by Erin Vanderkarr
My name is Erin Vanderkarr, I am majoring in the two-year program, Recording Arts & Technology (RAT), and am currently in my second year of the program. I chose the RAT program because of my interest in music and technology.
I’m 19 years old and I started taking classes at Tri-C as a College Credit Plus (CCP) student and then enrolled at Tri-C after graduating high school. As a CCP student, I was not sure what I wanted to do after graduation, so I took advantage of the CCP program and enrolled in various classes like acting, music business, and general education classes. I enjoyed the environment of the college and I looked at different programs to see what most connected to my interests. The Recording Arts program looked interesting to me because it blended my passion for music and technology.
I have enjoyed learning about the electrical components of sound systems. In my first year, I took the audio electronics class and we built a mic preamp and studied the learned about the importance of the electrical flow of different components of sound systems. I found that to be interesting because I enjoy learning about how things work.
The RAT program also helps me with my songwriting and development. After I graduate, I plan to improve my musical abilities like playing instruments, and then on my own time I will use what I learned in the RAT program to record and edit my own songs and overall have a boost in my creativity.
Because the program exposes us to all the different areas of music and sound like software, editing, and live music production, I will be able to focus on the creative side of music while working in the field after I graduate. I am fortunate to be in a program that allows me to constantly learn new things and gain new experiences.
