In this quarter, you will learn the fundamental technical and theoretical skills necessary to work in the audio industry. You will study the basics of music theory, microphones and basic recording, as well as DAW functionality in industry standard software’s Pro Tools and Ableton Live. This knowledge will become the basis for the remainder of the program.

In your second quarter, you will continue to learn intermediate microphone and recording techniques, by conducting your own recording sessions under supervision from your instructors. You will explore practical audio editing skills that are used for performance correction and enhancement, as well as advancing your ability to create simple song arrangements and productions. This quarter also branches out in the world of synthetic sound design and track creation.

In your third quarter, you will develop your understanding of the professional skills, work habits, and attitudes expected by the commercial recording industry. This will include client interaction, working in teams, and delivering high quality work on a tight deadline. Live sound reinforcement is introduced with practical setup and teardown of complete sound systems. The quarter rounds out with a focus on song arrangement and song writing within a DAW, including analysis of popular songs and song writing trends.

In your fourth quarter, you will use various techniques learned in your previous quarters and apply them to more advanced recording sessions, as well as analog and digital mixing. Building upon your music theory and song writing skills from previous quarters, you will learn the process of writing music for TV and Film, as well as the basics of creating audio for the video game industry. This quarter also includes career management and music industry classes that help students understand the business side of making and marketing music.

In quarter five, you will learn the practical skills related to the roles involved in film and TV post-production audio, including ADR, foley, sound design, as well as 5.1 mixing. Students will also learn about on set location audio, and working with film crews and actors. Studio construction and design will also be a focus of this quarter, with students creating and planning their own recording space, taking into consideration proper acoustics.

In the final quarter, students use all of the skills learned thus far to produce recordings for local artists and fine tune their ability to work in a team to create a final product. Advanced recording and mixing classes will help the students to craft radio ready productions, and work towards building a sonic palette unique to themselves.