Most labels either have their own producers... or they contract the producers for certain terms... There is a record company in Fort Wayne, Indiana that has about 5 bands signed to them... they contracted a producer named Scott Matthews (worked with Clapton, the Stones, BB King, Barry White... so on) to do a record for each one of their bands... I happen to be good friends with one of the bands. They're getting flown out to San Fransisco to get there album done next month. But that's just how a smaller label would do it... now take Geffen or Virgin... or one of the pop labels.. chances are they have a whole slough of their own producers and they would pair you with one that fit your sound/image and style.

As far as what classes you can take.... check out www.mi.edu that's the musicians institute in California... They should have anything you would want to be looking for. I also know that some universities offer programs in recording engineering and technologies through their music programs. Just look around...

As for the session musician question... You better be comfortable with relocating... About every session musician lives in either New York City, Los Angelos, Nashville, or some other big recording city... This is because they need you to be there when a record company needs you. The road to being a session musician is usally just off the beaten path of being a successful and popular mainstream musician. Some times musicians come up and just don't have what's popular at the moment... and they get back-burnered... and end up being studio musicians for other artists. The biggest part is getting your foot in the door. You'll have to start small.. making getting jobs doing jingles or commercials for a radio station or something... then work your way up to tv or something... maybe get a few connections in the biz... get a demo of some of your stuff out there... try to jam with as many musicians as you can and try to make an impression. Getting steady work with a single studio is a good idea becuase that will give you steady work as well as give you time to develop your name... once people start knowing who you are the jobs will get bigger and you'll eventually maybe work your way up to touring guitarist or something like that. I myself am trying to get into guitar teching.... I've always been better at working on guitars than playing them... not saying I'm bad... just that I understand more about how a guitar works than I do about music theory and such.... But just get out there and go with it.