F.I.R.S.T. Institute

Love this place! Went through their audio engineering program and learned so much. My instructors were super knowledgeable and broke things down in such a way that made it all make sense. The hands on aspect is no joke I got to work with super cool equipment. The recording studio section was my favorite aspect of it all. I’d say if you really want a career in audio this is a place you need to check out!

I attend FIRST in January. Since then the professor help me achieve what I wanted to achieve. They understand what we need as a student. The pace was perfect for me since I work and school at the same time. I enjoy every little time I spent in the classroom with the teacher and my classmates. It was amazing. I would recommend FIRST to anyone that’s looking for an audio engineering school.

Honestly coming in with next to no knowledge minus high school ap music theory and high school concert band I have learned so much from here. With the instructors really caring about their jobs and taking time to teach you about the real world. They truly care about all the students and want them to succeed even taking time out from before class to help you fully understand what’s going on. I came in knowing nothing and came out top of my class in the honors program. I owe this school and the instructors and the program directors everything for all the have taught me. Shout out to Genoveva Valle, the program director, and my instructors who really saw me blossom into the audio engineer that I am today. I could go on more about how awesome this school is but it would be a novel.

Great experience! Teachers very knowledgeable! I now know multiple platforms for editing, story and movie creation, and script writing! I'm glad I went through this program and the sky is the limit! Skills gained are definitely in competition with the pros after this experience! Thank you F.I.R.S.T!!!

I went for the digital film making and video production. Great school you can tell the instructors really care about the students. I liked the small class sizes you don’t get lost in the fray like a big college campus. The curriculum is a good balance of live production, videography, film and editing. Overall I would recommend it for someone interested in video production.

I had a great experience with First Institute. I attended remotely for 9 months in the digital filmmaking course. The instructors were friendly, helpful, and gave any extra help when needed. We got lots of exposure to filmmaking, editing, script writing. There were also other topics covered. We also learned 3 editing softwares very helpful for the future. I highly recommend.

I enjoyed my time in IDL classes, I enjoyed the teachers and their enthusiasm, the only thing I would say that I wish happened is more communication from the students in IDL, it felt like a blank room, but I truly enjoyed my stay.

When I first started FIRST, I didn’t know how to film, edit, do sound design, coloring etc. But with the help of my amazing instructors and classmates, I’ve come out more knowledgeable than ever. All of my instructors were great at what they did, taught us well, and were pretty chill. The environment of the IDL classroom was something I won’t forget in a long time. Gears to future endeavors for all!

I took the Recording Arts and Show Production Program at F.I.R.S.T (On Campus).
I had a great experience. Even though the program is not that long, I did learn a whole lot while being there. I came in with zero knowledge. I didn’t even know how to use an apple computer. But as I was progressing through the course I learned more and more and the instructors were there to help me along the way. I became more confident in what I do. I’m amazed on how much I improved and learned in just 10 months! I feel confident enough in this field to take on a job related to what I studied. The course prepares you to find employment once your done with the course. They provide you with tools and resources that guarantee success once you graduate, of course you have to put in the work to get to where you want but FIRST is very good in helping you how to get there. The instructors are amazing and very knowledgeable. They are there for you at all times. Classes are small which is great because instructors are able to focus more on you. This program is very hands on which I really enjoyed. I made great connections with other students and staff. Overall this was an amazing program which I recommend 100%. For anyone that wants to learn the basics of recording arts and show pro and wants to do a short program but still have that hands on experience and learn a whole lot about different fields you can take in audio and show pro, this is the school for you. I’m very happy with my experience and I’m glad I chose FIRST Institute. Thank you for everything!

Hi My Name is Annabel Saintjoy i been study recording arts and show production online school since 2022-2023 the program was great and experience you can meet nice people and help them i love First Institute best school ever

As a person who never quite cared for a traditional learning environment, I couldn't have been more excited to go to class every single day during my time at F.I.R.S.T. What I learned and experienced has served as the bedrock for much of my success within the music business. The staff is both passionate and well-informed. The facility is state of the art and in a society where a regular complaint is "I don't even use the things I learned in school", F.I.R.S.T students have the beautiful opportunity to be the exception with an applicable industry skillset. Would 1000% recommend

I love the wonderful people who helped me so much the classmates I met and the teachers are amazing. There is only one compliment I have if you are out of state and looking for housing DO NOT GO THROUGH EDU RENT I'd recommend doing it online. Housing has been a big problem for me when I got to first. First institute is a great college program but not perfect. Instructors are amazing.Students you will meet are priceless, and the things you will learn are limitless. Do I recommend this school yes! First institute was the best experience of my life and even still wouldn't change a thing. Even though I had those road bumps the people and and experience are Ever lasting and to me that makes it worth while.

This place became a haven for what I thought were tarnished dreams. I became a self-taught freelancer in Graphic Design and Website development years ago and had reached a ceiling in my career. I had no formal education and my first attempt at higher education cost me more than I gained. Until Kathryn from FIRST gave me a tour. I was sold... Not too long after a few seamlessly simple phone calls to comb out my enrollment, came the first day of the rest of my life. FIRST Institute introduced me to a world where everyday people live their dreams and perform in their passions. The faculty and Staff are really invested in their careers yet they still find time in their busy professional schedules to create a safe, kind, thoughtful, and progressive place for technical learning. Class sizes are intimate and active, making individualized attention easy and group learning can be most effective. It’s a magical place. In 11 months, I had a head start and unlimited resources on the career that I thought had left me behind. And even as a graduate, FIRST Institute still makes me a priority, assisting in my post graduation career placement and financial planning. If you’re interested in an affordable education where you can really gain proficiency in the entertainment media industry... THIS IS A SAFE BET!! To Donny, Alan, Kathryn, Jon, T’Shela, Michelle,Samantha, Freddie, Wes, Lisa, Rachelle, Wes, Dave and most of all Brandon HW, You’ve helped me reignite the Fuel in My Fire... THANK YOU FIRST INSTITUTE!!

First institute is a wonderful place to learn to grow and to find yourself in what you want to do in the industry. Everyone there is so kind so helpful and so driven to learn and to guide the students. This school will be with you forever to help you with future jobs to just talk to work there etc and to just make long last relationships with everyone there. I recommend first to anyone who wants to get into the music industry, photography industry, and graphic design industry. Which is where I wanted to start in graphic design. This is the best atmosphere of people and they were work there hardest for you and everyone else around them.

Thank you to first for everything !

Phebee

FIRST Institute showed me so many new sides of the music industry that would’ve been difficult to learn otherwise. It is a lot to learn in just 11 months time, but the teachers and staff are supportive and are there for you every step of the way. For anyone wanting to gain more out of a traditional school, I’d recommend coming here! I’ve already gained employment with a few companies already within a month of graduating and am more then confident of growing in this industry.

It was amazing. Even though I did virtual I still felt like I was in person. The teacher are amazing and they really helped me better understand the film industry. The students in my class are all talented which help me see different styles and ways of doing things. I really enjoyed being able to express my creativity and be able to see others creativity as well. If you think about going to this school don’t think for a second it is the best school. I really enjoyed it and Thank you to everyone who works at First Institute y’all are amazing.

Nothing but amazing instructors who care so deeply about their students. As a graphic design student, I learned a lot about my new skill and where it could take me. They always make sure the main priority is career readiness and they will make sure you get there. The class itself was also amazing as I met fellow artists along the way who share the same struggles but immense creativity. I loved this school and I recommend it to those who want something fresh and different, without the hassle of general classes.

I love this school anf you don't have to worry about being in school for 2 to 4 years. I’ve only been in there for 4 months. If you don't want to be in school for years I recommend this school

I graduated from the online Audio & Visual Production program at F.I.R.S.T, and it was a really great experience and I learned a lot in the year time frame! Flexible schedule and understanding from teachers and higher ups, they really help you the best they can to see you succeed and don’t just allow you to fail if they see you’re trying! I will say some of the online courses would be a lot better in person to get that hands on experience, but the online courses really do a great job of making up for that in person experience by providing you with your own equipment (given as apart of your tuition, and you get to it after graduation!) and through great videos and teachers!

Really great school! Teaches you all things mixing, mastering, recording, sound design, the sciences behind it all, and much, much more. The professors are very real in what they teach, and are all active in the industry. I loved every single day that I went!