CRAS Hosts Pensado’s Place

Gilbert, Ariz., Jan. 16, 2019 - The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu), the premier institution for audio engineering education, recently hosted a live version of the renowned pro audio show Pensado’s Place at its Gilbert, Ariz. campus on Nov. 30. “Live in the Desert” was streamed live by co-hosts Dave Pensado and Herb Trawick, who shared their pro audio industry wisdom in front of more than 300 CRAS students, staff, and invited guests. The full show can be seen at CRAS’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSlzM08WKbE).“When we got the call (from CRAS), we wanted to talk about our perspective on audio,” said co-host and executive producer Herb Trawick. “Dave (Pensado) and I want to continue to learn because we see ourselves as students, as well, and to get CRAS’ students’ perspective on the industry.”During the two-hour live streamed event, Pensado and Trawick shared their experiences and expertise over their tenured careers, emphasizing the life skills necessary to succeed in this business rather than the technical aspects of engineering. This was a conscious choice by the team to ensure that their voice spoke to everyone in the room, regardless of what phase students were at in their CRAS education. Pensado and Trawick also took questions from CRAS students. Their advice to the student body was invaluable.“Things are changing so rapidly in the business, you need to have a wide variety of skill sets,” added Pensado, a Grammy Award-winning engineer. “You can’t be afraid of the future.”About to surpass their 400th episode, Pensado’s Place is the industry standard with more than 170 million minutes consumed on Youtube and viewers in more than 200 countries and territories. “The fact that Dave and Herb put in 10-12 hours of prep time getting ready for this event really showed in their presentation,” explained David Kohr, Instructor/AES Faculty Advisor for CRAS. “They had so much great information for our students…from their entrance to their topics, giveaways and Q&A, the entire event was filled with nothing but high points. And I’m sure that having them come to CRAS and hosting an AES event was an experience that our students won’t soon forget.” Added Robert Brock, CRAS Director of Education, “Hearing the Pensado's Place perspective on topics such as life-long learning, professional networking, and career flexibility was not only informative and inspiring for our students, but incredibly validating to the CRAS instructors who consciously weave these principles into their classes every day. During the show, there were more than a few ‘preach it’ shout-outs heard in the live stream production control-room.”The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz. A CRAS education includes Broadcast Audio, Live Sound, Audio Post for Film and TV, Music Production, Commercial Production and Video Game Audio, all taught by award-winning instructors who have excelled in their individual fields. CRAS’ structured programs, and highly qualified teaching staff, provide a professional and supportive atmosphere, which is complemented by its small class sizes allowing for individual instruction and assistance for students in engineering audio recordings. CRAS has been providing quality vocational training in Audio Recording for more than three decades. The curriculum and equipment are constantly being updated to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the music and sound recording industries. CRAS’ course offerings and subject matter have always centered around the skills and knowledge necessary for students’ success in the Audio Recording industries.The 11-month program is designed to allow every student access to learn and train in all of the Conservatory’s studios which are comprised with state-of-the-art audio recording and mixing gear, the same equipment used in today’s finest studios and remote broadcast facilities, including Pro Tools 12, API Legacy consoles, SSL G+ and AWS consoles, Studer Vista consoles, and much more. All students must complete a 280-hour industry internship to graduate from the Master Recording Program II that may ultimately lead to industry employment. “There are a host of opportunities for our students once they graduate, and we want to give them an idea of what’s out there first hand for them once they enter the open market,” said Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator. “Besides our mandatory internship program, getting our students in touch with industry icons such as Dave and Herb and participating in these events is of enormous value for any student. We can’t thank Dave and Herb enough for allowing us to host ‘Live in the Desert’ for our students.”For more information on the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, please visit www.cras.edu, contact Kirt Hamm, administrator, at 1-800-562-6383, or email to info@cras.edu.About The Conservatory of Recording Arts & SciencesBased in the heart of The Valley of the Sun with two campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz., The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) is one of the country’s premier institutions for audio education. The Conservatory has developed a unique and highly effective way to help the future audio professional launch their careers in the recording industry and other related professional audio categories.-30-