Pyramind FAQs
- What is the enrollment requirements and what is the process for enrolling at Pyramind?
- Does Pyramind provide housing for its students?
- Does Pyramind provide payment plan options or financial aid?
- Do students earn a degree from Pyramind?
- Is there a refund policy for withdrawing from Pyramind?
- Does Pyramind provide studio gear and software to students?
- What employment opportunities are available to Pyramind students?
Enrollment Requirements / Process
The number one trait which Pyramind is looking for in a student is an intense desire to study and become great at music production. Talent is not what separates good and bad producers but rather a willingness to learn and a passion bordering on obsession. The music and audio industry is not an easy one to break into and takes an intense amount of dedication and diligence to succeed.
Pyramind requires all student to have a high school diploma or equivalent to study in full-time program. Students are encouraged to have at least one year of experience in music playing an instrument, DJing, or producing music.
Once a student has read through the web page and course catalog, he or she needs to contact us through one of our forms or our email to set up an interview with our admissions department. All incoming students are interviewed by admissions to make sure we’re a good fit for the student and the student for us.
If you’re an international student you’ll need to review information on getting an M-1 student visa, which Pyramind can sponsor you for. Read the information provided by the Department of Homeland Security to get more details.
Housing
Pyramind does not provide housing for its students but we help every student secure it during their studies . This web page lists some of the options our students use to find housing.
Payment Plans /
Financial Aid
Pyramind offers payment plans for all of our full-time programs, custom programs above $10,000, and the Ableton Night Program. Payment plans run at a 14.4% amortized rate but down payment and term length depend on the program.
Pyramind does not offer scholarships and chose not to accept federal grants and financial aid programs like FAFSA. Choosing not to become a regionally or nationally accredited institution allows us to keep our tuition costs lower and allows our classes to teach the most up-to-date versions of software.
Because Pyramind holds the debt for payment plans, we’re able to work with each student to find a financing options which works for him or her.
Degrees
Pyramind is a private vocational training school and not a university; thus, we are not a degree granting institution. Not doing so allows us to keep tuition down, hire instructors with a wider variety of relevant backgrounds, and keep curriculum more up-to-date. The audio and music industry is also not an industry which puts a lot of value in a degrees – most people are hired based on experience, knowledge, and certifications. Pyramind does offer a number of manufacturer certifications in Ableton Live, Avid Pro Tools, Apple Logic, and more.
More important than any of these is the songs, productions, and demos students create while at Pyramind. These are the true representation of a student as an artist, engineer, and composer in the real world and directly translate into the idea of a “portfolio”
Withdrawal /
Refund Policies
If a student cancels a program or class before it starts or within the first week of classes, a full refund minus a $95 one time non-refundable registration fee is refunded.
Per California State Law, if a student pays in full and withdraws from a program after the first five days of class, the student is entitled to a prorated refund (minus fees and materials) up until 60% of the way through a program at which point tuition is considered spent in full.
If a student pays in full and withdraws from a custom curriculum of classes or a single class, the student is entitled to a refund (minus fees and materials) based upon classes attended up until 60% of the way through each individual class.
If you’re on a payment plan, the above still holds true but a student will have to sit with admissions to figure out how much the student has paid versus how much is owed to Pyramind.
Once a student enrolls into Pyramind, we discuss all of this in further detail at orientation.
Gear
Pyramind does not force students to purchase software or hardware as part of their tuition. All software we use and teach is available in our 2 class rooms, 3 studios, and the co-lab. Our facilities are open 9am to 10pm Monday through Friday and 12pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. This gives students an opportunity to “try before you buy,” so no one is stuck which something he or she didn’t want.
We do work with Guitar Center, Sweetwater.com, and other to provide students with manufacture discounts on gear and software. We’ll consult with each student to find the equipment that works best with the his or her production styles and needs.
An Important thing to remember is students come to Pyramind to figure out what they don’t know – don’t buy gear before you don’t know what you don’t know.
Employment
Pyramind’s primary focus is on the art of audio and music production which does not always lead to traditional 9-5 employment. Some students want to be producer/performers, others composers, and some still know they just want to be in the creative side of the music industry. Almost all professionals working in these positions are independent contractors and are not employees for a company – freelancers is another synonymous with these jobs.
To position our students into a successful career as a freelancer, Pyramind creates relevant networking opportunities such as ‘Elite Sessions’, ‘Planning for Success’ Lectures, ‘An Evening With’ events and ‘Test Press’ to allow student interaction with seasoned, working professionals. All our teachers are also working professionals in the industry who’ve recommended students for opportunities or have hired students to work directly for them.
Some students, once graduated, do seek jobs and we’ve had great success placing students into: Ubisoft • Disney Mobile • Disney Interactive Media Group • Sony Entertainment of America • Fantasy Studio • Swell Music • Hyde Street Studios • One Union Recording • Broken Radio Studios • DoubleFine Productions • Addmired • Blizzard Entertainment • Cutting Edge Audio Group • The Tape Project • Zynga • Polarity Post • Loudville.tv • InGrooves • Pullstring • Toy Talk • The Art Institute • Pyramind.
Pyramind can not guarantee employment for a student but we can position him and her to make the most of their time here and find their way in the world audio and music production.
