Student Experience: Louis Sutton

“I got more out of my education at Cedar Valley than I did from my four-year degree. When I started the Recording Technology program there in 1980, they were offering a unique, cutting-edge program that was not available at most universities or colleges. Everything they did in that program was top-notch, and I really got a lot out of it. 

“When I transferred to UT to study radio and television, I found that they were very far behind the technical curve compared to Cedar Valley. Everything I learned at Cedar Valley I’ve applied in my career today — from recording and microphone technology to working with musicians and other performers. 

“It was a well-balanced education, not only about the music and recording technology, but also learning how to work well with people and talented musicians. We got to work hands-on in projects that let us interact with a lot of talented people and get great insight into the way they think. There’s really something to that left-brain/right-brain way of thinking between engineers and artists. 

“The best part of my Cedar Valley education was the cutting-edge approach that they took. It was apparent that they wanted everything to be as timely and current as the real working environment. Everybody in the program stayed ahead of the technical curve so information was immediately applicable in the field and not dated. That was the biggest selling point of the program then, and I think it’s the same now. They use technology that applies to the industry right now, not 10 or 20 years ago.

“The most important thing I learned was how important it is to stay current with technology. You have to constantly pay attention to changes in the field and not let yourself become dated. The faculty at Cedar Valley were on top of every new thing, which is so important in this business.” 

As director of engineering, Louis Sutton oversees all technical operations for a cluster of six radio stations, including transmitter sites; maintenance repair; management of studio operations, including design, maintenance, repairs and upgrades; and special projects such as recording sessions and video sessions for each station’s separate Web page.

He earned an associate degree in Recording Technology from Cedar Valley in 1982 and then received a bachelor’s degree in radio and television from the University of Texas. He worked as a remote engineer and production assistant to DJ Ron Chapman and an engineer at KVIL for nine years, then as an assistant chief engineer and chief engineer at KHKS (KISS) Radio with DJ Kidd Kraddick. 

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