Graduate Focus SAE Institute: Dean Tuza

Answered by: Dean Tuza

Name of institution you studied at: SAE Institute

Years attended: 2008 - 2009

What course did you study and why? Bachelor of Audio Production. Prior to studying at SAE I was recording demos of my friends' bands out of my own little home studio (in my parents' garage). I was constantly searching everywhere for resources to teach myself recording techniques. SAE allowed me to surround myself with like-minded people.

Why did you choose to study at this particular institution? I studied at SAE Melbourne because it was located near some of Australia's best commercial recording studios. (Sing Sing, Woodstock, Eastern Bloc etc) I really wanted a chance to someday intern/work out of these studios. The studios at SAE Melbourne utilised the same high-end equipment (Neve, SSL, API).

What's the one piece of advice you got during your time there that you still follow today? Technologies, techniques and equipment come and go. If you can truly learn and master the basics within the studio environment (equipment selection, placement, processing, session workflow, etc) you can stay ahead of the curve.

How did your course prepare you for the real world applications of what you studied? The course allowed me to experiment with all different kinds of software and hardware. My first job was as an assistant engineer. I got really good at editing drums, tuning vocals and setting up mixing sessions on the console.

Give us the quick resume version of what you have done since finishing studying. Signed worldwide publishing deal with Mushroom Music Publishing. Produced; NME's Music of the Day track Ginsberg by Mossy, iTunes "Australian Album of the Year" (The Rubens), multiple triple j hottest 100 spots (#66 #57 #10), ARIA chart #1 single, Platinum record and single (The Rubens).

Any advice for anyone looking to study at this institution? Use every opportunity to learn from the teachers, studios and classmates. Utilise all that SAE has to offer. I learnt SO much about production from making mistakes with my friends in the SAE studios.