Sam Zulfer, Lead Academic Facilitator, RRFC.
“Columbia College Chicago offered what I perceived as a realistic approach to teaching the arts and after my first visit I knew it was right for me. The Audio Arts & Acoustics Department specifically blew me away with their studios, gear, and approach to teaching the art of engineering. It was a rigorous program and the excellent adjunct professors taught me things I doubt I would have learned in a traditional program. My last year of attendance, I was given the opportunity to be the Audio Production tutor for incoming students and help incoming students understand some of the difficult concepts of signal flow and Pro Tools. I have nothing but good things to say about that audio program and am thankful for all the connections I made there which I still take advantage of today!”
Could you explain what you do as an Academic Facilitator?
“As an Academic Facilitator for Recording Connection I provide several things. I’m assigned new incoming Audio Engineering & Music Production students as well as students enrolled in our Ableton Electronic Music Production program. I’m their main point of contact with our office throughout the duration of their enrollment. I reach out to them regularly to ensure they’re enjoying the program and make sure they’re understanding the lessons in the curriculum, and that they’re getting into the studio for the proper amount of hours.
My line is open to the students should any issue arise, so that I can resolve it in a timely and effective manner. On top of that, I offer one-on-one screen share tutoring sessions to help students with their music, review concepts in the curriculum, and sometimes even share my screen to show the students projects I’m working on to highlight techniques I use when creating music.”
What do you wish more people realized about our programs or offerings?
“RRFC gives a unique opportunity for students to get a direct link to an industry professional in their place of work as an extern. The “old fashioned” way of breaking into the audio engineering industry usually involved some form of schooling then interning at a recording studio. Internships can sometimes involve cleaning, grabbing coffee, making lunch runs, and answering calls for an extended period of time before even getting a chance to sit in on a recording session. Our students get into the studio day one with a professional engineer with an opportunity to start learning how the recording process is executed. After 6 months our students who fully take advantage of the program are set up to dive into the world of audio engineering head-first, prepared for situations most people who went the traditional route may not be able to handle!”
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to work in audio or music?
“I would say from my experience that the best thing for anyone looking to work in audio or music is not to get tunnel vision on one aspect of the industry they dream of being a part of. The industry is massive but all elements are connected in some way. Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way and NETWORK. I took advantage of the production tutor opportunity given to me at Columbia which made me realize I had a passion for education. Without that experience I would not have applied to work for RRFC. I was given the opportunity to work for RRFC and have made some great connections within our office that could lead to things down the road I’m not even aware of yet. You never know what tomorrow holds.”
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