Getting Back on Track

Boris Bacvic spent years studying musical theory and playing various musical instruments. He graduated from a European university with a degree in musicology in 1992 and quickly went to work writing music for European movies and television shows in his home country of Yugoslavia. Within a few years, however, war broke out, giving Boris other things to worry about besides music. Boris was able to leave the war zone and toured and worked with a band for a few years in Paris before arriving in the U.S. in 1996. Once in the U.S., Boris soon set about getting into music…but found it wasn't that easy.

"I quickly discovered I needed to know more about the modern technology involved [in music]. Reading manuals and following instructions from tech support weren't working well for me. I had a little studio setup but I didn't know how to operate it. Thinking I wouldn't be knowledgeable enough to use other equipment properly either, I was afraid to invest any further."

Boris says he also was missing a network of people in the industry with similar goals and ideas who he might eventually be able to work with. He realized going back to school could not only bring him up to date technologically, but also help him establish a network.

Boris was immediately intrigued with the Recording Arts program at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. It was high-tech and it was close to his home. Realizing the practical and hands-on nature of Academy classes were exactly what he was looking for, he enrolled. Boris is expected to graduate later this year with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in recording arts.

Although Boris is now one of the Recording Arts department's standout students, he does admit he was a little nervous when he first started at the Academy. "I wasn't at all familiar with the system of education here in the U.S. I had no clue what a GPA or a credit was. I didn't think the learning itself would be a problem, but I just didn't know what to expect from the system."

Boris' nerves didn't last long. He quickly learned what a GPA was and now easily measures classes in credits. Most of all, though, Boris appreciates the practical nature of his Academy classes.

"When an instructor tells us about something, we have the chance to go and test it for ourselves right away. I go from hearing how it works to seeing how it works in a very short period of time."

"This is exactly the kind of education I need to compliment what I already know."