The Beginning
When I first heard about PAVI, it was from a close friend of mine.  We had both grown up in Calgary in the local music scene, both of us playing in various bands.  He had a hobby of recording some of his music at home, and I had been working with a local group of high school & college students promoting and producing all ages concerts.  My friend had moved to Vancouver to go to audio school, and when he came home for Christmas, he was so excited about everything he was learning and achieving while attending PAVI I decided maybe it was something I should look into, pending they had a business program.

When I looked through the website for PAVI, I saw that indeed they did have an entertainment business program, and that the courses were not only things I had some experience in, but also branched out to some other subjects that I knew would come in handy in the future for me. 

In Vancouver to visit for a weekend, I met some of the instructors at the school through my friend, who had begun working with them outside of school.  I asked them about the school, and what they thought of not only the engineering program but of the business program, as they taught classes in both faculties.  They were honest with me about the program, and the industry as a whole.  I wouldn’t be able to just walk into a job when I was done school, it would take an incredible amount of hard work during and after my courses to be able to gain employment.

The Classes
My first semester made my head spin.  The months went by so fast, and I was taking in a lot of information on a variety of subjects, and meeting new people almost every day.  Moving here from a different city, PAVI was the perfect way to dive into the music industry.  I met new bands, new venues, new managers, agents, labels and more.  By halfway through my course, I had an internship with a management company, and within a few more months I was being paid to be there.

The program was broken down into various areas, making every day different.  Record Production, Record Labels, Marketing & Promotion, Concerts, Film Business, Film Production, Music Videos, and The History of Entertainment all made each day interesting and informative.  The classes were laid back and included lots of discussion and brainstorming about the direction the industry has gone, is going now, and will be going in the future.

The Best Parts
My favorite parts of PAVI are sort of all over the place.  The small class sizes which made sure we got one-on-one time with instructors was key, my instructors were the ones who hooked me up with industry contacts. The instructors themselves were knowledgeable and active members of the music industry, which meant I could trust their advice.  The community of students I had in my class was absolutely the best part for me though. 

My classmates have been a major asset to me since I graduated, helping me with radio promotion, online marketing, tour booking, and so much more.  One of my now best friends, whom I met at PAVI, is my business partner as well now, and we produce and promote shows together.  When I’m running larger shows, my former classmates are my staff, they are the first people I call, and the ones I know I can rely on.  The people in my class that showed up, paid attention, and showed genuine interest in what we were doing are the ones I work with now throughout the industry.

Would I Recommend It?

I would recommend PAVI if you’re serious about making an effort to break into the industry, because you literally have to break your way in.  If you’re willing to work long and hard, and you have a real passion for music, this is a great place to be.  If you’re looking to make quick buck and be a rock star with no effort, then it will be a rude awakening.  If you’re a music fan who thinks the piece of paper you get at the end of the course is a ticket to a job in the industry, this is not the place to be.  It’s a great first (or second) step towards getting in and doing what you love.  You get out what you put in, it seems like common sense but I’ve found that it really isn’t.

I currently wear a vast variety of hats within the industry.  I am the regional production manager for a national promotion company; I work in Events Management for an international concert ticket agency; I am a production manager for hire for various festivals and events as well as at the shows that I promote, and I work part time for a management company as well as a recording studio.  I work in music 7 days a week, and I could not even imagine where I would be if I hadn’t gotten the ball rolling and enrolled at PAVI.