By definition, etiquette is: "conventional requirements as to social behavior; properties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion".

Fancy, isn't it.

I'm mainly talking about Studio Etiquette. The common rules, guidelines, and regulation in place at every major studio facility. Believe it or not, most studio's have developed, over time, a common etiquette at that particular facility.

As a new intern at such a studio, a huge part of your day to day job is to become familiar with this etiquette. At least that was the way things happened when I managed to get my first internship over ten years ago. My how the times have changed. Not to make myself sound old, because I'm not too old, but I have seen a lot of people come and go. People that were talented, could have made a lot of progress, but couldn't understand the basic etiquette of how a studio works. I have spoken recently to several other studio owners I know and did an informal poll of what they would like to see from their interns.

This conversation took a lot longer than I expected, a lot longer. But there was one universal thing that every single person in the room kept on saying. "Nobody is interested in learing how to do things right" I asked further: "What does that mean?" Basically, they all agreed, that this meant that none of their recent interns were at all even interested in learing the proper etiquette for the studio. This brought up a very long and drawn out conversation about how things have changed. I won't bore you with the details. But, a few good points did come out of this. For anybody wanting to intern at a studio, it's time to pay attention - Pay attention: This means everything, from patching in cables, to taking a lunch order. Nobody expects you to know everything right off the bat. Carry a pen and paper everywhere! Write everything down. If you can't get the lunch order right, how are they to know you can do the recording right.

Ask questions: This ties in to paying attention. Ask questions on how to do things the right way. Once again, nobody is going to expect you to know everything to start.

Be proactive: The more of an active role you take upon yourself, the more responsibility can be bestowed upon you. You'll never get a session handed to you for sitting on the couch. Go and find some clients for the studio. If nothing else, you'll learn the booking and payment procedure for the studio. This can only help you become an asset to the facility.

Be professional: We are working in an environment that caters to client needs, kinda like Disney World for musicians. Be professional and courteous in dealing with these clients. It is because of them that you, and everyone there, are getting a paycheck. This can also include answering the phone properly. You laugh, but, it is something that I've seen a lot of people get yelled at for. The studio is a business, do not treat it like your personal cell phone. The way we talk to our friends is not appropriate for a business setting. Nothing of what I said should be new to people. Basic etiquette can go a long way to providing you with a long and fruitful career.