Finally, something I wondered a lot to myself was “What careers can I follow with my passion of sound?” Luckily sound has a lot of opportunities and functions in many different forms of media production. Such as the following:
Live Sound Technicians/Technicians
Live Sound Technicians are those who are there in theaters or concerts making sure the show runs smoothly and with little auditory trouble as possible. They manage things such as microphone volume, music or instrument volume, and any other sound that can be produced from the show. It can be a difficult job because you have to be there and be very attentive to sound, for however long the showing goes on. However it can also be a very rewarding job, as it grants you the opportunity to meet performers, musicians, and actors.
Foley Artists – This video shows the creative process of a Foley Artist!
Foley Artists are those who use an arsenal of props, devices, and anything else they can access to recreate sounds you would hear in the real world for a piece of media such as a film or TV show. The sounds recreated can range from the sound of boots walking on gravel or grass, to the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Being a Foley Artist is one of the most creative audio jobs, because it lets you have fun and let loose your inner creativity to record whatever sounds a piece of media might need.
Sound Designers
Sound Designers are closely linked to Foley Artists in the way that they create sound for media projects, but unlike Foley Artists, Sound Designers not only create, but they collect, edit, and refine sound effects to be perfect for a certain scene or action within media. Sound Designers are usually also the ones who make the music for said media. Sound Designers have a wide range of technology and techniques that they can apply to sound, such as panning (making audio louder on one side than the other in a stereo set up). Sound Designers are still very much involved in the creative process of adding sound to media, and speaking from personal experience is very fun and intriguing to do.
The salaries of each job vary wildly, as each entertainment or media company pay their audio technicians and sound designers differently. However, the world of audio is still one to look into if you are interested in creative arts, but also the use of and learning technology.