Music Production (MPRD)

Music exists within a network of creative, cultural, and commercial forces that shape how it is made, distributed, and consumed. This course introduces students to the relationship between music production and the modern music industry, examining the roles of artists, producers, labels, publishers, streaming platforms, and emerging technologies. Students develop a foundational understanding of industry structures, terminology, and professional practices while exploring how successful music creators navigate contemporary markets and build sustainable careers.

Capturing sound accurately at its source is one of the most essential skills in music production. This course explores the path of an audio signal from the moment it is captured through the systems used to route, process, and refine it, introducing students to the foundational principles of professional audio workflow. Students develop working knowledge of condenser, ribbon, and dynamic microphones, microphone placement techniques, signal flow, gain staging, cabling standards, connector types, and basic signal processing tools. Through hands-on studio applications, students build the technical fluency and problem-solving skills required to capture clean, reliable audio and support professional recording, production, and live sound environments.

The modern music business is the product of more than a century of technological innovation, cultural change, and evolving distribution models. This course traces the development of the music industry from the era of early recorded sound through radio, television, digital downloads, and contemporary streaming platforms. Students examine the historical events, business practices, and industry shifts that continue to influence artists, producers, and music entrepreneurs, while developing analytical skills that inform professional decision-making in today's music economy.

The ear is the music producer's most valuable tool. This course develops the most essential skills in professional audio — the ability to analyze what you hear and articulate it with precision. Students examine music across genres through the lens of arrangement, performance, and production, while training their ears to identify the specific tools that shape a recording including frequency, dynamics, and time-based effects. Listening exercises are designed to expand sonic horizons and build the vocabulary that essential to the music production process.

Sound is the fundamental material of music production. This course introduces students to the scientific and musical principles that govern the creation, perception, and behavior of sound, including frequency, amplitude, wavelength, harmonics, phase relationships, and psychoacoustics. Students develop a conceptual foundation that supports future study in recording, mixing, acoustics, and sound design while gaining the vocabulary and analytical skills used throughout professional audio industries.

The ability to identify artistic potential and connect music with audiences remains a critical skill within the music industry. This course explores the role of Artist and Repertoire (A&R) professionals, examining artist development, talent evaluation, repertoire selection, market positioning, and creative collaboration. Students analyze current industry trends and develop strategies for discovering, evaluating, and supporting artists in professional recording and entertainment environments.

The history of recorded music is inseparable from the history of the tools used to make it — and the artists bold enough to push those tools beyond their intended limits. This course introduces students to the foundational technologies and workflows of the modern recording studio, building fluency in digital audio workstations, signal flow, microphone theory and placement, and basic acoustic principles. Students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and develop the technical vocabulary and practical judgment to work confidently and efficiently in professional studio environments. This course is the technical foundation upon which all further production study in the program is built.

The digital audio workstation serves as the central production environment for modern music creators. This course develops advanced proficiency with industry-standard DAW platforms, emphasizing efficient workflow, session organization, editing techniques, automation, routing, and collaborative production practices. Through hands-on projects, students build the technical skills and professional habits required for recording, editing, production, and post-production work in contemporary studio environments.

When the synthesizer arrived, it didn't just add a new instrument to the producer's palette — it revolutionized how music sounded, and who could create it. This course examines computer-based music production and sound design as interconnected creative practices, tracing that lineage from its experimental origins to its central place in contemporary music across genres. Students develop hands-on proficiency with synthesis techniques, sampling methodologies, drum machines, sequencing, and the construction of original sonic textures and music. Technical skill and artistic intention are treated as inseparable throughout.

A mixing engineer can transform a song into the best version of itself. This course explores the process of setting balances, applying processing, and making the hundreds of small decisions that add up to a record that sounds finished, intentional, and alive. Students work across both their own productions and those of others, developing the flexibility and ears of a professional mixer. Conceptual instruction in mixing philosophy and signal processing is grounded throughout in hands-on session work.

Music production is the art of making itself invisible, leaving only sound and feeling. This course guides students through the arc of a professional studio production, with an emphasis on pre-production, tracking and arrangement. Working with real sessions and polished material, students develop advanced skills in making talent feel comfortable in a recording studio, choosing the correct microphone for the job, displaying mastery of signal flow, and making informed decisions at every stage of the production process. Students leave with a working knowledge of the full production pipeline and the practiced ears to navigate it.

Applied Acoustics explores the basic principles that allow music producers and audio professionals to understand sound at its source. This course examines the physical nature of sound and its relationship to the spaces we inhabit as a foundation for future creative and technical work. While studying subjects such as sound propagation, frequency behavior, room modes, absorption, diffusion and acoustic treatment, students learn how these concepts directly affect recording, mixing, mastering and playback environments. Students acquire the analytical and practical skills to develop environments that lead to positive sonic results and well-informed creative decisions, from selecting the optimal listening position in a studio to evaluating and designing spaces for accurate sound reproduction.

Effective performances depend on performers hearing themselves and one another clearly on stage. This course focuses on the specialized practice of monitor mixing, examining signal flow, communication strategies, monitor system design, wireless technologies, and troubleshooting techniques. Students develop the technical and interpersonal skills required to create reliable monitoring environments for musicians and performers in professional live sound settings.

Mastering is the final stage in the production of a piece of music. MPRD 410 Digital Mastering and Distribution traces that tradition from its origins in the cutting rooms of the vinyl era through the loudness wars of the CD age and into the nuanced, format-conscious demands of modern streaming. Students develop deep practical fluency in the core disciplines of mastering — loudness, tonality, dynamics, stereo imaging, and metering — while developing the critical ears and technical judgment to make decisions that serve the music across every playback context. The course culminates in the generation of final deliverables and a thorough understanding of how to deliver assets to aggregators and streaming platforms, including release strategies designed to maximize impact from the moment a record goes live.

Producers guide the transformation of musical ideas into completed recordings. This course examines the creative, technical, and leadership responsibilities of the record producer from concept development through final delivery. Students learn how to communicate artistic vision, manage sessions, collaborate with performers and engineers, and make informed creative decisions while developing the professional skills necessary to lead successful recording projects in contemporary music production environments.

Live sound production requires technical precision, adaptability, and the ability to make critical decisions in real time. This course introduces students to the principles and practices of sound reinforcement and live event recording, including PA system design, monitor systems, microphone deployment, signal routing, live mixing, and location recording techniques. Students gain practical experience with professional equipment and workflows while developing the skills needed to support concerts, events, and live recording projects in professional production environments.

Emerging audio technologies are reshaping how audiences experience recorded music. This course explores immersive and spatial audio formats, introducing students to the concepts, tools, and workflows used to create multidimensional listening experiences. Through hands-on mixing projects, students develop skills in object-based audio, spatial placement, monitoring systems, and format delivery while preparing for professional opportunities in music, gaming, film, and other interactive media industries.