Just seven years after graduating from Ex’pression College for Digital Arts with a degree in Sound Arts, Chris Spilfogel, now a respected recording engineer, has a deep client list that includes work with Timbaland, Beyonce, Nelly Furtado, and Jamie Foxx. How did Chris build a solid resume that also notes recording and mixing for hit movies Dreamgirls and Hairspray in such a short amount of time? Key themes in Chris’ life have always been music (clarinet and guitar), engineering (a fascination with how things work behind the scenes), and perseverance. Those themes helped Chris realize his passion and helped guide him on his path to Ex’pression College for Digital Arts.

“...My professor suggested Ex’pression and I jumped at the opportunity”

Working on his AA at Santa Barbara City College, Chris mainly took physics and art classes, feeding his passion for engineering and music. Chris signed up for an electronic music course that ended up being full. The only other interesting class available was an audio editing course, so Chris signed up and fell in love with the program. “Working with audio and editing came so easily to me and I wanted to learn more. My professor suggested Ex’pression and I jumped at the opportunity,” says Chris.

Chris knew what he wanted to do and was committed to making it happen. His perseverance led him to move home, work and save money for eight months, and then enroll at Ex’pression College’s Sound Arts program.

“Once I had an idea of what I wanted do, I knew that Ex’pression College was the school that would help me transform my dreams and refine my skills to help prepare me for a career in sound arts,” said Chris. He has likened Ex’pression College to a world–class studio — a playground for serious students — where they can jump in and show their creativity right away. For Chris, engineering taps into his technical interests, while recording is his creative side. “It’s all an art form really,” adds Chris.

“It’s all an art form really”

Ex’pression provides a solid, clear educational path for people that know what they want to do. “I didn’t want to spend years taking classes that wouldn’t prepare me for the world of a recording engineer. I wanted a more focused approach, and Ex’pression provided that. I got my degree in Sound Arts in just two and a half years, headed straight to LA and have been working ever since,” said Chris. “You do have to have perseverance though. The industry is tough, and you have to be able to stay up longer than the next guy to learn, grow, and stay ahead of the game.”