-Media because itgives hands on experience early in the program. MEISA is a great asset to the CCM audio community.   MEISA meets every Wednesday from 5pm to 6pm in the audio studios.

For more information you can log on to MEISA’s national website, www.meisa.org.

Written by Maria LeMaster 12/08.