Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS)
Locations: Tempe, AZ
Degrees: Diploma
Programs: Recording Arts
Tuition Range: 18500
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Located in Tempe Arizona, CRAS is a career-focused trade school offering a 42-week diploma program in audio recording. Billed as a comprehensive program designed to prepare students for careers in music recording, live audio, and recording for film, television and gaming, the course includes 30 weeks of classroom study and 12 weeks of internship. The program also includes certifications in Pro-Tools, Logic, Reason L-Acoustics and others.
A concentrated, focused training program, CRAS offers no degrees, only a diploma for completion of its recording curriculum. Expect to invest a minimum of 11 months in this program, and about $18,500 for tuition and supplies. Housing is not provided.
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Student Reviews
Located in Tempe Arizona, CRAS is a career-focused trade school offering a 42-week diploma program in audio recording. Billed as a comprehensive program designed to prepare students for careers in music recording, live audio, and recording for film, television and gaming, the course includes 30 weeks of classroom study and 12 weeks of internship. The [...]
Review by Blake L.
July 21, 2012 3I attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Gilbert & Tempe, Arizona starting in December of 2003. I chose the school after researching a variety of other options, including Madison Media, Full Sail, and others. I completed the Master Recording Programs I & II and then a 2 month internship at Saltmine Studios, in Mesa, AZ.
On a personal level, the education I received did not meet my expectations or needs. That being said, I felt that a large part of that was that the staff at the school had a very strong bias about certain genres of music, amongst other things, and was disappointed at the attitudes that resulted. I was also hoping to learn more about music production as well as recording, and that was basically frowned upon. I will say, that if you have a very strong interest in analog recording techniques, or live sound that this school would be a good choice.
I ended up working at the school as an Admissions Representative for 3 years (started employment in August of 2005). I’ve seen the “other side” of the school, from the interactions between certain different departments of the staff, to the way instructors/employees interacted with students, and much, much more. I have also done many other things in the music industry, specifically I have been a professional dj since ’00 and I currently run a successful weekly event at a nightclub for the past 2+ years, although neither one of those really had anything to do with my education at CRAS.
The only time that I recommend CRAS is if I feel it would fit that individuals certain needs/goals. I denied many potential students applications for the program when I was working there, based on the fact that they had an unrealistic idea of what the program was about or what they wanted to get out of it.
I had a great time in terms of my overall experience as a student. I did fairly well on an academic level, but I didn’t fully understand a lot of what was taught and I wish I had really put 110% effort in at the time. Instead, I was a bit distracted between working for a local record store and dating a girl who was very “needy” while I should have been more focused on the program.
I would recommend prospective students that they do their research, first and foremost. Be honest with yourself and realistic with your goals and expectations. Another extremely important thing I always told my students was that you will only get out of it what you’re are willing to put in. There are certainly aspects of my education where I wish I had spent more time and ultimately, I CAN’T go back and do them over. Don’t go into an excessive amount of debt (there are schools and programs that are way more affordable than, say, Full Sail or Expressions (I believe the last time I shopped other schools they cost $85k to $100k+, respectively). A lot of students who want to go to “music” school want to go in order to succeed as an artist or performer, and audio engineering schools don’t cater to that whatsoever, and unfortunately a lot of students get duped into attending these programs and getting nothing out of them because there are admissions reps out there who just want to enroll as many students as possible with little concern for the actual student and their success.
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Jamaal C.
July 11, 2012 3.3I graduated from Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences Phoenix , AZ in 2006.
The education definitely met my expectations. The Conservatory is a very great school.
Since graduating, I have found work, but only in spurts. PAID work is not in abundance in the music world as it may be in the film world.
The Conservatory is so in depth they give you all the tools necessary to make it, period. From learning to work on consoles, to repairing them, to learning live sound and hooking systems up. It’s just that the industry is changing.
Debt Accrued: $10,001 - $25,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Keith M
November 23, 2011 3.8After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder for my undergraduate in Music Performance and Arizona State University in Tempe for my Master’s in Music Performance, I enrolled in the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences for my certificate in audio engineering.
I managed to get through my Masters without any student debt, but I took out about 18k to complete the audio engineering courses. It met most of my expectations, although I learned a lot more about what I needed to be able to do in order to survive as an artist in my chosen field. During each one of my programs, my expectations about the end result shifted to a more realistic point of view, and I could focus on what I needed to do in order to achieve my goals.
After I finished the audio engineering courses, I got a job at a recording studio in Hollywood.
The key to me seems to make sure you go in with open eyes and realistic expectations. The better you are at a wider variety of things, the more work you will be qualified and capable of doing.
Review by Jimi G.
November 17, 2011 4.5I recently finished the in class portion of CRAS at both the Mesa and Gilbert locations. In order to fully put my opinion in perspective I must say that I already had some knowledge of Audio coming into my schooling at CRAS. With that being said let me tell you that no matter what you know as an amateur it pales in comparison to what I know now coming out as a burgeoning professional. I am currently in San Francisco seeking the internship portion of my schooling. More about that later.
From day one at CRAS I felt very welcome and right away interested in what was going on at school. That is because the course is properly paced to draw you into the knowledge so that the quickening pace later doesn’t surprise you. The staff was not only profoundly educated on the subject material but actually very experienced and it really showed. The instructors really piqued my interest right away and that payed huge dividends down the road when it would have been easy to fall behind an ever faster learning pace. Because I can personally account for every word that was ever lectured to me at CRAS(I recorded lectures) I can attach that knowledge to a face and thus solidified it as more than just a lecture since it came from somebodies direct, hard earned experience in the real world of Audio.
The broadness of the Audio world in general dictates that a school like this can only focus on so much. But the Conservatory focuses on what is most important and thus the most sought after in the actual business end of Audio. We learned so much about large format consoles and the theory behind routing on these wonderfully complex machines. It would have taken years of experience just assisting to acquire the hands on time we got on a daily basis at CRAS. I can’t say enough about how thorough the instructors where in explaining all concepts to us. The classes themselves were amazingly small which gave me the feeling of being looked after as an individual. I stayed absolutely in love with what I was learning from day one to the last day of class. The testing format encouraged learning for learnings sake and did not remind of standard schooling in the least.
I finished the class portion of CRAS with a very high GPA and left both campuses feeling enriched and totally ready for what is in front of me. I will write a second review concerning only the internship portion of CRAS. My expectations are very high because all the the staff at the internship department are hard working professionals who are imminently qualified.
Review by Dennis R.
October 31, 2011 2.8I attended the conservatory of recording arts and sciences in Tempe AZ in 97. It was a 6 month school and I think it was like 20k. In order to obtain a degree from their school I was required to complete a 180 hour internship. Great, lets work for free but still have a full time job to pay the rent.
So with my keen skills I landed a job at the now debunked electric ballroom in Tempe AZ. I was not even old enough to drink but still managed to accomplish that as well. I then figured out since I was the house engineer. I could write off my own intern hours and still receive my pay and degree.
After that I went on to working in various clubs and events for 10 plus years. I was still in the industry when I finally paid off my student loan. If I were to do it again I would have probably do it differently and would still probably be in the game. Since then I have owned and operated various restaurants. always incorporating my audio skills into the mix. I still have a small production company that I do gigs. Overall it is something that I really enjoyed doing and still semi do it for now. I would recommend the career to the right people. If your hustle sucks then you may not make it far. it is a cut throat business that requires a bit of bulldog in you head..
Review by Peter C.
July 18, 2011 4I want to say that, although a bit skeptical about the program at CRAS when we first started looking into these programs (and I have absolutely no experience to draw on in the music industry), our son was quite confident going into the program, that it was a good choice for him. I was very impressed after we visited the campus – a prerequisite I imposed before signing on to this venture – and have to say his time & effort at CRAS has proven to be exactly what he needed and wanted to do. It took a while for him to work his way up from those initial days at his chosen studio in LA as the lowly, unpaid intern and an over-worked, underpaid runner, and he still puts in some un-godly hours, but he is happy with what he is doing, and he seems to have built himself quite a network of top-tier clients who obviously like his work. So, for that we are grateful to the program at CRAS.
Review by Sam R.
November 3, 2010 2.5I attended the Conservatory in 2002, so things may have changed, but here are my impressions:
1. The school and the education were, in all, pretty damn good. Well – ok, for someone who knew very little about physics, electronics, comoputers, or business, it seemed exceptional. The difficult part of recording is the auditory artistry – something you’ll only learn through practice. While you’re given time to complete projects, you have to share limited facilities with 12 other classes.
2. People complaining about the placement may not have been applying themselves. I interned with one of my favorite record labels at the time, and while I will admit that they appeared to take my internship for cheap labor, I have no doubt that had I not been quite as big a d-bag when I was 19, I may have earned myself a job.
3. It’s expensive, and I feel like I wasted a lot of money – but I did learn a lot. If you just want to learn recording, you may just be better off reading books and buying your own computer setup – but you’re not likely to land a job in any kind of respectable studio that way. I do know a number of people around town who make a living (mostly) of recording local bands and things of that nature, but it’s nothing glamorous, and you get paid more working with the industry. You also learn about the music industry and how it works here, so you have options.
4. Yes, the industry is crap. That’s not this schools fault, and if you don’t have a passion for music, you should probably do some research before trying to make it your career.
5. The staff was always friendly, with one exception, but they were all very, very knowledgable in their fields. I don’t doubt that if they expanded some of the curriculum into Associate level programs instead of retaining the trade school theme they have going, they could easily attain regional accreditation.
Bottom line – if you don’t KNOW that you want to do this line of work, don’t go here. You’ll be upset and won’t get much out of it.
Review by Becky M.
October 16, 2010 1My husband attended this school many years ago and I myself have been in the music business for about 20 years. Here’s the deal:
The school costs a fortune. Your return on investment is not good. It costs more than a traditional university. True, schools that offer music progams are limited, but if you are going to invest the time and money, why not go somewhere where you will receive a quality education at a better cost and will be more respected in the entertainment community?
The placement program here is a joke. They deal mostly with rinky dink dingy little studios that will offer you no long term career possibilities. The businesses they deal with simply use the Conservatory for free labor. They rarely hire someone permanently and really, why would they? For every person you see working in a full time entertainment position, there are 100 interns waiting in line to take their place. Why pay for labor when you can get a continuous stream of it for free? It’s not right, but not much that goes on in the entertainment world is right, so deal with it.
I don’t really think my husband learned any more than he would have at any other school. And the worst part? Now that he is older and has worked his way up with a respected sound company, he wanted to move on and look at getting a Master’s Degree. But the Conservatory is NOT a regionally accredited school; they are nationally accredited. (You may think national is better than regional but it is actually the opposite. Don’t ask me, I didn’t design the higher learning education system in this country.) This means their degree and credits will not transfer to any other learning institution. Quite frankly, what you get when you finish isn’t even a degree anyway. So after all that time and money, you don’t really have anything to show for it and if you want to advance your education, you will have to start all over. You may think right now that you aren’t the type to want a Master’s degree or to ever further your education. But you can’t possibly know at 25 what you will want at 40. So don’t be stupid by limiting your possibilities now.
Let this be a lesson regarding all of those nationally acccredited vocational schools out there…. the education you receive is worthless and you spend just as much time there as a traditional university and significantly more money. So buck up, and go to a real school so you can get on with your career.
Review by Arlett M.
May 11, 2010 3I am a Conservatory graduate and a current business school student. I attended CRAS in 2006 and though I received acceptable knowledge about audio (except mastering), the staff was very unprofessional when referring to hip-hop/rap music. Many students were pursuing careers within that genre and, in my opinion, were ridiculed because of their choice. These students were also labeled as sub par students though many of them were hard-workers and received high scores. Because most of these students were black, many believe that there were racial undertones, but I will not go so far as to make this accusation (at the time we had no black instructors though). My advice: If you love hip hop, please be cognizant of the fact that you may not be welcomed.
Review by Gelio D.
August 18, 2009 1Blah… I attended and I feel that the program needed work. To top it off, there is no assurance of job placement afterwards. Many people that i know attend this school and wind up working at guitar center. If you really want to work in the studio, try being an intern at a real studio. Just talk to the manager, show that you’re serious, and you can learn firsthand without having to pay the $10+K… of course, you have to be ready to work to earn your spot there…
Review by David K.
August 2, 2008 4I am currently attending this school. I am impressed with the facilities and the depth of the curriculum, however, there are a couple of things about the internship that they tell you to hook you into going to that school that are a little bit exaggerated. I would recommend checking things out for yourself rather than taking their word for it., but overall, an excellent school!