Just thought I would share this with folks - I just came from the last of the meetings with financial aid for my son - I just signed my life away for the next ten years, and my son will begin a 10-month full-time audio engineering school program in July.
 
It's a great program, and the studio has had some amazing folks come though, over the years - Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Prince, Barry Manilow, Barbara Streisand, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Sarah McLachlan, The Drifters, The Beach Boys, Donna Summers, Def Leppard, Phil Keaggy, and a bunch more.
 
Anyways, I just thought I would share the good news - my son has a passion for music production, and will work hard through the whole process.  The program has quite a bit of hands-on instruction, and they have at least 4 studios there, including a large separate setup with a stage for music video production, as well, and they have been around for about 50 years.  They have an incredible set of gear, so he should get a solid set of experience through the 10 months of study.
 
Wahoo!
 
Bob Bone
 

OK I expect a grammy tomorrow from him?  Good news indeed!

Yup - he will now know hot to wind up all my cables after any gigs I do.  
 
Bob Bone
 

Look at you, Bobbo... going for the "Coolest Dad of the Year" award. Wish my 'rents were so supportive. My prighole pops yanked me out of guitar lessons just as I was about to start in on classical study... just to prove some kind of prighole point to me.
 
I could be a fully accredited calssical instructor by now if it weren't for that but life does what it does.
 
So yeah... good on ya. 10 years of debt though? Better make sure he gets REAL good and maybe learns how to deal with filmscore stuff ('cause that's where the real money is) so he can pay ya back. Poppa needs to enjoy life too, eh? Then again I don't have kids. I'd imagine watching them enjoy their lives would be rather enjoyable in itself.
 
Cheers, dood. You're a good guy.

"calssical"
 
There I go making up words again. Or perhaps in this case a whole new field of study.
 
It's official... I now declare myself the ONLY calssical instructor on the planet. My rates are ten bajillian dollars per hour. I can get away with charging that because you can't get these skills ANYWHERE ELSE!!
 
now i just need to figure out what calssical means and i'll be set for life...
 

congrats, Bob!  I'm sure your son will make you proud!
 
10 years is a long time.  Student loans are outrageous.  We ended up paying mine off with a credit card after about 6 years of it without it hardly even scratching the surface of the principal and then paid the CC off in about 2 years!

Nice one Robert... I hope you see a great return on your investment 

cool.

I think the return on investment is realised as soon as you show that level of support for your children.

'On ya a bob!