Alumni Review: Filip Smialek, Audio Production & Engineering 2010

Filip Smialek graduated in 2010 from the Audio Production and Engineering program. Currently, Filip works as Assistant Engineer to multi-Juno-Award-Winning Canadian Producer Gavin Brown as well as Juno-Award-Winning Canadian Recording Engineer Lenny DeRose. Recently, Marketing and Promotions Co-Ordinator Sarah Konowal caught up with Filip to ask him a few questions about his exciting job!

What is your title working with Gavin Brown and Lenny DeRose and what are your responsibilities?
My title is Assistant Engineer. My responsibilities include, but are not limited to: editing recorded material, making sure all gear is accounted for and in working condition, and setup/tear down for recording sessions.

So far, what have been the highlights of working for Gavin Brown and Lenny DeRose?
The greatest highlight of all is that I’m paid to be in the studio working on music. I get to see the best in the business make great sounding records on a daily basis while being part of the process. It’s difficult to single out specific events when something cool is happening everyday; when music is being either tracked, edited, or mixed day to day.

How has your education from the Institute helped you?
My education has given me an abundance of useful knowledge for much of what I do at work. Not only did I gain an understanding of the recording process, I also received a solid foundation in Pro Tools which is a key component in my job. I use Pro Tools every day. The knowledge base I gained from the Institute was definitely a great help in landing me the job I currently have.

Which class has turned out to be the most useful?
It is hard to narrow it down since I apply knowledge from many of the different classes to my job. The two classes that I draw from the most are Recording Engineering and Digital Audio Lab (Pro Tools).

Recording Engineering provided me with all the basic knowledge I needed to start working as an Assistant Engineer. I learned signal flow, types of microphones, how patch bays work, different manufacturers of microphones and gear, how to route signal around a console, etc. I also do a lot of Pro Tools editing, and for this aspect of my job Pro Tools class was very useful because it taught me how to maneuver within the program efficiently. Aside from these two classes I listed, I constantly refer to knowledge I gained from many of the other classes as well. I found that the Audio Production program I took tied the classes together very well into a web of understanding.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Yes. In addition to the knowledge I gained from the Audio Production program, the school was also a haven for networking. I met many talented, hard working, and creative people during my time at the school that I will continue to stay in touch with. I also credit the presence of healthy competition within the Audio Production program for pushing me to be my best and preparing me to work at the level I currently work at.

Congratulations Filip, we wish you all the best!