Associate of Arts (AA) in Music Production Academy of Art University

The AA in Music Production provides students with a focused introduction to music production workflows, music creation software, virtual instruments, music editing, and industry standard practices in the creation of music for visual media. Emphasis is placed on both music creation and editing principles, with an emphasis on virtual instruments, as well as introducing recording principles and contemporary studio techniques.

Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Critical Analysis

• Synthesize and apply knowledge of contemporary styles to the composition and production of music

Production Techniques

• Demonstrate proficiency at recording on a digital audio workstation (DAW)
• Demonstrate familiarity with the music production process

Professional Readiness

• Produce basic materials to create a portfolio that showcases skills and supports career opportunities

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
• Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
• Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
• Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
• Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
• Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
• Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

Academy of Art University offers some of the best training and hands-on experience to help accelerate careers in music production. We pride ourselves in doing an exceptional job preparing you to excel in your chosen profession. Our degree programs are designed to equip aspiring music professionals with a comprehensive toolbox of marketable skills that lead to success in the music industry.

Score Composer

Compose original music to accompany narrative storytelling in visual media. Work with sound editors and mixers to balance music with other soundtrack elements, creating the sonic world in which characters live. Drive the emotions of the audience by crafting musical ideas that reflect the unspoken thoughts of a character.

Music Editor

Work closely with a composer to effectively create music scores that drive the emotion of the scene. Create temp scores. Edit music to fit specific cue lengths and effectively create just the right music cues to fit the scene.

Production Recordist

Manage the set and location sound recordings. Quality check all recorded material from set and location. Assist the production mixer in all duties. Maintain equipment.

Re-recording Mixer

The last step in post-production is the final mix. Effectively balance music, dialogue, and SFX into a cohesive soundtrack that supports and enhances visual storytelling. Work on large format audio consoles with hundreds of audio tracks, and craft the sonic world for visual media.

Sound Designer

Be responsible for the overall aural concept of a film, game, or other media. Collaborate with other creatives to develop a cohesive sound and create specific sounds for visual media.

Sound Editor

Edit dialog, sound effects, ambiances, and other sounds to fit with the visual material. Use filters and plug-ins to transform audio for a specific setting. Work with the Supervising Sound Editor to deliver all audio assets for a given project, whether film, game or animation.

Unit Requirements

Degree Requirements

• A minimum grade of C- in all core courses, major courses, and LA 107 Writing for the Multilingual Artist or 108 Composition for the Artist
• Minimum 2.0 GPA and the following general education requirements:
  • 1 Written Communication: Composition
  • 1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking
  • 1 Employment Communications & Practices

After the above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.

Curriculum

Semester 1

• LA 101: Freshman Symposium: Artistic Resilience (Liberal Arts)
• MUS 101: Music Theory & Basic Notation (Major)
• MUS 102: Soundtrack Industry Overview (Core)
• MUS 120: Music Production 1 (Core)

Semester 2

• LA 108: Composition for the Artist (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 142: Film Music Appreciation (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• MUS 110: Harmony 1 (Core)
• MUS 170: Music Production 2 (Core)
• MUS 179: History of the Recording Industry (Core)
• MUS 188: Rhythm & Beat Production (Core)

Semester 3

• LA 291: Designing Careers (Liberal Arts)
• MUS 105: Pro Tools User Certification Preparation (Core)
• MUS 125A: Audio Production A (Core)
• MUS 310: Real-Time Mixing (Major)
• MUS 360: Songwriting in Popular Music (Major)

Semester 4

• LA 126: Seminar in the Arts (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• LA 202: English Composition: Creative Persuasion & Argument (Liberal Arts)
  Recommended for summer
• MUS 205: ProTools 2 Operator Certification Preparation (Core)
• MUS 222: Ableton Live Certification Preparation (Major)
• MUS 285: Session Recording 1: Protocols and Practices (Major)
• MUS 370: Music Editing for Visual Media (Core)
• MUS 415: The Music Mix (Core)