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Here are the job opportunities (or as we like to call them, Grind Opps) from this week's show.
04/11/16
GRIND OPP #1
Position:
Video Editor
Industry: Film
Location: Boston, MA
Description
Edit short films (20-30 minutes long.) Must have demo reel. Proficient in Final Cut & Premiere.
04/11/16
GRIND OPP #2
Position:
Audio Designer
Industry: Recording
Location: Chicago, IL
Description
Create, develop and record audio for games and apps. Must have composition experience and reel.
04/11/16
GRIND OPP #3
Position:
Grip
Industry: Film
Location: San Diego, CA
Description
Full time position for six month project. Entry level with basic grip experience required.
04/11/16
GRIND OPP #4
Position:
Board Operator / Producer
Industry: Radio
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Description
Morning show board operator / producer. Must be able to work mornings seven days a week.
04/11/16
GRIND OPP #5
Position:
Audio Engineer / Studio Tech
Industry: Recording
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Description
Recording studio seeks engineer with experience with Logic and programming beats.
Transcript
What’s up, y’all? Welcome to “Connected”. This is Episode 7. Today, I’m happy to say I’m actually hanging at the Recording Connection headquarters. And as you can see, I’ve moved up in the world. I’ve got a sign now, and I’m actually happy to be here with my squad. It actually helps me bring this show to you guys every week.
For those of you that are just tuning in, this is a show we do, titled “Connected”, featuring your host, DJ IZ, every Monday at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. You can follow and track our day-to-day on our social media, which is IZconnected. That is our social media handles. Also, too, if you look down on your right you’ll see the Facebook and Twitter links. Share us with your friends. Share this with folks that you know who would either love to do what you’re doing or get into some other things like film, audio engineering, recording, all those things that we bring to you.
So for those of you that might be just tuning in with us for your first time today, this is a show that is pretty much a show that allows you to be connected to anything from recording, engineering, doing live sound. This is a show where we like to bring you opportunity, opportunities that no one else has access to. So these are job opportunities, but we call them “Grind Opps”. Because anybody knows if you’re in the real world, you’ve gotta grind, so I like to call them “Grind Opps”. Now, with these Grind Opps, they range from anything like I said, from live sound to mixing and engineering and recording. We’re going to add a couple of different categories real soon, and we’ll be bringing you a lot more guests in the future to kinda share their experiences.
So you definitely want to make sure you’re connected here with us every Monday. Like I said, I get a lot of folks, a lot of friends, who hit me up about the Grind Opps. And the great thing is the only way to actually apply for these Grind Opps is through the show “Connected”. Later on in the show, you’ll see a link, so you’ve gotta stick through the show with me, all right? Because at the end, you’ll see a link that allows you to apply for these jobs.
All right, so we’re going to kick things off. Of course, the most exciting piece of this show is these Grind Opp opportunities. Because everybody is looking to get a gig; everybody is looking to get hired. One of the things I want to stress in this show is the follow-up, which I like to put under the category of etiquette. Because etiquette of opportunities is the follow-up ; following up with the people you meet, seeing if there’s anything you could have done better. I mean it’s all about your follow-up and it’s all about your execution. So that’s one of the things I want to bring up in this show to stress to you guys.
So without any further ado, let’s get to these Grind Opps. But first, make sure you’ve got your pen, your pad, so you can jot down these notes, and take all this information down because information is crucial. You want to make sure you have as much information as you can, so that when you get to these Grind Opps, you’re just fully prepared, right? Preparation is everything in this game. Even for me. When I’m out traveling, when I’m on the road, when I’m preparing for a gig, I have to mentally prepare so that my execution is on point. All right? So make sure that you guys are on point. Take down these notes so you can see what’s out there. All right, here we go.
We’re going to start off with Grind Opp number 1. This is in the field of recording. This is as a runner. It’s a full-time position at the Record Plant; great entry-level opportunity. The Record Plant is a well-known studio here in LA. Running at the Record Plant is probably the best environment you can possibly be in if you’re an engineer or an aspiring engineer because a lot of the cats that I work with who are engineers, they start from being a runner. So it’s a great way to understand an environment and get an early insight on what these environments look like. And running consists of errands, running errands for folks, getting food, getting coffee. Just making sure everybody has what they need in the studio so that things can function properly and smoothly.
So that’s a great opportunity. Like I said, a lot of the cats that I’ve worked with who are engineers started as being a runner. And not necessarily running at a great studio like the Record Plant. I mean the Record Plant is like a monumental studio for LA. So that’s a really great opportunity. So again, that’s in California, and let me see if I can shoot some more details about this particular job. All right? Actually, these details are pretty much limited. Let me see here. Okay.
Well, guys, we’re going to move on to the next Grind Opp, all right? Again, that last one was a runner at the Record Plant.
Okay, here we go. The next Grind Opp is another recording Grind Opp. This is audio engineer, full-time position at the Jazz Club in NYC. Hours are 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., five days a week, audio for live shows. This is in New York, New York.
So, again, those are the details of that. Now, for those of you who are in the field of audio engineering and recording, this is in an open environment, so this is at a venue. So definitely these kinds of opps, like I say, you want to have experience in because you’re working in a field of live entertainment, and the best thing you could possibly do in this type of environment is make sure you’re ready. And a live engineer, you really get your experience from messing up. So whether you’ve got a band you didn’t mic properly or there’s feedback, the monitors ain’t sounding right, those are just some of the kinks you want to work through and get experience in, because in these events you’re going to deal with a whole bunch of different personalities. You’re going to deal with artists that are divas. They want this, they want that. They have an interesting way of addressing you. And as a live audio engineer, you’ve just gotta know how to diffuse those things. You’ve gotta know how to just roll with it.
And most of all you gotta know what you’re doing, all right? Know your gear. In this kind of thing, the most important thing you can do is know your equipment. Know your gear, know its functionality. And ultimately, get the sound to be the way the artist wants the audience to hear their musical experience. All right, so that’s crucial.
So we’re going to move on to Grind Opp number 3. This Grind Opp is in the field of film. Grip. Now, this is a full-time position for a six-month project. Entry-level with basic grip experience is required. This is in San Diego, California. Now, I have a couple of friends who are definitely heavy into film and inquiring about film opportunities.
So for those of you that are tuning in that are into film, I’m gonna read you a couple of more details for this particular Grind Opp. This is a production company. They’re looking for a full-time grip to work on a six-month-long project in San Diego, California. Perfect entry-level position for anyone with some basic form of grip experience. Most of our Film Connection graduates will have this coming through the program, okay?
So like I said, with a lot of these Grind Opps, experience is everything. And even if you have a little bit of experience, this can be a great opportunity for you to grow in. But you kind of want to know the fundamentals of what grip entails and what it requires. But like I said, it’s another great opportunity and you want to make sure that this is something you can commit to because actually it’s a six-month-long production. That’s a decent amount of time to work. And in those kinds of situations you want to make sure that you do such an amazing job that, for the next project that comes up, you happen to be the first person they think of. All right? Cool. I hope you got all the info and details on that one.
We’re going to move over to Grind Opp number 4. This is in the field of radio. Board operator/producer. Morning show board operator/producer. Must be able to work mornings, seven days a week. All right, that’s a pretty good gig right there. Let me see if we can give you a little bit more information on that. Part-time board operator and producer needed for a morning radio show on a major network station. Must also be local to the Philly area. Must be confident in not only running the boards, but also to have a creative input into the show’s direction.
Well, that’s kind of…those are two different roads right there — board operator and being creative. I would say being a board operator is obviously more technical. And what I’ve realized in working with people who are really technical, they’re not always great creators, or don’t have the ability to really have a creative mind. So for anybody looking to partake in this particular Grind Opp, you want to have both sides. You want to be able to be technical from the aspect of knowing the board, knowing various things that are required in doing a morning show. And then you also want to be able to be creative, because you want to be able to offer creative input that’s valid input to whatever the direction of the show it is that you’re doing. Like I said, again, this is input for the show’s direction.
And this is a job opp that I could look at and say you definitely want to have some experience, because this could be actually a good, long-lasting gig. They really don’t bring in guys like this for just short amounts of time.
And again, this is located in Philly. I love Philly. Philly’s a rough city, but I love it because it’s a town of music. Philly International, Gamble and Huff, a lot of great music came out of Philly. I love Philly. Philly to me is like one of those spots that I would say is like Detroit, maybe some parts in Cali. It’s just rough but it’s really gritty, grimy, and honest.
So make sure you got those notes down. And keep in mind, now, you’ve gotta stay through this duration of this show because later on in the show you’ll see a link that allows you to actually apply for these jobs. And I tell folks all the time on the show, make sure you stay with me, because the only way to apply is through the link that you’ll see at the bottom right beside of your screen. All right?
So moving on to our last Grind Opp, this is in, again, recording. This is audio engineer/studio tech. Recording studio seeks engineer with experience with Logic and programming beats. And this is in Brooklyn, New York. What up, Brooklyn? Love Brooklyn. Let me see if I can give you a little bit more notes for this particular gig. Candidate will also be troubleshooting audio equipment and providing support for sessions. Must possess experience of signal processing, compression, and limiting.
Now, that’s something actually really crucial right there. Those are actually good details of what this Grind Opp will entail, because a lot of cats get into these gigs, and they haven’t had quite enough experience to be able to actually tell whether or not they’re over-processing, over-compressing, or over-limiting. And those three different categories can definitely ruin whatever it is you’re working on. If you don’t know really how much and how much not to do.
And again, you’ll be troubleshooting audio equipment, so you’ll be doing a little bit of tech work. So you definitely want to make sure you’ve got some tech skills to be able to troubleshoot this gear to figure out whatever problems you may be encountering. And providing support for sessions. So like I said, in this particular environment the one thing you don’t want to do that can become definitely like nail in your shoe is gear that goes down that you can’t get up right away and get back to work. Downtime in the studio is killer, especially if it has to do with technical difficulties and things that are going wrong.
So like I said, some of these Grind Opps that I’ve presented, they require both sides of know-how, whether it’s being techie, and then being creative. For this particular Grind Opp, it’s being techie but also knowing sound and knowing how to not over-process or over-limit.
And like I said, a lot of these Grind Opps you’ll find, and I’ll continue to mention this, is that you definitely want to have a form of experience. I’m not saying you’ve got to be established or have a super, super-long resume, but you definitely want to have some of these particular job kinda descriptions under your belt already. Because, like I say in every show, you do not want to under-perform. You want to over-perform. And being able to over-perform really comes down to your experience.
Another thing, guys, make sure that your resumes are intact. Make sure that you’re not over-selling yourself. Make sure that everything on your resume is clearly what you have really done. No bells and whistles; no smoke and mirrors. Like I say, a lot of these gigs you want to be able to get in there and execute.
So make sure you hit that bottom link on the right side of your screen so you can apply for these jobs. These jobs are only made available through the Recording Connection and here on our show, which is “Connected”.
So now, for my favorite part of the show, is the Q&A, because it’s where I get to chat with you guys, see what’s on your mind. You guys get to pull information out of me. I kind of get to learn a little bit about you as well. So I’m going to take on a couple questions. But first I want to shout out Jason, who’s attending the Recording Connection. What’s up, J? I hope you’re tuning in, man.
So we’re going to move on to the first question. This is from YoungUniverse. All right, this is important, because he says he doesn’t see the links, okay? So let’s make sure we got the links down there for him, team. YoungUniverse, I hope you’ll see them soon. They should be there now.
The next question is from Cat, “Have you ever had a moment where the artist you was working with didn’t like or wasn’t feeling what you were producing for them?”
Absolutely. That happens all the time, and as a creator you can’t get discouraged because it’s just part…it’s the nature of the business. You just create. You just create. And what I like to do when I’m working with an artist, I like to kinda get a heads-up as to when they’re coming in. And I approach it from a fan kinda aspect where I like to create music for that particular artist as if I were their fan and what I would like to hear them doing.
And sometimes it syncs up. Sometimes by the time they get to the studio and you play what you created from a fan aspect, sometimes it aligns and then sometimes the artist is like, “Yeah, that’s perfect. That’s exactly what I want to do.” And then sometimes the artist will be like, “Nah, I actually want to try something a little different. I want to grow, I want to evolve into this, and I’m liking this particular sound right now.” And that’s how it happens.
But as creators, we just create. We just create. And artists might be moved by something you created for them. Some artists might be moved by something you got that you didn’t even really create for them, you created for another artist, but it affected them and it hit them a certain way. So just keep creating, cats, all right?
Next question is from Caleb, “What was the defining moment for you, in your career, in the audio music industry?”
Defining moment for me is when, as a creator, when I got to the place where I could literally hear a song in my mind, and I could hear what it needed, feel like what it would sound like and within minutes I was able to create it. That was a really defining moment. Because, you know, you go through phases as a creator of music. You go through the phase of where the creativity might not be pouring in like it was, and you need new inspiration. You’ve gotta go live a little, you’ve gotta do something.
And then you have those moments where it’s just coming, and it’s non-stop, you’re just creating. You’re writing songs. You’re making music. For me, that moment is when I can literally hear an idea in my head and in minutes, bring it to life through my crate-digging, through my turntable, through my MPC, and just create it. That was a defining moment for me.
The next question is from Ty, “What’s the best way to get placements with major artists?”
You know, in that aspect, to me that model is gone now. Placements isn’t what it once was. Everybody was, “Let me get a record placement.” That day is over because everybody is creating music. Everybody has access to music. The best way to do it is just create, create, create, build your catalog up, build your library up, and let it go. Get it to people. Let people hear it. That’s the best way to get placements. The days of hitting up a publishing company, get a who’s looking list, get in the studio; man, that’s old news. It’s not as lucrative as it once was. You know, everybody has access to the same thing. So just keep creating, and let it go. Get it in people’s hands. Let people hear it. All right?
Next question, “Can you give some examples of follow-up etiquette?”
Follow-up etiquette, man, let’s say you’re going to a Grind Opp and you meet some folks. It’s really about just following up people, your personality; you’re checking in. Hey, don’t just do the interview and then let it go, you know. Follow up. Stay on top of these folks, because that’s everything. You know, people also want to experience how hungry you are, how eager you are.
And I think I had a question last week was, can you be overbearing? Yeah, you can be, but you know what? I know, for me as a person in position to give opportunity or bring people on board, the first thing I look at is their appetite for how bad they want to do it. And I only can see that through how they follow up and how much they hit me up. And “Just following up with you” or “just wanted to know if there’s this” or “how did I do” or “is there anything I can help with, let me know. I’m available.” To me, that’s great etiquette to have on the day-to-day when you’re trying to reach for your goals. Reach for your career goals.
Etiquette is everything. Presentation falls under etiquette. Everything. How you talk to people, how you network; it’s all etiquette that allows you to really take advantage of the Grind Opps that we provide you here.
Next question…let me see if I can grab a good one for you guys. Desiree2shoe, “I have a friend who produced an R. Kelly track just from his manager playing it for him.”
Okay, see, there you go. She just reconfirmed what I previously said, man. Just keep creating, keep creating.
So I know you guys see that link, RecordingConnection.com, Grind Opps. Make sure you click on that so you can partake fully in what we are presenting here.
Let me scroll down. “Anything in Jersey?” I believe we…this is from David. We had something in Jersey. I don’t know if it was last week’s show or the show before. But yeah, that’s another thing. I’m actually glad you brought that up because people that are here in Cali, because we’re based in Cali, people always say, “Well, you got anything in Texas or New York or New Jersey?”
Absolutely, every show is different so we got Grind Opps that range from New York to Cali to Atlanta, like I said, to Texas. We just had that last week. What’s another spot? Chicago. Nashville. So we’ve got a variety of Grind Opps that are pertaining to different cities. So just stay tuning in every Monday. That’s the best way to catch it.
Let me see. I’m trying to find a good question for you guys here. Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me. Keep scrolling.
Vegas. I don’t know if we’ve had Vegas. I think maybe we had Vegas maybe early, early on in. So just stay tuning in, all right?
YoungUniverse, “With all the tech stuff going on here in San Francisco, are there opps to produce music for apps?”
Actually, there is. But it’s just a matter of meeting folks that are in the apps world who are looking for music. And like I said, the best way to saturate these opportunities is to just create and get your music into hands. The days of, “Well, I’m not sure if they’re going to take my music,” honestly, you can’t be afraid anymore. You’ve gotta let it go. You’ve gotta create and let it go and get it out to the universe so people can experience it, and create opportunity.
So guys, with that being said, that is all the questions that I’m taking on today.
Again, make sure you track our day-to-day movement on social media and that is IZconnected. That’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. I’ll be posting heavily this upcoming week on my day-to-day and everything I got going on, because it’s getting serious. What we’re doing here is for real. And we actually, in a couple of weeks, will have some follow-up guests that have actually applied for these Grind Opps and have actually had some success. Because I think that’s crucial for you guys and my viewers is to see in real-time what we’re really doing. And these are for real Grind Opp opportunities for you guys.
Again, thank you all for tuning in. I couldn’t do this without my family, the Recording Connection. You know, I’m moving up in the world as you can see. Again, I got my “Connected” banner. And shout out to my fellows, Mike and Howie, for helping make this possible. What up, Brian? And I look forward to catching you all next week. All right? Peace.
Previous Episodes of Connected
- Electronic musicians, DJs and beat-makers
- Runners and assistants
- Filmmakers
- Broadcasters
- Aspiring show hosts and more
- Get job tips on all the best jobs and career opportunities
- Get mentored and find out how to get and keep the best gigs in the music and film industry
- Get to know your favorite artists
- Hear industry success and horror stories from the legends inside the business
- Find out real tips to get hired at your dream job
- Connect!
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